A few more water-related vignettes from my years in Hawaii, 1980s
Walk to the Beach
That’s the dream: live close enough to a beach to walk to it. For me it came true in the little neighborhood of Lanikai on windward Oahu. Tucked up behind the zillion-dollar beachfront homes were (at least in those years) a few modest rentals. A friend and I answered an ad for an unassuming little ranch and pounced on it. This would be my home for more than three years, up to the day I moved back to the mainland. Man, I loved that place.
Lanikai is a neighborhood beach. Many years ago the State of Hawaii brilliantly mandated public access to all beaches so intermittent passageways between private properties made walking to the beach possible for me and thousands of others.
Arriving on this particular beach your eyes are drawn to its two iconic little islands sitting not far offshore. You admire its fine white sand and take in the light, bright, aqua-green water that compels you to walk straight in. It’s truly a special place.
I especially loved being able to walk this beach in the early morning. Lanikai catches the sunrise so the morning sky reflected in its watery surface is doubly stunning. Even in winter, with its hard rain and high surf, Lanikai beach is protected by a barrier reef just beyond its islands. You can see the long white stripes of giant waves breaking out there and feel, through the soles of your bare feet, the vibration of giant rocks rolling along the ocean floor. Even a bad day at Lanikai can be beautiful.
Night & Day
Here’s one thing I was never able to do: swim in the ocean at night. There could be no more benevolent place at which to try than Lanikai. It was familiar to me and its sandy bottom meant no urchins, eels or other surprises. Definitely no sharks. Still…
I tried a few times – bravely wading in, then quickly wading out. I’d been in fresh water at night before, no problem. So what was it? All I know is that the rational part of my brain said yes, yes, yes but some primal part of my brain said no, no, no. Maybe the water was just too black (you can’t see a thing below its reflective surface) or the cosmic vastness of the Pacific psyched me out. No luck on this front, at least not yet.
3.0 on a 10-point Adventure Scale
I took a flying leap off China Walls. This is probably the most daring thing I’ve ever done when it comes to ocean adventures.
China Walls is a surf spot located at the end of Poipu peninsula on eastern Oahu. When the waves are good, surfers pitch their boards over the edge and jump in after them. The distance of the drop depends on the tide, size of the swells, and the spot you jump from. I can tell you it looked pretty darn high when I peered over the edge the first time. I’d estimate it to be around 10-12 feet, maybe more.
Jumpers dominate on days when the waves aren’t good for surfing. It’s important to jump with gusto (think running start) to avoid the rocky outcrop below. Also, there’s no sandy beach to swim to – just a long, rocky cliff all the way to shore. You definitely need to put some thought into how you’re going to get out before you commit to going in. Exiting requires you to catch a big swell that will lift you high enough and close enough to the cliff face to grab ahold and haul yourself out. Yes, it’s as tricky as it sounds. Wave selection plus timing is key.
I arrived at China Walls the first time with a boyfriend who was hoping to surf. No surfing waves so we decided to jump. My first leap was an adrenaline rush to be sure. As someone who’s mildly afraid of heights I was pretty darn proud of myself.
Getting out was a rush too, although not nearly as much fun. I bobbed around for a long time, stalling and studying how the locals did it. I was also trying not to freak out about how many spiny urchins were tucked into that cliff face, something you don’t see from up top. The tricky part was making your move on the right wave. If you choose badly you’d be swiped (or scraped) back off the wall.
At some point I suppose I just went for it. It felt like riding an express elevator to the top floor, then jumping off the nanosecond the door opened. What a relief to be returned unscathed! As soon as my heart stopped pounding I jumped in again.
I don’t want to give the impression that I’m adventurous when it comes to the ocean. I am not. I never paddled an outrigger canoe, tried scuba, or learned to surf. I tend to get seasick; so sailing adventures are out too. That’s why I’m happy to claim China Walls as my personal
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