Shipwrecks (Keoneloa Bay)

Nov 04, 2006 10:05AM

This beach fronts the Hyatt. Public access between Poipu Bay Resort Golf Course & the Hyatt.

Usually, the Hyatt flag's the ocean conditions.

This beach is useful for boogie boarding and body surfing. Not really a great swimming beach.

On that note, I think this beach is always difficult to swim unless you are a strong swimmer. High surf makes the surf particularly tricky. This would NOT be my choice for swimming with my small kids..... EVER, as the waves crash right on the steep shoreline! However, they do enjoy playing in the sand and seeing (not touching!!) the occasional monk seal.

You can also pick up a easy shoreline hike that is over half a mile long with beautiful scenery.

All in all, a nice beach with beautiful scenery (Hyatt) and hikes, but you need to know how to swim well to go into the water (no small kids).

Nov 04, 2006 10:51AM

I have lived on the sunny South Side for 3.5 years and I love Shipwrecks Beach!
There is great hinking from Shippy's to Maha'ulepu, sand dunes and caved are fun for exploring with the keiki.

However, it is also the place where I learned my respect for the ocean when a girl friend and I got too far out while playing in the waves when a large set came out of nowhere and held us under, wave after wave, during the whole set. So be careful and cautious, NOT a good place for children to swim. The locals surfing know what they are doing, so no go if you aren't familiar with the break!

Nov 27, 2006 8:28PM

I'm going to second (or third) the "rough surf, not good for kids" comments. A few months ago I thought I'd just run in waist deep and get wet before hiking to Maha'ulepu and kind of got crunched in the shorebreak and actually flipped over by the waves (couldn't dive through the waves b/c I had my glasses on since I was just running in for a quick splash). Another guy came out after I'd been thrashed saying he had also gotten beaten up by the waves. Plenty of kids (the teenaged crazy kind doing flips with boogie boards) were having fun, though.

May 03, 2007 6:12AM

Our family, (2 college boys, 2 parents) will be visiting Kauai for the first time early June. We hail from CT. and have visited Maui for 10 years straight and last year included the Big Island.

Question: Is this the body boarding beach we should visit? Our guys are not surfers but love to body board. We will be staying at the Hyatt but have no problem jumping in the car to enjoy good beaches. That's what gets us through the miserable flight. Can't reach heaven without a bit of effort. Your site is outstanding and I look forward to any advice. Thank you!!!

Justin Britt

May 14, 2007 12:34PM

@ BD: During summer, this will be a great beach for body boarding. However, the waves here can get large and powerful, so if your boys are not used to thumping waves, there may be other areas nearby with more suitable surf conditions for their comfort level in the water.

Jun 12, 2007 10:54AM

We are planning a trip in late October and want to longboard and boogie board. What is the best spot for mellow plus waves to ride?

lithiumtom

Jul 13, 2007 8:15AM

shipwrecks is NOT the place for beginners. I was there in July 06. I would not attempt to longboard here. The waves were very big and there were very many locals. I was respectful of the locals and surfed there for 3 days. on the 3rd day on one wave I lost control of my board and a couple of the locals paddled over to me and asked me to leave...so I did. They said "you cant surf here no more, beat it"

I surfed at hanalei in some nice clean knee to waist longboard surf the rest of my stay in Kauai.

respect the locals, they know what they are talking about.
peace!

Oct 07, 2007 11:51AM

shippys is off da hook brada. plenty of tubular action and some gnarly peaks to tail on. if you are not a loc though, do not hit it up. shoots bradas

Dec 19, 2007 12:37PM

Were coming for 2 weeks in December.

Is there a good place to surf where the locals aren't bad but still some decent waves. I have not surfed in 15 years because I moved to the midwest. But grew up surfing Ca.

Dec 21, 2007 5:23AM

Thanks W! At my age I've lost all aggressiveness for fighting for waves. Thats why I was hoping to find a smaller break somewhere where the locals are not to bad.

>>Surfing has become a very popular sport - but the amount of waves have stayed the same. Well put.

I'm staying at Wailua bay condos. Is the beach break ok their? I've seen pictures of people surfing their. I know it's a beach break and probably gets inconsistent but it looked kinda fun.

Thanks for all the help.

Jan 18, 2008 5:47PM

What are the best surf beaches for a mixed level group of surfers in winter(June/July) - in terms of safety and good swells?

Jan 27, 2008 8:20PM

I count Shippies as one of my home breaks. Been bodyboarding it a couple decades. Pulled off my only clean backflip here on the lefts. :) Some pros/ex-pros ride here when it's good.

This place will kick your butt when it's big. I see broken surfboards often. I also see ambulances every year for spinal injuries usually involving tourists.

If you want someplace mellower to surf/bodyboard try Kalapaki in Nawilliwili Harbor. You can rent surfboards, bodyboards & surf lessons right by Duke's restaurant if you want. On the North shore, the spots by Hanalei pier is good for beginners & longboarders. Rentals & lessons can be found here too.

