OCC ON THE WATER
➥ It’s where the most popular open-ocean swimming happens. It’s the access to the most beloved surf spots. It’s the entry and exit for all the one-mans and canoes. “I guess you could say it’s a superhighway for all the ocean-open sports that we love doing here in Hawai‘i,” said Sam Clemens, Beach Services Supervisor, who’s been watching members come in and out of it—and using it for his own recreational purposes—for 25 years. Sam continued, “Castle’s [also known by its Hawaiian name, Kalehuawehe] on the way outside is one of the premier waves accessible by the Kapua Channel. It’s the wave that Duke [Kahanamoku] rode for more than a mile, all the way to Royal Hawaiian.” And though it can often be calm waters, a place to run into fellow ocean enthusiasts to ask “how is it out there?,” there are times the channel can be di¸cult to navigate. “Of course, you have to be mindful of the current out there. Any time there’s significant surf coming in, all that water has to go back out, and because the water takes the path of least resistance, it’s going out through the Kapua Channel,” Sam cautions. The name Kapua also refers to the land area where locals come to access Waikīkī, and the wa- ters just o of it had long been loved by Hawaiian ali‘i. The particular surf spot Kapua (now known as Old Man’s) has significance dating back to the early 1800s during the days of Queen Ka‘ahuma- nu and King Kamehameha. (To learn more about The Kapua Channel is one of the most frequented channels on the South Shore, and it’s right outside the Club’s door.
20 AMA | JULY / AUGUST 2022 20 AMA | July / august 2022
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