Waimea Bay
About
Waimea Bay is the deepest bay on Oahu’s North Shore and the birthplace of big-wave surfing, especially in winter. Between November to February, waves reach up to 40 feet in height, challenging even the most expert surfers. Even if you're not a fan of riding the waves, watching these pro surfers in action will get your heart racing too. Otherwise, visit during summer for the soft sand, arresting seaside views, and calmer waters—perfect for swimming, snorkeling, diving and even cliff-jumping. The wave conditions here fluctuate quickly, so look out for the colored flags before diving in. – Tripadvisor
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  • May_EXL
    Winnipeg, Canada561 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t miss this Bay
    We made a pitstop at Waimea Bay Beach Park on our way to Haleiwa and spent a couple of hours there. Basically across from Waimea Valley. Wide soft sandy beach. Bathroom facility and lifeguard on site. No shade so bring an umbrella if you must. There are neat rock formations towards the south end of the beach that are pretty cool for photography. We went during winter so no rock jumping! It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. It’s a nice beach to spend the day on.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 April 2023
  • Mike W
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Peaceful and quiet during off season.
    Show up early! I arrived at 10am and there was enough parking available. It is very pristinely kept. Only amenities are showers, bathroom, and picnic tables. Listen to the life guard’s instructions. They are to guard your life.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 April 2023
  • Richard
    Florida23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very nice beach
    This is a very popular beautiful beach! First off, parking sucks. Drove around the small parking lot for 20 minutes waiting for someone to leave. Some people park along the highway and walk to it but that seemed dangerous. It was worth the wait. This beach has bathrooms, showers, and lifeguards. Water was crystal clear and gets deep quick. There is a huge rock structure many people jump off of. My teenage daughter tried it and loved it. This was one of my favorite beaches in Oahu. I would highly recommend checking it out.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 23 June 2023
  • CanadaFamof4
    118 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Calm clear waters
    Clean sandy beach and sandy, clear blue calm water. If you can find parking this is the place to go; we arrived at 8:30 am on the 4th of July and all the lots were taken. Luckily managed to find $10 at the nearby Catholic church (which was also full by 9!)
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 July 2023
  • JC6
    14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absolutely Beautiful
    This beach was absolutely beautiful. There were barely any crowds which was nice to escape from some of the other crowded beaches. Turquoise and blue waters, and I could literally just float in the water. Not ideal for small children given the waves, but for teens it’s great location. Had good facilities and three lifeguards on duty. We walked to Waimea waterfall earlier in day so was a great way to end the day. We got lucky with parking, but could see how that could be a problem for others. There is not really any food around this area so you definitely want to bring food if this is your location for the day. There is a food facility near the Waimea Valley at the entrance of the waterfall trail. Food there was pretty delicious and reasonably priced.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 August 2023
  • baxter103
    Denver, Colorado85 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Exactly what one pictures when thinking of a Hawaiian beach.
    This was probably our favorite North Shore beach. Beautiful sandy beach in close proximity to a town. We jumped off of Black Rock (some of us anyway), sat in the sun, swam, and saw sea turtles. We visited multiple times. Unless you're early, parking is a bear so be prepared to hike a bit.
    Visited September 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 19 August 2023
  • islandlovingtwosome
    Lake Forest, California88 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don't Miss This Wonderful Beach
    This is a lovely beach with great snorkeling. It's also fun to watch the crazies lining up to jump off the giant rock. The sand is soft and deep, maybe a little too soft. Snorkel to the left of the rock and you'll be in for a treat. A good variety and many schools of fish. The only negative about this beach is the parking. The parking lot is small and always seems to have a long line of cars waiting for a spot. There's limited parking on the street, which we were lucky enough to snag the last spot. If you can find parking, you're in for a treat.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 October 2023
  • guavasorbet
    United States153 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Postcard perfect beach on the North Shore
    Waimea Bay Beach is a must-stop while exploring the North Shore! We weren't able to spend too much time there but what a stunning beach with its tan sand and vigorous aqua waves that were more for admiring than playing in. Lifeguards were on-duty. There were restrooms and a shower station for rinsing off sand. The parking lot was slammed; we were luckily able to snag a space and upon leaving, a car immediately swooped in to take ours.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 4 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,301 reviews
Excellent
898
Very good
336
Average
52
Poor
6
Terrible
9

