Hawaiian Sweet Spot. The waves in Hawaii are legendary. In the winter months, the island's north and west coasts see big waves that often climb to 4 feet, with huge curls of white water breaking just off the shore. This is just one reason why surfers, body boarders, paddlers and those of us just willing to watch from the beach make this pilgrimage. There is no other place on earth like Hawaii. The north shore of Oahu gets all the attention (as it should), but the waves at Makaha are just as sweet. This is the place where the first surf competition in Hawaii was held in 1954 and continues to attract world class pros to ride the giants of winter surf.