You may not be aware of it, but surfing is a Polynesian pastime that dates back several hundred years. Europeans first saw it when they travelled to Tahiti in 1767. Hawaii of course was settled by Polynesian immigrants from Tahiti almost one thousand years ago, and brought the activity with them. It was in Hawaii that surfing first caught on with Euro-Americans back in 1907.
When planning your Hawaii surfing retreat, keep in mind that the islands contain two major seasons for this activity. You should pick the time of year if feasible in respect to your surfing familiarity and ability. The winter months, November through March, are best suited for expert surfers, as the waves tower twenty five feet or more as they race toward the beach. Novices will want to plan their surfing trip for the summer and fall months between the beginning of June and mid-October, when the waters are calmer. Where better to become skilled at the art of he’enalu than amongst the people who invented surfing? Bring a few friends and reserve your beach vacations early to find just the right location to call home.
Complexity levels can also contrast from one part of Hawaii to another. Of course, Oahu is where nearly all of the well-known surfing beaches are experienced, and Waiamea Bay is possibly the most recognized of them all. Waiamea Bay and other surfing locations such as Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline are a practiced surfer’s paradise when waves created by winter storms in the Aleutians come swirling south. In the summer, amateur surfers will want to go to Waikiki on the south side. These waves are the result of the austral winter storms off Antarctica and have much further to travel and thus they are much gentler waves and better for learners.
Because Oahu’s surfing locales are so well known and taken advantage of, you may be competing with a lot of other guests for space. A less crowded choice is Kauai. Hanalei Bay on the north side provides challenging waves for experienced surfers, while Poipu and Kalapi to the south are better for learners.
Visitors to Hawaii may pick Kauai as their destination for factors other than surfing by the way. Just because most tourists head for Oahu does not mean that Kauai does not possess more than its share of fun interests. Kauai, which was the last island to come under Kamehameha’s rule back in 1810, only when the island’s last ruler died without a successor, is not known as the Garden Island for nothing. This lush paradise presents mountain inner tubing and kayaking along jungle rivers as well as hiking and romantic travel inns, many of which can only be reached by means of helicopter. In fact, the Kauai helicopter tour is a popular choice of visitors.
Hawaii is a vacationer’s paradise with spectacular surfing, swimming, diving, snorkeling and magnificent views of the mountainous terrain beside the stunning blue ocean. Wonderful food and drink, delightful friendly people and native music mix to make Hawaii a vacation to never forget.