Kaiser's Surf Guide
Surf spot guide
Ideal Surf Conditions
Swell Direction
Anything from the SE to SW, but usually from the S to SW.
Wind
Calm or offshore from NW to E, with NE straight offshore.
Surf Height
Chest high-well overhead
Tide
Medium
Kaiser's Surf Guide
Kaiser's is the easternmost surf spot on the Ala Moana reef area. It is very shallow and always has an aggressive crowd. The wave offers a steep, fast, bowly right that will throw a good barrel section off the peak and is fun to backdoor. There is also a decent left, which is usually a little more slopey and will often end in a closeout on the inside, leaving you to negotiate whitewash with very little water between you and the sharp reef. The right, however, spills into a channel, allowing for an easy paddle back out. On the biggest swells, the channel will begin to close out, so beware. *Note: This surf zone has bleeding control emergency supplies provided through the Adopt a Cove program. Learn more here.
Ability Level
Intermediate - Advanced
Best suited for good to advanced surfers.
Local Vibe
Doable
Very intense and competitive.
Crowd Factor
Heavy
Always crowded and intense.
Spot Rating
Fun
Shorter ride, but offers great bowling barrels.
Shoulder Burn
Medium
Long paddles to and from beach, but not bad once you're out there.
Water Quality
Clean
Clean for the most part, but most of Hawaii's population lives on the South Shore of Oahu. Tons of people.
Hazards
Shallow reef, powerful waves, intense crowd.
Bring Your
Shortboard, Bodyboard, Fish
Access
Easy. Walk the east breakwater by Ala Moana parking lot to end and paddle out through the channel. Or paddle from the little beach near parking lot across the reef platform (a little sketchy on low tide).
Bottom
Reef
Best Season
Summer. From around April through October.
Do you have local knowledge about Kaiser's?
If you have any insights or information to add to this spot guide, drop us a note at [email protected]