5 Best Beaches for Stand Up Paddle Boarding on Oahu, Hawaii

Are you trying to find the perfect spot for stand up paddle boarding on Oahu, Hawaii? I know the feeling; it’s challenging to choose with so many options, especially when considering the numerous places to paddle around Oahu!

For example, Waikiki Beach is ideal for beginners because of its calm, turquoise waters. This article will guide you through some top spots for paddle boarding on Oahu. So, get your board ready!

This stand up paddleboarding on Oahu post is written by Bryan Murphy, an expert in Hawaii travel and a top-rated podcast host.

Top Beaches for Stand Up Paddleboarding on Oahu

1.  Ala Moana Beach Park

Ala Moana Beach Park is a wide, golden sand stretch of beach west of Waikiki spanning over half a mile (800m) long.

Ala Moana Beach Park is protected by an outer reef, causing waves to dissipate before reaching the shore, leaving the water almost always flat and as tranquil as a lake.

This makes it the perfect location for beginner stand-up paddleboarders and families with young children. 

The water is no more than eight feet deep in most places along the lagoon and is filled with curious sea life, including fish and sea turtles.

While Ala Moana beach is less crowded than the famed Waikiki stretch, it does tend to get busier on the weekends, being a fan favorite among locals.

The beach is also manned with lifeguards to ensure you are safe at all times, whether you are stand-up paddle boarding or swimming. 

While there is no board shop located on Ala Moana beach, you can organize to hire your stand-up paddle boards from ‘Hawaii Beach Time‘, and they will drop your paddle boards and paddles right off to you at the beach.

If you are looking to make a day out of Ala Moana beach, you can also hire chairs, umbrellas and volleyball nets.

There is ample parking at Ala Moana beach park, and the beach has public amenities (toilets and showers), making it a convenient place to paddle board.

The beach park is also right across from Ala Moana Mall, meaning if you get sick of paddle boarding, you can walk across the road, grab a bite to eat and indulge in some retail therapy.

2. Lanikai Beach in Kailua

Lanikai beach is a half-mile strip of beach located on Oahu’s leeward side. It’s roughly 30 minutes from Waikiki, offering breathtaking views of the ocean.

Lanikai, which translates to “Heavenly Ocean“, is loved by stand-up paddle boarders all year round because of its primarily flat conditions with the occasional gentle wave, perfect for paddle boarding.

Take your pick of paddling up and down Lanikai beach taking in the beautiful Windward coastline and marine life swimming beneath you between the sporadic reef patches.

Or you can adventure out the Mokulua islands, also known as the “Mokes” by locals, located a one-mile paddle offshore. I would recommend kayaking though.

These islands are bird sanctuaries to the Hawaiian native bird, the ‘Shearwater’, making them a unique place to kayak for nature enthusiasts.

 You can only go exploring on Moku Nui (the left island) because the Moku Iki is protected by the state, prohibiting you from exploring it.

Finish off your paddle boarding experience at Lanikai beach by getting a bite to eat at Downtown Kailua; take your pick from local favorites; Maui Brewing Company, Lanikai Juice Company and many more.

3. Waimea Bay

Waimea Bay is located on the Oahu’s famed North Shore, an hour’s drive from Waikiki.

As locals call it, ‘The Bay’ is ingrained in Hawaiian history, known to be the first place on the North Shore where surfers ventured out to brave the giant waves back in the 1950s.

Since then, Waimea bay has become a fan favorite by the crazed big wave surfers during the winter months but come summer, the roaring monster that usual pumps out 40-foot waves transforms into a calm, tranquil bay.

During the summer months, it’s perfect for paddle boarders of all abilities, including young families with children.

Waimea Bay is the ideal location for paddle boarding and kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, and rock jumping. Start your Waimea Bay paddle boarding experience by venturing off the pristine sand and paddling up the bay to what local’s call ‘Da Big Rock’ located at the west end.

Paddle around watching daredevils jump off the 25-foot-high rock into the crystal-clear water below.

While around the rock, take in the vast number of fish, sea turtles and, on occasion, dolphins that like to adventure around the rock and surrounding coral reef patches.

While paddling to the other end of the bay, take in the impressive wall of lush green mountains that tower over you from the shore.

If you are feeling adventurous, you can paddle up the Waimea Bay river, taking in the peaceful surroundings of nature while spotting the many turtles that frequent the river, making it a great place to paddle.

To make your experience easier, Waimea Bay has a complete set of amenities. This includes ample parking, picnic tables, restrooms, showers and lifeguards on duty.

