Oahu South Shore
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Positives
- Consistent all season swells World’s surfing heritage
- Beginner-friendly Waikiki reefs
- Big city entertainment
- Perfect weather, unique scenery
Negatives
- Messy windswells
- Intense crowds & locals
- Some pollution & sharks
- Long-haul Pacific flight
- Expensive US destination
Oahu South Shore surf travel guide
The cityscape of Honolulu and Diamond Head provide the perfect backdrop for a gentle surf among the tourist throngs of what has always been referred to as Town. Waikiki means “spouting waters”, is the state's tourism mecca and the place where Duke Kahanamoku helped to relaunch surfing a century ago. Nowadays the trampled sands are home to the unique cadre of legendary Beach Boys that have taught generations of Hawaiians and introduced hundreds of thousands of tourists to the full gamut of waveriding options, gently infused with plenty of aloha spirit. During summer (June-Sept), swells vary in height from 2-8ft (0.6-2.5m) and on very rare occasions, can get huge like in 1917, when Duke caught a 35ft (11+m) wave for a distance of 1.25 miles (2 km). Stretching from Duke Beach near the Hilton Hawaiian Village to the Duke statue on Kuhio Beach, hundreds if not thousands of all kinds of waveriders are in the surf almost every day of the year, enjoying the fun, user-friendly conditions.
Surf spots in Oahu South Shore
Research the 15 surf breaks in Oahu South Shore and discover what spots suit the current conditions.
Break lowdown
We’ve collated the wave data giving you a unique insight into the 15 breaks in Oahu South Shore.
When to go
Surf and weather statistics to help plan your surf trip to Oahu South Shore
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Library
Helpful surf travel videos and articles featuring Oahu South Shore.
A South Shore Lookback Gallery That'll Have You Missing Summer
- Surf
- By Tony Heff for Surfer
- 5 minute read
Kelly Slater's Surfer Guide to Hawaii, From Pipeline to Shark Diving | Condé Nast Traveler
- TravelSurf
Travel Information
General
- Current Time
- Tourists
- 10,400,000
- Population
- 1,416,000
- Tourist Info
- Tourist Info
Security
Health
Money
- Currency
- USD
- Exchange rate
- $1 = $1 USD USD
Cost of living
Communication
- Dialing in
- +1 808
- Dialing out
- 011
- Emergencies
- 911
- Language
- English, Hawaiian, Pidgin
Electricity
- Plug Type
- ab
Visas
Visitors visas have been waived for Australian, British, Canadian and most EU passport holders. However, you must be carrying a biometric passport (kids too), with at least 90 days before expiry, otherwise a visitor visa must be obtained before travel.
Getting There
Honolulu (HNL) is the major Pacific hub with daily flights from North America, Kiritimati, Tahiti, American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Manila, Seoul and Japan. Most major airlines travelling to Oahu charge each way per surfboard. The best include the weight in your allowance, the worst charge more than a wounded bull! Hawaiian Airlines have loads of small print. Pay $35 inter-island and $100 to/from USA per double bag (max 50lbs/23kg) each way. Choose your airline carefully, or rent your boards.
Getting Around
The Bus is Honolulu’s public bus network ($2.50/trip - no surfboards). Most car rental agencies require a minimum age of 25. Headline prices might be as low as $18 per day but with tax, fees and insurance it costs more like $30 for an economy or compact car. Getting longboards inside a small rental can be problematic - take soft racks/straps. Gas is about 25% more expensive than the US mainland. Traffic can be intense on weekends and parking around Waikiki is both a nightmare and expensive. This makes mopeds, bicycles and even skateboards an attractive option in downtown areas as the city of Honolulu implements it’s plan to make the county extremely bike friendly with dedicated cycle lanes and racks on the back of The Bus.
Accommodation
Boutique or historic hotels, condominiums, resorts and familiar chains; prices vary with the view. The Aloha Surf is a 3-star hotel: fr $145/nt dbl. Surfcondos fr $1500/wk for 4 pax. Every friday at camping.honolulu.gov you can reserve a campsite up to two weeks in advance (3d/$32, 5d/$52). No camping is allowed on either Wednesday or Thursday so 3-5 day max stay applies. Largest concentration of fancy restaurants and fast food in the state.
Activities
Being a prime honeymoon trip, Waikiki provides big-city amenities, shopping, culture and night-time entertainment. Honolulu was recently ranked first among America's largest cities for having the cleanest air and water, and the lowest crime rate. Visit the Bishop Museum for its archive of historical surf artefacts.
Hazards & hassles
Sharp coral reefs and unpredictable shorebreaks have caused many serious neck and spinal injuries to all kinds of surfers. Strong currents frequently accompany big surf. Theft from cars is common at many of the bigger parking lots in and out of town. Localism also exists on the south shore - tread carefully.
Handy Hints
World famous Waikiki Beach Boys offer daily surf lessons & outrigger canoe rides. Low board hire rates from a huge number of surf shops and rental outfits; Standard NSP board ($45 for first 2 days then $10/day). Surftech Performance rental ($65/2 days then $10/day). SUP from $100/2 days then $20 a day. Delivery and pick up from anywhere on the island.
Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.