Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [95]
Queen’s Surf Beach is the common name given to the widest section of Kapi‘olani Beach. There are rest rooms and showers at the Queen’s Surf pavilion. The stretch in front of the pavilion is popular with the gay community, and its sandy bottom offers decent swimming. The beach between Queen’s Surf and the Wall is shallow and has broken coral. The surfing area offshore is called Publics and sees some good waves in winter.
SANS SOUCI BEACH PARK
Also called Kaimana Beach because of its proximity to the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, Sans Souci attracts sunbathers and swimmers who want to escape Waikiki’s frenzied scene. Facilities include a lifeguard station and outdoor showers. Locals come here for their daily swims. A shallow coral reef close to shore makes for calm, protected waters and provides reasonably good snorkeling. More coral can be found by following the Kapua Channel as it cuts through the reef, although if you swim out, beware of strong currents that can pick up. Check conditions with the lifeguard before venturing out.
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CRUISING WAIKIKI
Several catamaran cruises leave right from Waikiki Beach – just walk down onto the sand, step into the surf and hop aboard. A 90-minute, all-you-can-drink ‘booze cruise’ costs around $25 to $30 per person.
Maita′i Catamaran (922-5665, 800-462-7975; www.leahi.com) Look for the white catamaran with green sails pulling up on the beach between the Halekulani and Sheraton Waikiki hotels. This company offers the biggest variety of trips, including reef snorkeling, moonlight sails and a sunset ‘booze cruise’; call ahead for schedules and reservations.
Na Hoku II (www.nahokuii.com) With its yellow-and-red–striped sails, this frat boy–friendly, hard-drinkin’ catamaran departs five times daily between 9:30am and 5:30pm, shoving off in front of Duke’s Waikiki (Click here).
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Other Activities
In the mornings, runners pound the pavement next to Ala Wai Canal, while in the late afternoon outrigger canoe teams ply the canal’s waters en route to Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. Kapi′olani Park (right) has sports fields for soccer and softball, even cricket. For an indoor workout, 24-Hour Fitness (923-9090; 2490 Kalakaua Ave; daily/weekly pass $25/69; 24hr) has a small, fully-equipped gym and group classes.
SURFING
For a complete rundown on Waikiki’s surfing hot spots, see the Beaches section (Click here). For surfing lessons (two-hour group classes from $80) and board rentals (from $20 per day), try the following:
Go Nuts Hawaii (926-3367; www.gonuts-hawaii.com; 159 Ka′iulani Ave; 8am-9pm)
Hans Hedemann Surf (924-7778; www.hhsurf.com; 2586 Kapahulu Ave; 9am-5pm)
Hawaiian WaterSports (739-5483; www.hawaiianwatersports.com; 415 Kapahulu Ave; 9am-5pm)
For lessons taught by real-life firefighters, Hawaiian Fire Surf School (737-3743, 888-955-7873; www.hawaiianfire.com; 2hr lessons group/private $99/179) offers free pick-ups from Waikiki and transportation to/from a quiet beach near Barbers Point on the Wai′anae Coast.
SCUBA DIVING & SNORKELING
The best snorkeling is toward Diamond Head at Sans Souci Beach (opposite) and Queen’s Surf Beach (opposite), but to really see the gorgeous stuff – coral gardens, manta rays and exotic tropical fish – you should go on a boat dive. For equipment rentals and/or boat trips:
Snorkel Bob’s (735-7944; www.snorkelbob.com; 702 Kapahulu Ave; snorkel-set rental per day $2-11, per week $9-44; 8am-5pm) Rates vary depending on the quality of the gear and accessories packages.
Waikiki Diving Center (922-2121; www.waikikidiving.com; 424 Nahua St; snorkel trip $35, 2-tank/wreck dive $115/125; 7am-5pm) Reliable full-service dive shop offers small-group boat dives and open-water PADI certification courses ($350).
GOLF
With views of Diamond Head, the 18-hole/par 70 Ala Wai Golf Course