Surfs Up In Hawaii
September 3rd, 2010 by Wesley Mathews, under Vacations. No Comments
You may not be aware of it, but surfing is a Polynesian innovation that dates back several hundred years. Europeans first saw it when they visited Tahiti in 1767. Hawaii of course was settled by Polynesian immigrants from Tahiti almost one thousand years ago, and brought the sport with them. It was in Hawaii that surfing first caught on with Euro-Americans back in 1907.
When planning your Hawaii surfing vacation, keep in mind that the islands have two major seasons for this activity. You should pick the time of year if possible according to your surfing familiarity and ability. The winter months, November through March, are best suited for practiced surfers, as the waves tower twenty five feet or more as they crash just before the beach. Beginners will want to plan their surfing vacation for the summer and fall months between the beginning of June and mid-October, at what time the waters are calmer. Where better to learn the art of he’enalu than with the citizens who invented surfing? Bring a few friends and reserve your beach vacations early to locate just the right place to call home.
Complexity levels can also differ from one area of Hawaii to another. Of course, Oahu is where the majority of of the well-known surfing beaches are located, and Waiamea Bay is perhaps the most celebrated of them all. Waiamea Bay and other surfing places such as Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline are a skilled surfer’s paradise when waves generated by winter storms in the Aleutians come swirling south. In the summer, beginner surfers may want to go to Waikiki on the south side. These waves are the outcome of the austral winter storms off Antarctica and have a great deal further to travel and therefore they are much gentler waves and better for learners.
Because Oahu’s surfing areas are so well known and visited, you might be competing with a lot of other people for space. A less crowded option is Kauai. Hanalei Bay on the north side provides difficult waves for experienced surfers, while Poipu and Kalapi to the south are better for learners.
Visitors to Hawaii can choose Kauai as their destination for reasons other than surfing by the way. Just because most vacationers head for Oahu does not indicate that Kauai does not possess more than its share of fun interests. Kauai, which was the last island to exist under Kamehameha’s rule back in 1810, only when the island’s ultimate ruler died without a successor, is not called the Garden Island for nothing. This luxuriant paradise offers mountain inner tubing and kayaking along jungle rivers as well as hiking and romantic travel inns, many of which can only be reached via helicopter. In fact, the Kauai helicopter tour is a popular choice of visitors.
Hawaii is a tourists paradise with amazing surfing, swimming, diving, snorkeling and magnificent views of the mountainous terrain beside the stunning blue ocean. Delicious and fresh food and drink, delightful friendly people and native music combine to make Hawaii a vacation to never forget.
Wesley Mathews is part of the travel team at FindVacationRentals.com and FindBedandBreakfast.com. These directories provide detailed information on cabin rental accommodations and things to do.
