I know this has been covered on the Forum before, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for using the Search function, so…
I’ll be on Oahu in January, staying in a condo on Kapahulu Avenue (just across the street from Kapiolani Park). As far as I know, the two most common locations for OW swimming on the south shore of Oahu are Ala Moana Beach Park and the beach off the New Otani. Can someone more familiar with those two locations school me on the specifics? For example, if I drive to Ala Moana Beach Park, is it obvious where the distance swimmers are? Once I find the distance swimmers, is there a protocol for “stay to the right when going Ewa” or “stay to the left when going Diamond Head” or vice versa? Or is it a free-for-all with swimmers all over the place, and one just has to keep one’s head up.
If I swim off the New Otani, are there buoys I should be looking for? If so, approximately where are they, how many are there, and at what distances from shore?
I’ve already checked out the Waikiki Swim Club’s web page, but due to COVID, there’s not a lot of current information on there. I’m just looking for enough intel that I don’t waste a day trying to figure it all out. And yes, of course, my questions are all caveated with the usual “I will note the ocean conditions before going in and will check in with a life guard if there are any.”
Ala Moana pretty much a free for all. Plenty of room however. Start at Diamond Head side, swim to second pole = 1000m. Not sure about New Otani. DO NOT leave anything on the beach or in your car you do not want stolen. Choke chronics on Oahu.
Echo plants post about Ala Mo , it really is the hub of OW swimming in Hawaii , there will always be swimmers in the lagoon but it is a free for all that said its big so you wont have to worry too much about others, it was the home of the first couple of Ironmans obviously - echo Plants advice re leaving valuables anywhere - crime is rife -you leave them unattended they will disappear. But if you can do it Ala Mo is great.
New Otani - Most open waters swimmers up that end will leave from near the Outrigger club , there will be groups most days and esp on weekends - mainly early morning - some will do a longish 5k swim into Waikiki and back others will turn earleir - there are a few markers but its mostly OW sighting , if you can somehow wrangle a recipricol or temp membership to the outrigger club this is a great spot to swim and obviously you can leave your valuables at the club safely .
There will also be swimmers ( non OCC members !) leaving from Kaimana Beach just north of the Natatorium just down from the OCC .
Most mornings will also see Kayak , surf ski and outrigger paddlers heading off from this end of town and they keep an eye on the swimmers too.
Enjoy your swim and keep your eyes open the underwater views are spectacular.
Reading about Ala Moana Beach got me to reminiscing… I started my short, non-illustrious tri career in the mid-80s while stationed at Schofield Barracks. At the time, there was what I thought of as a really cool group training/social event, aptly dubbed the Ala Moana Beach Breakfast Club.
Given the difficulties in coordinating training for multiple athletes across three sub disciplines, we didn’t even try, except that folks planned whatever they were doing that day to finish, not start, at the same time, at the beach. Swimmers swam, runners ran, and cyclists rode, all gathering at the beach before heading off to brunch together.
I wonder if anything like that still exists there (or anywhere)?
Echo the Kaimana Beach post.
Straight out thru the channel to the windsock. Continue for 5 min. past the sock and turn right. Parallel the shore as far as you want to go, turn around when you want.
I think… On Sunday AM, members of the Waikiki Swim Club meet to swim there at 7am.
Enjoy. I have swam there for years. Happy for you.
Also,
Park at Queens Beach (Queen Kapiolani statue)
Swim from Waikiki Wall out beyond buoys then turn right. Stay behind surfers. Turn for home when you’re ready.
Breakfast Bagel at Bogarts on Monsarrat up from Paki.