Hidden Surf Oasis On The Big Island

Hawaii is known world round for it’s modest weather, aloha spirit and epic surf. Many surfers think of Oahu, Kauai, and Maui as a great place to visit and catch some sets. There’s no doubt that each of these islands hold their own when it comes to surfing, but there is another fun and welcoming place to paddle out on the Big Island’s east-side.

Isaac Hale Beach Park is known to locals as Pohoiki and is located at the edge of Pohoiki Bay, in the Puna district of the Big Island. A place once notorious for a rough crowd and unfriendly surf scene, has blossomed into a great family beach park built for the people.

You won’t find a white sand beach along this volcanic reef edging the bay, but you will find 9 breaks to choose from. The waves continue year-round, and though sometimes small, You can drop-in almost every day of the year. When the swell hits look out! Experts only at this point. You’ll find a spot to surf no matter what your skill level is. Beginners go to First Bay and hard-core surfers love Bowls on a good day.

The boat ramp is full of laughing children and families who are occasionally removed for a boat coming or going. There is a mini pool to the side of the boat dock that has a rock wall barrier, ideal for the babies. There is also a small hot pond nestled in the trees.

You’ll find most the amenities you need in the newly built park. There are new restrooms, several showers, and a nice camping lawn. Permit is required to camp. The street, once lined with tarp houses and beer cans, is now a smooth sidewalk traveled by loads of skate boarders. The weekends bring food and ice cream vendors. This is “The” spot to kickback, catch some waves or BBQ some grinds.

There are a few things to remember when visiting Pohoiki. As with any place in Hawaii, please respect the people and the land. Drive slow, there are a lot of children skating in the road. Throw your rubbish and recycling in the bins, and most of all, play hard and enjoy your stay!

Surf Shots Pohoiki

Links:
Pohoiki Surf Forecast
http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Pohoiki.shtml
Isaac Hale (Pohoiki), Beach Park, Puna
http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/parks/isaachale.htm

read the full article »

Hidden Surf Oasis On The Big Island

Hawaii is known world round for it’s modest weather, aloha spirit and epic surf. Many surfers think of Oahu, Kauai, and Maui as a great place to visit and catch some sets. There’s no doubt that each of these islands hold their own when it comes to surfing, but there is another fun and welcoming place to paddle out on the Big Island’s east-side.

Isaac Hale Beach Park is known to locals as Pohoiki and is located at the edge of Pohoiki Bay, in the Puna district of the Big Island. A place once notorious for a rough crowd and unfriendly surf scene, has blossomed into a great family beach park built for the people.

You won’t find a white sand beach along this volcanic reef edging the bay, but you will find 9 breaks to choose from. The waves continue year-round, and though sometimes small, You can drop-in almost every day of the year. When the swell hits look out! Experts only at this point. You’ll find a spot to surf no matter what your skill level is. Beginners go to First Bay and hard-core surfers love Bowls on a good day.

The boat ramp is full of laughing children and families who are occasionally removed for a boat coming or going. There is a mini pool to the side of the boat dock that has a rock wall barrier, ideal for the babies. There is also a small hot pond nestled in the trees.

You’ll find most the amenities you need in the newly built park. There are new restrooms, several showers, and a nice camping lawn. Permit is required to camp. The street, once lined with tarp houses and beer cans, is now a smooth sidewalk traveled by loads of skate boarders. The weekends bring food and ice cream vendors. This is “The” spot to kickback, catch some waves or BBQ some grinds.

There are a few things to remember when visiting Pohoiki. As with any place in Hawaii, please respect the people and the land. Drive slow, there are a lot of children skating in the road. Throw your rubbish and recycling in the bins, and most of all, play hard and enjoy your stay!

Surf Shots Pohoiki

Links:
Pohoiki Surf Forecast
http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Pohoiki.shtml
Isaac Hale (Pohoiki), Beach Park, Puna
http://www.co.hawaii.hi.us/parks/isaachale.htm

read the full article »

Got Rubbish? Give It A Second Life

Have you ever wondered where all the trash in Hawaii ends up? Well, It isn’t a pretty sight when it comes to the overwhelming amount of rubbish the islands produce. The state is constantly trying to come up with new and innovative ways to deal with the problem, yet there is a serious issue that all the residents complain about that could really help the issue at hand.

With out proper recycling centers in most of Hawaii’s communities, many residents leave perfectly good wares and appliances in hopes that someone in need will pick them up, take them home and put them to good use. Sounds simple enough right? It is actually not as easy as one may think. The way stations employ security guards to make sure nothing gets taken. If you try to remove an item from the dump you are likely to be yelled at or even arrested.

