Tag: Oahu

Surfing in Hawaii

Because of the swells that roll in from the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii has some great surfing spots. These spots are scattered across hundreds of beaches all over the state of Hawaii. You could literally spend a year surfing these beaches and never have to surf the same spot twice.

The biggest waves in Hawaii are located on the North Shore of the islands. Waves during the winter are typically bigger than the waves during the rest of the year. The island of Oahu is home to some of the world’s largest waves. The north shore of Ohau attracts some of the best surfers in the world and hosts big surfing competitions. Waimea Bay Beach Park draws huge crowds of people there to watch the big wave riders. It’s pretty typical to drive down the main highway and see several photographers just waiting to capture the big one.

These waters have swells that reach to be over thirty feet. Winter winds prevent this from being a swimming beach during these months. The waves pound the beach with a force so hard that it can be heard for miles. The summer months, however, bring a totally different Waimea. The water is usually calm enough for swimmers June through September. Sunset Beach is also another popular winter surfing destination for the same reasons as above… big waves. Lastly, don’t forget about the world famous Banzai Pipeline located at Ehukai Beach. The pipeline attracts world famous surfers to these incredible long tube waves. Be careful, here the water is extremely shallow and these great waves break over top of a coral reef. This can make for treacherous wipeouts. This is not the place for beginners.

Wakiki beach is also another world famous surfing destination, but for much different reasons. Wakiki has long predictable waves that are not nearly as tall or as threatening as their northern counterparts. In fact, Wakiki is a great place for beginner surfers. You can walk up the beach and find tons of different places to take a lesson.

Honolua Bay on Maui is also a popular surfing spot for the experienced surfer. There are lots of great beaches as well as surfing spots in Maui. Lahaina is a great spot for beginners and there are a couple of different surfing schools located here. Because of the strong winds on Maui, it is also a popular destination for wind surfing and kite surfing. Maui even has its very own kite beach. On any given day you can drive by a see the shoreline full of kite boarders, some of whom you’d probably recognize from the magazines.

Hanalei Bay located on the North shore of Kauai also has some great waves. The bay itself is crescent shaped and the waves here are also going to be the biggest during the winter months. The bay makes for some great snorkeling during the summer months.

There are also some great spots to surf and the islands of Hawaii as well as Molokai, they are just not as famous of some of these others. Whatever island you pick you can’t go wrong in Hawaii.

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Surf Lessons on Oahu in Hawaii

Have you ever had inkling to pick up surfing as a hobby? Or perhaps just try it once and put it on that list of yep, I’ve done that? Then the island of Oahu in Hawaii is the place to do that. Waikiki beach is the best place for beginners to learn to surf. You may be picturing the lonely deserted beach pictured in the 1950’s Gidget or Elvis movies. But, I have to tell you that Waikiki beach has changed a lot since those days.

Waikiki beach is located in Honolulu, picture a miniaturized New York City located in paradise complete with palm trees, because after all, Honolulu is a city. The beach is narrow and very crowded, and with good reasons… the waves. The waves are typically small and very long. You can ride them all the way into the beach with plenty of time for beginners to get used to the feel of the wave. There are tons of places on Waikiki to take surf lessons. Just walk down the beach and take your pick, usually you don’t have to make reservations because these are just guys on the beach teaching lessons… i.e. bring cash. Because of the fierce competition amongst the “surfing schools” you can usually get a pretty good deal on the lessons.

If you are just learning to surf you should stay here in Waikiki. However, it is worth a trip to the North Shore just to see how the other half lives. It’s amazing to see world famous surfers riding the waves at Waimea Bay or at the pipeline. It looks like something out of the movies. The beaches are crowed with by standers and photographers. They watch in awe as these amazing athletes ride waves as high as thirty feet. But a warning to those daring novices… do not try to surf the waves here. The can be treacherous. In fact drowning is the number one accidental death in Hawaii. This probably comes as no surprise because the entire state is surrounded by water.

Rip currents are one danger to Hawaiian visitors. They are fast flowing currents that can drag swimmers out into deeper parts of the ocean. If you get caught in a rip current, don’t fight the current. You should swim parallel to shore until you are out of the current, and then swim safely into shore. Undertows are another dangerous factor while visiting Hawaii. If you get caught in an undertow, (you will feel the wave pull you out to sea) just go with the flow of the wave until it passes. Then you should be able to swim out of it. Don’t let the beautiful waters fool you; they can be deadly if not taken seriously.

Heed the warning, but try not to get discouraged. There are plenty of places in Hawaii for beginners to surf. If you do not get your fill while visiting the world famous Waikiki Beach, you may want to try one of the other islands. All of the other islands will have some beginner friendly waves to offer.

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Maui Ocean Center

Located on the south side of Maui is Ma’alaea Bay, home to the Maui Ocean Center. The center is the largest tropical aquarium in not only the state of Hawaii, but in the United States altogether. If visiting the island of Maui, this spectator spot should not be missed. The ocean center has a huge aquarium that has water filtered into it from the Bay. This aquarium is as real as it gets. This tank has a tunnel that you can actually walk through. This makes for great pictures. You can get a picture of yourself standing face to face with a sand shark. While walking through the tunnel, you will see sharks and rays, and tons of different types of fish.

The best thing about the tunnel is that you can see the underside of the creatures as they swim above you. The tanks also boast a coral and tropical fish display that will amaze anyone. The coral itself is breathtaking. In fact this coral collection is the largest of any aquarium in the world.

Another amazing display inside the aquarium is the giant cylinder columns of jelly fish. They are several feet wide, and you can watch the jellyfish float above you. The sight of these creatures is both terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time.

Next you move along through the aquarium to the sea turtles tanks. These sea turtles have been injured at some point in their lives and their stay at the aquarium is only a temporary one. They will be reintroduced back into their natural habitat once they have recovered. This is my favorite exhibit in the aquarium. If you happen to visit during feeding time you can actually feed the turtles. It’s great to watch these huge docile creatures chomping happily on their lunch.

The ocean center also has an interactive display on whales, where visitors can learn about these giant mammals. Whale watching is a big hobby in Hawaii. There are several whale watching tours available. Turtle bay resort located on the north shore of Oahu boasts that during the winter you can actually see whales from your balcony.

The Maui Ocean Center is a perfect place for families to visit. They offer a wide variety of exhibits for children that are both informative and exciting. There is also a touch pond, where children can pick up some of the creatures and actually handle them. They can see sea stars and sea urchins, as well as skates and rays. Be careful when stroking rays, however, you should always stroke them from head to tail in order to avoid being stung by there tails.

No kid friendly aquarium would be complete without food. The ocean center offers a caf where you can grab lunch. They have light fare such as salads and sandwiches, and of course, ice cream. Also don’t miss the great picture taking opportunities that the center has to offer. Along the backside of the aquarium there are some spectacular views of Ma’alaea Bay, and there is a dolphin statue located in the very front of the center that also makes for a great souvenir photo.

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