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    Kaneohe Bay Sandbar

    4.8 (133 reviews)

    Kaneohe Bay Sandbar Photos

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    Arrived at the sandbar sunken at high tide - I am now between the town dock and Kapapa island (seen in the far right of the image)

    Here is my account of my kayaking trip to the sandbar. See accompanying pictures and videos. So, John at Go Bananas kayak rental strapped a long kayak with a skeg to my car. I drove off his parking lot, and arrived at the He'eia Kea Boat Harbor. On this windy and rainy day I launched off the Kaneohe Canoe Club towards where I thought the sandbar would be found. For my entire trip inching forward in that direction I was alone in the foreboding ocean, or rather they bay. But from my low vantage points, it looked as if I were in the middle of the deep ocean with breaking waves under me and dark clouds above me. John told me to aim for Kapapa Island, and he was right. Because as far as I could tell from my kayak it was just dark water all around me, except for that tiny speck of an island. All other boats I saw and thought to be tourist boats anchored at the sandbar all turned out to be decoys - they were docked so closed to shore in retrospect. Many a times I thought I'd reached the sandbar only to find empty boats in dark and deep water. Many more times I thought of turning back - it could be frightening being out there alone, even if I was prepared with all available safety devices. But I kept going. Then I sensed a change in water color. Shortly the sun poked its head out of the cloud. And magic happened. The sea all around me turned turquoise as soon as sunrays touched them, revealing that I was mere inches above sand now. I soon found a lone stand-up paddler lying supine on his board, drinking beer. I also ran into a birthday party dinning around a table half-submerged in water. Then Captain Bruce's boat showed up, dumping lots of merrymakers onto the sandbar. Now that I know the place, I would have no issues coming back again and finding it, next time. In some of the videos you will find dark clouds raining on entire towns, while I filmed the shore from the sandbar. That gives you a sense of how far the sandbar is from shore.

    Tubing (SO MUCH FUN!)
    Diana L.

    If you haven't already, you need to book the sandbar with this company ASAP. The best activity we've been on thus far. They have a bunch of things that you can do once you get to the sandbar but shout out to the band that was playing while we were headed there. Everybody was so kind so nice and I'm so glad that we took The time that we did because I felt like we had the whole boat to ourselves! I can go on and on about this entire event, but please make sure you experience it yourself. Be sure to get the activity with the tubing and banana tube.

    Lily D.

    Lucky we live Hawaii! Going to Kaneohe bay sandbar is so much fun especially at really low tide. I've had the pleasure of coming here twice (once through a chartered boat called captain Bruce and another with my friend on her boat). Its best to probably go early in the morning as the tide becomes higher during the afternoon. Although, it may just be waist deep but can still make a difference on your experience there. I've come here when it's pouring rain (but it doesn't really matter if you end up getting wet and snorkeling with the chartered boat anyway), and also came when it was cold and windy! nonetheless, it was still a great experience to even be there. Just be aware of your surroundings because there was loose dogs running around when we were there. The bottom of the sea can be a little rough on your feet as it is rocky, so maybe you can wear some water shoes if your feet is sensitive. Also watch for live coral and dont step on them either :) Make sure you bring sun screen, food, and water to hydrate throughout the day as you are out in the middle of the ocean. There is lots of parking at Heeia pier but about 3 hours long. Its probably best if you park on the street if you plan on staying longer than that. The 2 hour stalls next to the restaurant may not be the best option for you to park if you end up on a chartered tour because they will tow your car away.

    View
    Ruby S.

    Pristine ocean. High tide. Knee high to waist or chest high pending on height. Perfect for lounging, wading, running, and/or swimming. Great option for physical therapy. Reflection or inspiration. If you're lucky enough, you may spot a sea turtle bobbing for air or come very close to the surface of water. 360 degree view of beautiful mountains, private boats, rented pontoons, airplane flying above, kayaking, paddle boarding, kite flying, conversations, music, dancing, and making memories. We brought in our own food, nonalcoholic beverages, flotation devices, and trash bag. Malama or care for what you bring in and take opala or rubbish with you when you're done. Loved every minute of it! Will be back.

    Standing on the Sandbar in the middle of the ocean
    Lily Y.

    Went in the early morning if you want to swim in warmer waters, evenings seems to be cold in higher tide. Standing in the middle of the ocean on a sandbar and experienced for the first time to snorkel was so fun, especially with the very experienced captain and his crew guiding you the whole way through your experience. Best excursion ever if you're in Hawaii. Take a chance. Enjoy life!

