Going to be be staying around Hapuna Beach on the Big Island the 1st week of April and hope to get a daily open water swim in and some good runs. I would appreciate any advice about the area and the water cond.
Are there any organized swims or runs in the area or is anyone interested in joining me for some sessions?
Also would be interested in some cool trail runs, either up north or around the volcanoes.
In order to keep the family peace the bike has to stay home.
Hapuna is where the swim for IM 70.3 is held. It’s a beautiful swim in June, I would assume in April as well. Have fun.
Great swimming in Hapuna year-round…as long as the schools of Tiger Sharks stay away (very rare…they close the beach). I don’t know of any organized swims there.
The volcanoes are several hours away by car. I don’t know of too many running trails other than the petroglyph walks but I’ve never researched them. Maybe try Googling “Trail Running Kohala Coast” Have fun.
I was just there last week. It was gorgeous. I didn’t run around there, but had some great swims. If you have a rental car, get down to the pier in Kona as well. I saw tons of fishies and had a lot of fun.
No need for a wetsuit, it should go without saying.
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thanks guys
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It’s a great place to swim and hang out. My son and I saw a girl get stung by a Portuguese Man-O-War there though. Very scarce but keep your eyes open. I swam right by it and never saw it until she screamed out.
water is generally very calm in the early morning to about 9-10am.
in the afternoon the swells/current picks up a bit and measurably so.
beautiful clear water, perfect for open water swimming, but not much sea life at all to examine.
beach is very safe, shouldn’t be a huge issue leaving a small backpack with transition gear - but obviously do so at your own risk.
suncreen a must.
also, if you are not local HI resident it’s 5 bucks to park but shouldn’t be hard to find parking in the morning.
nice showers/facilities for afterwards. go grab a smoothie at the shops near Mauna Lani afterwards or a shave ice at the gas station at Kawaihae.
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Contact Bike Works in Kona for any organized runs, swims, etc. They are going to be busy this weekend with Lavaman over there but that should clear out by they time you get there.
Hapuna is a great place to swim. If the south swell picks up (rare now, but could happen) you could get some pretty big waves over there. Make friends with the life guards and ask about conditions before you get in. Check in with them before and after you swim and they will keep an eye on you when you go out. Especially since you will be swimming solo. If you bring a bag of gear, place it right at the base of the LG stand when you go say Hi. (out of their way of course)
Running in that area will be HOT as hell so make sure you are prepared with plenty of water. There is none along the Queen K so plan wisely. Hapuna down to Muana Lani is about 5 ish miles (If I remember from the 70.3 bike portion). Once you get the Mauna Lani you turn right and it’s another mile to water (Foodland).
Enjoy.
Denise
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some good points, thanks
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There’s a very good, very hot, very challenging run right out of Hapuna Beach Park. From the upper parking lot, go South (right if you’re facing the Highway) on Old Puako Road, which is more of a hilly, gnarly, paved trail than anything else. Old Puako Road is pretty gnarly, no shade and lots of short, steep climbs. Run on that road for a couple of miles until you get to Puako Beach Dr, where you take a right. You can then run along that road for several miles until it dead ends at Holoholokai Beach Park Road. Puako Beach Drive runs through the small town of Puako, where there are a few small shops if you want or need to stop. If you run all the way to the end of the road, it’s about 6 or 7 miles (a 12 or 14 mile round trip), if memory serves me right. Of course, it’s an out-and-back so you can do as much or as little as you want. And if you want more, you can always turn left on Holoholokai Road and head towards the Fairmont, which is the host hotel for Honu 70.3. You can do a big loop past there, onto Kaniku Rd, left on Mauna Lani, up to the Queen K, then run north back to Hapuna, if you really want to put in some miles in the heat.
Hapuna can have some very gnarly shorebreak and odd currents if there’s a big enough swell from the North. Don’t be afraid to ask the lifeguards or locals about water conditions.
Enjoy. It’s one of my favorite areas in the world.
I’ve seen lots of sea life on the north end, near hotel. Great snorkeling in the morning.
Aloha!
Big Island resident and first post on the forum (long-time lurker)…happy that you’ll be coming to visit soon.
Hapuna is excellent for swimming if you hit it first thing in the morning before the trade winds kick in. It’s still great later in the day, just a bit choppy (or a lot choppy depending on how stiff the winds are). It’s where I do the majority of my swim training, and is about .9mi for a out and back. No need to worry about surf or currents (waves are here with NW winter swells Nov.-Feb.). Really accessible white sand, as compared to most other “beaches” here that have mostly lava rock entrances. You can park outside of the “parking area” and save your $5 if you’re concerned about that kind of thing. Another great sandy-entrance swim is Anaehoomalu Bay (Lavaman course) around the Hilton and Mariott properties a few miles south of Hapuna - there’s definitely more marine life and corals, etc… there than at Hapuna.
As for organized runs…not so much. Bike Works does organize rides throughout the week, but not runs. You may want to contact Big Island Running Company in Kona, not sure if they put anything like that out there. That run from Hapuna through Puako mentioned earlier is great (about 8mi roundtrip), and you can continue onwards from there if you run through the beach park at the end - it’ll take you on to the Orchid/Mauna Lani property (where most of the 70.3 run course is). It can be pretty scorching hot, especially if there’s no wind, so plan accordingly. As for cooler, inland runs…check out Mana Rd. up in Waimea. It’s a one lane paved to gravel road that winds through gorgeous Waimea countryside…you can go as long as you want and eventually end up on the slopes of Mauna Kea. Volcano runs are great as well, but it is on the whole other side of the island (approx. 3 hrs drive) - lots to explore over there.
I’ll be training for the 70.3 then - feel free to shoot a msg and maybe we could get in a run or two, if you don’t mind going slow 
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2 weeks ago I ran with Big Island Running Company they have evening and saturday morning runs - but right from their storefront in Kona
I took my sons to Hapuna - but we played in the waves (later in the day)
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808Nation, thanks for the local info. I’ll be up for a run or swim. will msg you next wknd