North Shore of Oahu

The North Shore of Oahu is home to several of the most famous beaches and surf spots in the world. Every winter, swells generated in the North Pacific Ocean deliver large, magnificent, and many times dangerous waves to the North Shore. These swells can range anywhere from 2 to 25 feet high! Surfers and spectators from all over the world come here every winter to experience the spectacular waves at spots like the Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay. Although known for it large waves, the North Shore of Oahu has surf spots that suit every level of surfing.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ~ Somewhere over the Rainbow

The escalating success of Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole, the late great Hawaiian vocalist known to many simply as “IZ,” is an amazing story

Mountain Apple - Music from the Islands

The Saturday Farmers' Market

Saturday Farmer's Market
Parking Lot C (Off of Diamond Head Road)
Kapiolani Community College
4303 Diamond Head Road
Honolulu, HI 96816-4421

This is Honolulu's premiere farmers' market, the only one featuring all Hawaii grown and produced foods.

This is a true farmers' market: the farmers and food producers are in attendance to tell you about their products, how they grow them and how you should prepare them.

You'll find a variety of products including fruits, vegetables, flowers, beef, aqua cultured seafood, fresh baked breads, hand made pastas, tropical jams and jellies, unique snack foods, honey, baked goods, specialty seasonings and more. Shop for dinner at one stop.

Come to eat breakfast: a different restaurant prepares hot breakfast plates each week. You'll also find fresh baked scones, oatcakes and other baked items to have with a cup of Hawaii-grown coffee.

The Saturday crowds

These are real flowers

Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation Web Site

Surfing Makaha

Makaha Beach
Leeward side of Oahu Hawaii

Most times is a fun and pretty beach but during the Winter, this beach's surf does indeed exhibit "fierce" conditions. Wave heights often average fifteen feet and can peak as high as thirty feet plus. In addition to this definitely not being a time even for novice surf and body boarders, it certainly isn't a time for swimmers to be in the ocean at all. The waters are otherwise safe except when there is high surf. Strong back washes are created and the shorebreak and resultant undertow becomes very dangerous. During high surf time there are many surf boarders. In addition to the surfers, be sure to watch out for their runaway surf boards.

More fotos at Makaha

Windsurfing Diamond Head

This area is just east of Waikiki in front of Diamond Head and an easy walk down a trail to beach and public showers. Parking is not always so easy

The best spot to windsurf on the south shore is diamond head by far. The tradewinds whip in down the front of the crater and out to sea creating awesome power. Also a great surf spot, diamond heads waves make for an added bonus for experienced windsurfers to perform airial manuevers on the way out and catch so extra speed on the way in.

Quiet beaches along the bottom of the cliffs for walking, swimming or sunbathing

Public shower and shave - after

Web page with a few more pictures

North Shore Oahu

The North Shore of Oahu stretches from Kaena Point in the west 17 miles east to Kahuku Point. Fifty-one beaches occupy 11 miles or 66% of the shoreline. The remainder is dominated by basalt outcrops and raised Pleistocene reef, with beachrock outcrops along much of the sandy shore. The western half extends for 9 miles from Kaena Point to Haleiwa and faces due north. The eastern half faces northwest, finally curving south at Kahuku.

I drove up the east side of the island after a week of rain and found very few beaches with the blue water that you usually associate with Hawaii. Mud from the rivers colors the ocean for miles and there are some good sized rivers on the north shore. Hence the ocean coloring in these fotos.

Wahine


Sunset beach


Sunset Beach


Waimea Beach Park


Waimea River


Haleiwa


Haleiwa

Sandy Beach

Oahu's Sandy Beach is known all over the world as a top body boarding and bodysurfing spot. It's also known for its unfortunate high proportion of ambulance calls.

Sandy Beach, or Sandy's, as the locals refer to it -- is a wide golden sand beach that lies at the base of Koko Crater, which, at 1,208 feet, is the highest crater on the shoreline of Oahu. On its west end is the famous Halona Blowhole. Those mountains lead down to Sandy Beach with a moderately steep, sloping foreshore. However, what Sandy's is truly famous for is the ocean bottom that drops quickly beyond the shore to overhead depths. The quick change in depth creates steep, hard-breaking waves that form a pounding shore break. Many of the experienced shore break bodysurfers (locals and tourists alike) find that its waves have no equal anywhere. Be careful though if you're a newcomer. The locals will make it look so easy at times that many newcomers often seem to get hurt trying to emulate them.

Those Sandy breaks are the reason that this beach is so popular, and at times, slightly crowded. Shore break builds up quickly forming a tube that's perfect for an adrenaline-boosting fast ride. For the amateurs, the best time to test your skills at Sandy's is when the waves are two to four feet. Anything higher than that and you're advised to leave the water to those most experienced. Annually, Sandy's wins in the most injuries category, so it's smart to obey all posted warning signs.

If you're not looking to test those waters skills, this beach still gets a high rating at almost every other level including sunbathing and people watching. At the north/east end of the beach, waves also break on a rocky point and further offshore there's an outer reef that provides a base for local fishing. There's also a large kite-flying area on the east side of the beach with well maintained grass and a couple picnic tables. The beach is located only about 20 minutes from Waikiki and the beautiful drive along Oahu's east coast is a pleasure in its own. It is rare not to see crystal clear blue waters along your drive. The trade winds keep Sandy's comfortable and cloudless on many days so make sure you apply plenty of sun block.

There are no shops or restaurants near so pack a picnic unless you want to take your chances with the local lunch wagon. There are public restrooms and cold water showers to rinse of the sand when you are finished for the day. Parking is free but can get crowded, especially on the weekends.

Link to lots more Sandy Beach fotos