Once you finish paddle boarding, make a day at Waimea and venture across the road to Waimea Valley, also known as “The Valley of the Priests”.

Explore the fishponds, native and endangered birds and fish, botanical gardens, hike to the waterfall for a swim and learn about the Hawaiian culture.

If you get hungry, drive up the North Shore coast and take your pick from the abundant amount of food trucks lining the road, known for their famous jumbo garlic shrimp, tacos and shave ice.

4. Ko Olina Lagoons

Nestled between the Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club and Four Seasons Resort at Ko Olina on the western leeward side of Oahu, 44 minutes from Waikiki.

You will find four magical crescent-shaped beach coves. The Kohola lagoon, Honu lagoon, Nai’a lagoon and Ulua lagoon are the perfect playground for stand-up paddle boarders of all abilities.

These lagoons are protected by the rock walls surrounding them, leaving for flat water even in the biggest surf, ideal for paddle boarding and swimming.

Take your pick from one of the four lagoons, all connected by more than a mile and a half of seaside pathways surrounded by lush green palm trees, perfect for a leisurely paddle.

Once you pick your lagoon, fire your stand-up paddle board right off the beach, making it super easy and convenient to hit the water.

While paddle boarding take in the sights below of white sand imported from Lanai, an extensive array of fish who venture in and out of the lagoons, sea urchins burrowing themselves into the rocks and, if you’re lucky, the occasional sea turtle.

Please note that there are no lifeguards at any of the Ko Olina lagoons; paddle board, swim, and adventure in the water at your own risk, especially during the busy summer months.

Once you finish paddle boarding, explore the Ko Olina coastline and surrounding resorts while grabbing a bite to eat at their multiple restaurants, especially during the summer months when the weather is perfect.

5. Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon & Kahanamoku Beach

Nestled between the Rainbow Tower and Lagoon Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, you’ll find Duke Kahanamoku lagoon.

A man-made saltwater lagoon spanning 5 acres with views of the Ala Wai Boat Harbor in one direction and Waikiki and Diamond Head in the other, providing a serene place to paddle board.

The lagoon provides the perfect location to let your kids run wild paddle boarding while you keep a careful eye on them from the soft sand white beach.

Take your pick from at least four paddle board vendors on any given day around the lagoon and surrounding boardwalks to hire your stand-up paddle board and start your paddle boarding experience.

The lagoon’s calm waters provide the perfect learning ground for beginnings and an exercise course for experienced paddle boarders to cut laps around the middle island filled with palm trees and waterfalls.

Once you have gained enough confidence in your stand-up paddle boarding abilities, you can leave the lagoon and venture 50 meters over the beach to Kahanamoku Beach.

This soft sand, curved beach is situated in front of the Hilton Hawaiian’s Rainbow Tower and is partially protected by the sea wall and outer reef. Leaving the conditions almost always flat and with minimal currents, ideal for paddle boarders of all abilities.

If you paddle out to the outer reef, you will be surrounded by spectacular Hawaiian marine life, including fish, sea urchins, turtles and the occasional octopus burrowed between rocks. 

We all know that a day in the sun will make you hungry, so to finish off your stand-up paddle boarding experience and venture over to Gilligan’s Beach Shack food truck parked next to Duke Kahanamoku lagoon and Kahanamoku Beach for a feed.

They are known for their famous ‘Gilligan’s Shave Ice’, steak & rice, jumbo garlic prawns and grilled Mahi tacos!

When and Where Did Stand Up Paddle Boarding Start?

Stand-up paddle boarding, or “He’e” in Hawaiian, originated in Waikiki in the 1940s.

Surfers began using their longboards paired with their outrigger canoe paddles to venture out past the break to gain a better view of the incoming surf.

Local surfers then started carving specially crafted stand-up paddle boards made from the Koa Tree to use instead of their much-loved surf boards.

Since then, stand-up paddle boarding, or SUP, has continued to gain momentum world-wide and has become a much-loved sport for individuals of any skill level, from professionals to the very beginner, making it a perfect place to paddle.

No matter where you venture to in Hawaii, you will find stand up paddleboarders just about everywhere. And stand up paddle boarding on Oahu has some of the best spots.

Thanks to Hawaii’s primarily calm, flat and crystal blue water, captivating marine life and lush mountains in the background, Hawaii is the perfect location to learn how to paddleboard or expand your paddle boarding skills.

Best Beaches to Paddle Board in Oahu (SUP) Wrap-Up

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