Surf: General: Inarguably Town's most coveted -- and famous -- high-performance wave, Ala Moana has a clearly formed and obvious lineup. The wave is a long left, with a few different tube sections and a range of takeoff spots, but it's at its most focused and perfect when a solid S swell detonates on the outside bowl section. The seabed next to the reef was dredged for Ala Wai Harbor, thus the man-made interference bends swell and refracts it. And even though really big sets are still referred to as Pole Sets, the pole that once indicated such incoming bombs is now gone.

The Ala Moana Bowls left can hold solid size and breaks off toward the harbor channel, but Bowls also offers a shorter right on smaller days that will usually end as a closeout section on the very shallow inside reef. As you head west across Magic Island into Ala Moana Park, there are numerous quirky, crowded and hard-to-catch reefbreaks, including Tennis Courts, Big Rights and Kewalo Basin. All of these waves work best on the same swell as Waikiki, though tide and local knowledge definitely comes into play here. Tides: Medium Size: Chest high-2X overhead+ Wind: Calm or offshore from NW to E, with NE straight offshore. Swell: Anything from the SE to SW, but usually from the S to SW. Bottom: Reef. Shallow and sharp for most of it. Paddling: Long paddles to and from beach, but not bad once you're out there. Spot Rating: One of the best waves on the South Shore. Ripable when small and some meaty barrels when big. Access: Easy. Walk the harbor breakwater to end and paddle out the Ala Moana boat channel (use caution, it is a harbor), or paddle from the little beach near parking lot across the reef platform (a little sketchy on low tide). Crowds: Crowd Factor: Always crowded when its waist high or bigger, but early bird gets the worm sometimes. Local Vibe: Very intense and competitive. Humility and respect a must. Environment: Nearby harbor, so pollution is always a factor, especially after significant rainfall. Hazards: Shallow reef, powerful waves, intense crowd. Season: Summer. From around April through October.