The Big Island has created a recycle center, on the Hilo side, where residents can drop re-usable items that will be re-sold by the center’s employees for a sometimes hefty price. A used desk, falling apart, cracks and mold included will sell for $20-$50. Most people “shopping” here cannot afford these kinds of prices. The employees set prices themselves and are not willing to negotiate. Many Big Island residents are in an up-roar about this. They feel everything at the recycle center is someone’s trash and should be free to anyone who needs it.

If Hawaii really needs to take action, when it comes to cleaning up their waste, wouldn’t it seem reasonable to let people freely re-use and recycle the things that have made their way to the dump? As awareness surrounding the issue becomes more mainstream, many people are turning to craigslist, a free online classified website, to place adds offering unwanted items for free.

The bottom line is if you leave items at the dump hoping someone will “score” it, you are wrong. If you care about the environment and really want to make a difference, take a few extra minutes to offer the item to someone for FREE. It really helps and it will save you an extra trip to the dump!

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Hawaii Foods Delivering Nutrition With Aloha

Attention Hawaii food lovers! Have you ever wanted to know what the nutritional values were in the food you eat? Maybe you’re looking to eat a little healthier and wanted to know just how good or bad a certain type of food was. If you answered yes to those questions or perhaps you’re just curious about nutritional values and wanting to start a healthy diet, then we might have just found a great new tool to help you along the way.

This past weekend I was introduced to a great project, started last fall, that’s taking place at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The project, named “Hawaii Foods”, was developed by several members of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at the University of Hawaii and is a collaboration with the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii (CRCH).

The goal of Hawaii Foods is to assist those in Hawaii in making a healthier choice in the selection of foods in their diet. While there may exist other tools out there to help in making a dietary choice, in Hawaii it sometimes becomes difficult in using those for local foods, due to the wide diversity in the population which leads to a culturally influenced food selection. Hawaii Foods emphasizes on those selections that may not be commonly consumed in other areas of the United States and this is what makes it unique. While it is very helpful to those in the islands, it can also be helpful to others around the world who may want to try some unique foods that are so common to us in Hawaii.

“Because the foods eaten in Hawaii reflect the cultural range of its people, this website contains nutrient information on foods typically found in Western, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other “local” diets. It is an evolving resource, as nutrient data, recipes, publications, photos, and other information are continually being added to the databases.“

Current options available to help you make healthier dietary choices:

• Food/Ingredient Search
• Browse By Food Group
• My Diet (also known as Pacific Tracker or “PacTrac”) dietary assessment tool
• Discover Recipes, Publications, Links

Try out Hawaii Foods and start your healthy diet today!

read the full article »

Hawaii Foods Delivering Nutrition With Aloha

Attention Hawaii food lovers! Have you ever wanted to know what the nutritional values were in the food you eat? Maybe you’re looking to eat a little healthier and wanted to know just how good or bad a certain type of food was. If you answered yes to those questions or perhaps you’re just curious about nutritional values and wanting to start a healthy diet, then we might have just found a great new tool to help you along the way.

This past weekend I was introduced to a great project, started last fall, that’s taking place at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The project, named “Hawaii Foods”, was developed by several members of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) at the University of Hawaii and is a collaboration with the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii (CRCH).

The goal of Hawaii Foods is to assist those in Hawaii in making a healthier choice in the selection of foods in their diet. While there may exist other tools out there to help in making a dietary choice, in Hawaii it sometimes becomes difficult in using those for local foods, due to the wide diversity in the population which leads to a culturally influenced food selection. Hawaii Foods emphasizes on those selections that may not be commonly consumed in other areas of the United States and this is what makes it unique. While it is very helpful to those in the islands, it can also be helpful to others around the world who may want to try some unique foods that are so common to us in Hawaii.

“Because the foods eaten in Hawaii reflect the cultural range of its people, this website contains nutrient information on foods typically found in Western, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other “local” diets. It is an evolving resource, as nutrient data, recipes, publications, photos, and other information are continually being added to the databases.“

Current options available to help you make healthier dietary choices:

• Food/Ingredient Search
• Browse By Food Group
• My Diet (also known as Pacific Tracker or “PacTrac”) dietary assessment tool
• Discover Recipes, Publications, Links

Try out Hawaii Foods and start your healthy diet today!

read the full article »