Puaʻena Point Beach Park — Attraction in Oʻahu

This is a favorite spot for those that are just starting to surf. Surfing is a challenging sport so finding the right beach to learn at is critical. I went with North Shore Surf Girls. If you are lucky enough to have Carol teach you, be prepared to fall in love with being out on those waves. She is no joke, a pioneer of big-wave bodyboarding and one of those woman that has broken gender barriers. She will take care to teach you well, but she isn’t going to coddle either. During my second lesson, she pushed me, literally, into some of the bigger waves. It is the only way to learn. I’m here to tell you though…if I can wipeout and want to go back…you will too. Riding a wave in is an incredible feeling. There are other outfits that operate out of the beach too. I saw many families with kids and their own rented boards. The area right off the beach by the brick wall (where most people congregate) is perfect for little ones (and turtle sightings). The waves can get tricky, if you aren’t familiar with the area ask someone who is where the safe spots to swim are. There are a couple of landmarks on the beach that keep folks out of the channel and the swells. There is a certain etiquette on surfing beaches, so it is important to respect that. The beach is beautiful, with outdoor showers, restrooms and changing areas. There is also a Veteran’s Memorial worth visiting on the far side of the parking lot. It is wonderful that this beach welcomes commercial outfits to offer surf instruction. Learning the pattern and rhythm of how to paddle out and take a wave can be intimidating but this beach is perfectly set up for the job. Bring a garbage bag with you and be contentious…even if it isn’t your trash that you pick up keeping plastics and garbage in check is the responsibility of...

Beautiful spot but we were told before our tour that this would be a calm place to snorkel. Waves large enough for surfers is not calm. Also we were told that it is a very short walk from the entrance which we needed because my partner uses a walker. It is quite a long walk to the beach and in addition, you need to also walk about 100 yards to through sand...very difficult for a walker to go through. The turtle we saw on the beach was nice but rougher water for not so strong swimmers. This is not a good spot for handicapped at all and we saw much better beaches...

It’s like a hidden private beach, not as crowded as other touristy beach. Great spot to visit in the morning when the beach is almost exclusive to handful of people. That’s when we saw a turtle swimming in the distance. Since there are lots of trees for shades, this beach would be a great spot in the noon or hot days in general. Personally, I feel unsafe if a female visits here alone because the woods looked deep, there’s a resident in the woods, and we saw first responders at the parking spot...