North Shore

Some of my favorite places in Oahu are located on the North Shore…

I’ve spent every youthful summer of my life at the North Shore. My first kiss and my first love. Beautiful Sunsets, peaceful mornings, and falling asleep to the sound of the waves rolling in. Laid back atmosphere and friendly people.

Dreamed of going here for years. Absolutely incredible. Worth seeing at least once in your life.

North Shore is where you can be proud to be a white slacker who is spending his or her college money on a life full of pot, boards, bikinis, sex wax, and a hazy recolection of past dealing. This is one of the most laid back places on the island of O’ahu. Oh-yeah, the surfing is great here in the winter but be careful about comming here in the summer. Sometimes it is so flat that you think a pontoon boat is more adventageous then a surfboard.

The North shore is beautiful. Fantastic beaches, still very locally-oriented, and great weather.

We stayed on the top floor of a house right on sunset beach. I highly recommend the house. http://www.halekimo.com. Each floor has 3 BR 2 BA. There is an awesome large wraparound lanai with a grill. Hammock on the lawn. Gate right down to the beach. The store is 3 miles down the road – super convenient. Very helpful and responsive management. The two downsides are that the beds aren’t the most comfy in the world (well, we are spoiled with our super deluxe king mattress) and the bedrooms back onto the main road. You don’t hear much if you sleep with AC but if you sleep with the windows open it can get noisy on Friday night. North Shore is also a bit further out of sightseeing spots in Honolulu (1 hr) if that’s something you’re keen on doing, but the drive is easy – much of the way on freeway. We found Haleiwa easy to get food from if we didn’t want to cook. We never made it to Turtle Bay Resort for the fancy meal that we thought we were going to have.

The North Shore is, of course, known for its surf. We took surfing lessons from local Maven “Uncle Brian” (Brian Surratt – look for him on Sunset Beach), who also took our 15 month old out to catch a wave (we have this on video). He’s a character and definitely added flavor to the week. He was nice enough to pick some local flowers and bring them back for a lei making session. He’s the kind of guy who knows everyone, you know? Full of social energy.

With a toddler, we spent most of our time just relaxing on the beach. My sister and her fiance also did some skydiving nearby. And the local ranch is nearby if you fancy some horseriding.

This is actually the hottest spot of the island to me. Surf contests during the winter, and lots of cool restaurants to eat, it’s really kinda laid back. I like it there, and me and my friends skip waikiki or honolulu and go there all the time.

Once I realized the 3 foot deep water and the way the surf is more powerful than most places, I got the hell out. The bottom is coral.

I’ll surf at Waimea -or out at the deep breakers near the Mokuluas, with the sharks.

I took this picture the day before 40 foot+ surf broke on the North Shore. It was incredible.

Watched surfers on Waikiki for days. VERY small surf – not too impressed by the challenge of it all.

Then I saw the North Shore. Amazing, more impressive than I could have imagined. And surfers working it. These folks have nerves!! (I’m a bit jealous…)

Ahhh, the North Shore. This is what paradise is all about. Enjoy!