No Regrets!

After waking up on the North Shore and allowing Scott to motivate us to hit the resort gym for a workout, we hopped into the car to start exploring the beaches. Dave’s been dreaming of seeing these North Shore waves on these North Shore beaches for 20 years.

The seven miles of beaches along Oahu’s North Shore draw surfers from around the world for a few key reasons:

• During the winter months (November to February), the North Shore gets massive swells from storms in the North Pacific, which travel thousands of miles to hit Oahu. This uninterrupted stretch of open ocean generates powerful, consistent waves perfect for surfing.
• The North Shore’s waves break over coral reefs close to the shore, which shapes the waves into the famous barrels and steep faces that surfers crave. The reefs at iconic spots like Pipeline, Sunset Beach, and Waimea Bay create the kind of waves ideal for advanced techniques and high-stakes maneuvers.
• The North Shore has a variety of breaks, from the challenging, massive waves at Waimea Bay to the hollow, fast-breaking waves at Pipeline. This range offers different wave experiences, attracting surfers of various skill levels.
• Trade winds blowing from the east help sculpt smooth, clean waves.

Our first stop was Ehukai Beach Park, a section of beach famous for its Banzai Pipeline. Pipeline is known for huge waves that break in shallow water with large, hollow curls for surfers to ride. Pipeline’s average wave is 9 feet, but they can be as tall as 20 feet, and Pipeline has been called one of the world’s deadliest surfing locations. We sat on the beach with a lot of other onlookers and watched the surfers do their thing. I took some photos with my feet in the water, which was surprisingly warm.

We took a little drive through nearby Hale’iwa town, a street just off the beach lined with little shops and restaurants. We stopped to eat at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck, one of many food trucks in a carpark and a local favorite. The smell of pungent garlic butter permeated the air. I ordered the #1 Scampi, and it was just as drippy and messy and delicious as I expected. Birds hop around trying to snag a bite, and I don’t blame them.

Walked along main road, and we finally found the perfect matching aloha shirts for tomorrow’s beach photo shoot. The ones we picked have Duke Kahanamoku’s personal design, with subtle pineapple and floral imagery.

Back at the resort, we relaxed at the pool drinking Mai Tais and various other tropical drinks. We got into a hot tub with a family that included Atlanta Braves shortstop Nick Allen. We didn’t know this until his dad mentioned it to Scott. His small frame certainly doesn’t suggest that he’s a professional baseball player. He got traded from Oakland to Atlanta just yesterday. I asked his dad if that was a good thing, and he enthusiastically agreed, saying Nick will likely be replacing incumbent Braves’ shortstop Orlando Arcia. Arcia’s not that great, but it seems he still has the starting job, and after 3 years in the major leagues, Allen is an all-glove, no-bat guy who hasn’t really established himself. And at age 26, the clock is ticking. I wish him luck.

Dinner at Roy’s Beach House was incredible. This Roy Yamaguchi guy really knows what he’s doing. We’ve been spoiled with amazing food, meal after meal, on this trip. But, like in Waikiki, the resort here shuts down early. By 10pm, the bars close, and everything goes quiet. Nightlife in Hawaii doesn’t seem to be much of a thing.

The next morning, Scott suggested that we hit the fitness center for another 8am workout. Encouraged by Scott’s misguided but nonetheless ambitious and health-conscious choice, we hit the treadmills, rowing machines, and weights. Ended up being a good start to our day. Following it up with a chia pudding parfait while overlooking the crashing waves of Turtle Bay is perfect.

With wind and gentle rain, we headed out to Waimea Bay Beach Park, site of some of the biggest waves on the North Shore. On this particular day, the waves were indeed enormous, crashing right on the shore with thunder and rage. Pretty to look at, but it’s the deep rumbling of crashing waves that I enjoy the most. Everybody stood back, away from the shoreline, stepping back further when the lifeguards would announce warnings for particularly big set of waves approaching. A group of surfers floated in the water offshore, patiently waiting for waves to catch.

Photos of waves are nice, but they don’t capture their movement, sound, power, and energy. This is one of those places where being there makes all the difference.

Just like each Hawaiian island, each beach has its own distinct personality. While Pipeline featured surfers catching sculpted curls near the shore, Waimea offered the raw fury of nature. Curious what the other beaches will be like.

Back at the resort pool, we grabbed lunch and enjoyed zebra doves (thanks ChatGPT!) watching us eat and cooing nearby. Once again, we saw Nick Allen wandering around with his wife, apparently the daughter of Bret Boone. After watching them all stalker-like for a few minutes, I couldn’t resist getting into the hot tub with Nick and his dad.

After getting cleaned up and putting on our matching Duke Kahanamoku aloha shirts, we met my friend Stephanie at Kawela Bay for our long-awaited photo shoot. So much fun! Stephanie really captured the essence of our friendship.

Stephanie joined us for dinner at Lei Lei’s Bar & Grill, one of the restaurants back at the resort. Meal was good, but not one of the best we’ve had on this trip. Wonderful to catch up with her. She is the coolest.

Then back for a few quiet drinks in the lobby bar, where a guitarist gently strummed pop and classic songs as we sipped our drinks and enjoyed the tropical breeze flowing through the lobby. Nick Allen and wife and parents were nearby. His dad, who we keep running into, gave us a friendly nod. Despite our desire to do so, direct contact has not been made with Nick because it feels a little intrusive.

Before turning in for the night, Dave mentioned that the shampoo dispenser in his room wasn’t working, so I gave him some of my shampoo in a wine glass. Laughs. Now off to bed, with the sound of crashing waves outside and dreams of sunshine and Mai Tais tomorrow.