Kayaking to Kapapa Islet, Kaneohe Bay

Kapapa Islet is a low-elevation, 9.5 acre island on the edge of Kaneohe Bay (see map / inset, below). It is located ~2.0 miles from shore, and is ~1.25 miles from the popular sandbar (Ahuolaka Island) in the center of the bay. With a crew 6 strong (Justin, Meg, Aaron, Lynne, Katie and I), we made the paddle out on kayaks to the remote, offshore island to have a relaxing day in the sun, away from civilization…

Like Chinaman’s Hat (Mokolii Islet), waves break on the windward shoreline and wrap around the sides of the island, meeting on the leeward side. When larger swells are present, this can be dangerous for novice kayakers, since flipping can be pretty easy if approaching a wave the wrong way.

Our day started at 830am, at Laenani Neighborhood Park. The park has an excellent launching point to the sandbar and bay, since we could drive right up to the water to unload or gear. There are also a bathroom and showers to make a last minute deposit beforehand and to rinse off the kayaks, etc. afterward.

After rigorous sunblock application and gear stowing, we move our kayaks closer to the water. Justin secures his drybag, containing bluetooth Bose Soundlink Speaker, above. Thanks for the awesome tunes on the way! haha.

With faint tradewinds, we made decent time to the sandbar… probably 45 minutes or so, with a few breaks to just float around and have a few laughs.

Upon arriving at the sandbar, there were several other groups there who were either with boat owners or chartered a boat to take them out to “party.” On holiday weekends, it can get pretty crowded out here… making the water smell like urine and sunscreen. haha.

Everyone clipped onto my kayak, since I had an anchor… the wind / tide will surely drift a kayak away if you let it go for a few seconds.

We took a good break to rest our arms and to enjoy the scenery. Note Justin’s hat in the foreground, with Chinaman’s hat in the background… resemblance? hehe.

With the sandbar being the halfway point to Kapapa Islet, it was time to get to land. As mentioned earlier, the breaking surf can be seen on both sides of the island from here.

The exception of the mild trades, the paddle was pretty calm up until this point.

However, the waves wrapping around the island made the approach more challenging. We paddled slightly to the right of the island, and started to come in at an angle. This way, we wouldn’t be directly parallel to the breaking waves… which is a big no-no in kayaking, and can cause you to flip. We were also able to approach the waves from the left side of the island in an approximate perpendicular angle. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get any good photos of the waves due to vigorous paddling.

The reef flat on the leeward side of the island can be pretty shallow, particularly during low tide. To prevent damage to the bottom of our kayaks, we walked them in from this point.

A coral rubble beach was the best place to land, and was more sheltered from the breaking waves than other areas of the island. Our tandem kayaks on coral rubble shoreline in the foreground, and Lynne / Aaron walking their one-person kayaks across the reef in the background.

We moved our kayaks to the top of the high-tide water mark, since the tide would be rising slightly within the next couple of hours. Last thing we’d want was to come back to less kayaks than we came with! haha.

It is important to note that Kapapa Islet is a protected and is a home and sanctuary for numerous native seabirds, plants and other wildlife. The regulations are shown as indicated.

There was a worn path around the perimeter of the island,

…Which we did our best to stick to. There were several unattended seabird burrows that were on the more interior part of the island, which we wanted to avoid.

After taking a lap, we picked up Justin’s speakers and looked for an open spot to relax and have few drinks. A small ironwood tree provided shade for the guys, while the girls ended up tanning in the sun.

Rounding 2pm or so, we decided it would be good to start heading back to shore (Oahu). It was Justin’s birthday party in Chinatown that night, and he needed to rest up for the line of shots headed his way. Happy Birthday bro!!!

The rest of us were able to stop at the Kahaluu Hygienic Store lunch wagon for some lau lau, pastele and poi. Probably one of my favorite type of local after-adventure grindz, while on this side of the island. Great times with amazing people!

Kayaking to Kapapa won’t be for everyone. It is much further than the more popular islets people kayak to, e.g. the nearby Chinaman’s Hat (Mokolii), Mokuluas in Kailua/Lanikai, and Goat Island (Mokuaia), etc. We took almost 2 hours to reach Kapapa, and 1 hour to get back to shore… with breaks included along the way. This may not be the same for others, as conditions (wind / tides) can be variable. If attempting, it may be best to paddle out on a dropping tide, and return during a rising tide. For those who aren’t aware, Hawaii has semi-diurnal tides… meaning, there are two high and two low tides throughout the day. Depending on the time of year, they may be much higher/lower than one another (mixed, semi-diurnal). This side of the Oahu typically receives tradewinds from the northeast… but, this also may be heightened or dampened with the onshore/offshore breezes in the day/night, respectively. The approach to land a kayak on the island may be challenging, depending on how high the waves are on a given day. Since waves and swells often come in sets, it may be best to hang back before approaching the island to observe how many and how often they come. In the unfortunate event that you do capsize, make sure you know how to flip your kayak over and get back in. If not, you could be in a world of trouble. However… by following good kayaking etiquette, the trip to Kapapa will be much safer. Some basic, useful information about Kayaking can be found on www.topkayaker.net, click here to read about padding in Wind, Waves and Surf.

Stay safe and have fun… Questions??? Just Ask!!!

Aloha and mahalo nui for visiting… Come back again soon!