SANDBAR IN KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII

The Kaneohe Sandbar is wonderful to experience if you have the opportunity. Unfortunately, you need to have a boat, know a friend who has one, or a person in the military with a boat license that’s able to rent. We’ve also seen people Jet Ski (Seadoo) and Kayak to the Sandbar, providing those options as well – Just aheads up, the paddle is extremely far. Luckily for us, we had friends with a military boat license that invited us out for the day!

We had two options to rent a Pontoon from 8AM and bring it back a little after 12PM or rent it at 12PM to bring it back by 6PM. We chose the the 12PM timeframe, allowing us to soak up the sun before sunset. The weather was perfect! The boat was only covered half-way with shade making sunglasses, big farmer hats, and sunscreen a necessary for this adventure. Optional accessories to bring are fins and goggles to explore the surrounding reef. The reef is full of life. Every time I’ve visited the sand bar I’ve seen colorful fish, turtles, and sea urchins. It’s quite easy to make new friends out here as well. Each boat is usually a mini party and some strangers even combine their crafts, forming a makeshift barge where 2-4 groups merge. Everyone we met while out here were very friendly.

As for the natural aspect, it was more than enough. You’re in the middle of the bay which is an outlet to the Pacific Ocean so it is a bit surreal. The Ko’olau Mountain Range surrounds more than half of the landscape scenery. Standing out on the sandbar is a unique experience in itself – you are literally on a beach in the middle of the ocean.

During high tide (the time we arrived) the water can rise as high as your chest; At low tide, the water can drop so low exposing the sand. I’ve seen people bring tents, barbecues, and volleyball nets, making it all that much easier to meet new people – they are very inviting. Everyone is just looking for a great time out here.