The North Shore

When you hear people talk of the North Shore, they are more than likely talking about the north shore of Oahu - a surfer's and body boarder's paradise.

It is home of the best surfing in the entire world... especially during the months of November through March (the winter months basically), where it is not uncommon to see 25 foot waves! Totally sweet!

If you are on your Hawaii vacation during these winter months and you want to learn how to surf, the North Shore is not where you'll want to do it. With the big waves that come in during this time of year, it is very easy to get hurt and possibly even killed if you are not careful or experienced.

It is a great time of year to go watch the professional surfers that are from all over the world. including many that live right on Oahu.

All of the beaches on the North Shore are incredible, but if we had to pick the best beach of them all, we'd go with Waimea Bay Beach - it's the one beach you must go to. Other popular North Shore beaches include Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline (`Ehukai Beach).

The North Shore Treat...

Oh yes, it's known mainly for it's winter waves and awesome white sand beaches, but all that surfing, body boarding, playing, and sunbathing makes a person hungry! And what better than some good shave ice...

Stop in at Matsumoto's and get yourself some of their famous shave ice. They have many flavors, but of course, you ought to go for the Hawaiian. It's awesome, just slow down and don't give yourself brain-freeze! The lines are always long at this place, but we'd recommend getting some at the end of your trip to the North Shore... a good day-ender.

Here's a little movie fun fact... if you've ever seen the movie 50 First Dates -- it's one of our favorite movies -- you may remember Adam Sandler wearing a Matsumoto's shirt. If you haven't seen the movie, you should!

The North Shore has many restaurants, so if you aren't in the mood for shave ice, no worries. Another very popular food of the area is shrimp... but you can find everything from burgers, to pizza, to mexican food.

The North Shore is also a mecca for shopping.

There are lots of places to shop for things like clothes, souviners, surf boards, art, and more. In fact, this is also Oahu's art hub, so you'll find art gallaries all over. All different kinds of arts and crafts, such as paintings, wood carvings, glass, and jewelry.

There is probably enough to do at the North Shore to keep you busy for an entire week, but it is mainly known for it's surfing and body surfing (or as I like to call it, boogie boarding). It's also where you'll find some of the best beaches on earth.