Emma
Christchurch, New Zealand89 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Love this beach! Not for swimming as a tourist but great for sitting having a picnic and watching Mother Nature at her best with epic pre winter swells and watching the surfers surf right until sunset!
Written 1 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John D
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Listen please do not try to swim at this beach during winter im a great swimmer and seen some a couple locals in the water without a board I didn’t know they had fins on so I thought I would be ok I almost died there man those waves are so strong they pin you under water and just keep sucking u back in the scariest moment of my life. Please don’t do it man not worth it at all respect the ocean it’s so much more powerful than you think also I was yelling for help and the lifeguards did absolutely nothing they didn’t even bother to run down by the water even with my girlfriend yelling for help consider yourself on your own and also warned stay safe and don’t die on vacation 🙏😞
Written 11 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN3,475 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
The entire North Shore remains a special place on Oahu. It's like stepping back in time. This in an incredible world class surfing area during the winter months. Waimea Bay is a nice beach although the setting is not as nice as Sunset Beach in my opinion. Parking can be challenging but we were able to find a spot in the lot when arriving around 10:15am on a weekday in March. There were chickens everywhere in the lot and near the beach which was fun. There are facilities including bathrooms, showers and changing rooms. No lounge chairs or umbrellas to rent. If you are staying on Oahu for more than a few days and will be headed to the beach often, it would be worthwhile to stop by a local Walmart or Target and pick up a couple inexpensive beach chairs and a cooler to use while here.
Written 10 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

guavasorbet
United States153 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Waimea Bay Beach is a must-stop while exploring the North Shore! We weren't able to spend too much time there but what a stunning beach with its tan sand and vigorous aqua waves that were more for admiring than playing in. Lifeguards were on-duty. There were restrooms and a shower station for rinsing off sand. The parking lot was slammed; we were luckily able to snag a space and upon leaving, a car immediately swooped in to take ours.
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

islandlovingtwosome
Lake Forest, CA88 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
This is a lovely beach with great snorkeling. It's also fun to watch the crazies lining up to jump off the giant rock. The sand is soft and deep, maybe a little too soft. Snorkel to the left of the rock and you'll be in for a treat. A good variety and many schools of fish. The only negative about this beach is the parking. The parking lot is small and always seems to have a long line of cars waiting for a spot. There's limited parking on the street, which we were lucky enough to snag the last spot. If you can find parking, you're in for a treat.
Written 13 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ariel W
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
Saw wild dolphins. They swam right underneath us! Saw a turtle and loads of fish. This is more of a snorkeling beach than swim beach because the area is rocky and coraly. Also cliff jumping.
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

baxter103
Denver, CO85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Family
This was probably our favorite North Shore beach. Beautiful sandy beach in close proximity to a town. We jumped off of Black Rock (some of us anyway), sat in the sun, swam, and saw sea turtles. We visited multiple times. Unless you're early, parking is a bear so be prepared to hike a bit.
Written 20 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JC6
14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
This beach was absolutely beautiful. There were barely any crowds which was nice to escape from some of the other crowded beaches. Turquoise and blue waters, and I could literally just float in the water. Not ideal for small children given the waves, but for teens it’s great location. Had good facilities and three lifeguards on duty. We walked to Waimea waterfall earlier in day so was a great way to end the day. We got lucky with parking, but could see how that could be a problem for others. There is not really any food around this area so you definitely want to bring food if this is your location for the day. There is a food facility near the Waimea Valley at the entrance of the waterfall trail. Food there was pretty delicious and reasonably priced.
Written 16 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CanadaFamof4
Ontario, Canada118 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
Clean sandy beach and sandy, clear blue calm water. If you can find parking this is the place to go; we arrived at 8:30 am on the 4th of July and all the lots were taken. Luckily managed to find $10 at the nearby Catholic church (which was also full by 9!)
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard
Florida23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Family
This is a very popular beautiful beach! First off, parking sucks. Drove around the small parking lot for 20 minutes waiting for someone to leave. Some people park along the highway and walk to it but that seemed dangerous. It was worth the wait. This beach has bathrooms, showers, and lifeguards. Water was crystal clear and gets deep quick. There is a huge rock structure many people jump off of. My teenage daughter tried it and loved it. This was one of my favorite beaches in Oahu. I would highly recommend checking it out.
Written 24 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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WAIMEA BAY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Waimea Bay

According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Waimea Bay: