Surfing in Oahu, Hawai

[Trudy]

Hi everybody,

I am a Dutch girl and I study tourism in Holland. At the moment I have to find out what the main reasons for surfers are to go to Oahu, Hawaii. Can you please give me your reasons why you go to Oahu, and if you are already surfing for a long time, or a beginner. And if you are surfing for years, what was the first surfspot you went to. And why.
My apologize for my not so good english.
I hope you guy's want to help me.
Thanx a lot!

[Dec]

Lol, where to start? Perfect winds, clean, solid groundswell, big ass barrels!

Many people venture to the North Shore in hope of the perfect wave. Once they arrive, they see the crowds, the size of the waves, and the reef. That puts off 90% of them and they travel to a smaller break

Tourism: Because of the beach life! I mean, why do people go to the carribean instead of central sahara? Beach, water, nice hotels.

[surfishlife]

Hawaiians were the original ambassadors of the sport, and when it was brought over to the mainland U.S., the association was probably thus formed that Hawaiian culture is the epitome of surf culture and spirit: laid-back, loose, and fun.

[Trudy]

Thanx for your reply. I have never been to hawaii ( hope to go there over a few years).
Are ther exept for the good waves and culture ( if I have understand it correctly) other reasons to go to Oahu? And are surfing people really surfing the whole day or do you take time to do some sightseeing or maybe go out to the disco or something?

[GowerCharger]

warm water, good surf, too see the spots youve always heard/read about.
but mailny as hawaii is surfings home, although it probably existed before hawaii was discovered, the original inhabitants probably brought it with them but it was a huge part of the culture of the hawaiians and continued there for thousands of years before modern civilization arrived and first tried to ban it before more recently taking it up and spreading it as a sport all over the world, hence why hawaii is considered to be the spiritual home of surfing, and why hawaiis style/traditions/etc. are such a big part of surfing

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

i think a lot of people here come from the mid-west, and come for the ocean and mountains, and the image and "hawaiian culture." nobody surfs all day because most of the time it's flat, and there are better things to do. even when the waves are big, we still have to go to work, school, whatever. i think some tourists do go to the beach all day, because i see silly red lobster white people every once in a while. we have tours too. the tour busses go mainly to beaches, but also to short hikes and mountain-lookouts. a lot of people like shopping too.

you might mention the negative effects it has on the land and locals, such as pollution, water consumption (we have a limited water supply from underground resevoirs, which is rain water that drains through the mountains and is being depleted because we are using faster than its created)

our power comes from oil from indonesia

hawaii's economy depends on tourism, and the majority of the jobs, mostly hotel workers, are paid little above minimum wage.

tourism drives up the cost of houses and apartments to a point where locals can barely afford them

most native hawaiians feel that the use of their culture to attract tourists and sell as a product doing shows of hula for tourists, having native foods served at a "luau," etc.... is "the rape of their culture"

we also have a huge problem with crystal-meth, and all the problems that come with drug addiction (breaking into houses/cars, armed robbery, occasional shootings) this is completely hidden and "swept under the rug" as people here say, from the tourist industry.


after i wrote this i googled "crystal meth" and one of the first things that popped up was an oahu based rehab program. i suppose that can illustrate how bad the problem really is. http://www.islandrecoverycenters.com/

[Trudy]

Those problems you scribe are also in a few other very touristic areas in the world. In Venice for example they think there won't live in a few years no more local people, because the houses are way to expencive for them to offort.
I think it is important for new developing touristic area's that it is sustainable. And tourist have to show their respect to the local culture.

[CheeZee]

after i wrote this i googled "crystal meth" and one of the first things that popped up was an oahu based rehab program. i suppose that can illustrate how bad the problem really is.

... man that stuff is pure evil .. and beings as its cheaper and easier to get hold of than yayo then its gonna start creating a hell of a lump under that 'rug' in most parts of the world ..sad to hear that its hit your area bro

[FishKid Wales]

Meth can be made at home by nearly anybody- its utter filth!