Mar 09, 2008 3:34AM

What beach was the movie 6 Days 7 Nights filmed on?

Mar 13, 2008 3:43AM

Is it illegal to jump off of the cliff immediately to the left of the beach? I've seen many pics of people doing it and was there with my wife who said she'd divorce me if I did it... needless to say I didn't, but we're going back in May and am looking forward to talking her into letting me do it! Anyone know?

Mar 30, 2008 7:14PM

It's fun to jump off the cliff but I DON'T recommend it. I've done it twice when I was younger but I have BILLS to pay that I can't pay if I'm hurt. In the 90s I worked at a south shore hotel with a lady that jumped off the Shipwrecks cliff after her son jumped in. She somehow broke her back on impact & ended up motionless at the bottom.

Her son knew something was wrong when she didn't come up & he dove down & saved her. She faced a long recovery period & as far as I know made a full recovery.

Apr 08, 2008 2:01AM

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Kauai. On April 1st we watched 4 young men jump from the cliff one at a time. I missed taking a picture of the first guy but got one each of the other three. Amazing to watch...I would be too chicken! If the "jumpers" read this, post your e-mail and I will e-mail the pictures to you! I know if I jumped...I'd love of picture.

May 29, 2008 4:19AM

Aloha! We will be visiting Kauai in mid-June and would like to renew our vows (10 years together!) on a beach on the South Shore where we are staying. Would there be a side or portion of Shipwreck Beach that would be less crowded (i.e., east side vs west side or landmark)? We've never been to Kauai, so we're sort of relying on what we can find on the internet. My husband hates crowds, but we have to keep in mind accessibility to the beach and I really like cliffs. Also, we hope to do some snorkeling that week. Any recommendations for snorkeling beaches during June (any part of the island would be fine)? Thanks so much! This is a wonderful website.

Jun 06, 2008 2:53AM

Hi,
I just got too Kauai today and I'm staying in poipu. I have been body boarding for about 8 years now and I'm looking for the biggest waves around. I went to shipwrecks today and it was really small. Is there any place you recommend or is there a bigger swell expected anytime soon? Thanks for any help

Jun 16, 2008 9:44PM

My husband and I just returned from our honeymoon in Kauai. It took a couple of days to convince the local surf shops to recommend some good surfing spots for us not-so-beginner, but far-from-expert tourist surfers, but they finally did. We really enjoyed the break at Kalapaki, just South of the airport. There was everything from the tourist beginner to very good local surfers, mostly longboards and quite a few paddleboards. There was even a mom surfing with her keiki on the front of her board - so cool! It's a long break, so there was plenty of room for everyone. We also appreciated that the reef was deep underwater. We went to Shipwrecks just to check it out with no intention of going in. There was a local surfer hanging around watching for some swell. It was very small, so out of curiosity we tried to talk to him about the break, just looking for the inside scoop on how big it gets and under what conditions. He wasn't very nice, and made it quite clear that we weren't welcome. There were several families there with their kids, but I too wouldn't recommend sending the little ones into the water. It looks like great fun though if you're a very experienced body boarder. It's also a very beautiful beach and there is a nice hike. As for snorkling near the South Shore in summer, we liked Lydgate park, Poipu beach (in front of Brennecke's), and the spots near the Beach House and Kuhio Shores condos (lots of sea turtles). And our favorite shave ice was at Koloa shave ice, or the stand across the street from the Beach House. If you're going - have a great time!

Jul 08, 2008 12:22AM

Hi,
I was wondering if it is possible to camp on/near shipwreck beach. Last time I was there I saw some tents and am looking for some place to camp. I'm trying to find a spot near shipwreck or up the east side (maybe by the lighthouse) any ideas?
thanks

susan perez

Jul 25, 2008 9:17PM

My husband and I moved here to Kauai after 21 years of teaching in inner city Detroit. We brought 3 of our 5 kids (2 are finishing up degrees in Detroit) and we love it! Our oldest children came to visit in March of this year (08) and loved the people, the island, the beaches etc. Our daughter became engaged in Mexico shortly thereafter (at another friends wedding in Cancun!). She and her fiance have decided to take their marriage vows in Kauai, hopefully in a Hawaiian ceremony. She is thinking of a wedding on the beach at sunset at Shipwreck's beach in October of 2009. Will the sun be setting at Poipu, Shipwreck's during October? Or should we plan a beach wedding there in Feb/March of 2009? the possibilities are endless!

Aug 13, 2008 10:24PM

I stayed at the Hyatt July 1-4, 2008. My husband and I saw 4 15-yearold girls jump and said "hey, why don't we go do it". So we get to the top, and trust me, it's pretty high. My husband jumps first and he's fine... so I take the leap and somehow ended up landing first on my tailbone, thus impacting my entire spine. I ended up with a bent coccyx and a compression fracture on my T12 (last vertebra with ribs). To this day I’m still getting x-rays to make sure I’m healing correctly, and am on a daily dose of pain meds… so would I do it again… no way… but if someone out there reading this still wants to do it, trust me when I say land FEET FIRST!