After having looked through several Oahu beach rentals and having chosen your perfect match, you will definitely need to start looking at what are your available options for entertainment within walking distance. No matter where you your Oahu vacation rental is, there are several options for water adventures. Here are a couple excellent options for water sports: Kapiolani Beach Park, Kailua Beach Park at Lanikai Beach and Maunalua Beach Park.
Kapiolani Beach Park
If you are renting a house in the Waikiki area or Kaimuki area (along Kapahulu Avenue) or in the Diamond Head area, you will be within a short walking or biking distance from Kapiolani Beach Park. Established in 1876, the Kapiolani Regional Beach Park is a 300-acre (about 1.2 square kilometers) park named after Queen Kapiolani, wife of King David Kalakua. This park not only has a lot of green areas, which are great for playing football, running or other activities, but also houses the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Shell Concert Arena. This park has easy access to sandy beaches where you can practice several water sports such as body boarding, surfing, paddle boarding, spearfishing and ocean swimming. There is no admission price to enter the park. If you're taking your bike, make sure to park it and lock it only on the designated areas, otherwise it will be taken away by the police. On the corner of Kapahulu Avenue and Kalakaua Avenue (as well as throughout Kapahulu Avenue) there are are several rental shops where you can rent all kinds of equipment ranging from surboards to snorkeling gear to paddle boards.
Kailua Beach Park at Lanikai Beach
Located between Kailua Road and Mokulua Drive, the Kailua Beach Park at Lanikai Beach is a great option for water adventures for those with abeach rental in the Kailua area. This is a favorite place for travelers looking to get away from the overcrowded Waikiki Beach and seeking a more rustic side of Hawaii. The atmosphere of Lanikai is much more relaxed than that of Waikiki and the water sports of choice here are snorkeling and kayaking. There are several places that will rent you a single or double kayak with a little cart to transport your kayak to the beach. If you're walking to the beach, it is a good idea to bring a packed lunch and beverages, because you will not be anywhere near convenience stores. If you prefer to have the beach by yourself, plan to arrive early at about 8:00 a.m. so that you can enjoy at least 2 hours with an almost empty beach. The beach starts getting crowded around noon.
Maunalua Bay Beach Park
This is a great option for water adventures for those with
Oahu beach rentals in the Kahala and Hawaii Kai areas. This beach park
is popular with fly fishing enthusiasts who arrive early in the morning
or close to sunset in search of a good catch. Also, this is a great
spot to get started on paddle boarding because the water is very calm,
however you do need to be aware of the coral reef in certain areas.
Last but not least, this park is also a good option for those looking
for open ocean swimming without the crowds. It is important that you
tow a buoy so that people can see you in the water.