What are the best spots during April/May? Ill be proning Waikiki but also want to wing. Apart from the obvious, fly to Maui, what are spots worth hitting up?

Diamond Head, long walk down, nice channel and some waves.
Kahala, the park next to the big hotel, flat water channel and waves outside.
Kailua Beach Park.
Skip Kaneohe due to access issues.
Hukilau, BYU Beach, side on outside the waves.
Crouching Lion from the ramp on the sw side of the friendly cove.
Skip 7th Hole and even Turtle Bay due to access issues.
Oopula St. Backyards, big channel from shore, stay away from Velzyland surfers.
Surfers frown on wind activity until Haliewa Harbor.
SW shore, Maile Pt usually exposed wind and offshore reef, channels.
Yokohama Bay end of road, Trades come down the valley, blowing offshore in the surf, but launch before you get inside the cove for side/odd wind.
Think they closed Pearl and Airport to wind activity when kiting peaked.
Magic Island and Waikiki usually light holey offshore except for kona [s] winds.

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LeeD said..
Diamond Head, long walk down, nice channel and some waves.
Kahala, the park next to the big hotel, flat water channel and waves outside.
Kailua Beach Park.
Skip Kaneohe due to access issues.
Hukilau, BYU Beach, side on outside the waves.
Crouching Lion from the ramp on the sw side of the friendly cove.
Skip 7th Hole and even Turtle Bay due to access issues.
Oopula St. Backyards, big channel from shore, stay away from Velzyland surfers.
Surfers frown on wind activity until Haliewa Harbor.
SW shore, Maile Pt usually exposed wind and offshore reef, channels.
Yokohama Bay end of road, Trades come down the valley, blowing offshore in the surf, but launch before you get inside the cove for side/odd wind.
Think they closed Pearl and Airport to wind activity when kiting peaked.
Magic Island and Waikiki usually light holey offshore except for kona [s] winds.

What's the typical wing size most wingers are using? Anyone doing down winders Hawaii Kai to Kiamana?
Going to be based in Kaneohe for first 3 weeks of March.

Similar question through june/july/aug!

will be there for work, usually kite kailua/mokes but with winging bug fully bitten would be keen to be able to wing closer to town after work, i don't really recall much wind on the hnl side though?

also may not be able to bring a board but could buy one there - any recommendations or is anyone renting?

sorry for semi thread hijack KC, mahalo!

Goggo's got it.
That whole ne coast is wing territory, where vids are made, side/off breeze, superflat water, but some shallow reefs.
Kaneohe is great if you have access to the water. We used to windsurf there, seemed as windy as Kailua/Lanikai.
Typical trade there is 12-18.

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LeeD said..
Diamond Head, long walk down, nice channel and some waves.
Kahala, the park next to the big hotel, flat water channel and waves outside.
Kailua Beach Park.
Skip Kaneohe due to access issues.
Hukilau, BYU Beach, side on outside the waves.
Crouching Lion from the ramp on the sw side of the friendly cove.
Skip 7th Hole and even Turtle Bay due to access issues.
Oopula St. Backyards, big channel from shore, stay away from Velzyland surfers.
Surfers frown on wind activity until Haliewa Harbor.
SW shore, Maile Pt usually exposed wind and offshore reef, channels.
Yokohama Bay end of road, Trades come down the valley, blowing offshore in the surf, but launch before you get inside the cove for side/odd wind.
Think they closed Pearl and Airport to wind activity when kiting peaked.
Magic Island and Waikiki usually light holey offshore except for kona [s] winds.

Cheers Lee - super comprehensive

Plenty of days when Kailua is sub 10, Hukilau blows 20.
Those days, the whole Northshore is E less than 5, so the N part of Oahu can get windy when everywhere else is almost calm.
Also, if it's light ESE, the whole island is sub 10 except for Moks past Haliewa, where E accelerates.

While Kailua can be fun for windsurfing and kitesurfing when really windy, riding surf would never quite line up right save the one or two days a year when the wind is strong NW and there's a swell wrapping in. With winging, its an entirely different story. Kailua was made for winging. April/May tend to be some of the best months of the year with surf and good wind. You're coming at the right time. Feel free to PM me.

Staying near K bay Yacht club, paddled a sup out of there years ago so maybe they might let me wing out of there as a member of a yacht club in Oz. There is a field full of beach cats near the public pool that maybe I can access the water. I know most of accesses from castles down to Lanikai.

Lani used to have 15-25 Hobie style catamarans lined up in front of the houses. When I sailed there in late '80's, a few came out of their houses and told me to go to Kailua Beach Park. I thanked them and sailed out past the island.
Didn't see them when I landed, 2 hours later.

Trouble with Waikiki is light, holey offshore wind that filters thru huge hotels and buildings.
Even closer to Kapiolani, winds are fluky.
Since I stayed mostly at Kahala, about 10 minutes past Diamond Head, I logged maybe 75 days there.
Main launch is the beach park at the creek next to the big hotel. Gotta tack upwind to open water and small side on wave and wind. Launch heads you directly into the small boat channel.
I lived 6 houses to the SW and sailed mostly inside the reef with 5.3's and 90 liter boards.
There is a launch, side off wind, at Magic Island.

Man, if windfoil existed in the '90's, imagine riding Swell City at outside Kailua.....

