Hawaii Beach Guide - Find the best beach for you - Oahu

Here is a short guide to some of the beaches on Oahu.  There is almost always a beach to fit your needs and moods, you are on an island after all.

Family Friendly
Waikiki Beach - Located in Waikiki on Kalakaua Blvd. Parking is scarce refer to my parking blog for tips. Mostly tourists.  There are restrooms at most the hotels. Food and beverage are easily available. Lifeguards on duty.
Ala Moana Beach - Located across from the Ala Moana Mall on Ala Moana Blvd. There is a parking lot here.  A mix of mostly locals with a good number or tourists as well.  Public restrooms with showers. There is a snack shack. Lifeguards on duty.

Kahala Beach - Located in front of the Kahala Beach Park and Kahala Mandarin Hotel. There is a small parking lot here. Rarely many people here, being a mix of both locals and tourists. Public restrooms with showers. Restaurants are available at the Kahala Mandarin Hotel as well as free parking with validation of $50. There may not be any lifeguards here.

Kailua Beach - Located in Kailua, on the East side of the island. There is a parking lot here.  Locals and tourists will be found here. Public restrooms with showers. There is a market and deli at the entrance of the parking lot. Lifeguards are on duty but not as plentiful as say Waikiki.

Ko'olina Lagoons - Located in Ko'olina in front of the Marriot Ihilani and Disney's Aulani Resort. This is the West side of the island. Tiny amount of public parking here as well as hotel parking, refer to my parking blog for parking tips.  Restrooms and showers are available.  Both hotels have indoor and outdoor dining available. Mostly tourists. There may be lifeguards on duty.

Snorkeling
Hanauma Bay - Located near Hawaii Kai about 20-30 minute drive away from Waikiki. $1 parking available. Admission last I remember was $7.50 for adults or free for Kamaaina (locals). Restrooms and showers available. A snack shack near the main entrance. Lifeguards on duty.  A reminder: The beach park is closed on Tuesdays.

Sharks Cove - Located in the North Shore of Oahu.  Parking lot available. No rental snorkel gear available, you can buy a cheap set at Walmart, Target, or even a local gift shop or grocery store sometimes.Restrooms and showers available.  No lifeguards on duty.  Be careful during winter months, as swells can get big here during those times.

Kuhio Beach - Located just to the east of Waikiki Beach. This is the portion by the rock wall and to the east of it. Believe it or not, if you swim through the opening of the rock wall by the little pier, you can see some sea life around the rocks and coral.  Lifeguards on duty. Be careful of waves crashing you into the rock wall itself.

Watersports
Waikiki Beach - Offers surf board, bodyboard, and paddle board rentals or lessons.
Fort Derussy Beach - Located just west of Waikiki Beach in front of the Outrigger Reef Hotel closer to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. There are rentals for paddle boats, stand up paddle boards, water bicycles, and kayaks.

Kailua Beach - Located on the east side of the island, about a 35 minute drive from Waikiki.  There are kayak rentals as well as kite surfing lessons.  If kite surfing, you should call one of the local companies to set an appointment prior to going.
Hawaii Kai - About a 25 minute drive eastbound from Waikiki. There are a few water sports stores in the Koko Marina Shopping Center or the Costco Shopping Center (sorry, cant remember the actual name of the plaza). At these locations you can set up jet skiing, parasail, banana boat rides, and Snuba (scuba with an air hose going up to air tanks above the water, meaning no scuba training needed).

Less Crowded Beaches:
Makai Pier - Located on the east side, in Waimanalo. The is a small dirt patch where you can park. Facing the ocean, to the right of the pier is best for swimming, to the left is better for snorkeling or diving.  No lifeguards on duty.

Cromwell's - Just a few miles east of Waikiki, is the hidden beach know as Cromwell's.  Not necessarily a swimming friendly beach (too many rocks), but a beautiful and secluded area. No bathrooms, no showers. Head east onto Diamond Head road, and turn right at Kulamanu St. Find street parking and head towards the ocean to find beach access.

Lanikai Beach - In Kailua, lies this once hidden gem. This once secretive location is now widely publicized. Street parking only and very limited (be careful as parking tickets are liberally given). No bathrooms or showers available. This is a swimming friendly beach.
Queen's Beach - Located just below the Makapuu Lighthouse from the same shared parking lot. From the parking lot you will see a beaten path down and to the right. Follow this path for about 20 minutes and it will take you to the secluded Queens Beach.  Above the beach you will see the famous Pele's Chair rock formation, looks like a chair.  Until recently there was a telephone pole protruding out from the rocks allowing kids to jump into the water. It seems some a--hole has cut it down.  This is still a beautiful spot. No showers or bathrooms. Beware centipedes along the trail to the beach, they can and will sting you.

Kualoa Beach and Chinamens Hat - Located across from Kualoa Ranch is Kualoa Beach with the famous Chinamens Hat. Parking lot available. Bathrooms and showers available.  No lifeguards on duty. During negative tide, you can actually walk to Chinamens Hat, the little island off shore. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to get back before the tides change and proceed at your own risk. Otherwise you can take kayak tours with Kualoa Ranch.

I've only listed a few beaches, of which there are still many other secluded beaches on the island. You are on an island after all.


Best Beaches for Singles and "People Watching"
Waikiki Beach - Located in Waikiki on Kalakaua Blvd. Parking is scarce refer to my parking blog for tips. Mostly tourists.  There are restrooms at most the hotels. Food and beverage are easily available. Lifeguards on duty.

