Hi. I will be in Oahu (Waikiki area) and Kauai (Princeville area) for 4 days each in a few weeks. I plan to do some OW swims and some runs, but also want to do some pool swimming. As a guy living in the northeast and having swum competitively for decades, I treasure the opportunity to swim in nice, clean outdoor pools. (Stanford remains my favorite venue for outdoor pool swimming, but that’s a side note).
I see that I can swim with a masters team at U Hawaii’s pool. That’s ok, but their practice times aren’t great for someone on vacation. I use SwimmersGuide.com frequently, but it doesn’t always describe exactly what you are getting when going to a new pool. So, where should I swim in the Waikiki area? And, how about when I am on Kauai?
At waikiki, there is a great breakwater ‘pool’ right at kuhio beach park (right on the main waikiki beach ‘strip’). I think each length is like 75 yards or so. Of course, if you head out into the deeper water of the beach, most of waikiki is pretty tame for swimming too (most of the time).
In kauai, somewhat near princeville, there is the anohola bay and beach and the anohola state park. A nice protected, flat beach that, most of the time, has relatively few waves (unlike most of the other scenic north shore beaches). A great place to just swim.
On Waikiki you can swim at Ft Derussy/ Hilton Hawaiian Village. You can swim laps between the Submarine Pier and the marina or longer laps from the other side of the pier going along the beach of Ft Derussy and Waikiki beach. You can also swim behind a seawall at the other end of Waikiki. You can also swim a Ala Moana Park, a short walk from the Hawaiian Village. If you swim at Ala Moana in the afternoon, you can have lunch across at Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room. Alan Wong’s is an expensive Hawaiian Fusion restaurant in town, but you can try his food for much less at the Pineapple room
Princeville is tougher. Go to the front of the St Regis. Then go to your left and down the long concrete stairs to the St Regis beach. Again, go to your left and you will see a channel that you can swim through to get past the reef.
Princeville is weird. It’s like you are hanging out with Mr and Mrs Thurston Howell the third.
Any other good tips for great spots (for any aquatic fun, not just swimming) in Kauai? Looking for more interesting, off the beaten path, ocean spots out there …
Good question. I can swim in an indoor pool when at home, I can swim in a beautiful ocean when at home (one mile from my house in Eastern Long Island five months a year), but what I can’t do is swim in an outdoor pool when at home.
Plus, I always get better workouts in a pool than in the ocean.
Kailua Community Pool
32 S Kainalu Dr, Kailua, HI 96734 · Windward
(808) 266-7652
or the University of Hawaii Pool-
Several of the high schools have great outdoor pools as well.
Good question. I can swim in an indoor pool when at home, I can swim in a beautiful ocean when at home (one mile from my house in Eastern Long Island five months a year), but what I can’t do is swim in an outdoor pool when at home.
Plus, I always get better workouts in a pool than in the ocean.
Yes, but on Long Island you will be in a wetsuit for 4 1/2 of those months. Hawaiian water is not extremely warm but it is the nicest water I have ever swam in. It’s much more buoyant than anywhere else I’ve been. I’m not a great swimmer but in Hawaii I feel like one.
The UofH campus is not that close to Waikiki, and with Honolulul’s infamous traffic, it could be a pain in the neck to get too.
You are only there for a few days. My advise is not to rent a car for Waikiki. You’re going to pay whatever for the rental and then have to pay another 40 to 50 dollars just to park it at your hotel. I love Waikiki, everything you want is right in front of you and you don’t need a car. You can always pick a car for the day at Avis right next to the Embassy Suites if you want to go to another part of the island.
Eat at Roy’s in the Embasy Suites. Drink at Duke’s. Run early in the morning from your hotel to the top of Diamond Head.
And one of the best things to do on Oahu, other than surfing,is;
Kauai is easy, just go over to hanelai bay for a swim. You can leave from just about any point around the bay, the pier and pine trees would probably be best. You could even do a one way swim and jog back or to the start/finish. It is the old swim of the Kauai loves you triathlon, really big bay with or without waves. Lots of deep spots where it will be flat, or you can venture out into the surf and have some fun. Just stay away from the guys surfing, might not be too patient of a tourist out in their water…
The closest outdoor lap pool is probably the McCully Pool at 831 Pumehana Street. It’s a really nice, 25 meter pool that was recently renovated, and it’s about a mile from the western end of Waikiki. They’re probably not going to have lane lines or a clock, though. There are several free 50-meter public pools in the urban Honolulu area, all of which are fairly nice, but none of them are closer than a couple of miles to Waikiki.
The closest pools are McCully, Makiki, Manoa, and Palolo. Each of them has its own strange denizens and quirky unwritten rules. Call the pool for hours.
Manoa pool is one of the secret spots. It is 50 meters, no lane lines and has lots of open hours. Pretty nice cause you can roll your head to breath and see pretty cool mountains on either side.
And again Sweeney speaks the truth. HI has some of the best swimming in the world.
No need for a car in Waikiki. It’s a short taxi ride from the airport. Besides Honolulu traffic is bad.
Speaking of fake hips. One guy kept getting mobbed by dolphins, much to the dismay of the rest of us largely ignored by dolphins. When we came ashore the guy told us he had an artificial hip. Someone else suggested that the hip was making interesting noise the dolphins didn’t recognize so they came closer to investigate.
Kauai is easy, just go over to hanelai bay for a swim. You can leave from just about any point around the bay, the pier and pine trees would probably be best. You could even do a one way swim and jog back or to the start/finish. It is the old swim of the Kauai loves you triathlon, really big bay with or without waves. Lots of deep spots where it will be flat, or you can venture out into the surf and have some fun. Just stay away from the guys surfing, might not be too patient of a tourist out in their water…
Totally agree with this post. We have a condo in Poipu, but when we head north this is where we swim.
Kauai is easy, just go over to hanelai bay for a swim. You can leave from just about any point around the bay, the pier and pine trees would probably be best. You could even do a one way swim and jog back or to the start/finish. It is the old swim of the Kauai loves you triathlon, really big bay with or without waves. Lots of deep spots where it will be flat, or you can venture out into the surf and have some fun. Just stay away from the guys surfing, might not be too patient of a tourist out in their water…
Totally agree with this post. We have a condo in Poipu, but when we head north this is where we swim.
Kalapaki Bay is pretty nice to swim in - easy if you’re at the Marriott, but there’s public access as well. A hike from Princeville, though - Hanalei is much closer. Conditions depend of course on which season you’re there.
As for pools, I did go to one masters workout once at the high school nearby (this is in Lihue near the airport - the high school is just up the hill from Kalapaki). I’d check with USMS if they’re still doing it. As others have said, the ocean’s so nice that I don’t normally seek out pools.
That said, we’re just buying a house in Kamuela (aka Waimea - one of several in the state) on the Big Island. Hopefully there’s a masters group, but otherwise my “pool” will be Hapuna or Mauna Kea Beaches.
Speaking of fake hips. One guy kept getting mobbed by dolphins, much to the dismay of the rest of us largely ignored by dolphins. When we came ashore the guy told us he had an artificial hip. Someone else suggested that the hip was making interesting noise the dolphins didn’t recognize so they came closer to investigate.
That’s pretty cool. But I wonder if it wasn’t a noise that the hip was making, but more of a different reflection from sonar pings from the metal parts in the hip. I would imagine that metal would “look” really different than that of a human, seeing as we humans are mostly composed of water. But, not being a dolphin or a sonar expert, I’m not sure of this. Any submariners out there?