Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you have to sit just off the rocks, but it's a fun wave to get a few turns in when Sheraton's
is a cauldron of white water.
Even though the beaches around
Hale O Lono
harbor face south, they're still able to
pick up swells during all parts of the year, which can often be heavy during the winter.
The wind can be fierce in the afternoon, and the murky conditions conjure images of
toothy predators. Plus, there's a 95 percent chance you'll be the only one surfing there. If
everything comes together though, and the wind is down, the waves are up, and the water
is clear, the beaches off Hale O Lono can offer some of the most adventurous surf on Mo-
loka'i. Just follow the dirt road from Maunaloa town and take it straight downhill until you
reach the shoreline seven miles later.
Since Kaunakakai faces directly south, the best time of year for scoring waves in town
is May through September. Despite the fact that the area surrounding Kaunakakai boasts
miles of shoreline, the majority of it is blocked by the fringing reef which makes paddling
out virtually impossible. Nevertheless, locals still flock to
Kaunakakai Wharf
during the
big swells of summer. Anyone surfing here can expect a long paddle since you need to
head out past the reef to get to the waves, but the long paddle is rewarded by Moloka'i's
best summer wave. Given its popularity, expect a very local crowd.
Technically, East Moloka'i is the most consistent place to find surf year-round. It might not
be
good
surf, but when there's nothing else to ride, this is where you head. Winter months
pick up wrapping north swell, and if a northeast swell comes barreling down the Pailolo
Channel, then this is the place to be. During summer this same stretch of rural coastline is
able to pick up windswell generated by the trades, but on the flip side this means that it's
often blown out and completely unrideable. Morning hours are always best, and although
there are ample waves along this coastline, accessing them isn't always the easiest.
For beginner surfers the easiest waves can be found at
Waialua Beach,
where gentle
rollers provide enough of a push to practice getting up on two feet. While the waves can
be fun, it can be shallow at low tide.
Just past Murphy's Beach (mile marker 20) where the road turns to a single lane sits
one of Moloka'i's most well-known surf spots,
Rock Point.
This local's favorite can be a
tricky place to surf for a number of reasons: finding the spot in the first place, figuring out
