Hawaii · Oahu South Shore · Honolulu County · Honolulu

Kahala

also known as Waialae Beach Park, Razors, Wai'alae Beach Park

advanced onlymedium crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Diamond Head 3 km · Waimanalo 11 km · Kailua Beach 15 km · Kaneohe Sandbar 21 km · Hukilau Beach 45 km · straight-line distance

SeasonApr to Octthe months riders and schools name How windy15-20 kttrade Launchsmall to tidalaccess rules on record, below Watersea27°C in summer · 29 things riders flag LevelAdvanced onlywith a caveat, in the Level section Schools2named at this spot From the airportno transfer time publishedInternational Airport (HNL)

When it fills in

No onset time is published for this spot.

Kahala is a small in-town launch on Oahu's south shore, at Waialae Beach Park just east of Diamond Head, with the Razors left-hander breaking straight in front of the park. The reef is shallow and goes dry in places at low tide, which is why every answer here starts with high tide.

Standard NE trade arrives gusty and fickle; it cleans up the more easterly it turns. On ENE, E or ESE at 15-25 knots with a small south swell, the downwinder to Diamond Head is the reason most people rig. Rider-level ratings conflict: the cautious read is experts-only because of the reef, the softer one calls it intermediate with expert appeal.

This is a bad choice for a first session or for a big group. There are no lifeguards, parking is whatever the residential street allows, and the beach itself is small.

The wind

locals call it trade winds

Direction

cross-offNEwind blows away from land — rescue cover matters here

Kite sizes

67891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

trade

Typical strength

15-20 kt at the spot itself, on ENE, E or ESE. The Kahala-to-Diamond Head downwinder is run at 15-25 kt with 2-4 ft of south swell, at high tide.

Fickle and gusty under standard NE trades; cleaner as wind turns more easterly.

Regional Hawaiian trade winds dominate April to October; spot conditions are best April through September, with summer south-shore waves.

Thermal or synoptic

trade wind

The quiver, in words

The spot runs on 15-20 kt and the Diamond Head downwinder on 15-25, which puts a 75-85 kg rider on 8-10 m most days and a 12 on the softer end. Indicative sizing off the wind range; no local quiver has been published, and gusty leeward flow argues for the smaller of two choices.

Direction to shore

Northeast trades cross the Koolau range and reach this leeward south coast from the E and ENE, which makes the flow cross-offshore and turbulent at the beach park. It cleans up the more easterly it turns, and ENE, E and ESE are the directions to want.

Dominant direction

NE, ENE, E, ESE

Forecast

Month by month

Jan31
Feb64
Mar59
Apr, riders' month79
May, riders' month66
Jun, riders' month79
Jul, riders' month95
Aug, riders' month81
Sep, riders' month69
Oct, riders' month44
Nov72
Dec52

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.

10Jan25°
13Feb25°
12Mar25°
13Apr25°
12May25°
13Jun26°
14Jul26°
13Aug27°
12Sep27°
10Oct27°
13Nov26°
11Dec26°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	31%	9.5 kt	ENE	22.8°C	25.2°C
Feb	64%	12.6 kt	ENE	22.9°C	24.5°C
Mar	59%	11.8 kt	ENE	23.4°C	24.5°C
Apr	79%	13.2 kt	ENE	23.7°C	24.8°C
May	66%	11.9 kt	ENE	24.3°C	25.1°C
Jun	79%	12.8 kt	ENE	25.2°C	25.9°C
Jul	95%	14.1 kt	ENE	25.6°C	26.3°C
Aug	81%	12.8 kt	ENE	26.2°C	26.6°C
Sep	69%	11.9 kt	ENE	26.3°C	27°C
Oct	44%	10.4 kt	ENE	25.9°C	27.1°C
Nov	72%	12.5 kt	ENE	24.7°C	26.2°C
Dec	52%	11.1 kt	ENE	23.5°C	25.7°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

sea

Standing depth

Shallow reef and lagoon: the reef goes dry or near dry at low water. Nearshore the bottom is shallow and rocky in many places, so entry is awkward and booties matter more than they look like they should. No measured standing depth has been published.

Tides

High tide, every time. The reef can go dry or near dry at low water.

Temperature

27°C summer · 23°C winter

Wetsuit

No wetsuit needed. A lycra or rash vest and reef booties, though: the bottom is coral.