Ala Moana Beach - Located across from the Ala Moana Mall on Ala Moana Blvd. There is a parking lot here.  A mix of mostly locals with a good number or tourists as well.  Public restrooms with showers. There is a snack shack. Lifeguards on duty.
Sandy Beach - Located just 2.5 miles back south of Makapu'u Beach. Parking lot available. Bathrooms and showers available. Lifeguards on duty. Mostly locals. Caution: unless you are an olympic swimmer or were pretty much raised in the water like the locals, do NOT attempt to swim here.  Very strong shore break and rip tides.

Sunset Beach - Oahu's North Shore. Parking lot available. Bathrooms and showers available. Lifeguards on duty.  Known for huge waves during the winter months. Swimming not advised at these times.

Waimea Bay - Oahu's North Shore. Parking lot available. Bathrooms and showers available. Lifeguards on duty.  Known for huge waves during the winter months. Swimming not advised at these times.

Enjoy all the beaches. Don't forget your sunblock and pay attention to all warnings and postings. Aloha!

Moving to Hawaii - Transplanting from the Mainland to Oahu

A hot topic on recent occasions, the conversation of moving to the Hawaii. Here is my take on the subject.

Hawaii is arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth. There are many reasons to live in Hawaii that are easy to see. Unfortunately there are many reasons not to live in Hawaii as well. Here is a list of pro's and cons based on my sole opinion.

Pro's

Climate - Hawaii has really only one season, sunny. Mild weather year round. During the winter months temps will drop only 5 to 10 degrees compared with summer months. We tend to get a little more rain during the "winter" months as well. I've always enjoyed being at the beach in December and imagining what people in the mainland are doing.

Beaches - Hawaii's beaches often come up as the "most beautiful beaches" in the world. Growing up near the cold and nasty beaches of California, I've learned to love Hawaii's beaches. Hawaii's beaches are warm, clean, and beautiful.

The People - I consider Hawaii to have some of the most beautiful people (inside and out). People in Hawaii tend to be more laid back and easy going, quite the opposite of people in the San Francisco, LA, and New York regions. Locals rarely honk their horns. Locals still say "thank you" and "you're welcome", we smile often, give Shakas when someone lets you into their lane, and the generosity of the locals is something unseen anywhere else. I can go on and on of the beautiful qualities of residents of the islands.

Food - Living on Oahu, one has access to some great eats. This is coming from someone who has gotten fat living in LA, Orange County, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area. From the fresh fish, to the plate lunches, to the pacific rim cuisine, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Everyone knows Everyone - We would joke and say instead of six degrees of separation, Hawaii has two degrees. It can be very beneficial "knowing everyone" when you need help or favors. Even on Oahu, it still has a bit of a smaller community feeling and the community will often come together for certain causes and what not.

Outdoorsman's Dream - Aside from the beaches, Hawaii offers world class hikes, waterfalls, rainforests, hunting, horseback riding, fishing, surfing, and more. The mild climate along with the beautiful scenery makes Hawaii a wonderland for those that love to play outdoors.

Cons

Cost of Living in Paradise - Perhaps the biggest drawback to living in Hawaii is the combination of higher cost of living coupled with lower wages. Many residents must cut their spending, get second jobs, and/or live with parents/roommates in order to make ends meet. I find housing costs to be comparable to San Francisco yet wages tend to be about 35% lower than that of the San Francisco Bay Area. Electricity bills for example, tend to be more than double that of the Bay Area. Then factor in the fact that nearly everything is shipped to Hawaii causing higher prices, making ends meet in the 808 state can be difficult.

Physical Limitations aka Rock Fever aka Island Fever - Many people are concerned with the feeling of being trapped on an island or not being able to hop in a car and take a long road trip. That being said, I personally have never had this feeling or concern. Oahu is a roughly five hour flight from California, eight hours from Korea/Japan, and only a thirty minute flight from some neighbor islands. Most people I know who live in New York, LA, or San Francisco rarely if ever leave their little 20 mile radius even though they do have the ability to hop in a car and do so. Unless you're jet setting around or are a true road warrior, living on an island probably won't effect you too much.

Everyone knows everyone - Yes, you are correct. This topic was just listed above as a pro but it can definitely be a con as well. That ex boyfriend of girlfriend is always around. That person you fought last week is friends with all your friends. You got drunk and stupid last Saturday night, well it's a good chance your family or friends will hear about it. There are definately two sides to this coin.

Food - Yet again, this topic was just listed under the Pro's above. I love the local Hawaii food. Trouble is we have horrible Mexican food. To be honest we have a rather small percentage of Mexicans on the island, thus terrible Mexican food. As a rather large and wide man, I've learned to enjoy a true diversity of foods. God help you when you are craving Indian, Middle Eastern, or any other non-asian, exotic food. These are just some of the bigger pro's and con's to come to mind.

Race relations - This is a touchy subject. Hawaii is very diverse and in my opinion no more racist that other locations but there is a catch. I have met some white people that have felt that the locals are racist towards white people. That said I have met more white folks that do not feel any racism. My opinion is this, it is hard to deny the idea of "white privilege" in America. If you come to Hawaii understanding and appreciating that white people are not the majority in Hawaii and respect the people around you, my honest opinion is you will do fine. If you walk around with a sense of privilege that you should simply be accepted by everyone and do as you please, you will probably not be welcomed with open arms. I was taught you "give respect, you get respect".

I always suggest to those that are considering moving to Hawaii, come stay for a few weeks. Don't just stay in Waikiki or the Aulani, but go live as the locals do and see what they see. Hope this helps.