use VRBO. Loads of options on any of the islands.

You'll need a car, so distance to the beach isn't a big deal.

The rainy sides of the islands are always cheaper...

Your dream does exist. I you don't mind driving an hour outside of Honolulu, you can find a house rental on the North Shore. Our family rents a place there every year in the summer and sometimes during Feb. Actually heading there in a week and a half. You will find miles of uncrowded beaches. very low key. Locals refer to it as The Country.

Here is a link to VRBO rentals.

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/hawaii/oahu/north-shore?from-date=2015-08-02&to-date=2015-08-08

If you want to not get stuck in traffic every damn day, find a place on the same side of Honolulu as the beaches/attractions you intent to go to. For example if you want to hang out on Waikiki stay in a hotel on Waikiki or find a place on VRBO near there. I'd recommend Diamond Head area.

Yes you will need a rental car.

Do drive all the way around the island. Stop at Haleiwa, Sunset Beach, Pipeline, and all along the windward (north-east) coast from Kahuku to Kaawa. If you've watched TV shows filmed in Hawaii you'll recognize those mountains.

Hike Diamond head. Go to Pali Lookout. And of course Pearl Harbor, Arizona memorial.

There are see-the-dolphins tours for the family. Surf lessons on Waikiki?

I second the North Shore and while you are thee maybe you can get into a North Shore Swim Series race:

http://www.hawaiiswim.com/nsss.html

I was there for the first race from Sunset to Pipeline and I stayed in a condo at the Haleiwa Surf, on the water in Haleiwa. You are cutting it close, but find a place as close as you can to the water on the North Shore. You can pick up road or tri bikes for Boca Hawaii;

http://bocahawaii.com/

on you way out of Honolulu.

Also, be sure you go to Opal restaurant in Haleiwa;

http://www.yelp.com/...al-thai-food-Haleiwa

You won't find food as flavorful anywhere and Opal, the owner, will cook it specially for you after he takes away the menus!

(If you can find a place like the Haleiwa Surf, where you are on the ocean and can walk to Haleiwa town, you really will have found paradise.

Aloha

---

---------------------------
''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

Great tips sp far. Loving it and checking out the options on VRBO.
Lots of options. o f course everything sounds great. have to apply the smart filter and filter out the noise. If you can help some more with that filter, any help is appreciated.,g, which beaches are really good (and safe ) for snorkeling. which bays are good.tc.

Thanks for all your good tips. Much appreciated.
Keep it coming.

Sharks cove on the north shore is probably the best snorkeling on Oahu. If there are any north shore swells, just watch the 9 or 10 news, then Hanauma Bay. Hanauma Bay fills up quick (the parking lot) so get there when it opens.

How long will you be here, That will determine whether you visit of islands.

Polynesian Cultural Center and Kualoa Ranch on the Windward Side (east coast) are also very cool, definitely check them out.

I have lived on Oahu for 6+ years...

Larry

We went to Maui a couple of years ago, I absolutely loved it. Yes it was absolutely paradise :) your dream exists!

We stayed here http://www.makenaresortmaui.com/ I think it's a great place to stay with a family, it's a nice mix of pretty quiet and relaxed but still lots to see and do.
The beach there is nice and chill, lots of good restaurants nearby, we did a whale watching trip that went right out the front of the hotel, good snorkeling nearby, plenty of fantastic hiking in Maui, this place is fairly close by http://www.gohawaii.com/...o-valley-state-park/

---

----------------------------
http://www.instagram.com/cyclewise

X2 for Sharks Cove. Great diving and snorkeling. You can rent snorkel gear across the street. Solid food truck there too, Sharks Cove Grill, get the Ahi Sandwich on the Poi roll. Summer is very mellow ocean on that side of the island. Some favorite beaches are Three Tables, just south of Shark's Cove and protected by a reef. Everything north of there until Turtle Bay resort is great, Rocky Point, Euhkai Beach Park, etc. South of Waimea is Chun's Reef, one of the few places to surf for beginners in the summer but it gets kind of crowded. just north of Chun's are a couple very uncrowded beaches, leftovers, rightovers. Plenty of good food in Haleiwa but it does get crowded with tourists during the afternoon. aside from beaches, you can take a quick walk to Waimea water fall and swim there. The do charge entrance but great gardens. They also have an unbelievable farmers market on Thur afternoons.

Have to warn you that most of the VRBO's on the North Shore do NOT have AC. Hawaii has gotten hotter. It's not miserable like NYC today, but it's not the ''always 80 degrees with tradewinds blowing'' that it once was. Make sure you check.

