Situated at the outermost northeast corner of Haleiwa Harbor, Pua'ena offers a versatile wave suitable for tow-teams all the way down to keikis (young surfers). During smaller surf conditions, the inside section tends to be crowded with tourists attempting their inaugural North Shore surfs. However, when the rest of the North Shore is battered by storms and maxing out, the protected inner section of the point serves as a refuge from the chaos of the outer reef, still providing ample quality and rideable surf.

However, it's when a clean, long-period northerly angled swell rolls in that Pua'ena truly comes alive. During such conditions, big right-hand walls steamroll off the outer tip of the point towards the harbor channel, creating an exhilarating surfing experience.