    Catherine W.

    I'd recommend everyone who visits Hawaii make a stop at the Kaneohe sand bar. It really is a paradise there. Water is crystal clear and you could see the white sand and fish. Water is mostly calm and warm there until later afternoon. There're numerous turtles swimming and enjoying their afternoon. You could easily get some pictures or videos with them. Who doesn't want to spend a day there? You could kayak or paddleboard there but I think it takes 30 minutes or more and the water can be quite choppy so I don't think that would be an option for me. We were so lucky that our friend is in military and able to rent a boat to get to the sandbar. I read from other yelpers that you can also charter a boat. There were around 10-20 boats there when we arrived. Most of them were quiet, respectful and just enjoyed their good time. However a few groups were very inconsiderate and played loud music and screaming like they were by themselves. Please, if you are going to visit make sure you respect people around you. Mahalo.

    Hendrick L.

    Against my better judgement, I really shouldn't reveal this "secret" spot. The Kaneohe Sandbar is such a great spot to hang out. The sandbar is about a mile offshore. Once you're out there, you can stand around, sit, run around, etc. It looked like the most popular ways out there were: * kayaking out on your own * taking your boat out there * chartering a boat A few tips: * You're fully exposed, make sure you have water and a lot of sunblock * You can bring out "activities if you'd like - snorkeling, beach football, etc. Think of this has being on the beach by the water, except you're a mile off the coastline * Go early to avoid crowds * Check out the tide table to see when low / high tide are - while we were out there for a couple hours, the tide rose noticeably (we were still able to easily stand up) * If you kayak out, make sure to bring a dry bag and a weight you can hang off the side with a rope (if you want to save some money) * With a kayak, you're able to go all the way into the "inner" part of the sandbar - the larger boats hung on the outside areas where it is deeper * If you charter a boat, once nice benefit is that there will be shade (confirm with them) - that said, we went pretty early and didn't have a problem with the heat (probably because we were in the water and could just swim to cool off)

    Jolene L.

    I don't ever take things for granted. I'm especially thankful for this blessing of a place! I'm also especially thankful for my boat captain friends because without them, I wouldn't have had this breathtaking experience. Fortunate to have been here a few times now, all I can say is wow. So clean. So peaceful. So magical. It's therapeutic for sure. Whether you go for fun or relaxation, make it a point to respect. If at all possible, leave it better than how you found it. That way, others may enjoy this treasure for generations after us.

    Kaneohe Bay Sandbar on a Wednesday!
    Ang S.

    We just loveeeeee coming here. This time, I took the boat out from 8am-12pm, and it was a tad breezy with some clouds (tide seemed a bit higher too), but equally gorgeous. We went on Sunday, so the sandbar was packed - way too many boats anchored close to each other. Upsetting that one boat decided to anchor right in front of us - must be a new coxswain. I believe going between 12pm-4pm is better since the sun is brighter and waters look bluer, but you'll see the same amount of marine life. We saw two huge sea turtles come up for air this time and we were so ecstatic!! Best times ever here with our family!!!!

    something surreal about sitting on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean
    Kaliko P.

