A nice, safe place to picnic, play, wade and watch the bigger waves across the channel at Ali’i Beach Park. The beach is long, safe and sandy. The name means “home of the frigate bird.”

A good place for beginners, where several surf schools sometimes take their classes. Usually smaller than elsewhere on the North Shore, the waves gently roll into the large southern end of Waialua Bay.

A favorite stopping place for tourists, this beach isn’t particularly good for swimming because of its rocky bottom and strong currents, even on calmer days. But it does have a long, beautiful right-side break when there’s a big swell. It used to be less crowded than other spots, but these days there’s almost always a line of cars looking for roadside parking and dozens of people dashing across the adjacent highway, often to glimpse the turtles that lounge there.

The biggest, most historic, most famous of all the North Shore breaks, Waimea sometimes has rideable waves when all the other spots are closed out. Waves can reach 25 to 30 feet offshore and even the shorebreak can be a powerful, awe-inspiring site. Stay well clear of the water and enjoy the spectacle. When the big waves are here, though, so are the crowds. Be prepared to walk a mile or more from your parking space to a prime viewing site.

Narrow and long, Pupukea is a popular place to stop on an around the island watch the big waves crash on the rocks. With few rideable waves, the site is known for it’s sublime sounds and sights. With a Foodland and Starbucks right across the street, it’s a good place to stock up on picnic supplies and safely dine in a place where you can feel the ocean’s spray on your face. In calmer weather, there are three swimming sites: Three tables, Kapoʻo and Shark’s Cove.

When the conditions are right, this two-mile stretch of beach (the longest continuous stretch of wide beach on Oahu) features some of best surf-watching opportunities in the world: long, clean barrels so close to shore that you can feel the ground shake when the waves break on the shallow reef. The park, located across from Sunset Beach Elementary School, on the southern end of this beach stretch offers the only off-road parking and rest rooms in this area. To find the best viewing site at Pipeline, look for the public access lane about 100 yards north of the park.