OAHU Beach Hazard Ratings

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Sunset Beach Neighborhood Park,  North Shore, Oahu

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Introduction

'Ehukai Beach is located between Rock Pile and Rocky Point, and is the site of many big-wave surf breaks. Swimming at this beach should be limited to more experienced swimmers and only during periods of calmer conditions, as waves commonly exceed 3 ft. Surf zone longshore currents and rip currents are frequent, powerful, and vary in direction of flow and location in response to wave conditions. The combination of very heavy surf close to shore, strong rip currents, and potentially strong swash and backwash produce increasingly hazardous conditions once waves exceed 3 ft. Beach conditions, such as width, gradient, and presence of a sand bar, vary greatly by season. Caution should also be used when near the bordering basalt boulders and rocky raised reef as they are often slippery and fail to provide safe footing. This beach has a lifeguard tower and provides some parking.

This description is taken from John R. K. Clarks book "Beaches of Oahu - Revised Edition" which is published by University of Hawai'i Press and available from amazon.com at this link. We thank John R. K. Clark for providing his description of Hawaii's beaches to improve beach safety.