Jaws (or Pe'ahi) is the name given to a big wave surfing reef break on the island of Maui in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is located on the northern side of the island between mile markers 13 and 14 on the Hana highway and sits at the base of rolling sugar cane field hills. The surf break, a deep water reef break, is called "Jaws" due to the size and ferocity of the waves. The waves at "Jaws" can reach heights of 120 ft (36.6m) on the face of the wave, moving as fast as 30 mph (48.3 km/h).
The jaws break in Hawaii is not for the faint hearted, it is the biggest break present in the world today and seems as though it can not be matched. In order for the surf at "Jaws" to reach its extreme heights, many specific ocean and weather conditions must prevail concurrently. Because ocean swells large enough to produce this kind of surf occur only during winter months, primarily between December and February, they typically coincide with very strong winds which have a large effect on the surf. Other swells, particularly the small but powerful trade wind swells, can make the surf choppy and difficult to ride. There are several other surf spots around the world that boast similar wave heights; however, "Jaws" is famous for its wave forming quality. The reef and rocks at "Jaws" are shaped in a way that magnify incoming swell energy and produce clean and well defined right and left-directional waves with gigantic barreling (hollow, air-filled wave interior) sections.
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