Oahu has a wealth of water sports opportunities, whether you're a professional surfer braving giant winter waves on the North Shore, or a recreational water-skier enjoying the calm waters of Hawaii Kai.
You can kayak from Lanikai Beach to the Mokulua Islands or float above Waikiki on a parasail as a speedboat tows you blissfully through the air.
If you have something of an adventurous spirit, you might scuba dive the walls of the Kahuna Canyon, swim with clouds of ta'ape (bluestripe snapper), or view an occasional shark from the comfort of a passenger submarine.
No matter what your aquatic interests are, whether you're a beginner or an expert, you can find the right sport when you rent a house on Oahu.
Most of our rentals are already supplied with beach toys (like masks, snorkels and fins; boogie boards; surfboards; kayaks; and more).
Good places to learn to bodyboard are in the small waves of Waikiki Beach and Kailua Beach, and Bellows Field Beach Park, off Kalanianaole Highway (Hwy.
72) in Waimanalo, which is open to the public on weekends (from noon on Fri to midnight on Sun and holidays).
To get here, turn toward the ocean on Hughs Road, then right on Tinker Road, which takes you right to the park.
Your Oahu beach rental is a wonderful jumping off point to scuba dive, especially for those interested in wreck diving.
One of the more famous wrecks in Hawaii is the Mahi, a 185-foot former minesweeper easily accessible just south of Waianae.
Abundant marine life makes this a great place to shoot photos -- schools of lemon butterflyfish and ta'ape are so comfortable with divers and photographers that they practically pose.
Eagle rays, green sea turtles, manta rays, and white-tipped sharks occasionally cruise by as well, and eels peer out from the wreck.
For nonwreck diving, one of the best dive spots in summer is Kahuna Canyon.
In Hawaiian, kahuna means priest, wise man, or sorcerer; this massive amphitheater, near Mokuleia, is a perfect example of something a sorcerer might conjure up.
Walls rising from the ocean floor create the illusion of an underwater Grand Canyon.
Inside the amphitheater, crabs, octopuses, slippers, and spiny lobsters abound (be aware that taking them in summer is illegal), and giant trevally, parrotfish, and unicorn fish congregate as well.
Outside the amphitheater, you're likely to see an occasional shark in the distance.
Since Oahu's best dives are offshore, your best bet is to book a two-tank dive from a dive boat.
Hawaii's oldest and largest outfitter is Aaron's Dive Shop, 307 Hahani St.
, Kailua (tel.
808/262-2333; http://www.
hawaii-scuba.
com), which offers boat and beach dive excursions off the coast.
The boat dives cost from $125 per person, including two tanks and transportation from the Kailua shop.
The beach dive off the North Shore in summer or the Waianae Coast in winter is the same price as a boat dive, including all gear and transportation, so Aaron's recommends the boat dive.
When it comes to diving, consult the experts.
And when it comes to finding perfect Oahu condos for your needs and budget, come to the Oahu beach rental experts - us!
You can kayak from Lanikai Beach to the Mokulua Islands or float above Waikiki on a parasail as a speedboat tows you blissfully through the air.
If you have something of an adventurous spirit, you might scuba dive the walls of the Kahuna Canyon, swim with clouds of ta'ape (bluestripe snapper), or view an occasional shark from the comfort of a passenger submarine.
No matter what your aquatic interests are, whether you're a beginner or an expert, you can find the right sport when you rent a house on Oahu.
Most of our rentals are already supplied with beach toys (like masks, snorkels and fins; boogie boards; surfboards; kayaks; and more).
Good places to learn to bodyboard are in the small waves of Waikiki Beach and Kailua Beach, and Bellows Field Beach Park, off Kalanianaole Highway (Hwy.
72) in Waimanalo, which is open to the public on weekends (from noon on Fri to midnight on Sun and holidays).
To get here, turn toward the ocean on Hughs Road, then right on Tinker Road, which takes you right to the park.
Your Oahu beach rental is a wonderful jumping off point to scuba dive, especially for those interested in wreck diving.
One of the more famous wrecks in Hawaii is the Mahi, a 185-foot former minesweeper easily accessible just south of Waianae.
Abundant marine life makes this a great place to shoot photos -- schools of lemon butterflyfish and ta'ape are so comfortable with divers and photographers that they practically pose.
Eagle rays, green sea turtles, manta rays, and white-tipped sharks occasionally cruise by as well, and eels peer out from the wreck.
For nonwreck diving, one of the best dive spots in summer is Kahuna Canyon.
In Hawaiian, kahuna means priest, wise man, or sorcerer; this massive amphitheater, near Mokuleia, is a perfect example of something a sorcerer might conjure up.
Walls rising from the ocean floor create the illusion of an underwater Grand Canyon.
Inside the amphitheater, crabs, octopuses, slippers, and spiny lobsters abound (be aware that taking them in summer is illegal), and giant trevally, parrotfish, and unicorn fish congregate as well.
Outside the amphitheater, you're likely to see an occasional shark in the distance.
Since Oahu's best dives are offshore, your best bet is to book a two-tank dive from a dive boat.
Hawaii's oldest and largest outfitter is Aaron's Dive Shop, 307 Hahani St.
, Kailua (tel.
808/262-2333; http://www.
hawaii-scuba.
com), which offers boat and beach dive excursions off the coast.
The boat dives cost from $125 per person, including two tanks and transportation from the Kailua shop.
The beach dive off the North Shore in summer or the Waianae Coast in winter is the same price as a boat dive, including all gear and transportation, so Aaron's recommends the boat dive.
When it comes to diving, consult the experts.
And when it comes to finding perfect Oahu condos for your needs and budget, come to the Oahu beach rental experts - us!
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