Kaena Point
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Kaʻena or Kaʻena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the island of Oʻahu. The point can be reached by foot from both the south (Waiʻanae Coast) and the north (Mokulēʻia) coastlines; walking in from the north side is recommended. An unimproved track extends some three miles along the coast from the end of the paved road on the north side, where a gate prevents entry of all except authorized vehicles.
On the south side, at Kaʻena State Park, a paved road passes a beach before terminating into an unpaved road. It continues for a few miles, after which the road is washed out, and further travel must be on foot. It is not possible to travel around the point in a vehicle, and such vehicles must be equipped with four wheel drive, and be relatively narrow. A winch is also recommended. The road is better described as a "path" in most places, and is lined on one side with a cliff and on the other with lava rocks which are quite capable of damaging vehicles. The road is littered with garbage, both of the normal consumer garbage type and vehicle parts—motors, suspension, tires, wheels—as well as entire abandoned vehicles.
In Hawaiian, kaʻena means 'the heat'. The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele who accompanied her from Kahiki. The State of Hawaiʻi has designated the point as a Natural Area Reserve to protect the fragile (to vehicular traffic), native strand vegetation still abundant there.
Kaʻena Point is, literally, a spear-shaped protrusion into the Pacific Ocean. Some ancient Hawaiian folklore states that Kaʻena Point is the "jumping-off" point for souls leaving this world.
During the winter months, Oʻahu's North Shore is typically bombarded by large, powerful waves that attract surfers from around the world. It is rumored that Kaʻena Point typically has waves (up to 15 meters in height) larger than those at Waimea Bay, one of Oʻahu's world-famous surfing locations. This has not been confirmed; however, during the famous "Swell Of The Century" in 1969 and on the day of Greg Noll's famous wave at Mākaha, Greg himself took a picture of a gigantic wave breaking at Kaʻena Point. Until "Biggest Wednesday" on 28 January 1998 (when professional surfer Ken Bradshaw was photographed riding a wave with a reported 85-foot face,) it was believed that Noll's picture showed the largest wave ever photographed. During that famous swell in January 1998, several persons reported seeing waves with 60-80 foot faces at Kaʻena Point.
Despite these reports, Kaʻena Point does not have the popularity with surfers of other North Shore locations. Kaʻena Point is located in a very remote area with no direct paved road access and no rescue capabilities. Additionally, the Point's geography results in undertows, dangerous rip currents and other hazardous ocean conditions that make any water activity highly dangerous.
