When tourists think of the South Shore, Po’ipu Beach comes to mind or Lāwa’i, which is located across from the Lāwa’i Beach Resort and next to Beach House Restaurant.

Brennecke’s Beach is a small cove on the eastern end of the Po’ipu Beach Park. This was previously the location for bodysurfing competitions. It is easy to see why. The waves can get big in the summer! Every time we drive by, it’s crowded, full of kids boogie boarding. You can also find lots of people bodysurfing. It’s not a beach for swimming. If you’re looking for a spot for snorkeling, try Lāwa’i.

The first time I saw this cove we were driving to Brennecke’s for lunch with relatives. The water was this light blue, glittering with sunlight. At the time I didn’t know where we were, still new to this side of Kaua’i. It did catch my photographer’s eye.

So when Wade’s son and his friends were looking for the next thing after hiking in Waimea Canyon, we suggested coming here.

I also had with me an underwater camera I wanted to test.

By the time we arrived, coming from Waimea in the west side of the island, it was already almost 6 PM. We still had lots of time before sunset. It was a beautiful day so unsurprisingly, many people were in the water. There were consistent waves for body surfing and boogie boarding. I stayed in the shallows to take photos.

Because of the rip current, shore break, and rocks close to the beach, Brenneck’s is not a generally kid-friendly or beginners beach. Unless they are ocean-savvy. There is also no life guard here. Local kids grow up in these waters and that afternoon it was a lot of fun watching them. I also took cues from them on when to duck under approaching waves.

We didn’t see any turtles, though they are spotted here. You can see them all along the south shore, which has lots of feeding grounds for them.

The Beach House | Poipu Beach Park

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