Honl's Beach
Kailua-Kona, HI
Honl's Beach sits along Alii Drive about a mile south of the Kailua Pier, a small, rocky bottomed cove that's earned an outsized reputation as the birthplace of the modern boogie board. A local inventor shaped the first ones just across the street, and the summer bodyboard contest here still draws a crowd every year.
A real piece of surf history that locals take pride in, but the rocky bottom and current make it a spot for experienced bodyboarders more than casual swimmers.
How we score beachesThis isn't a swimming beach in the usual sense. Rent a board from one of the shops along Alii Drive if you want to actually get in the water here, current permitting.
Roadside parking and a small lot along Alii Drive serve the beach, tight but usually available outside of contest weekends.
A short set of steps and a sandy path connect the road to the beach, not a long walk, though the entry into the water is rocky.
Summer brings the biggest swells and the best bodyboarding conditions, with contest season timed around it. Winter can bring choppier, less predictable surf.
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