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- Great for surfing very powerful waves
- Beautiful coral reef, nice for snorkeling
- Swimming
Sunset beach on the north shore of Oahu offers a combination of nice surfing conditions, beautiful sun and soft nice sand at the beach. The sand is golden, and there are palm trees ... morethat line up the beach providing shade. In the summer the water is calm and perfect for swimming and snorkeling. A tide pool also can be seen where people often collect shells and observe marine life. The best place to snorkel is in the offshore tide pool around the protected area of the beach.
The winter period is most active. Many surfers converge to Sunset beach which is a world famous beach. Waves can reach 30 feet high, there are very powerful currents. The currents known as Sunset Rip runs on every big swell. Many well known international surfing competitions take place at the beach. Sunset Beach is not the place for beginners. The powerful current sucks back the water with great force that it could potentially hurl inexperienced surfers deep into the ocean.
Sunset Beach is about 2 miles long not very far to two other popular surfing beaches, Ehukai Beach and the Banzai pipeline. The powerful current is such that you may enter the water in a certain area, and just a few minutes later find yourself further down the beach. There are different amenities including lifeguards. Sunset beach is also a very nice place for watching the sunset, which is also the reason the beach was given the name Sunset Beach.
Features: Bathroom, Lifeguards, Parking, Showers
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- Great surfbreak
- Scenic lookout
- Surfing
One of Oahu's gems, Makapu'u Beach Park is located on the southeastern tip of the island. It can be reached by going on Kalanianaole Highway passing Sandy beach. Just before reaching ... morethe park you will also pass the trail leading to the Makapu'u light house. An ancient Hawaiian legend tells of Makapu'u being a god that came from Tahiti to live in a cave at Makapu'u. She had eight bright eyes so the Hawaiian gave her the name " bulging eye"
Makapu'u Beach Park is very popular among body boarders and body surfers. During the winter month there are powerful
Shore breaks that gives surfers seeking for some adventure a thrill ride. In the summer, the ocean is a bit calmer but there is waves almost every day. Enjoying the water in Makapu'u either during the summer or the winter requires experience. It is not suitable for leisure swimming. The size of the beach varies throughout the year. In the winter large boulders are exposed in the shore break by high surf eroding the beach.
When there is low tide, you can explore tide pools that are exposed and admire the marine life. You will notice various fish, crabs, opihi and other marine life trapped in the lava. Particularly interesting is to spot the mudfish which is a jumping fish that crawl around and jump from tide pool to tidepool. Just off of Makapu'u are two islands. Manana that looks like a rabbits head, hence its nickname "Rabbit Island". It is comprised of 64 acres and is a protected bird sanctuary. You need to obtain permission from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to go and explore the island. The other island, Black Rock, is a lot smaller. It is also known as Kaohikaipu Island.
The lighthouse is just around the corner. To get to the lighthouse, there is a paved trail that can be accessed from the parking along Kalanianaole Highway. Makapu'u lookout is also just south of the beach park. It provides a nice scenic view of the surroundings and of the two islands. Makapu'u Beach Park attracts lots of visitors all year round and is one of the beaches in Oahu that offers lots of recreation.
Type: Beach, Park, Surf Break
Features: Bathroom, Drinking water, Food for purchase, Lifeguards, Parking, Showers
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- Very big Hawaiian green sea turtles
- Paddling to the surf point
- Snorkeling with turtles
Laniakea Beach, also known as Turtle Beach, is found on the North shore of Oahu. The beach attracts visitors who come to watch the turtles basking in the sun. On some rare occasions, ... moreon other beaches of Oahu, turtles can be spotted on the ocean but you have to be lucky. Laniakea Beach almost is most of the time full of turtles. They come to the beach and do not seem to mind the people who are taking pictures of them.
Laniakea Beach has become a bit more crowded in recent year. Lots of tour buses come to the location as they are going to other attractions. Parking can be found right across the beach. The green sea turtle is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act in Hawaii. Care should be taken therefore when admiring them as it is illegal to chase, hunt,handle, harass or injure them in any way. The turtle has probably come to this particular beach since there is a seaweed that grows on its shore which they enjoy eating.
Laniakea Beach is quite small and has a rocky shelf. A strong rip current often forms on the west side of the beach when the surf is up. Laniakea is also an entry point for surfers who use the location to get to the offshore surf sites of Laniakea, Himalayas and Hultin's. Laniakea beach has very nice and is good for sunbathing. Even if the main reason water sport lovers use Laniakea Beach is for surfing, the beach still offers nice opportunities for swimming and snorkeling. The green turtles are quite friendly and often will allow people to swim and snorkel in the water with them. You should almost try and give the turtle at least 10 feet of space when swimming with them and not block their path. You should never ride on it or sit on it.
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- Watching the pipeline
- Riding the pipeline
- Braving the wave
The Banzai Pipeline is well known among surfers and found at Ehukai Beach. It literally is a surfing break that takes the shape of a tube. The reef break occurs when ocean waves start ... moreto break as they reach the
shallows of a reef. They form caverns on the inside, hence creating giant air bubbles that pop in front of the wave as it lurches upward just before breaking.
Four types of waves are associated with the Banzai Pipeline. The most commonly surfed, the left (meaning that the wave breaks from the left from the perspective of persons watching on shore), the peak occurs when the reef is hit by a north swell (the highest tipping point of the wave when it begins to curl). The peak becomes an A-framed wave as the pipe starts to close out a bit and peeling to the left. The Backdoor pipeline is also quite famous and occurs as the pipe is peeling away to the right simultaneously.
The
Banzai Pipeline or simply "Pipeline" or "Pipe" is considered the world's deadliest wave. Many surfers have lost their life trying to ride the wave. The take off zone (the location where the surfer needs to be to catch the wave) is quite small. Many surfers congregate there as it is breaking large. Three reefs activate in progressively deeper waters at Pipeline depending on the increasing size of the approaching ocean swell.
The
name Banzai Pipeline derives from the name of the beach (Banzai Beach) and the surf break (Pipeline) which has been combined. The name Pipeline
was first used in December 1961 as movie producer Bruce Brown filmed at
the location. Mike Diffenderfer, a surfer in the movie production, made
the suggestion to name the break 'Pipeline'. The name was used in Brown's movie "Surfing Hollow Days".
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