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Kaena Point

Kaena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of land on the island of Oahu. The point can be reached by foot from both the south (Waianae Coast) and the north (Mokulēia) coastlines; walking in from the north side is recommended. An unimproved track extends some three miles along the coast from the end of the paved road on the north side, where a gate prevents entry of all except authorized vehicles.

On the south side, at Kaena State Park, a paved road passes a beach before terminating into an unpaved road. It continues for a few miles, after which the road is washed out, and further travel must be on foot. It is not possible to travel around the point in a vehicle as the route is better described as a "path" in most places, and is lined on one side with a cliff and on the other with lava rocks which are quite capable of damaging vehicles. The path is completely washed out in one place on the South side of the point and a rope helps hikers traverse the gap.

In Hawaiian, kaena means 'the heat'. The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele who accompanied her from Kahiki. The State of Hawaii has designated the point as a Natural Area Reserve to protect the fragile (to vehicular traffic), native strand vegetation still abundant there.

Kaena Point is, literally, a spear-shaped protrusion into the Pacific Ocean. Some ancient Hawaiian folklore states that Kaena Point is the "jumping-off" point for souls leaving this world.

During the winter months, Oahu's North Shore is typically bombarded by large, powerful waves that attract surfers from around the world. It is rumored that Kaena Point typically has waves (up to 15 meters in height) larger than those at Waimea Bay, one of Oahu's world-famous surfing locations. This has not been confirmed; however, during the famous "Swell Of The Century" in 1969 and on the day of Greg Noll's famous wave at Mākaha, Greg himself took a picture of a gigantic wave breaking at Kaena Point. Until "Biggest Wednesday" on 28 January 1998 (when professional surfer Ken Bradshaw was photographed riding a wave with a reported 85-foot face,) it was believed that Noll's picture showed the largest wave ever photographed. During that famous swell in January 1998, several persons reported seeing waves with 60-80 foot faces at Kaena Point.

Despite these reports, Kaena Point does not have the popularity with surfers of other North Shore locations. Kaena Point is located in a very remote area with no direct paved road access and no rescue capabilities. Additionally, the Point's geography results in undertows, dangerous rip currents and other hazardous ocean conditions that make any water activity highly dangerous.