I'll post a report on my trip because there wasn't a whole lot of N. Shore info when I was researching for our trip.

We flew to Oahu on the Sunday before Thanksgiving on Hawaiian (from LAX). 2 thumbs up for Hawaiian, btw. We paid $400 rt for our tickets including all the taxes etc. Rented a mini-van from Alamo - the off site place charge a little less because there's no fee for being on the airport property.

Drove to the N. Shore on Sunday night (no traffic) in about 45 minutes. Stayed at a vacation rental found on VRBO. (#40868) The location was on Sunset Point. It is a residential area, not touristy at all. We stuck out like sore thumbs though. Not because we weren't Hawaiian's, but because we weren't surfers! That took a little getting used to, but we got over it. The neighborhood was very quiet, but there was a lot of foot traffic going to the beach. Also, people parked right across the street to go to the beach (4 cars max). I didn't consider it a problem at all, but since it is at the very end of a dead end street, I was surprised. (So if you think that the place will have no traffic, you'd be wrong.)

Inside the house has recently been remodeled - refinished Koa wood floors & walls, updated kitchen and bath. All beautifully done. Downstairs was another apartment, not yet redone. We just left it locked up. My only problem was that we found the beds uncomfortable. I mentioned this to the property manager, Chris, who was great to deal with. Maybe I"m a "princess & the pea" type though. Enough about the rental.

During the week we took a few trips into Haleiwa (20 minute drive) for Matsumoto's shave ice (yum), Kua Aina's burgers (yummy and HUGE), and Cholos' mexican food (surprisingly good), as well as shopping. (3 teenage girls - 'nuff said). We didn't go to any of the surfing competitions in Haleiwa which I regret. We did go to the one on Sunset Beach later in the week (5 min. walk) at it was a lot of fun. It met my rule of being something that you can't do anywhere else, especially at home, and all of the girls liked it. You combined getting a tan and watching a sport (and people!) at the same time.

We spent a day in Waikiki/Honolulu. In Waikiki we ate at Duke's (pretty good, great location) and went shopping (of course) on the main street that runs through Waikiki, and also shopped at the Ala Moana shopping center. Actually, hubby and I had Mai Tai's up at the Mai Tai Bar on the 5th level while the teens shopped and it was much better than shopping!

We also snorkeled in Haunauma Bay ($5 to get in to see the video, plus $6 to rent the gear. Cash only) It was late in the day when we were there but it was still a lot of fun. I think that it would be nicer in the morning. The water was plenty warm (and I'm wimpy) so I can't imagine it being a problem for anyone.) From the N. Shore to Haunauma was at least an hour's drive. We went both ways - the Kam hwy, and also H2/H1/H3 into Kaneohe area (I think - you'll have to double check the map). There may be more direct ways, be we were kind of just driving to see stuff anyways, so I didn't worry if we were taking a longer route.

We also spent part of a day at Kailua Beach. Again, very nice sandy beach, warm water, small waves. Lots of kids were having a fun time boogie boarding there. It was very safe for little ones.

On the North Shore most of our time was spent on the beach at Sunset. The waves were kind of big, but they were churney - it didn't look safe for swimming unless you had a surfboard. It was rocky there as well, so I think you might need reef shoes (?) even if you're there in the summer.The sand was really different from the other side of the island - it was very coarse and was a little difficult to walk in - but great exercise! There were a lot of dogs on the beach here - just running free. We are dog lovers, so this was not a problem for us, but it was still surprising to see!

We also went to Waimea Falls Park. The admission was a bit pricey - seems to me that it was going to be $40, but since it was late in the afternoon, we received a discount so it was only $25 (for 5 of us). The park is lovely, and the girls had fun swimming in the lagoon below the falls. (I passed on this - it just looked too cold.) You need to bring your own towel along. There are changing rooms.

At the rental, we were within walking distance to Ted's Bakery. We bought the Chocolate Haupia pie for Thanksgiving dinner and it was quite yummy. Foodland (and Starbucks) were down the highway but it would be a very long walk. You'll really need to drive or bike there. I have seen complaints about their prices, but they didn't seem that bad to me. I signed up for their discount card so that helped a lot. We also stocked up at the Costco in Miliani. (Exit 2 off the H2 coming in from Haleiwa). The Costco also had large boxes of chocolate covered macadamia's etc. to take home for treats. I bought the box with 12 smaller boxes of chocolates for about $18. It seemed quite reasonable. Also, Costco is on the way to the airport, so plan on buying gas there before returning the car!

