On January 11, the Hawaiian islands got a high surf warning. Living in Kaua’i, my phone buzzes when there are possible weather-related events, such as the Hanalei Bridge closing or possible flooding. This particular alert was for both north- and west-facing areas of the islands, peaking between 3 and 4 PM. They were calling for waves as high as 50 feet on the north shore of the islands, making this the biggest swell of the year. So we headed down the road to Kekaha Beach to watch the waves.
Kekaha Beach is on the west side of Kaua’i and a place to watch amazing sunsets. We moved from the east of the island last year. With Wade’s favourite surf spot close to Waimea, we thought “let’s give it a go.”
There’s also a surf spot just at the end of the street where we live. He’d walk or bike over for a surf check. Or we’d drive down together to hang out in the car by the ocean. Oftentimes, I’d join him with my camera after he’s gone in the water. It’s one of my favourite spots to take both sunrise and sunset photos.
West of the town of Kekaha, off of Kaumualii Highway, Kekaha Beach is a long beautiful sandy stretch. While there is a life guard station and facilities here, Kekaha Beach is not a popular tourist destination, like Hanalei and Poʻipū . This is because, unless you are a surfer, body boarder, or a strong swimmer, the strong winds and currents make for difficult and even dangerous swimming conditions here. The west side of Kaua’i is also much further from the more popular places tourists tend to stay at. So Kekaha Beach is more of a beach for locals who grow up being comfortable in the ocean from a young age .
The way the ocean breaks, though, creates beautiful opportunities for photographers to capture wave forms.
Wade and local surfers confirmed that this winter has been unusually quiet. With the recent swell and now this one, this season may still have some surprises. It’s also looking promising for The Edie. By the time we arrived, the gravel lot by the side of the road was almost completely full. As Wade parked, I readied my camera and long lens. I was stoked to see the huge waves and the sunlight shining through the turquoise waters.