    K-Bay sandbar may be THE prettiest ocean sandbar in the entire USA. I say that because I've watched videos of sandbars in Florida and river sandbars in Lake Tahoe and elsewhere and nothing looks as nice as the one in Kaneohe; the one in Miami had greenish water and you could see the high-rises behind you (not pretty); the one in Islamorada had thousands of people on them partying, drinking and peeing all up in the water that you'd probably get a rash from on your legs and arms from the sheer, massive amount of human urine due to being surround by beer-guzzling, party-going people blasting loud music that you absolutely hate. K-bay did have a few of those "people" by the way; party folk who were so intent on blasting offensive, racial and sexually explicit music super loud so that EVERYONE could hear and approve of their hateful music. I feel like kidnapping all of them and putting them in an elevator, dressed in polyester suits and make them listen to Barry Manilow on half-speed. Or maybe kidnap them, tie them to trees and make them listen to my son's attempt at flute solos. Aside from those inconsiderate people and minor inconvenience, it truly was an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. The water was crystal clear, it was clean and cool despite the sun's rays hitting the water that was so shallow it was ankle-deep. There were a few Portuguese Man Of War (PMOs) floating around, so we promptly avoided those (hint: blue looking pretty things that look like bubbles with long tentacles). We didn't see any other wild life, aside from those party animals with gold umbrellas and tent. HOW TO GET HERE: rent a Kayak from Holokai Kayak right across the bay (see my other review); it only take 30 minutes at the most to kayak out to the sand bar. I've never kayaked in my life and I made it just fine. You can charter a boat to take you out, or if you are military, rent a boat from Kaneohe Marine Corps. I've seen stand-up paddlers going out to the sandbar - kudo's to them. AVOID: obviously, the party animals. Look for: tents, gold umbrellas, unicorn-shaped floaties. Also avoid the tourist areas because they blast by with jet skis (they are only supposed to stay in a designated area but two of them blasted by us on a no-jetski zone). Also avoid the PMOs. Avoid going on Memorial Day, July 4th or any other 3-day weekend unless you are into the party atmosphere with lots of crowds (and pee). BEST TIME TO GO: weekdays, for sure. Check the tide chart, you don't want to rent kayaks only to be find the water is deep when you get to the submerged sand bar. I heard it never truly gets totally submerged, but it may be a difference between waist-high and ankle-deep. What I would do differently next time: take way more food and drinks. Stay away from human wildlife. Put on WAY more sunscreen - like my Yelpy friend Toni says, how in the world can you give the K-Bay Sandbar negative ratings for getting sunburned - are you serious?!?! I would have also invested in a submergible pouch to put my cell phone in for underwater photo-ops (my GoPro Hero 5 is a POS that quit working after about 30 uses); there were some super-strange 'real' wildlife called Conspicuous Sea Cucumbers along the reef and shallower parts of the bay that I wanted photos of (not at the sandbar, though). I would definitely go out again, maybe this time in a boat, so I can haul tents and gold umbrellas and blast my Barry Manilow.

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    1 year ago

    Love coming to this sandbar. The reef you can swim is perfect. I saw multiple sea turtles and one even high fived me. So crazy!!!

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    1 year ago

    Had a great time here with my friends and all the kiddos. Staff went above and beyond for our families to have a good time. Kids loved it.

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    3 years ago

    Always a fun time. One time I seen one shark, but nevah bite me cuz I nevah touch da private pahts yessah

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    4 years ago

    Out there for a day. Lovely views, calm waters what's not to like. Water was mostly thigh high where we were.

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    Kaneohe Bay Sandbar Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kaneohe Bay Sandbar

    What's the youngest allowed? Our son is 1yr old

    There are no age restrictions that I saw at the sandbar. As long as your son can stay on the kayak (if you row out) or the boat operator allows him to go, he should be fine. Depending on the depth of the water at the specific time of day you are… Read more

    What's the best / affordable company to rent a kayak from for the day?

    What is the best way to get to the sandbar? Self kayak or group boat?

    Kayaking is better if you like to be active, as sometimes it's physically demanding depending on wind. Group boat if you're not confident in your kayaking abilities!

    Where can we pay someone to take us?

    Kaneohe bay ocean adventure has a bunch of options to get you out there

    Is there any other way to get to the sandbar aside from using a boat?

    kayak or paddleboard

    How much people can fit in the boat and what are the prices?

    You need to be military to rent a boat from the marine core base & get a boat license which is a simple test but also includes a test run taking the boat out. It fits 8- 10 people on the pontoon.… Read more

    Can you bring pets?

    military boat rental allows pets on Boston whaler and 12 person pontoon

    View All 10 Questions

    Review Highlights - Kaneohe Bay Sandbar

    Check the tide table before heading out to the Kaneohe Sandbar so you know in advance if it's high or low tide.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Kaneohe Beach Park

    Kaneohe Beach Park

    2.8
    (6 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    Date of visit: July 23, 2023…read more Parking: A small lot with free parking Offerings: View of the ocean Small playground Restrooms Picnic tables Wild chickens Experience: After getting food from Foodland, one of our friends decided to have us go here to sit down and eat. I did not know what to expect, so it was nice rolling up to a small park by the beach and being also perplexed by why there were so many chickens roaming around. Definitely had my Disney princess share of having chickens surround us while we sat down during such a beautiful, but windy day by the shoreline. Once we were done eating, some of us explored by the water and took pictures by a tree that was hanging over the edge of the water. It was a good teaser for us for the rest of the trip when it came to how the beaches would be and got me excited to see what other adventures were in store for us from this moment on since it was our first day there.

