As stated in my previous post, I was told by a local Hawaiian* to never “go swim Sandy Beach.” I heeded this advice; I never went. The beach’s nickname is “Breakneck” and it isn’t a joke; the shoreline dropoff is incredibly sudden and steep. People who get caught in waves right at this spot end up killed or literally paralyzed from broken necks. You may see some surfers here, and the beach park is a nice place for a picnic, but Oahu has so many wonderful beaches I can’t recommend this one for swimming or snorkeling. I would even avoid wading because the structure of the beach exacerbates rip currents and other dangers. To me, it just doesn’t seem worth it. If you want to swim, choose another beach.

*Cultural Lesson: a “local” is someone who has lived in Hawaii, born and raised. “kama’aina” can be used to refer to someone currently living in Hawaii, but not for long enough to count as “local”. People who live in the state are never referred to as “Hawaiian”; “Hawaiian” is taken to mean kanaka maoli, a Native Hawaiian. Don’t call a local “Hawaiian” if you don’t know whether they are indigenous or not; it will help you avoid annoying the innocent.