Rescue: Hi Surf is an upcoming action/drama series on the Fox Network. It is expected to debut on September 22, 2024. The series will follow the lives of lifeguards on the North Shore of Oahu. The main cast includes Robbie Magasiva, Kekoa Kekumano, Arielle Kebbel, Adam Demos, Zoe Cipres, and Alex Aiono.
Not only is the series set on Oahu’s beautiful North Shore, but it is also filmed there as well. This area, about an hour north of Honolulu, is known as the surfing mecca of the world. Despite the low population and the quieter way of life, a number of movies and TV series have been filmed here. This includes Lost, Blue Crush, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and even an episode of Full House.
Lifeguard Headquarters
On Rescue: Hi Surf, the building used lifeguard headquarters is located at YMCA Camp Erdman. This camp in Waialua has a number of facilities, including cabins, yurts, climbing structures, and a swimming pool. The camp is well known to fans of the series Lost, as it was the primary filming location of “The Others” camp.
Camp Erdman also has a large building, known as Assembly Hall, that can be used for meetings and events. This is the building that is used as the headquarters on the new series, and will appear on most episodes. I don’t know yet if they’ll also be filming inside, or if the interior shots will be filmed on a set.
Waialua Beaches
According to my sources, most of the beach scenes will be filmed along the quieter Waialua beaches. For the close-up shots of the characters, the crew sometimes needs hours to film without interruption. Using these quieter beaches allows for these shoots without shutting down major beaches. These beaches were also often used in Lost, including the plane wreckage scenes.
Pipeline
Despite many of the close-up shots being filmed along the Waialua coast, we’ll still see some of the North Shore’s more popular beaches. Sometimes these beaches will be used just for establishing shots, but a number of scenes have already been confirmed to have been filmed.
‘Ehukai Beach, more commonly known as the Banzai Pipeline, has had a number of scenes filmed for the movie. This beach is the most well known surfing beach in the world, and hosts multiple major competitions each winter when the surf is high. Many of the surfing scenes in the movie Blue Crush were also filmed here.
There have also been some scenes filmed in the parking lot of Ehukai Beach. The small parking lot is located right of King Kamehameha Highway.
Kualoa Ranch
For any production in Hawaii, it’s almost a right of passage to film at Kualoa Ranch. Rescue: Hi Surf wasted no time, making use of the ranch’s varied landscapes in it’s premiere episode. There will be a scene along one of the streams that flows through the land on Kualoa Ranch.
The ranch has been featured in everything from Jurassic Park and Lost, to Hawaii Five-0 and 50 First Dates.
Old Sugar Mill
Scenes from episode 103 were filmed at the Old Sugar Mill in Waialua. This mill dates back to 1865, and operated until 1996, as the last sugarcane plantation on Oahu.
La’ie Point
La’ie Point makes an appearance in Rescue: Hi Surf’s episode 115. I don’t know if any of the characters will appear here though. It’s possible a secondary team just filmed some establishing shots.
The Sunrise Shack
The show intersperses various shots of the North Shore. One local business that appears in episode 104 is The Sunrise Shack, run by several local professional surfers. This roadside spot sells smoothies, papaya bowls, coffees, and salads. There are several locations on Oahu now, but the original location at Sunset Beach is the one that’s seen in the show.
I’ve stopped here more than once, and I highly recommend a visit if you can. Everything is delicious, and you’re supporting a local company which supports local suppliers. You order at the roadside booth and then your items are prepared at a trailer in the back.
Much thanks to Reel News Hawaii for some of the information on the various locations. You can check out their Instagram account here.
