Swimming at Ulehawa beach park.
Source: CZM Hawai‘iWai‘anae's location on the leeward side of the Wai‘anae Mountain Range, from Ka‘ena Point in the north to Kahe Point in the south, provides beautiful coastal landscapes, natural white sand beaches, and majestic mountain ridges. On the coast and at sea, Wai‘anae offers diverse ocean water sports, including off-shore fishing, surfing, snorkeling, spearfishing, canoe paddling, and ocean swimming at numerous public beach parks.
About 18 miles of the Wai‘anae Coast is made up of beach parks and community recreation areas. These beach parks enable public access for swimming, snorkeling, or surfing. Some of the notable beach parks known for excellent swimming and beach conditions in the summer include Mākaha Beach Park, Nānākuli Beach Park, and Mā‘ili Beach Park. In the winter season, however, riptide or undertow conditions can exist at these parks, and the surf can be extremely dangerous. Pōka‘ī Bay offers excellent swimming year round since it is well protected from the surf, even during the winter surf season. Unlike other reefs along the Wai‘anae Coast, Pōka‘ī Bay's coral reef slopes gradually away from shore, thereby reducing riptide effects. Most of the children of the Wai‘anae coast learn to swim in the sheltered waters of Pōka‘ī Bay.
Waiting for the surf in Mākaha, 1953.
Source: SurfingHeritage.OrgHe‘e nalu (wave sliding, aka surfing) was practiced by kings and queens and the men and women of Hawai‘i long before 1500 AD (SurfArt.com 2000). Wai‘anae's coast has played a significant role in the contemporary sport and business of surfing. Wai‘anae was home to the first international surfing contest, held in 1953 at Mākaha Beach. George Downing, a current resident of Honolulu, was the winner of that first competition. For 15 years the Mākaha competition was considered the most popular and prestigious surfing contest in the world. The "Wild West Side" has produced world surfing champions such as Sunny Garcia, and local surfing heroes and legends including the late Rell Sunn and Richard "Buffalo" Keaulana, a Mākaha Champion in 1960 and host from 1977 to the present of the annual Big Board Classic in Mākaha.
"Lifelong Mākaha resident Rell Sunn was an internationally known pioneer of women's professional surfing. Taught to surf as a child by legendary West Side surfer Buffalo Keaulana, she also was an accomplished diver and spear fisher. Sunn watched over her beloved Mākaha beach as Hawai‘i's first female lifeguard, one of many noteworthy firsts for this local heroine who was known affectionately as the 'Queen of Mākaha.' "
– Excerpt from Rell Sunn (1950 - 1998)
Most surf in Hawai‘i is generated from ocean swells that come from the north, south, and west directions. O‘ahu's North Shore, or "Country," is famous for its waves that originate from the north and northwest in the late fall and winter. The South Shore, or "Town," is famous for its southern waves, which normally occur during the late spring, summer, and early fall. The Wai‘anae Coast generates beautiful surf conditions from a westerly swell, but it also has the perfect orientation to pick up waves from the north and south as well, making it one of the ultimate year-round surf locations. Select surf spots along the Wai‘anae Coast include Yokohama Bay, Klausmeyers, Mā‘ili Point, Pōka‘ī Bay, and Mākaha. Mākaha Beach is known as one of the premier surf locations in Hawai‘i and the world. Its unique orientation and semi-reef-break conditions enable the spot to pick up fun and powerful surf from swells that originate from the north, west, or south.
Bodyboarding at Mākaha Beach.
Source: CZM Hawai‘iSeveral commercial companies operate out of the Wai‘anae Boat Harbor to provide easy access to ocean sports along the Wai‘anae coast. Residents and visitors can embark on sailing, fishing, and other recreational pursuits through beach access at any of the public beach parks along the coast and at the Wai‘anae Harbor. Na Keiki O Ka Moi Canoe Club, a member of the Na ‘Ohana O Na Hui Waa Outrigger Canoe Racing Association, is based in Wai‘anae and trains at Pōka‘ī Bay.
Through specialty tours, visitors can fish, snorkel, sail, kayak, and watch spinner dolphins and humpback whales in their natural habitat. Spinner dolphins are frequent visitors to bays and beaches along the northwest coastline toward Ka‘ena Point. Humpback whales are often seen one-half to three miles offshore, primarily from January through April. The waters around the main Hawaiian Islands of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, Maui, Moloka‘i, Lanai, and Kahoolawe constitute one of the world's most important North Pacific humpback whale habitats and the only place in the United States where humpbacks reproduce.
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 2003. Heart of the Sea, The Film. PBS Independent Lens Web site. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/heartofthesea
Sodetani, N. 2002. "Heart of the Sea: A new documentary pays tribute to waterwoman Rell Sunn." Hana Hou! The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines 5(5). http://www.hanahou.com/heartofthesea.htm
SurfArt.com. 2000. "Hawaiian Roots of Surfing." On-line address: http://www.surfart.com/surf_history/roots.html
