wherever you stay, definitely make a trip to Haleiwa Joes and just order the prime rib (i swear it's a dinosaur size piece of meat, google it). I always went to the one in Kaneohe, but there's one in Haleiwa too (not sure if they have prime rib there). If you go Kaneohe, get there early (they don't take reservations and prime rib sells out fast) and ask to be seated on the balcony (even if the wait is longer). Gorgeous rainforest views and good food and drinks all around.

My fiancee and I used to split the prime rib and order an extra side of mashed potatoes and it was more than enough. So ****ing ono.

Also, be mindful of the swell as it is starting to pick up in September and the pacific seems to be much more powerful in da aina than da mainland. If you have kids that like the beach, I'd +1 the Kailua idea (find an Airbnb). Kailua beach is pretty cool for families (especially on the south end near where the canal hits the beach), and Lanikai beach is also a good spot for kids (no wave action at Lanikai due to the protection from the reef).

I'd also +1 renting kayaks at the Kailua link below (depending on your kids' age) and you can paddle tandems out to flat island (~0.4miles from Kailua beach park) to explore and from there out to the "Mokes" (twin islands off Lanikai), and there's a turtle sanctuary in the middle of the reef on the way out. Protip: if you land on the beach of the Northern Moke, you can hike around the West side/North side and on the back there's a cool swimming hole with cliff jumping. But don't venture out into deeper water there because allegedly the tiger sharks breed there. But I dunno I used to swim out to flat island and the mokes all the time and never saw a shark.

To get to turtle sanctuary: From flat island, paddle on a direct heading to the Mokes (against the instructions/"rules" in the video they make you watch when you rent the kayak). If you do this at high tide, you'll be able to cross directly over the reef and you'll probably pass by a bunch of turtles. Don't do it at low tide though or else you'll scrape the coral and that's bad for the reef.

Also, Haunama Bay is a great snorkeling spot for kids (the visibility will probably just be starting to turn bad about the time you're there, coinciding with the increased winter swell. But if you see reports that it is clear definitely check it out. Bring a few $ cash to pay the parking attendant and arrive early or you'll get turned around (lot fills quickly).

Re: fishing, the locals on youtube always seem to be fishing off the beach that is just South of Kaena Point (NW corner of the island). I was too busy to fish much aside from a little bit of shore casting on the Marine base in Kaneohe. If you want to call me to get ideas for other fun stuff to do, PM me and I'll give you my cell phone. I had a bed there for three years so I have a decent idea what's there.

Oh, and last food (grindz) tip: if you love sushi or japanese food, you MUST go to Izakaya Gaku (make reservations). There's also a japanese market on the third floor of Alamoana Mall that has some decent grindz in case you get stuck shopping there.

Hey everyone,

Been looking on craigslist for a good deal on a fishing kayak for my buddy who is a social worker and doesn't have much to spend. There's been a yellow OK Prowler 13 listed in Oakland for maybe 1-2 weeks now, and they just reposted it (link below). At first glance the posting seemed kind of sketchy (poor grammar, first photo is just the kayak by itself). I wasn't sure if it was stolen but a search on here and google didn't turn anything up (except one stolen in 2006). Went and checked it out and discovered it had a plastic weld repair at the bottom of a scupper hole (the green plastic weld was very obvious). The guys selling it assured me they fish out of it every weekend and that it works great, but after they let me do the garden hose test and we filled it up with water, it was definitely leaking water from the green plastic weld.

I offered them $150 (due to the leak and the fact I'd have to get it fixed), they declined, so I asked what's the lowest they'd be willing to go and they said $380. Just wanted to spread awareness so nobody gets screwed.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/boa/d/ocean-kayak-prowler-13/6315794319.html

Those look awesome! We planted a couple of pepper plants maybe 2 months ago and they're finally starting to bud, these are good ideas for what's hopefully to come. 

If you go on google earth there's an option to view historical imagery and as you scroll between photos taken during different months you can get an idea for where the waves break offshore (indicating the locations of underwater structure that can cause breakers to suddenly form during what seems like otherwise good conditions). When you exit the harbor "jaws" (entrance/exit), swing wide on your path out deep to avoid one of these areas (Kings Rock) that is located just West of the jaws.

The google earth imagery can also be helpful in locating general bottom structure (for fishing purposes), but I've found I've been much more productive since I installed a cheap fish finder. Depending on weather, I'll probably fish HMB on Saturday, 16 September, if you'd like to link up!

I would be happy to! I'll shoot you a PM.

Thanks guys! Willha, perhaps I'll run into you up there! My best friend lives in Santa Rosa so whenever I'm on that side of the bay I try to make it out to Timber Cove.

Hey everyone, I'm a long time lurker that started yak fishing off the central coast (mostly shell beach, avila beach, and cayucos) when I went to cal poly SLO. After a long hiatus and a move to the bay area I've been getting back into it and am hooked again. So far I've been fishing HMB and Timber Cove and am welcome to linking up with others (it would keep the lady happy!). Looking forward to seeing you all around and hopefully we can drop some hooks sometime soon!