Winter Surfing in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

Of all the iconic places in sporting history, Waikiki beach may be my favorite one, because you can actually surf the same beach as the legendary Duke Kahanamoku.

KNOW YOUR HISTORY

What about Duke?

Duke Khanamoku is considered the father of modern surfing circa early 1900s. He’s a native Hawaiian and grew up with his family in Waikiki Beach where he surfed on the regular. He first “easily” qualified for the 1912 Olympics in swimming and he went on to compete in four Olympics total. He was a superhuman swimmer, which brings me to surfing.

Duke’s Role in Surfing

Fast Fact: Duke Kahanamoku did NOT invent surfing. Surfing was "invented" thousands of years ago by ancient Polynesians, Hawaiians included.

However, Duke did bring surfing into the world’s view, and popularized surfing into what it is today. The world knew Duke as a great swimmer, and between Olympics, Duke would go on exhibition around the world with other Olympians and they would demonstrate how fast they could swim. As a bonus performance, Duke would also surf for the crowd. These surf demonstrations directly resulted in the rise of surfing in California, Australia, and basically every other place in the world. Thus giving him the well earned title of The Father of Modern Surfing.

Who Did Invent Surfing?

Surfing was invented by ancient Hawaiians/Tahitians, though I couldn’t find a source pinpointing a date or an exact island that it originated on. It’s safe to say surfing was invented in the Pacific Islands since all the natives from these islands descended from the same group that made the heroic and centuries-long journey to settle the vastly spread out Pacific Islands. There’s a lot of history there and you should definitely dig into it.

HOW TO

Let's Go Surfing!

Now that your urge to surf has been 100 years in the making, it’s time to get onto the waves!

If you’re visiting Oahu (also referred to the Main Island, not be confused for the biggest island or the Big Island), you will fly into Honolulu (the capital of Hawaii). Chances are you're staying in Waikiki Beach, where most of the hotels and resorts are, and also walking distance to the surf.

Follow these steps:

Walk to Waikiki Beach: Enter into google maps or ask literally anyone and they’ll point you there.
Rent a surfboard from one of the many surf board rental places around Waikiki. If you don’t mind paying a couple bucks more, I recommend renting a board right on the beach so you don’t have to carry it a long way.
Get surfing!
Eat a Burger

Where do I rent a surfboard & how much does it cost?

Surfboards on the beach: $15/first hour and $10/hour after that. Star Beach Boys
Surfboards from a couple blocks away: $10/first hour and $5/hour after that.
Entrance Fee: That's not a thing. It's free. Hawaii beaches are public.

Do I need lessons?

If you're asking this, then probably.

What gear do I need?

Surfboard (rent)
A rash guard or a thin wet suit is a good idea (protects your skin from rubbing raw against the board).
Water shoes are also nice but not necessary (protects your feet from coral & sharp rocks).

How long will it take?

1-2 hours from start to finish

What is the perfect Waikiki surf day itinerary?

Check the tide chart
Go surfing
Grab lunch/dinner. There is nothing better than a big burger and a cold beer after surfing a couple hours.