Another Small Craft Advisory threatened to upset our Sunday plans once more, but paddle leader Eileen was determined to proceed with this event even if we had to leave our kayaks on our cars and walk to the Mai Tai Bar. Luckily, the SCA ended before the paddle so we unloaded and headed toward Leahi. As we enjoyed a lovely day on the water, Mark Ling, readied things for us at the Mai Tai Bar. Mahalo for hosting us Mark!
Nadine looks to Leahi
We encouraged people to use tandems for this paddle to reduced the beach parking needed at the Royal Hawaiian so I offered a seat to Nadine in my Malibu Two and she happily accepted. She used my backup Werner paddle and was amazed at how light it was compared to her normal paddle. The reduced weight turned her into the Tasmanian Devil and I had to repeatedly ask her to slow down as we left the rest of the pack in the dust in spite of a breezy headwind. She took advantage of the many breaks we took to take some great photos and video. She put together a great video recap that speaks better than words so I’ll let her visuals end this story.
Our Tracks to Pōkaʻī Bay paddle was canceled due to a Small Craft Advisory. We did an unofficial casual paddle in the lee of the trade winds from Tracks to Ko Olina and back instead. It was a short, but beautiful outing with just a few strong gusts of wind. A brief, but dynamic dolphin encounter capped off the day. No story, just a quick video.
Photos by Nadine Owen, Debi Lyle and Trina Takasato
May 3, 2026
What a glorious day at Makai Pier—one of those “this is going to be amazing” mornings that slowly turns into “this is going to be a story we tell forever… because we survived it.”
Miraculously, everyone showed up on time (already suspicious), and Stan orchestrated the carpool like a logistics wizard who definitely missed his calling at NASA. Once on the water, we formed what I can only describe as an elite kayak security system: Stan up front, Sandy guarding the flank, and Debi bringing up the rear—basically a human triangle of protection shielding the rest of us, who were far too excited (and underqualified) to notice minor details like fishing lines, shallow reefs, swimmers… you know, hazards.
Ready to launchAll smiles before launching
The wind started out as our best friend—gently pushing us along like, “You got this!”—and we were cruising toward Waimanalo and the Mokes feeling like absolute champions. And then, about 15 minutes in, the wind flipped personalities. Suddenly it was in our faces like, “Actually… no.” Every paddle stroke became a negotiation.
Still, the aquamarine water of Waimanalo was so ridiculously beautiful it almost felt rude to complain, so we kept going… and going… and going. At some point—3 hours? 4 hours? a lifetime?—time lost all meaning. I was too tired to check my phone, and the wind had upgraded to aggressively exfoliating my eyeballs.
The author with Manana behind herJeanine says Aloha to the ObamasWhitecaps aheadTarget Mokuluas
But then—land! Sweet, glorious sand at Moku Nui!
Looking at Moku IkiNadine at the Moku Nui pool
My friends Trina and Lila were beyond stoked since it was their first time stepping onto the island, and honestly, we all felt like we’d just completed an expedition worthy of a documentary. I showed them the mini Queen’s Bath tidepool, where we celebrated with a dip and approximately 400 selfies (for survival documentation, obviously). Then we wandered the trail, stumbled upon a stunning bloom of fragrant ‘ilima flowers, and spotted shearwater birds tucked into their little nesting holes.
Ilima blossoms‘Ua’u kani (wedge-tailed shearwater) in burrow
And yes… we also witnessed two birds enthusiastically continuing their lineage in a way that made us all suddenly very interested in looking elsewhere. Nature is beautiful. Nature is also…bold.
After snacks, water, and Stan taking what can only be described as a heroic nap, we set out again—this time toward Kailua. Somehow, we made it back to shore. Total paddle time: about 7 hours. Emotional time: 3–5 business days.
Snack time on Moku NuiLeaving Moku Nui
Then came the final boss battle: dragging and lifting kayaks back to the cars for another 2 hours. Because apparently, the ocean wasn’t done with us yet.
I made it home just in time for dinner… and immediately lost the will to eat it. But shoutout to my $200 used massage chair, which stepped up like an MVP. I melted into that thing for what felt like 7… maybe 9… possibly 12 hours.
All in all: slightly chaotic, mildly traumatic, absolutely unforgettable. Would I do it again?…ask me after my arms stop hurting.
[Editor’s note: The author recovered quickly enough to put together this awesome video the day after.]
February started off fine with nice weather for the year’s first Meet & Greet at Magic Island and ended with great conditions for Weed Out the Wimps. Strong winds and heavy downpours canceled the middle of the month paddles, however.
A strong turnout with a good mix of newbies and vets showed up for the Meet & Greet. While the weather was fine, the surf was a little bigger than forecast forcing us to turn around sooner than desired. Kevin led us out the Halekulani Channel so that we’d be outside the breakers on the return leg. Unfortunately, one distracted paddler hulied on a swell at the end of the channel. Luckily, an Ocean Safety jet ski happened to be monitoring the surfers out there and it quickly swooped in to tow “Splash” and his kayak past the swell.
Ruby and Lois secured the picnic site for a delicious post-paddle potluck lunch. Even though we had a little more excitement than normal for a beginner level paddle we convinced two new members to join on the spot. E komo mai Sam and Penni!
