On a hot day, a dip in the Makapu’u tide pools feels amazing. Come with friends, bring drinks and snacks and spend a few hours hanging out on the rocks and swimming in the clear cool water.

We came out here a week ago and the swell was up. A strong swell means more water flows into the pools and the water was nice and clean. (If there hasn’t been a swell from the East in a while, you’ll see slimy algae in the pools.)

A strong swell also means you get a show. The waves crashing against the rock make for a great photo op.

Behold.

But keep an eye out. Every now and then a huge rogue wave will slam against the rocks. These folks (far right) know exactly what’s coming …

…the washing machine. Strong, confident swimmers will swim in the tide pools as the water rushes in for fun. Others hang on to the rocks for dear life.

When you decide you want retreat to the safety zone, you can stay up on the elevated rocks. This is a good place to keep your stuff so that it doesn’t get wet too.

From here you can enjoy your beer and cringe when a huge set comes in and wipes out your friends. (Please note that it’s probably illegal to drink alcohol here. And by “probably” I mean “definitely”.)

Tips:

• There’s no shade here so bring plenty of sunscreen. We all got burnt on this day. Reapply when you get to the pools as you probably sweat if off on the hike over.
• If you have goggles and a snorkel, bring that too. There’s fish in these pools.

See also:

• My original post on Makapu’u Tide Pools.