sailing Oahu

[clancy cummings]

Hey fellow sailors,
I will be going to Oahu for a week in December and am wondering if anyone can recommend a rental shop, best launches, deals, etc.
Thanks for your time,
Clancy

[Josh Shirley]

You might want to post this question on Iwindsurf.

http://forums.iwindsurf.com/viewforum.php?f=5

if your kiting:

http://forums.ikitesurf.com/viewforum.php?f=4

you will get a wider audience, and some of the actual shops in question might respond.

Oahu sounds fun.

[RickHeninger]

I've never made it to Oahu. But I agree w/Josh, sounds fun... You may just want to bring a parachute and bail out over Maui. Although we're coming into the season of better surfing waves and less wind. Have fun!

[Kenny]

Clancy,

December is hit and miss for wind on Oahu. However, you may get lucky.

Kailua Beach on the east side is the popular launch. I have only kited there, but I believe that they rent windsurfing gear. If you have your own gear, there are other spots on the island to ride. There is an excellent wave location north of Kailua called Mokes. It is a popular kiting spot with waves, I have seen photos of windsurfers there as well. Some days even Waikiki can go off. I hope you get some wind.

Kenny

[DimitriMilovich]

Hey Clancy,

Have sailed Oahu a lot. As just posted, though, it's hit or miss in December. If trades are happening, go to Mokuleia (Mokes) on North Shore. Best sailing and kiting on the island, with the most reliable winds because of the cliffs which squeeze the wind. (hot shots also go to Diamond Head, but it's a big carry down from the road and tricky lauch and break -- also quite gusty, so I'd bag that spot.) Mokes also holds a well-shaped swell up to a reasonable size (not huge, though). Mokes is the main kiting spot on the island. But sailors are welcome there, too, and it's pretty uncrowded even in summer when the wind is up. Sailors are all North Shore locals so pretty laid back and friendly. Experts also sail at Backyards, past Sunset, but with super shallow reef, huge waves, and gusty canyon winds, that's for local experts only.

Main shop on the island, only shop really, is Naish, in Kailua. (There used to be another one right by Naish, too, but I think they closed.) Also, I think there's another outfit out of a truck on Kailua Beach renting gear, too, that's very reasonable. Don't know their name, but they were a tad less expensive than Naish and very handy. No shops on the North Shore for sailing or kiting as of two summers ago. So that makes for a longish drive, from renting gear in Kailua to Mokes, but Mokes has better conditions. Although if Kailua has wind, that's a wonderful place to sail and a phenomenal beach so go no further.

If winds are Kona (from the South) you can get some rides at launches out past Diamond Head. Forgot the names, but Naish could tell you. But would be largish sails, like 6.0-6.5. Good luck.

[Josh Shirley]

I totally forgot about June, who just moved here from Oahu.

email her. http://www.utahwindriders.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=email&u=1189

I think she lived there for 15 years.

[Sarah Ranes]

Dimitri, has great suggestions here already. I just thought I would add a couple of things, since I've been lucky enough to sail Kialua Bay a few times. Keep in mind that this is 2 year old info. There was a rental shop, with in a block of Kialua Beach Park. they have the WS gear and boogie boards etc. They only transport the WS gear to the park on Weekends for rental. The rest of the week you have to get your gear,from the shop, to the park, yourself. It's not too bad, but if you have the wrong size gear, it's a bit of a hassle to get another setup and get back on the water. This was the only thing that worked for us, because we had no way to store the gear at night, so we had to turn it back in to the shop, when we were done sailing. If you have a car that will transport the gear, that changes everything. good luck...I hope the wind blows well for you!

[June Akrs]

Have a great trip Clancy, wish I could join you. I lived there 10 years and am dying to get back. Sadly, the winds on Oahu are not as good as Maui, especially the last 6 years or so. So if it's a windsurfing vacation you're after, I would definitely recommend getting yourself over to Maui.

OTOH, it can blow nicely on Oahu. Look for 5 o'clock Charly -- the winds at Kailua beach often seemed to back off in the early PM, then come back in the late afternoon. There's not much reef to watch out for, so you can sail till dark. If it blows for a few days in a row (I hope you are so lucky), the swell can kick up nicely in Kailua bay allowing for excellent bump n jump. There's also waves at a few locations around the bay: Castles toward the far end of the beach; the main reef about 1/4 mile offshore; a small reef to the south of "flat island" (works best in N-NNW winds). There is a big reef to get around in the middle of the bay if trying to get to the outer reef, and coral heads to the south of flat island, so watch where the locals go or ask the shop guys if you're going off the beaten path to the wave spots. The main Kailua beach launch is at the north end of the park, there's another next to a boat ramp at the far south end of the park (exit the main parking lot, go down the road toward Lanikai, turn left at stop sign, find small parking lot on the left just before the road turns to the right). Note that Kailua beach has a swimming area marked by buoys. Launch to the north (main launch) or south (boat ramp) of it.

Mokuleia is best in mid afternoon on sunny days as it is helped greatly by a thermal effect. But like the other folks said, there's no shop to rent from up there. There is a significant reef up there close to the shore. So be sure to check with local *wind*surfers before going out. (not kitesurfers as they don't have to worry about the reef as much)

My favorite shop is Naish. They'll have a truck onsite at Kailua everyday with good guys to get you set up. I can also recommend Hawaiian Watersports. They're just around the corner from Naish and also bring gear to the beach. They *might* be a bit cheaper. Close to Kailua beach is Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks in a small shopping plaza one block from the north end of the beach park. They'd be great to rent kayaks from to tool around if there's no wind.

In winter, there won't likely be much south shore wave action, but if you're interested in south shore waves, then I'd recommend looking for Kahala beach park near the Mandarin hotel. There's a friendly group of locals there if it's working. There's also another break across from Hawaii Loa ridge called "Toes". You could easily lose a few toes there (I have a few scars from there). Diamond Head is an option if you're real good at dodging floating objects (surfers) while sunk to your knees on your waveboard.

Enjoy your stay, wear plenty of sunscreen! Don't be too discouraged if it's cloudy during part of your trip. It is winter there, but it's nowhere near as cold as Utah Let me know if you need any more details on anything specific.

Aloha,
June