The flotilla heading back outside the breakers
Rough weather the day before kept most paddlers away from the Weed Out the Wimps paddle, but Steve and I put our faith in the forecast that predicted a break in the nasty weather and were rewarded with beautiful kayaking conditions. We opted not to do a carpool for two and did a round trip to Peleʻs Chair and back instead. Calm seas allowed us to go around Manana where I had the thrill of hearing two whales exhale behind me. I turned quickly to watch their next few breaths before diving back under. On the return leg I saw another koholā in full breach near the horizon. Made my day!
Makapuʻu Point to Koko Crater and Kokohead
We both returned to the beach with empty fish bags, but happy that we trusted the weatherman and got to enjoy some of the most breathtaking scenery on ʻOahu.
Please enjoy this video recap of our February paddles:
Kayaking from Mokulēʻia to Keawaʻula Bay around Kaʻena Point treats paddlers to vistas of a windswept mountain ridge, seabirds soaring above a protected coastal plain, waves crashing against a rocky shore and if you’re lucky sightings of large honu, a cruising pod of naiʻa, a curious ‘īlioholoikauaua (“Dog that runs in rough water”, Hawaiian monk seal) or, if you’re really lucky, a splashing koholā. As awesome as this sounds, paddling this route involves planning a long, arduous carpool and careful monitoring of wind and wave forecasts to avoid dangerous conditions. Stan, a diligent paddle leader, pondered these factors for a week and decided to play it safe and switched to a round trip from Mākua to the point and back, no carpool required.
This switch prompted several more carpool adverse paddlers to sign up, including myself. A half-dozen kayakers showed up. Even though I live the closest I was the last to show up as everyone else got there early and were almost ready to launch. I scrambled to get ready as the others studied the small shore break. The conditions looked great so everyone was eager to go.
Stan held a brief Captain’s meeting. Steve heard an ulua calling his name so he charged out…right into a small set. He gave a great demonstration on how to wait out a set while keeping control of your kayak. This was Amy’s first shore break launch and she timed her launch much better.
After seeing everyone safely off Stan takes his turn
I followed Stan out and after clearing the swells I looked up to see several dorsal fins silently arcing out of the water. I was surrounded by a large naiʻa pod! I radioed the group, who were already paddling west, about the dolphins, but I didn’t know they had been watching them from shore and had seen enough by the time I launched. So, I sat idle, by myself, enjoying the acrobatic show of the playful keiki until the pod moved on. (Watch the video on YouTube if you’re not getting good resolution)
We made good time paddling out to the point with calm water and light variable wind. I opted to stay close to shore with Stan to get a good look at the rugged shoreline. The gentle swell allowed us to get up close. At several places I thought I saw arches that I didn’t remember from hiking the coast. As I paddled past I was disappointed that they were just illusions of light and shadows that made them appear as arches from a certain angle. When I reached the big arch that everyone sees from the hiking trail I was skeptical that it was the same one. Looking at my photo afterward I was happy to see that it wasn’t an illusion.
Space Force radomes, your tax dollars at workReal rock arch, not an illusion
I spotted a white plastic jug bobbing on the surface and went to collect it as any good ocean steward would. I couldn’t simply pluck it from the water, however, as it was securely anchored in place with over a 100-pound test monofilament line. I gave it a few good tugs hoping to break the line close to its anchor, but it’s hard to generate enough force when you’re just floating in a kayak. I cut the jug free, retrieving it plus a couple hundred yards of braided fishing line. It must have been in the water for a while judging by the amount of flotsam tangled up in it.
Plastic jug and derelict fishing line
I wish the state would ban this type of fishing as having this much submerged line is a danger to marine life and boaters that can get it tangled in their propellers. Earlier this year a young monk seal died after becoming entangled in a similar jug rig. This is the second time that I’ve pulled up a mess like this. The first time, I helped Sandy who ran into the fishing line with her paddle. That time, a large honu popped up behind Sandy as we were retrieving the line as if to say mahalo. This time, three large honus surfaced after I finished. (I didn’t get a photo, you’ll just have to take my word for it.) Whenever you’re paddling, if you see a jug floating on the water take the time to pick it up and if it has fishing line attached to it check to see it a fisherman is still attached to the other end. If not, retrieve as much of the line as you safely can. A honu may thank you too.
As many times that I’ve paddled and hiked this coast it was my first time truly appreciating the scale of the old Oʻahu Railway foundation. Stan said that those foundation rocks were all manually placed. Impressive, they survived over 100 years of erosion from storms and pounding surf.
Just a portion of the railway track foundationStan inspecting the shore at the point
I rendezvoused with Amy, Kelvin and Stan at the point. We took a break to soak up the breathtaking scenery and surmised that we could probably paddle to Mokuleʻia with the conditions that day. I herded them together for a group photo.
Stan, Amy and Kelvin with Steve in the backgroundAmy resting off the pointKelvin resting at the point under a half moon
As we began the return journey, we realized that the current has carried us a long way from the point. We felt it too, as it was slow going to get back to the point. I looked at my GPS track after the paddle and we had drifted almost a mile beyond the point! Maybe not the best place to take a long break unless your destination is Kauai.
We drifted almost a mile off the pointThe view heading backAmy at Kaʻena Point
We managed to get spread out far apart on the return leg. Our unintended separation demonstrated the value of everyone having working VHF radios as we were able to keep track of each other and ensure that the less experienced kayakers returned safely. Congratulations to Amy for completing her first long distance paddle and to Kelvin who made it back unassisted even though he was running on empty! Mahalo to Stan for making the switch to a round trip so that more of us could experience this incredible journey!
