North Shore Adrenaline Day
There are some days you look forward to more than others while on vacation with a packed itinerary. Jenny and I circled a few days on our Hawaii travel plan months before we landed. One of the first days we marked was July 10; we nicknamed it “North Shore Adrenaline Day.” It was a six-hour window where we knew we had to step out of the comfort of our resort life and leave all conventional thinking behind.
7:00 AM Rock Jump at Waimea Bay Beach Park
The rock jump at Waimea Bay is a famous destination for thrill-seekers on the North Shore. Of course, there are more treacherous jumps available on the vast island, but the Waimea Bay Rock is conquerable by anyone brave enough to climb up. The waves are typically tame in the summer months and, depending on the tide, the jump ranges somewhere between 20-30 feet. And, just like the slide in your backyard swimming pool, once you climb up you have to go down!
As we arrived around 7:00 AM, we were surprised to find the small parking lot already full. We had to join a line of cars nestled dangerously close to the guardrails on the side of the steep descent leading to Waimea Beach. Once parked, we had to navigate our way down the treacherous cliff on the other side of the guardrail to make our way down to the beach. Lucky for us, we found a path and slowly shuffled down to meet the sand. As we got closer to the angular rock - which protrudes beautifully from the sparkling water in the early morning sun - we were shocked to see the landform already populated with brave jumpers. As it turns out, most of these jumpers were young locals. And I mean young. These fearless kids were scaling the rock as if it were a set of stairs. They made their way up quickly and lept from the rock without thinking twice. We were immediately outmatched and a bit intimidated. We did what scared people do: We watched from the bottom as these heroes used the rock as if it were a diving board at the community pool and wondered if we were courageous enough to join them. Lucky for us, the mother of the group of local jumpers noticed our timidness and gave us a pep talk. She assured us that the climbing was easy if you took your time and that when you do jump make sure you get your toes to the edge of the rock before you jump out, not just down, with your hands glued to your hips, not straight out. Simple enough, right?
I was the first to go and I quickly realized that the climbing was anything but easy. Luckily, there were several paths leading to the peak. As I moved up the safest path, what seemed to be an eight year old boy skittered up a more treacherous route with ease. It was enough to motivate me to get to the top. A 30 foot jump didn’t sound too high, but once I was up on the top shelf and able to look down, the fear of the elevation sank in.
It’s hard to go at the jump with a running start because the rock is slick with ocean water from all of the jumpers. There really seemed to be only one way: Stand near the edge with both feet, take a strong lunge forward with one foot, and then jump out, not down, with your hands on your hips.The fall seemed to last forever and the impact of the water was powerful. I remember being amazed that the sea was deep enough to jump into that close to the shore without hitting the ocean floor. Jen was next. She cautiously traveled the safer path as well and found a slightly lower jumping platform. We probably would’ve jumped all day if we didn’t have a shark cage waiting for us down the coast.
9:00 AM North Shore Shark Adventures:Shark Cage Diving
Let’s cut to the chase: We got in a cage in the middle of the ocean and were surrounded by sharks. Dreams do come true. When we first decided to take an eight day trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 10 years of marriage, the number one experience on the long list of things we wanted to do was swim with sharks. It was especially meaningful for us because we did this during National Geographic’s Shark Week. I didn’t think diving with sharks was possible for untrained vacationers, but as it turns out, it is.
We booked our experience through North Shore Shark Adventures weeks ahead of time. We arrived 30 minutes prior to our departure, as requested by the company. We were cutting it close coming straight from the Waimea Bay rock jump, but we arrived with enough time to purchase a dry towel, since ours was still wet and sandy from the rock jumping expedition. Our boat left the Haleiwa Harbor a little before 9:00 AM which marked the beginning of our two-hour tour. In total, our tour consisted of at least 12 travelers, but the boats used are certainly built for comfort. The long rows of seats in the middle are padded, and their is ample coverage from the sun. We settled in as the crew educated us on the history and rules of cage diving. North Shore Shark Adventures provides masks and snorkels, but a few of the folks on the tour brought their own. The trip to our designated spot was approximately four miles out, but the travel goes by pretty quickly.
The cage, which is attached to the boat by a long rope, can hold up to eight people at a time. A group of four went before us. We watched them prep for the adventure and then descend in the cage. Before we knew it, the ominous fins protruded from the water and sharks began circling the boat. The crew informed us that the sound of the boat engines is enough to attract the sharks as they think the boat may be a potential food source for them; many years of crab boat fisherman traveling out in the waters has conditioned them. After about 20 minutes, the first group was finished and it was our turn. Jenny and I teamed up with another couple which meant we only had four in the cage. Our adrenaline was pumping as we slid into the cool ocean water. Equipped with masks and snorkels, we dipped our heads into the water and found ourselves surrounded by numerous Galapagos sharks all about the same size, approximately six to eight feet in length. Our hearts were pounding as these magnificent sharks swam up to, under, and around the cage. We were able to capture our time with the sharks beautifully with our GoPro. Seeing these beautiful fish in the deep blue water was exhilarating. We seemed to be in the cage for a long time before we were eventually reeled in and returned safely to the boat. As we tried to stay warm and dry off, we were able to watch the footage we captured from the cage. This was an unbelievable experience; one we would definitely recommend and put on our itineraryagain.
11:00 AM Surfing with Uncle Bryan’s famous Sunset Suratt Surf Academy
Another thing we were dying to check off our Hawaii bucket list: Surfing. Having only surfed once myself, and Jen never having been on a board, we knew we needed some guidance if we were to be successful in our venture. Lessons = necessary.
We had already been in and out of the water several times at this point in the day so we traveled with wet bathing suits and damp towels to meet Uncle Bryan’s Sunset Suratt Surf Academy at Chun's Reef. We joined the group on the side of the road near the beach and checked in. Uncle Bryan’s Sunset Suratt Surf Academy travels with a van full of boards and gear needed for surfing lessons. The check-in was easy. We were paired with our instructor, Stone, who helped us carry our boards to the beach. He assured us that our long boards would give us a better chance of catching and riding some waves during our two hour lesson.
We did some dry work on the beach before we paddled out. Stone instructed us on the basics of surfing: How to efficiently paddle out, where to place your hands before popping up, how to pop up, and how to balance your weight once up on a wave. It all seems pretty simple on the sand, but once you are out there navigating the unpredictability of a wave it’s a different story. Stone was extremely hands-on during our session. This was great for beginners. Personally, I would’ve liked to have had a chance to be out on my own a bit more, but Stone kept us pretty close and even gave our boards a little push once we found a wave to ride. The size of the waves was ideal for beginners; not too steep and topping out at about three to four feet. Jen got up on the first wave she ever tried to ride and sailed smoothly in towards the beach. I was able to get up a few times during our session as well. The beach was crowded with various groups of lessons going on. The strip we tried to occupy was slightly tricky because of the sharp reefs near the shore. Stone instructed us to bail off the board before we got too close to the shallow water because the ocean floor is full of coral and walking on it could result in some unwanted abrasions on our feet. It kept things interesting for sure, but luckily we left unscathed, aside from some uncomfortable sunburn on the back of our legs.
Our Uncle Bryan’s Sunset Suratt Surf Academy session also came with a professional photographer. The photographer was in the water with us and he was able to capture some pretty amazing shots during our time battling the waves. Digital pictures were made available for purchase after our session. We were quick to share our interest in these and the photographer shared the images captured that same night.
It should come as no surprise that surfing is not as easy as it looks. And, while I would’ve liked to have a little more autonomy out on Chun’s Reef that day, the fact of the matter is it’s never safe to surf alone, especially in a spot that is brand new to you. Stone was familiar with the area and was knowledgeable about the types of waves we could ride and the dangerous spots we should try to avoid. We would definitely recommend Uncle Bryan’s for anybody trying to surf for the first time.
