cal85;842709023 said:
My son lives in Oahu and I've seen lots of people get in trouble at Makapu'u. People just don't know how dangerous the surf is and how you REALLY have to pay attention to the waves. He is in the water about 6 days a week and even he got into trouble one time at Makapu'u with the rip. He was on a boogie board and a lifeguard swam out. When he got to him, the lifeguard needed a rest before they swam back in together. If you want a nice calm beach go to Lanikai
I used to live in Kailua, and boogie boarded at Makapuu all the time (Sandy Beach much less because the shorebreak there is psycho). The tide further out was called the Molokai Express. You get caught in that, you turn up on Molokai a couple of days later, not alive.
And I lived about a quarter mile from Lanikai. One of the most beautiful, and underused, beaches I've ever seen. If you're going to Oahu soon, check it out.
On a side note, remember that "Stairway to Heaven" lawsuit, alleging that the song was stolen from a 60s band called Spirit? The members of Spirit were all accomplished surfers; it's how they originally met. Randy California, their genius guitarist and composer of the song in question, died in 1997 in a riptide off Molokai, rescuing his son.
Hawaii currents are nothing to mess with. Though the rewards outweigh the risks, just be very aware.