What Wonderful Things Sand Can Do To Oahu’s North Shore

The North Shore is renowned for its abundance of quality reef setups. 

But as any local will tell you, these seemingly immutable waves transform when dusted with sand, which is typically the result of a large north swell. 

Most waves, like Pipe, worsen when covered with sea debris, but others occasionally ignite. 

Take, for instance, the miracle bar that appeared at Rockpiles prior to the Pipe Masters. As seen in the video above, Mase Ho discovered that his favorite foam depository had been made not only safer, but more accepting of overhead swell when the death-pillar reef was (mostly) covered with sand. 

Results range from wild to spectacular but they’re all worth watching.