Story by Susan Wilcox (with plenty of help)
Photos as credited
June 20, 2026
On some paddles, you go farther than others. Some paddles, maybe you don’t go far at all. It still counts for a few moments on the water. That’s my take, and I’m sticking to it.
I was excited about the Summer Solstice Meet and Greet on Saturday, June 20 at Haleʻiwa Beach Park. The Meet and Greets are always so much fun — an easy paddle followed by good conversation and fabulous food. I was especially excited because Haleʻiwa Beach Park is home base for me, paddling-wise. It’s where I launch trips up the Anahulu River, the only place I feel safe kayaking solo.
But this time, with the club, the paddle would be in the opposite direction, toward Laniakea! I’ve really, really, really wanted to go in this direction. A LOT! But I don’t venture onto the open ocean alone because I’m not experienced nor fit enough for possible trouble. And trouble is always brewing, even when it’s a beautiful, flat, sunshiny day on the North Shore.
On this day, the sun itself was the trouble. I’m sensitive to sun (I remember having something that sounds suspiciously like heat stroke as a kid), and waited to launch in the full afternoon rays for far too long. It was really hot!
By the time we rallied, I was beet red and beginning to feel shaky. I thought getting on the water would help, and once there, I dumped hats full of water over my head to cool down. But the shakiness remained and my stomach was queasy. Four miles started to sound like 400, and I knew the smart thing to do was to turn around, land back at the beach, and sit in the water for 20 minutes.
Always do the smart thing.
[Editor’s note: Chuck Ehrhorn always preached that you are responsible for your own safety on our paddles. In spite of Susan’s strong desired to paddle this route she made the responsible choice to abort soon after launch. We appreciate her akamai decision.]
So, you will have to hear the story of this event from those who went farther than the point (Puaʻena). Here are the tales they had to tell:
Terry Shimabukuro: “While I was a little disappointed with the turnout, I was pleased that the ones who showed up were energetic and enthusiastic. This is the third location that we’ve used for the solstice celebration and this was the best with lots of parking, an easy beach launch and a nice picnic spot close to restrooms and showers. Great paddle to Laniakea! I’d never paddled that stretch with negligible surf before, so it was nice to be able to stay close to shore and admire the shoreline and beach homes along the way. No honu at Laniakea though. We saw more at Haleʻiwa. A thick bank of clouds on the horizon put a damper on sunset, but we still enjoyed a pretty orange sky.”
Yeah. I missed out…
Sandy Johnson: “It was a beautiful afternoon on the water. Too hot on the beach, but once we got out there, the pleasant breeze helped cool us off, and gave us a little resistance to work against. That meant a tailwind on the return leg, and what could be better than that?
Our goal was to observe honu(s) at Laniakea, aka Turtle Beach and turn around, but alas, they may have been deterred by all the visitors on the beach and not one was seen there. Fortunately, we saw a few swimming as we paddled.
The return leg went quickly, urged on by our grumbling stomachs, and we enjoyed an abundance of tasty food and an unusual sunset that looked like fire in the sky.”
Nã honu obviously didn’t get the message that we were coming!
Bill Murphy: “The gale force winds were horrendous. A Yeti named Bob swept past us downwind on a SUP. He was being chased by a giant octopus. And we saw a few turtles on the way to Laniakea. Everyone survived, and there was a great potluck when we arrived back at Haleʻiwa Beach Park.”
Facts or hallucination? You decide.
Katrena Kennedy: “Several attendees remained on shore and talked story, some enjoyed the Hawaiian public art installation on the pillars beyond the restrooms, others explored the wooded grounds north and found remnants of an estate, and some walked the beach viewing multiple turtles.”
I can confirm that the on-shore experience was a lovely time!
Claris Olson: “As a new(ish) member, I came to the solstice paddle and brought my husband Ramon and our friend Barry Pollack along for the adventure. We all learned a lot from kayaking pros Bill Murphy and Terry Shimbukuro, and we also enjoyed meeting new friends, watching the sunset and the fabulous food. Thanks to Terry and all the Hui Waʻa team that organized such a fun event!”
I think that sums up the day perfectly. Fun always counts!