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LeeD said..
Man, if windfoil existed in the '90's, imagine riding Swell City at outside Kailua.....

It is a shame that access to the ocean is so restricted on Oahu. You can bet that that the same water front property owners will want/expect help from the state when they experience storm damage or erosion to their properties.
Locked access ways is another example of selfish entitled attitude that flows against the aloha spirit. There are laws against restricting access but the ordinary people affected by rich land holders don't have the means to enforce their rights.

Yeah, same thing here in East Bay SF and in Puerto Rico.
Rich people buying beachfront, gating all access, and then allowing crime to keep people from parking outside with their cars.

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LeeD said..
Trouble with Waikiki is light, holey offshore wind that filters thru huge hotels and buildings.
Even closer to Kapiolani, winds are fluky.
Since I stayed mostly at Kahala, about 10 minutes past Diamond Head, I logged maybe 75 days there.
Main launch is the beach park at the creek next to the big hotel. Gotta tack upwind to open water and small side on wave and wind. Launch heads you directly into the small boat channel.
I lived 6 houses to the SW and sailed mostly inside the reef with 5.3's and 90 liter boards.
There is a launch, side off wind, at Magic Island.

Magic island as in park in carpark and hike out to the end of the point?
i was thinking the beach park past that which i think is what you mean past the hotel lagoon, hilton i think?

is it decent or worth just dropping the extra half hour to Kailua?

i feel like there is a sketchy rock launch to be had at koko kai!

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CH3MTR4IL5 said..

LeeD said..
Trouble with Waikiki is light, holey offshore wind that filters thru huge hotels and buildings.
Even closer to Kapiolani, winds are fluky.
Since I stayed mostly at Kahala, about 10 minutes past Diamond Head, I logged maybe 75 days there.
Main launch is the beach park at the creek next to the big hotel. Gotta tack upwind to open water and small side on wave and wind. Launch heads you directly into the small boat channel.
I lived 6 houses to the SW and sailed mostly inside the reef with 5.3's and 90 liter boards.
There is a launch, side off wind, at Magic Island.

Magic island as in park in carpark and hike out to the end of the point?
i was thinking the beach park past that which i think is what you mean past the hotel lagoon, hilton i think?

is it decent or worth just dropping the extra half hour to Kailua?

i feel like there is a sketchy rock launch to be had at koko kai!

IMO go diamond head to Hawaii Kai, drive up any hill east of diamond head and look at the line ups to see the lay of reefs. I guess the same could be done with Google Earth but option 1 will be better.

Kenny the fireman launched at MI Beach Park, said there was a ramp down the rocks, sailing way outside the surfers. I never tried, looked sketch with offshore wind and refraction water at the launch.
Kahala can't be more than 15 minutes drive from DH, there's parking and sand beach. Don't speed, so maybe 20 minutes.
DH is way too long a hike.
Tough access from Kahala to Brownies.

Hi, I will be in Oahu in August. I am still not sure, if I should bring my wing or surf equipment or both. How is the wind, how are the waves in August?
Thanks!

Definitely bring both. Summer trades typically range from 10-25mph but also vary from spot to spot. North shore has almost daily thermals that boost winds to 15-25 mph on any given day but typically minimal to no waves in August. South shore is often in the 15+ with waves anywhere from knee to double overhead depending on south swell. East side is typically in the 10-20mph range but can be less or more.

You can also find a pretty reliable forecast on surfnewsnetwork.com. On this site, a good page for you to start reviewing before your trip is the "Big Picture" www.surfnewsnetwork.com/big-picture/. This is updated by local (and international) weather guru Pat Caldwell. He's the go to guy out here for watersport folk, a very good guy, and someone you will likely see out on the water depending on where and when you go.

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Oahuwaterwalker said..
Definitely bring both. Summer trades typically range from 10-25mph but also vary from spot to spot. North shore has almost daily thermals that boost winds to 15-25 mph on any given day but typically minimal to no waves in August. South shore is often in the 15+ with waves anywhere from knee to double overhead depending on south swell. East side is typically in the 10-20mph range but can be less or more.

You can also find a pretty reliable forecast on surfnewsnetwork.com. On this site, a good page for you to start reviewing before your trip is the "Big Picture" www.surfnewsnetwork.com/big-picture/. This is updated by local (and international) weather guru Pat Caldwell. He's the go to guy out here for watersport folk, a very good guy, and someone you will likely see out on the water depending on where and when you go.

Sounds amazing, thank you!

Has Kahala been good in July? Went to North Shore yesterday and was great but staying in town so would love to check out something close by if anyone's been going.

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Lago said..

Oahuwaterwalker said..
Definitely bring both. Summer trades typically range from 10-25mph but also vary from spot to spot. North shore has almost daily thermals that boost winds to 15-25 mph on any given day but typically minimal to no waves in August. South shore is often in the 15+ with waves anywhere from knee to double overhead depending on south swell. East side is typically in the 10-20mph range but can be less or more.

You can also find a pretty reliable forecast on surfnewsnetwork.com. On this site, a good page for you to start reviewing before your trip is the "Big Picture" www.surfnewsnetwork.com/big-picture/. This is updated by local (and international) weather guru Pat Caldwell. He's the go to guy out here for watersport folk, a very good guy, and someone you will likely see out on the water depending on where and when you go.

Sounds amazing, thank you!

Happy to help. Hope you have a great trip!