[GowerCharger]

tourism drives up the cost of houses and apartments to a point where locals can barely afford them

yeah we had that problem in wales (and still do), rich english people buying houses as holiday homes driving prices up so the locals had to move away, lots of welsh villages dissappeared completly. We even had a terrorist group form because of it who went around burning the houses of the holiday-home buyers to the ground (meibion glyndwr), anything like that go on over there?

[SDCali]

Even teachers there make about $10,000 less than I make teaching in California, and the cost of living is very similar.
Like Hawaiisucks said, Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing, so what better place to learn how to surf, it has built several different industries along Waikiki Beach as well as along the North Shore area. People come from the mainland US during the winter to enjoy the much milder climate, as it is much warmer there than most of the mainland. It is interesting that most tourists to Hawaii do not surf or take surf lessons while they are there, for some they spend their entire trip shopping, or involved in other water-related activities. I did not surf when I went to Oahu, but have surfed since then in Maui.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

tourism drives up the cost of houses and apartments to a point where locals can barely afford them

yeah we had that problem in wales (and still do), rich english people buying houses as holiday homes driving prices up so the locals had to move away, lots of welsh villages dissappeared completly. We even had a terrorist group form because of it who went around burning the houses of the holiday-home buyers to the ground (meibion glyndwr), anything like that go on over there?

nothing like that.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

i didnt know other tourist areas had the same problems but that makes sense.

theres meth labs all over here. i think theres one only 3 houses down from mine. there are always cars sitting out in the one lane road waiting for someone. weird thing is they pop up in these middle class areas, not the ghetto, because we dont have as many regulated developments here. the neighborhood i live in is all over the place. there could be a meth lab shanty right next door to a house worth over 1 million.

[SDCali]

i didnt know other tourist areas had the same problems but that makes sense.

theres meth labs all over here. i think theres one only 3 houses down from mine. there are always cars sitting out in the one lane road waiting for someone. weird thing is they pop up in these middle class areas, not the ghetto, because we dont have as many regulated developments here. the neighborhood i live in is all over the place. there could be a meth lab shanty right next door to a house worth over 1 million.

Yep, you could have "Dog the Bounty Hunter", pounding down a doors in your neighborhood, though it would have to be before 11pm since his "arrest".

[surfery]

As HawaiiSUCKS says, there are problems in Hawaii – and it is very troubling to see.

That being said, I cannot think of anywhere I’d rather be. There remains an Aloha spirit in the hearts of many Hawaiians and in some of those who have come to visit and live on the islands. There are many places to visit that are simply breathtaking – and water activities to keep you well busy in some of the best conditions in the world. Every day is different, so be ready for anything! Show respect – hopefully you'll get respect back.

Have an awesome time when you visit!

Peace.

[tomcat360]

Hey man, is that you bustin' out the yak in your avatar?

[surfery]

Yes, it is me cruising on the 'yak.

My friends and I like to go out off the North Shore of Maui when it goes off - and scare ourselves...

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

As HawaiiSUCKS says, there are problems in Hawaii – and it is very troubling to see.

That being said, I cannot think of anywhere I’d rather be. There remains an Aloha spirit in the hearts of many Hawaiians and in some of those who have come to visit and live on the islands. There are many places to visit that are simply breathtaking – and water activities to keep you well busy in some of the best conditions in the world. Every day is different, so be ready for anything! Show respect – hopefully you'll get respect back.

Have an awesome time when you visit!

Peace.

hawaii is special in its own way, so are most other places on earth. i say most because i dont have much interest in antartica, sahara desert, thailand, new jersey, etc. but even that is just opinion.

im tired of people here thinking otherwise. its so arrogant. what is it about locals that they think is so special? dont say aloha spirit, because the obscure definition pretty much describes all traits that are desired or good, in humans. traits that people have and show everywhere, wherever humans are found. now of course in larger cities people are less conscientious of others because theres too many people around to be conscientious of. but generally speaking.

[dougirwin13]

Oahu, huh?

The North Shore Power Portfolios site has some nice sequences of surfing the North Shore.

This is funny. Go here, scroll about halfway down and have a look at two young blokes sorting out a difference of opinion right in front of Pipeline.

Idiots.

-doug

[libby]

He he thats the girliest fight in the world! they are just trying to bitch slap each other and pull each others hair! Hilarious.