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Watch: This Hawaii Shorebreak Wave Is a ‘Deathtrap’ for Tourists

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 3:49 PM ET

The North Shore Lifeguards, Oahu’s elite squadron of ocean lifesavers, are extremely busy every winter season – not only tending to the hordes of surfers, who flock to the Seven Mile Miracle to face some of the world’s heaviest waves; but also, for the tourists who come to view the monstrous surf, and all too often, get accidentally swept away.

It happens all over the North Shore, every year, but at one spot, in particular, the danger is perhaps the most paramount. Ke Iki Beach, located between Pipeline and Waimea Bay, is a picturesque strand of coastline, however it’s also a hotspot for perilous, even deadly, shorebreak waves. And tourists are often the main victims.

This video below shows how these tourists – or, generally, people not familiar with the ocean – can get swept away, even without actually going in the water. Oftentimes, they’re just walking on the beach, when a wave will suck them out to sea. Check it out.

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“Dear visitors to Hawaii and locals too,” the caption reads. “The ocean doesn’t discriminate. If you aren’t already very skilled in these situations please avoid going anywhere near the ocean when you see these conditions. The people who have drowned at this beach the most weren’t even swimming. They were either walking across and didn’t go up and around, or they were standing down there just getting their feet wet. Half of them have regular clothes on when we get to them.

Just recently, at this very beach, an elderly couple was swept out to sea while walking the shore. They were merely dipping their toes in the water when a wave caught them. Thanks to the North Shore Lifeguards, and the help of good Samaritans, they were rescued. However, they were transferred to the hospital in serious condition. And it’s not even close to the first time that this has happened.

The video also shows how the whitewater rushes up the sand, cascades over parallel berms, then converges in the middle. This creates something like a vortex, sucking the water back out to sea. As the caption continues:

“Watch the dynamics of what’s going on. Look at how far down in the middle you could be standing on dry sand before the water wraps around, crashes together, and rivers down. That’s what knocks people down and pours them into the shorebreak.”

So, be careful out there. Keep your distance. Know your limits. And always, always listen to the lifeguards.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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