Summary     Local          Area           Waves         Tour

Spot: Makaha, HI


Places to stay
Most likely you will be coming to Makaha on a day trip from wherever you are staying on the North Shore or in Waikiki.

When people say the Makaha side is inhospitable they could be referring to the fact that it’s not really set up for tourists. The only hotel in this side is the Makaha Resort: click here for the scoop on Oahu’s Hidden Secret.

Food
Best thing to do on the West Side is eat plate lunch from one of the trucks that always seem to be around. Chicken or steak or ahi with two scoops rice and potato salad. That’s Hawaiian style and it’s just the thing after a couple hours of paddling hard, dodging the outrigger canoes and/or the Bowl.

Parking, access and directions
You can’t drive around Kaena Point anymore, so from Honolulu it’s about 31 miles from Honolulu Airport on the H1. Go past Nanakuli, Maili and Waianae until you see condos sitting out on the point and a lot of people in the water. Park carefully, don’t leave anything in your car and don’t bother locking it, because they will just break a window or bust the locks.

Surf Shops
There aren’t a lot of surf shop on this side of the island, but there is a B K Ocean Sports West in the Waianae Mall on Farrington Highway. Call (808) 637-4966.

There is a Blue Hawaii outlet in the Waikele Shopping Center on Lumiaina Ave. in Waipahu. Call (808) 677-9696.

If you are coming from Town and want to start the party off right, go to Downing Hawaii at 3021 Waialae Ave in Honolulu.

Attractions
The beach is the center attraction here, but it’s also nice to drive up past Makaha and go past Yokohama and out to the end toward Kaena Point. There are people camped along the beach here and you might want to avoid those areas, but this is a good place to go hiking, sit in the sun, read a book, think.

There is good snorkeling along here, too, when the surf is smaller, but the tiger shark threat is real, so watchit.