---

---------------------------
''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

Should have chosen Kauai - most beautiful place in the world (IMO), especially the NaPali Coast. Maybe you could fly over there for a day?

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

I love the North Shore. This time of the year there are many options, we stayed on the water at Sunset Beach it was perfect and reasonable. This late in the game if they dont already have the house rented they may work out a deal.

I have been to Oahu twice and both times stayed at Turtle Beach resort on the North Shore. Good running trails along the ocean, golf course and out to a WW II bunker. First time there stayed in the hotel and second time in a condo unit. The condo was in pretty bad shape - luck of the draw. The Hotel was nice but a little $$. You can do VRBO, but I do have to warn you that you should definitely know the area first. While all of Oahu is beautiful, some areas are impoverished and have a pretty run down vibe to them. I never felt unsafe anywhere and took my wife and kids all around the island, but there were some places I would not want to rent a condo.

+1 on Shark's cove. On the east side ( I think) of the Island there is Molakini (sp?) crater which is good snorkeling too. Have to do Pearl Harbor, and if you like the TV show Lost, most was filmed here. A great botanical garden near North Shore - cool stuff all in all. It is a short hop to any of the other Islands. One time we did Oahu and Maui, last visit Oahu and Big Island for IM world championships.

Read reviews, hit the bookstore and internet for guides. Great vacation destination.

Not fixed on Oahu yet, in fact having difficulty finding a VRBO or getting the owners to respond.

So Kauai certainly is an option and I am in the process of expanding the search.

I also see that Big Island, around Kona is much cheaper. Is it not as nice over there?
Can you tell me about the area while I also check out what natethomas said in NaPali.

Thanks again for all advise.

for a family Hawaii vacation, I strongly recommend you look at Maui and condo/resort along the Kaanapali (spelling?) beach there. All kinds of great snorkeling, swimming spots, etc. and lots else to do as well. There is a very long sidewalk that goes miles along the ocean there.

Thanks for the hints, Sweeney.
Looks like the swim series is not held in 2015.
All information is from 2014 and the website is not updated.

Probably good. Keeps me away from races ;-)

Actually, the NSSS is happening this year, but there's only one race left (on August 8th).

Here's a list of other swim races on Oahu - http://www.waikikiswimclub.org/ocean_races.php

This is the same advice given to me a few years ago and we ended up in a nice hotel on resort row. Plenty of dining, drinking, and luxurious living on the beach. My wife and I would go to some place a little more rustic off the beat and path when we go back. We got engaged on the beach not far from black rock, but it was a bit too densely populated and "resorty" for our tastes. Everyone is different. My friends love it there and either go there or Waiea and get pampered in a nice resort.

Okay. First of all thanks to everybody for your hints.

We now found a beautiful place in Waiaula, right on the beach. Single house on a large property. Sleeps 8 though we are only 4.
Looks very promising and super friendly people to deal with. Also comes at a reasonable cost.

Snorkel gear is packed and a non-race bike (I hope I can still ride one of those ;-)) will be the main means of transportation.

Aloha!

Aloha to all of you. You are going to get a car to get up to the North Shore aren't you (hawaiidiscountcarrental.com). One good thing is to stop along the way and stock up on food. Look in Aiea, Pearl City, Mililani or Waihiawa. There's no supermarket in Waialua and the one in the center of Haleiwa will be more expensive with less selection. Also, put 25c tires on the bike if you have them. The roads in Waialua are in great shape but they are paved rough.

Also get used to surfers talking really slow. The first time I went to the Foodland at Shark's Cove, the checkout girl was so slow, I thought ''isn't that nice, they gave a retarded girl a job''. When I got to Turtle Bay Resort............everyone talked that way!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife says that you have to go to Ted's Bakery near Sunset Beach for lunch. It's a huge surfer hangout, great food, great baked stuff.

Have Loco Moco at least once while in Oahu. Ted's will serve you a half order.

Kono's for great breakfast burritos

Haliewa Joe's for happy hour and the best $20 meal in the pacific, the pork chop dinner

Also, go to LouiBuenos in Haleiwa, great kind of Socal Mex food.

Don't wait an hour for Matsimoto's shave ice, walk up the street and to Scoop of Paradise and have the best hand made ice cream you will find

My wife also says to stop at Foodland in Wahiawa, not the others. It's the closest. It's on California Ave about 1/2 a mile to the right if you are going to the North Shore. It's in a local's area but it's all good.

As you can see, all we do is train and eat.

Aloha, aloha, have a great time.

---

---------------------------
''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

There's also a Costco on Ka Uka Blvd, just off the H2 on the way from the airport to the North Shore.