Stoked to go surfing
We’re not used to sitting in one place for a few weeks, so it felt like Madrone was parked at Ko ‘Olina Marina for an eternity. That made pulling away from the dock feel even better than normal – we’re planning for a few days of cruising the Waianae coast on the west side of Oahu.
In the water and ready for the 1/4 mile paddle to the surf break
Our first stop is Pokai Bay, a spot known for attracting pods of spinner dolphins. There’s a breakwater on the south side of the bay that provides protection from the south swells that wrap around to the west side of the island, so it’s a good spot for anchoring. Besides those attractions, there’s also a nice surf spot just across the bay and a couple good Hawaiian BBQ stands nearby.
Heading over to the surf break
Pokai Bay has also been known to have the occasional shark sighting, and the beach had actually been closed down for a few days last week because of a ~12′ tiger shark circling about 200 yards off the beach. When we arrived, there were plenty of people in the water, though, so it seemed like the shark was no longer around.
After dropping anchor and straightening up the boat, Mike jumped in the water with a board and started the quarter mile paddle across the bay to the surf break to join 5 or 6 other surfers. About half way across, a lifeguard on a jetski zipped over, “Just wanted to let you know that there are a couple of tiger sharks circling just outside the jetty. One’s 14′ and the other’s 16′ long. You might be OK on the inside, but wanted to let you know.”
Hmmm, half way to the surf break means that its the same distance back to the boat or to the surf break. And once at the break, there’s only a 1 in 6 chance of being the target if a shark does come. So, Mike decided to keep heading for the surf break and at least check out the waves.
Later in the day we rowed the dinghy ashore for a walk and found these signs along the beach. You can see Madrone anchored in the background
Once at the lineup, a nice waist-high left rolled through, and Mike rode it to the beach. Almost immediately after, the lifeguard in the tower fired up the PA system, “Two sharks have been spotted circling offshore. We recommend that everyone leaves the water immediately, or swim at your own risk.”
A one-wave day, but that will have to be good enough!
