The Banzai Pipeline
by Lane Davey

There is no other wave like the Banzai Pipeline and to experience it on a good day almost redefines the term surfing. Gerry Lopez once described his own affair with the Pipeline as being a type of love/ hate relationship which very appropriately explains both the mental and physical challenge it presents to those who are willing to commit themselves to it. It flirts with you as you watch from the beach, flaunting its perfect barrells, but has a reputation for playing hard to get. It teases you with its many personalities which challenge your innermost being knowing that in an instant it can all end up as the perfect dream or your worst nightmare.

In reality it takes a number of variables to provide a good day at Pipe. You might hear the phrase "WEST IS BEST" at the Pipeline because that is the key ingredient producing the big thick round barrels which the wave has become so famous for. Too much north in the swell causes the left to twist on the take off and pinch on the end making it very difficult to pull into or come out of the tube which is why most surfers then turn towards the right and try to escape out the Backdoor. On NW-NNW swells the right is an easier drop with a long tight tube over the most shallow part of the reef.

The "magic sand" at Eukai Beach Park is another piece of the potion at Pipe. Throughout the summer it mounds up into a slant right in front of the break sending waves from the beach back out to the line up which collide together. This creates "the backwash" which can throw the surfer several feet in the air just as they are angling down the dredging drop. It takes about a 15 ft+ swell to move the bothersome mound, and then it usually ends up right in front of the reef causing the wave to double up with a warble through it instead of forming into a nice clean tube. The next swell moves the sand a little more down the line up, but then its right in the channel so that the left from the reef and the right from the sandbar implode on top of each other right over the reef which is the perfect set up for breaking boards and possibly an ear drum.

These variables all start coming together by mid January and stay through March, but the best month for Pipe is usually February. Though most will tell you its not true to form until it reaches the 6 foot range, the wave starts to break at about 2 feet and holds up to 15 ft before the whole line up turns into one giant foamball. You can surf the first reef until its about 10 feet, but once you see it feathering on the third reef you start looking for those second reef waves to break on the outside. To catch a wave and ride it from the outer second reef through to the barrel on the first reef is the ultimate Pipe experience!


Here are some other things you might want to know about the break.

1. THE PADDLE OUT
Generally, there are two big rocks sticking out of the water on the left and you should always be paddling out on the Off The Wall side of those rocks. The bigger and more north the swell direction will determine how hard it is to paddle out. It is best to try to make it through the peephole between Pipe and Gums If you don't make it through on a big day you can get stuck in a very strong and turbulent current going through Ehukai. This current is known to suck people from Pipe out to Pupukea and if they make it back in, it is usually through Rocky Point.
2. THE LINE UP
There is a pine cone tree which is right on the peak of Pipeline. The more you go towards the Off The Wall side from that tree the closer you are to Backdoor. There is a shoulder on both the right and the left that works best on a west swell, and on the left there is a little wave at the end of the shoulder that is more on the sandbar. If you catch a wave at the backdoor and ride it to the inside, it might be better to come back around on the left especially on a crowded day. It is often hard to dodge the wave, the reef and the surfers dropping in all at once; on the left there is a better channel to poke through.
3.THE REEF
The reef at Pipe is made up of everything from deep caves to sharp pinacles. Try to avoid it. Fall flat. Sometimes when you are near the reef and a big white water has just broke right in front of you it is best to try to stay in the foam rather than attempting to swim underneath it because you may find that the turbulence goes all the way to the bottom and will pick you back up and over the falls.
4.THE DROP
At the first reef, Pipeline is all about the drop. You have to throw yourself over the ledge and turn into the the tube which is jacking up in front of you. An important part to making the wave is knowing where to get into it.
5.THE TUBE
There are a variety of tubes to ride at Pipe. Some are set up with a good bottom turn while others are straight from the take off. If you have to go straight because there is only a close out make sure to try and absorb the foam and ride it out. If you jump or fall off with the impact of the lip there is a good chance that you will hit the reef.
6.THE CROWD
On an average day at Pipe there is at least 30-40 guys in the line up and on a good day you can easily get a head count of 100. Typically there are 6 contests scheduled at Pipe from the months of November to April, each with about a 2 week waiting period which draw some of the best surfers and bodyboarders from around the world. On top of that you have the Pipe specialist who live here and surf it better than anyone out there every day. Sometimes surfing with the crowd at Pipe is like being in the mist of a battle accompanied by horned helmeted Vikings in their indestructable armour where egos feed on each other resulting in a grunting adrenaline frenzy. Nothing seems more delightful than to share the wave with some graceful women warriors this March