Almost forgot - we spent Wed. morning at the Aloha Stadium swap meet. Great place for souvenirs. We bought some really nice pareo's for $4 each. The girls bought a lot of jewelry as well, and we also found great prices on t-shirts. This was a worthwile stop if you have teenagers. Do it early enough in your trip, and you'll never have to go shopping again!

The weather was a bit rainy and it did change some of our plans. It seemed to rain more on our side, so we just headed over to another part of the island when it was wet in our world. What can you do!

We used the blue book (Oahu revealed) and it was quite helpful - especially in getting to Waikiki from the H1 of all things! I think it's the only book you'll need to enjoy the island.

Hope that this helps someone! I would highly recommend a visit to Oahu, but truthfully, I still prefer the BI!

Thank you for a really good trip report, kmpordagee! Lots of neat little details. I really enjoy hearing more about what it's like to stay on the North Shore. (I can't choose a favorite island... I love them all! )

I just wanted to add that we had done Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head hiking, and the Polynesian Cultural Center on previous trips so we didn't do them this time. They are all worthwhile on a first time visit. We stayed in Waikiki before, and it seems more convenient, but staying on the North Shore was a lot more peaceful. If you like a more tourist oriented experience, the Turtle Bay Resort looked nice. We stopped in a couple of times. You can request a beach access pass at the gate, then park in the assigned stall, and use their beach. It's a nice way to check out the various resorts.

Thanks for your report, Kmpordagee. great reminders of a place I hope to get back to soon!

I'm hoping that Kmpordagee will see this post! Thank you for the info. I've been searching everywhere for info to help me decide where to stay in July/Aug of 05. I have a 12 & 14 yr old and we prefer quiet over nightlife. We love the water and don't mind driving to get to attractions.

My only concern was the choppy/churny water... can anyone recommend a good area for us to stay at?

Thanks for all of the help and great info!
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I'm not 100% sure of this answer because I haven't stayed on the N. Shore of Oahu in the summer, but I believe that the water is much more calm during the summer. My daughter had a friend who went to the N. Shore last July and the water was very calm. I think that it was rough while we were there because it was winter. During the summer, you shouldn't have any problems.

As far as where to stay, the only resort on the N. Shore is the Turtle Bay Hilton which seemed nice. Otherwise, you'll need to rent a place to stay. The inventory seemed to be primarily single family homes and duplexes. We found a place on vrbo, and it worked out nicely. Haleiwa is a large geographic area, not just a small little town. The Kam highway runs parallel to the shore and all of the rentals that I saw were clustered along the highway. The highway wasn't noisy or busy compared to what I'm used to in California. There's a bike path between the highway and the shore so if you can find a place that has some bikes to use it would be fun to ride around. There's a grocery store near the Shark's Cove area, and that is supposed to be a nice place for swimming in the summer, so you might want to look for a rental in that area. I think that the N. Shore is a good choice for you because it is far away from the hustle and bustle of the other side of the island.

The surf conditions at the North Shore in the summer are virtually flat every day. It is only possible to snorkel and dive the North Shore in the summer because of the winter swells.

I am at the North Shore almost every weekend in the summer and the conditions are pretty predictable - at the highest 1-2 feet. There's a surf forecast every day on the news - or you can call the surf forecast phone number to check.

However, last August there was an unusual "swell" of 3-4 feet one Sunday we were there - some people had some trouble in the water and needed medical assistance. If you are not used to the ocean and see a little bit of a swell, best to stay out that day.

We'll be in Oahu from May 26 - May 31. Are Shark's Cove and North Shore beaches considerable calm at that time yet? Mahalo,

By the end of May the North Shore should be pretty flat. I usually start going to the North Shore in the early part of May, depending on the surf conditions for that day.

Just to be safe, I would check the surf forecast the night before or that morning. If you want, prior to your trip you can check the forecast online:
www.surf-news.com - you'll be able to get a general idea of the conditions before you get here.

go to Bellows Beach- close to Kailua-
I think its the nicest beach on the island -
although sometimes there are stinging
jelly fish there- great for body surfing
but not huge waves

Just wanted to add a comment about Shark's Cove... Excellent snorkeling! I was there 2 years ago in late August and it was beautiful. Saw an amazing array of fish and the butt of a big sea turtle as he swam behind a rock.

-Sandra
220 day to

Mahalo to all for the responses. 92 days to go. Yeah!!!