The Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean are known as America's tropical paradise. This chain of islands was formed by volcanoes rising from the depths of the sea to some tens of thousands of feet above the sea bottom, and the Big Island of Hawaii is still active and growing in size. This landscape of mountains meeting the sea makes for some of the most beautiful settings for beaches in the world. There is an astounding variety of beaches, ranging in size, shape, sand color, and wave conditions. All the Hawaiian beaches are public, and even the most exclusive resorts must provide public access below the high tide level.

The beaches in Hawaii run the gamut of colors from white to black, with many colorations in between. The white sand beaches, which are the favorite of most people and the most common in Hawaii, are composed primarily of wave-crushed and ground-up coral, a calcareous skeletal material. Coral sand is an organically-derived sand that is soluble in acid. Brown sand is a mixture of coral and detritus, which is material eroded from the land. Black sand is a volcanic glass; red and green volcanic sand contain additional minerals that give rise to their lively colors. These volcanic sands are very exotic, but can be quite hot to walk on, particularly the heat-absorbing black sand. The so-called salt and pepper sand is a mixture of volcanic glass and coral sand, indicating two sources for the same beach.

Hawaii's climate is perfect for beaching as average temperatures vary little throughout the year. Summer rainfall is limited to short showers, making for terrific rainbows. Winter storms bring overcast skies and days of rain, but no vacation need be ruined because of the range of microclimates. For instance, the Hana area of Maui can be rainy, while Wailea on the other side of the mountains will be perfectly sunny. These incredible changes in climate over short distances (termed microclimates) are caused by the direction of the trade wind and storm paths as well as location of the mountain ranges in relationship to beach orientation.

It seems that nobody watches the weather forecast in Hawaii because it is often the same day after day - gorgeous. The big news is waves, particularly during the winter when the huge swells come rolling down from the north (the same storms that lash the Northwest coast). Because beaches can be found on every point of the compass, you pick the beach according to the activity desired on a particular wave day. Hawaii's waters can be very dangerous during high surf conditions, causing shorebreaks, rip currents, and sleeper waves (see Beach Safety section). The winter months are known for the big surfing waves, which are hazardous to swimmers. A lifeguard should always be consulted before going into the water. The average water temperature at Waikiki Beach is always in the comfortable range, varying from 77 to 82 degrees, winter to summer. The water throughout Hawaii is clean and clear with few exceptions; I really enjoy swimming in water where you can always see the bottom as well as the colorful tropical fish.

Oahu

Maui

Kauai

Big Island

Lanai

Hawaii Visitors Bureau
2270 Kalakaua Ave.
Suite 801
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 923-1811

[BACK]