Story by Terry Shimabukuro
Photos and video as credited
July 26, 2026
A group of “off-road” RC car enthusiasts commandeered the Pōkaʻī Bay boat ramp forcing us to unload our kayaks in the main parking lot and haul them to the beach. Was this unexpected inconvenience a sign of things to come? Seven eager kayakers lined up their boats along the beach all ready to go except for one thing, their paddle leader. Steve neglected to tell us that he was going on a trip, so, no paperwork, making this an unofficial paddle.
Bill and Stan D. took Debi, Amy, Nadine and Monte to Mākua on the carpool so that they could scope out the landing site as this was their first time doing this route. An advisory level south swell had just ended, but the surf was still up so they also evaluated the surf there and deemed it fit for landing. The best laid plans…
July’s breezy trade winds continued, but we’d be paddling in the lee of the Waiʻanae Mountains so we’d have lighter winds. Prior to launch I warned that we have run into headwinds going into Mākua under similar forecast conditions and to be prepared for that possibility. A slight understatement…
As predicted, it was fairly easy paddling up to Makaha. It was calm enough for a curious honu to visit Amy and swim under her kayak while she was taking a water break. The calm before the storm…
I caught an aha (crocodile needlefish) outside of Keʻeau Beach Park and took awhile to dispatch it and put it in my fish bag. I was pretty far behind the group when I started paddling again. Stan and Nadine slowed down so that I could catch up. The three of us were at least half a mile behind the others. We were around the Makua Cave when Debi radioed that Bill had hulied and they didn’t know what to do to help. I was too far back to see what happened, but I picked up the pace to get to them. By the time I reached them Bill was standing onshore and he radioed that he was alright. The headwind was now blowing hard, kicking up white caps. We still had a mile to go to reach our Mākua landing spot. Stan sensed that the group was too tired to continue and suggested a small beach that we had just passed as an emergency take out. We agreed and headed over.
The small sandy beach was fronted by a shallow rock shelf and a few large protruding rocks. The waves were small and the tide was high enough that you could make it all the way onto the sand so I charged ahead. I landed without incident, dragged my kayak up the beach and returned to guide the others in. Thus began an impromptu crash and burn clinic. We had one big huli and a couple small ones, but everyone made it out with no serious injuries (couple of scrapes).
After making sure everyone was OK we took a breath and began to recount our misadventure. Stan immediately took off up the coast to find Bill. Nadine and Debi volunteered to make the mile plus hike to Mākua to retrieve a couple of cars. Amy, Monte and I began carrying our gear and kayaks up a small bluff to the highway. It took a long time and a great team effort, but we eventually got everyone loaded up and on the road home. Exhausted, we must have all been secretly glad that there was no club paddle the following week.
Kollin, if you’re reading this, your old kayaks picked up a few more scratches on the landing, but they were handled capably by Nadine and Amy and they will continue to go on many more club adventures with these ladies.