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Spot Name

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About

This is a great spot, and should not be missed if surfing Kauai in the summer months.  Pakala is a left point break, so you have to be a reasonably experienced surfer to enjoy this spot as you have to outpaddle others in the lineup to get a wave.  The wave can last for a very long time (hence the name "Infinities").  The crowd varied from 4-15 surfers on the weekdays and weekend when I was there.  The crowd is swell dependent (according to the friendly local talking to us about the spot), meaning it gets crowded when the surf is big...like most good spots worldwide.

Atmosphere:
If you make it to the water, look out for locals and sharks.The atmosphere at Pakala is pretty mellow.  I got some bad looks from some of the locals, but others were extremely friendly and talked to me and my haole friends quite a bit.  One older local guy even gave us tips on surfing the spot.  Some of the less-mature locals dropped in on my buddy and were not friendly.  There were a lot of couples and family's surfing together, with some of the really young kids on bodyboards.  Overall, there was generally a great vibe at this spot.

Additional Info:
Small waves and sharks. Not great!
Finding this spot is a bit difficult because it can't be seen from the road.  There is guard rail and emergency call box about 100 yards west of mile marker 21 on highway 56, park there (you will probably see other cars parked there as well).

Pakala is a left point break, so goofy-footers will love this spot.  It breaks on a coral reef that gets very shallow when you ride the wave all the way in, so be careful.  Luckily the takeoff area is not too shallow (about 4-8 feet deep depending on the tide).

Both longboarders and shortboarders will like this wave.  It is best on south swells.  Water is a bit murky.

Location

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Access

Walk	Short walk (5-15 min)
Public access	Yes
4x4 required	Unknown
Boat required	Unknown

Wave Characteristics

Type	Reef (coral)
Direction	Left
Bottom	Reef (coral, sharp rocks etc.)
Power	Fun
Frequency	Regular (100 days/year)
Normal length	Normal (50 to 150m)
Good day length	Very Long (300 to 500m)

Ideal Conditions

Wind direction	North NorthWest East NorthEast
Swell direction	SouthWest South SouthEast
Swell size	Less than 3ft - 3ft+
Tide	Don't know
Tide movement	Rising tide

Crowd

Week	Ultra crowded
Weekend	Ultra crowded

Dangers

Pictures

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