Sunset Beach Park, Oahu Hawaii
The world famous surfing spot Sunset Beach located along Kamehameha Highway in North Shore Oahu is also the widest white sand beach in the island. It stretches 2 miles long, with a shore width of approximately 200-300. The width of the shore is not stable: it becomes narrower when pounded by high, wild Sunset Beach waves during winter months.
Winter is then the time when local surfers crowd the “surfer’s paradise.” With epic waves going high from 15 feet to over 30 feet, Sunset Beach has become the home of several international surfing competitions including The Triple Crown of Surfing and the Duke Kahanamoku Classic. Sunset Beach is located near the dangerous waves of Waimea and Banzai Pipeline, but they’re no match for Sunset Beach’s bowling right tube area, its epic West Peak, its Boneyards and Backyards, its updraft pulls.
Because of its extremely huge ocean swells, Sunset Beach is not for beginners. The waves are mountainous and powerful. Plus the beach has that notorious river-like current running into every big swell: the Sunset rip. This riptide has been the site of many overturned surfboards and rescues.
The high surf season usually occurs from October to May, during spring and winter months. Come summer, the ocean becomes calm, and Sunset Beach shows clear blue water that is ideal for swimming. At the sheltered point of the beach, the tide pools are great for snorkeling or collecting puka shells. But though the waves appear generally calm, checking the local surf report may save you from “crank” surfs that sometimes appear in summer. Watch out for stinging limus (seaweed) that typically appear from June through September.
Services and amenities: lifeguards, picnic areas, bathrooms, showers, roadside parking, carryout trucks selling sodas, plate lunches, and shaved ice
5 Unique Things about Sunset Beach Park:
- Sunset rip: a strong offshore current that runs off midway between Kammiel Land and Val’s Reef.
- Sunset peaks have shifty and steep outer walls, and thick, hollow, and hard to make inner walls.
- The beach is the site of the O’neill World Cup of Surfing.
- Sunset Beach is also characterized by its long, shreddable northern swells.
- The beach park has two acres of added beach parking, restrooms, and showers known as Sunset Beach Support Park that was purchased by the County of Honolulu.
Located on the island of Oahu, Sunset Beach is a wonderful spot to spend your Hawaii vacation.
Article by Kani Amea
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