    Great local park with a small playground, access to the ocean, bathrooms and parking. The view of…read morethe ocean is absolutely beautiful and it was not crowded when I went on a Sunday afternoon. Minus stars because there are a lot of chickens and birds that will hover around you when you have food. Also, the grass was very rocky and uncomfortable to lay down on even with a beach towel. I would bring a yoga or workout mat to lay down on the next time! I love that it's only a short drive from places like Foodland, Gotz grinds and other local spots with great food!

    Photos
    July 2025...
    July 2025...
    Kaneohe Beach Park
    4.8.26

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    4.8.26
    Kailua Beach Park

    Kailua Beach Park

    4.8
    (187 reviews)
    6.9 mi

    Lanikai Beach showed up with full attitude -- wind whipping, rain coming sideways, and that Kailua…read morecold that makes you question your life choices for a second. But honestly... it still turned into one of the most fun regatta days ever. The water was wild but exciting, the energy was high, and the crews were out there grinding like the weather didn't even matter. Between the races, the laughs, the chaos, and the "we really doing this in the rain" moments, it became one of those days you remember because it wasn't perfect...it was real. Even soaked, freezing, and fighting the wind, Lanikai still gave those postcard views and that classic Kailua blue. And somehow, the tougher the weather got, the more fun the day became. That's regatta life. If you want a beach that tests you but still gives you a good time, Lanikai on a regatta day is exactly that.

    Sand between my toes and the ocean with beautiful shades of blue to view. Such a refreshing time,…read morethat was a great start to my day. Not crowded at all and it was a clean beach with easy accessibility to restrooms. Lifeguard was on duty and ready to save lives or help when needed. I will say that there are not that many shaded areas, but me and my friends were lucky enough to find shade underneath one of few trees that were along the beach. We brought our own lawn chairs from our hotel. But plenty of people brought their own umbrellas, tents, and other beach fun items. Weather was great, but there were rip current warning signs everywhere, so it was good to know that they want visitors to the beach to be cautious. I would recommend this beach for a visit. Easy 10/10 experience.

    Photos
    Kailua Beach Park
    Catching fish off the beach
    Catching fish off the beach
    Kailua Beach Park

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    Kailua Beach Adventures

    Kailua Beach Adventures

    4.8
    (1.9k reviews)
    6.8 mi

    We book the guided Kayak excursion to The Mokes on every trip to Oahu. We enjoy the exercise,…read moreviews, and different experiences with the different guides on every trip. Even though we have done this excursion many times, there's always a twist. On our latest adventure, we got to see five monk seals, with two of them playing in the ocean like little puppies. We had a good group and had time to do extra things on this trip. Our guide, Tupre, made it a fun and interesting tour, throwing in historical and additional wildlife information. This experience solidified our decision to book Kailua Beach Adventures on our next trip to Oahu.

    This kayaking company offers guided half and full day tours to the Mokulua Islands and also offers…read morekayak rentals so you can no go on your own. It's located across the street from Kailua Beach Park. You have to cart your own kayak from the rental shop to the beach shore where you'll meet your guide. We were in a group of six and one guide. They have single and double kayaks. The guided tour provides life vests, dry bags, snorkels, water bottles, and lunch. The trip to the island took us approximately 1.5 hours maybe a bit more to Kayak the 2.3 miles due to strong head winds. It was faster on the return trip. We even had time to stop on flat island. This is one of my favorite activities to do while on Oahu. I love the scenic views heading to the "Mokes" and I love the views looking toward Oahu while out on the water. It's such a magical kayaking adventure. The island is a bird sanctuary and if you go at the right time you'll see nesting birds and if you are lucky, you'll see the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. We saw three (maybe four, not sure if one was the same one that swam to a different spot) on Moku Nui and one on Popoi'a Island sandbar. If you are adventurous and have the stamina and strength to kayak, I highly recommend this tour for you! Our guide Two-pre was the best!!! He told us that the tour we were on was his 400th!!

    Photos
    Kailua Beach Adventures
    Looking over Kailua from Popoi'a island
    Looking over Kailua from Popoi'a island
    View at the Mokes

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    View at the Mokes

    Kaneohe Bay Sandbar - beaches - Updated June 2026

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