Highly influential in the birth of big-wave surfing, the North Shore's legendary beaches Haleiwa, Bonzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay and Sunset combine with more locally known beaches to form a stretch of surf breaks called the Seven Mile Miracle. Surfing took off here in the 1950s, with Waimea Bay leading the way, and the North Shore has been a mecca for the world's best surfers ever since. Vans Triple Crown of Surfing takes place at Haleiwa, Sunset and Pipeline. The invitational, Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Akau Akau, takes place at Waimea Bay, but only happens when there are 20-foot waves. The Eddie is a tribute to the aloha spirit of the legendary waterman who rescued countless people from the giant waves. As many as 30,000 spectators have viewed this event from the beach.
From October through April, surfing is a great spectator sport for most on the North Shore, but May through September is a good time to take surf lessons and enjoy the water in other ways. Waimea Bay turns into a lake in summer where you can swim, snorkel and watch local kids jump off the rocks.
On the North Shore's eastern end, Kulima Cove is protected from winter swells, and provides a calm snorkeling spot. The small white-sand beach and palm trees can be reached via free public parking at the adjacent Turtle Bay Resort (turtlebayresort.com). All of Hawaii's beaches, except for Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve and a couple of military bases, must provide daily free access to the public. Turtle Bay Resort also provides public restrooms and showers. When swimming in Kulima Cove, stay to the east of the floating boundary; to the west of it near the hotel is a channel with strong rip currents. Snorkelers may spy several types of tropical fish, including Moorish idol, harmless damsel, and schools of yellow tang and parrotfish. You won’t see many, if any, turtles here, but you can nearby.
Turtles mostly hang out at Kawela Bay, a cove reached by walking west from Turtle Bay Resort on the oceanside trail about 25 minutes. You'll pass Turtle Bay before reaching Kawela, which, like Kulima, is protected from winter swells. The water is murkier than Kulima and there are a lot of rocks. Additionally, there are no lifeguards, and coconuts often fall from the trees. However, it's a picturesque walk and a good place to see the 3-foot Hawaiian green sea turtles.
When the water's calm, Three Tables is one of the best snorkeling spots on Oahu because of its live coral and abundance of fish. Three Tables, named for its three big, flat rocks, is at the northeast end of Pupukea Beach Park. Because it's part of Pupakea Marine Life Conservation District, the fish here aren't as afraid of people as in places where fishing is allowed. However, stay away October through April, when the surf and currents are treacherous. Scuba diving is popular here in summer. To avoid the surges that could push you into the rocks, stay close to the beach. A huge tidal pool separates the reef at Three Tables from the reef at Shark's Cove, which is part of the conservation district and rife with fish, but murkier and with less coral. Tidal pools are fun to explore around here -- but again, only enter the water at these coves May through September, and when there are no waves.
The North Shore typically is sunny and warm, making shave-ice a refreshing treat. At Matsumoto Shave Ice (matsumotoshaveice.com), which opened in 1951 as a general store in Haleiwa, people stand in long lines for shave-ice specialties and the experience of slurping the icy concoction while viewing pictures of celebrities, such as Tom Hanks, who slurped here too. Haleiwa is an eclectic, laid-back community of surfers, artists, farmers, merchants and the occasional rich and famous; Elvis lived for a while in a mansion on the slopes above. Enjoy the art galleries and unpretentious restaurants -- and because the North Shore faces northwest, you can take in one of Hawaii’s sunsets.