Currents

Reef channels reportedly run moderate current. Stay outside the shallow reef rather than trying to thread it.

25–27°C water

A small south-shore reef spot beside Kahala/Waialae Beach Park. Razors, the left-hander, breaks in front of the beach park; the other waves sit east toward Wailupe.

Your level

not for beginners herenot for intermediates hereadvanced

Rider-level ratings for Kahala conflict. The cautious read is experts-only, because the shallow reef can go dry at low tide; the other puts it at intermediate with expert appeal.

The scene

What riders come here for

wavefreeridedownwinderwingfoil

A quiet residential beach park with limited parking and local family picnic use at weekends. Kiting is the minority activity, so ride like a guest.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

2 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: small to tidal

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Diamond Head, 3 km

Diamond Head Waimanalo Kailua Beach

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

No lifeguard at Waialae Beach Park and no kite rescue service. The park has restrooms, showers, picnic tables and a small lot that fills at weekends, and that is the whole of the support: on a cross-offshore day the beach behind you is the plan. Which patrolled beach is nearest is unconfirmed.

Launch

Small beach-park launch at Waialae Beach Park, by the Kahala Hotel and Waialae Country Club. The Waialae Stream cuts a wide channel through the reef and splits the park, which is the least awkward way in and out. The sand carries coral rubble, the lot is small and the street parking is residential.

Space

small to tidal

Hazards riders report 29

shallow reef
dry reef at low tide
gusty wind
small launch area
shallow coral reef
reef dry or very shallow at low tide
sea urchins
currents in reef channels
small/tidal launch
swimmers
boats
fisher nets
wavebreakers
rocks and stones
trees
bystanders
fence
protected sea turtles
winter humpback whales
no lifeguards
limited neighborhood parking
Shallow coral reef that goes dry or near dry at low tide.
Gusty, turbulent cross-offshore trade flow off the Koolau range.
Small, tidal launch area with limited residential parking.
Sea urchins and sharp reef; booties are not optional.
Currents in the reef channels.
Swimmers, boats, fishing nets, wavebreakers, rocks, trees, fence line and bystanders around a small park.
Protected sea turtles year-round and humpback whales December to April.
No lifeguards.

Rules & access

2026: no kite-specific municipal rule for Kahala/Waialae Beach Park was found. Keep clear of the houses, the hotel frontage and the golf-course boundary, and park only where the street allows. Green sea turtles are protected year-round and must be given room. Humpback whales are around December to April, with a 100-yard federal approach distance (2026).

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Ride it on high tide. At low the reef dries and you will be walking on coral.
Wear reef booties and a lycra, and keep outside the shallowest reef sections.
Park considerately and keep kites off the hotel frontage and the golf-course boundary; the neighbours decide whether this stays rideable.
Start the Diamond Head downwinder only with a partner and a pickup arranged.
Give turtles a wide berth year round, and watch for humpbacks in winter.
Use the stream channel through the reef for the way in and out rather than picking across the shallow rubble.
The flow off the mountains is gusty; size down from what the average would suggest.

Getting there

Airport

Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

Route

Kahala/Waialae Beach Park sits in east Honolulu, past Diamond Head, next to the Kahala Hotel and Waialae Country Club. Driving there is straightforward; parking is the constraint.

Staying

Nearby accommodation is in Kahala/Honolulu/Waikiki, with the Kahala Hotel directly adjacent to the beach-park area.

No-wind days

Fishing, picnics, short beach walks, views toward Diamond Head, Waikiki/Honolulu activities, and windward Oahu beach activities.

Photos

Rainbow over Diamond Head (24340020838) — Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Kahala?

Conditions are best April through September, aligned with the main Hawaiian trade-wind season and summer south-shore waves.

Is Kahala suitable for beginners?

No, sources disagree on the exact rating but agree it is not for beginners; one calls it experts-only because the shallow reef can go dry at low tide, while others rate it intermediate with expert appeal.

What is the wind like?

Standard NE trade wind can be gusty here, with cleaner flow as it turns more easterly toward ENE, E or ESE.

What hazards should riders know about?

Shallow coral reef that can go dry at low tide, sea urchins, currents in reef channels, and a small tidal launch are the main hazards.

Last updated: August 2026