Traditions — June 9, 2009 23:19 — View Comments Written by: Jan

Summer in Hawaii: Oahu Beaches

Swimming. Shivering, teeth chattering. Pruned fingers and dark chocolate skin. Alternately wolfing down a salted musubi wrapped in nori and a chicken drumstick, stopping only to wash it all down with Hawaiian Sun Luau Punch. Anxiously waiting a half and hour before going back in. From Lihue, Kauai to Kona, Hawaii, an experience like this one is nearly universal if you grew up anywhere in Hawaii.

Oahu Beaches: Waimea Bay

With summer fast approaching, a day at the beach is the quintessential Hawaiian experience. Although Waikiki Beach is world famous, there are a slew of other lesser known beaches that locals rank as favorites. On Oahu 125 different beaches alone, depending on whether swimming, surfing, or sunning is the goal of the day, approximately are available 365 days a year!

Family friendly beaches tend to be great for swimming since those with keiki usually seek out calm waters. Two popular favorites among locals and visitors alike are Ala Moana Beach Park and Kailua Beach Park, both of which welcome a variety of watersports, picnics and a slew of other activities. Two local favorites that may not appear in any mainstream guidebooks are the Lagoons at the Ko Olina Resort in Kapolei, and the Makapu’u Tidepools, or what many locals refer to as Baby Makapu’u.

As for surfing, there are about 128 surf spots on Oahu alone. Among the more well known surf beaches are the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay both on the North Shore of Oahu. Largely unknown except to old timers and a handful of new, up and coming regulars. Local surfers have their own favorite surf spots with names such as “Leftover’s”, “Walls” and “In Between’s”. Each season brings the surf up on different parts of the island, so it’s best to plan ahead to see events such as “Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational (In Memory of Eddie Aikau)” or the “Vans Triple Crown of Surfing”.

It would take a library to house the volumes of books that could be written about Hawaii’s beaches. Each has subtle differences, from the texture of the sand (Kailua—fine, Sunset Beach—coarse), to parking availability (always bring quarters) to accessibility (some are accessible only through narrow, public right of way pathways while others are easily found on a world map). This summer, explore our islands and find a new favorite or two, or three. Below are a few other resources to get you started:

Already have a favorite spot? Comment and share it here!

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