Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Back to Blog

The Best Beginner Surf Spots Big Island, Hawaii

Beginner-Surf-Spots-Big-Isand-1823626

The Best Beginner Surf Spots Big Island, Hawaii

Surfing was invented in Hawaii. It was called he’enalu which means wave sliding. So it would only seem natural to want to try surfing in its birthplace right?

 

The Big Island of Hawaii is the newest Hawaiian island. Its lava rock shoreline has pristine water and beautiful coral reefs. It’s the best island for snorkeling and diving for this reason. Surfing is not something the Big Island is known for. This is because the west (Kona) side of the Big Island is sheltered from the large swells. On top of that the sloping sandy bottom that is good for wave formation is a more common feature on older islands that have lots of sand. Since the Big Island is so new it’s actually mostly rock near the shore. This makes it a bit treacherous for surfing. So if you want to start surfing successfully on the Big Island it’s imperative that you find a suitable spot that allows you to try and fall without having to worry about injury.

The Best Beginner Surf Spots on Big Island

  1. Kahalu’u Beach Park
  2. Pine Trees

Kahalu’u Beach Park

Kahalu’u is a pretty unique place. It’s a state beach with life guards, bathrooms and showers. It’s also one of the best places to snorkel for beginners on the big island. There’s a large breakwater wall that shelters part of the bay. The other half is open and that’s where one of the best and most consistent waves on the Big Island is found when there is swell. It will also give you a decently long ride which is rare on the Big Island.

a group of people on a beach near a body of water

Pine Trees

While not nearly as good as Kahalu’u you can learn or surf in Pine Trees as a beginner. It’s important to note that the reef can be very shallow here and you may find there are a number of better surfers here. This is a popular spot because it has consistently good little waves. It’s also not much of a paddle out which makes it easy for beginner’s arms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the surfing good on Big Island of Hawaii?

Not so much. Compered to the other Hawaiian Islands the Big Island is not the best for surfing. This is because of the steep shoreline that drops off quickly and is very rocky. It makes for waves that break near shore in shallow rocky reef.