Planning on a Hawaii vacation and are wondering what you should do. First, don’t stay in Waikiki, it’s kind of like Las Vegas. There are lot’s of hotels and cement and little of authentic Hawaii left. Second, plan your activities on weekdays if you can to avoid locals weekend activities. Third, take a surfing lesson on the North Shore of Oahu. The North Shore is the birthplace of competitive surfing and features the best surf schools on the island.
Stand up paddleboarding is a must-do when you visit the North Shore of Oahu. A 45-minute paddle up the Anahulu River will thrill young and old You will paddle past green sea turtles on a safe waterway with no waves or currents to worry about. If you go in the later afternoon you will see the sun setting on the horizon and fall in love with colors too orange to tell. Stand up paddleboarding is easy, but if you’re nervous in the water or not a good swimmer, get a lesson with an instructor.
Will the World Surf League, WSL pull out of Hawaii? Recent news stories in the Honolulu Advertiser indicate a showdown between the WSL and the City Parks Department. The fight is over a request by the WSL to change the status of two of its event permit applications. The City in a letter to the WSL states that it would be unfair to the rest of the surf contest applicants to do this because all of the allocated time slots are in contention. Background; the City Parks department rules allow for a limited number of events on the North Shore. These rules are generally supported by both the North Shore and surfing community because they cap the amount of time, beaches, and surf spots are restricted from free surfers. With all of that said there is an exception in the rules that allows the Parks Director to do whatever he/she wishes. For example, there is a rule that states that no two surfing events can run in the same permit period. However, the Eddie Akau event has an annual holding period that runs through multiple other contests, this works because the Eddie needs 20 ft or large waves to […]
Surfing in Hawaii is practicing an ancient Hawaiian sport that is indigenous to Hawaii. For thousands of years Hawaiian people have enjoyed surfing waves in warm, crystal clear water. If you plan on visiting Hawaii learning to surf is one of the top things to do. You can go to a hula show and enjoy watching the culture, or you can surf or take a surfing lesson and participate in Hawaii’s culture. The choice is up to you.
The North Shore of Oahu offers the best surf lessons Oahu
It’s simple, the North Shore of Oahu has the best surfing waves and the best beaches on Oahu. If you want to learn to surf you will find a great selection of surf schools with expert instructors on the North Shore.
Volcom Pipeline Pro on Oahu’s North Shore
The 2018 Volcom Pipe Pro is on today at Pipeline on Oahu’s North Shore. The event is a Men’s QS pro surfing event, with again no women’s division. It will feature a field of 144 men and no female surfers. Gender equality in the year 2018 brought to you by the beautiful people at Volcom and the World Surf League. With that off my chest, it should be a fun event to watch as North Shore local boys, including John John Florence and Jamie O’Brien, will be competing.
During the surf contest season I’m asked over and over again “how come there is no women’s surfing contest on the North Shore?”. My answer is because surfing is still a very sexist sport and in spite of Hawaii having some of the strongest gender equality laws in the United States, the surf contest permitting process does not allow for gender equality. One of the problems is that a contest promoter can submit a surf contest application that looks like it has gender equality, however, upon closer inspection, it’s the furthest thing in the world from that. For example, a surf contest promoter will say that they have a women’s division, but severely restrict the number of women they allow to compete to a single heat of 4- 6 individuals. The results being that they run a 3-day event with over a hundred male competitors surfing for 23.5 hours out of the 24 hours of surfing competition time allowed under the permit. Equal prize money? Forget about it! No prize money for the women at all is the standard. How is this good old boys system allowed to continue? The City and County of Honolulu’s permitting process is done only […]
The best place to learn to surf on Oahu is Puaena Point on the North Shore. Puaena Point is located in a protected cove near the town of Haleiwa. It’s known for long gentle waves with little currents, perfect for beginners learning to surf. There is free parking and a public bathroom with cold water showers at this location. If you’re lucky you will see a green sea turtle on the beach or more likely while surfing.
The best place to watch the Sunset on the North Shore of Oahu is either Sunset Beach or Turtle Bay Resort Pool Bar on a Friday night. Choose sunset beach if you want to enjoy the cool sand in your toes and perhaps a romantic walk with a loved one as the sunsets over the North Shore’s blue pacific ocean as surfers frolic in the crashing waves. Choose Turtle Bay Resorts Pool Bar on a Friday if you want great mai tais and awesome live Hawaiian music and a crowd of happy tourist. A note to the wise, check the sunset time online before you go and plan on getting to your watching location at least 45 minutes before it goes down. The sunsets faster then you think and you may be stuck in traffic on Kamehameha hwy at that magic moment if you don’t plan correctly.
North Shore and Maui surfer boy Billy Kemper and Two-time Pe‘ahi Challenge winner won the the World Surf League Qualifying Series Sunset Open surfing contest yesterday. It’s amazing to watch this young man charge so hard. In my eye’s he’s still a 5 year old boy. (Lisa, his mother is a good friend and I watched Billy grow up). Super proud of Billy’s achievements and look forward to many more years of surfing accolades from this outstanding human.
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