Best Oahu Adventures

Back to OahuThe Best Adventures

Soar in Silence in a Glider: Soaring through silence on gossamer-like wings with a panoramic view of Oahu is an unforgettable experience. Glider rides are available at Dillingham Air Field, in Mokuleia, on Oahu's North Shore. The glider is towed behind a plane; at the right altitude, the tow is dropped, and you (and the glider pilot) are left to soar in the thermals.

Surf Waikiki in a Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe: It's summertime and there's a South Pacific swell rolling into Waikiki from Tahiti; here's your chance to try surfing -- in a Hawaiian outrigger canoe. Numerous beach concessions on Waikiki Beach offer the chance to paddle an outrigger canoe and surf back into Waikiki. Not only do you get a great view of the beach from offshore, but the thrill of actually catching a wave and gliding back into shore.

Float on the Thermals on a Tandem Hang Glider: See things from a bird's-eye view (literally) as you and an instructor float high above Oahu on a tandem hang glider.

Leap into the Ocean: Even though all the signs say DANGEROUS, STAY OFF THE ROCKS, a favorite pastime on Oahu is climbing the stone precipice at Waimea Beach Park and leaping into the ocean. This is for experienced swimmers in summer only, as the thundering winter waves drive everyone from the sea, except the professional surfers and the very, very stupid.

Venture into the Deep: It's Hawaii -- you have to see what's under the waves. Try scuba diving; you can enjoy a "scuba experience" with absolutely no previous diving experience. Here's your opportunity to glide weightlessly through the ocean while you admire the multicolored marine creatures.

Eyeball-to-eyeball with a Shark: You're 4 miles out from land, which is just a speck on the horizon, with hundreds of feet of open ocean. Suddenly from out of the blue depths a shape emerges: the sleek, pale shadow of a 6-foot-long gray reef shark, followed quickly by a couple of 10-foot-long Galápagos sharks. Within a few heartbeats, you're surrounded by sharks on all sides. Do you panic? No, you are on the North Shore Shark Adventure.

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