Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend

And by diamonds I mean Diamond Head, of course, named for the way the rocks glitter in the sun. This is my kind of sparkle. Have I mentioned how much I love paddleboarding…?

Chris was supposed to get underway last week but got delayed—wahoo! Three day weekend! In honor of Discoverer’s Day we explored the well-charted waters of Waikiki via paddleboard. Isaac paddled himself the whole time! He was so fun to watch. He sat most of the time, which didn’t slow him down at all.

The water on Oahu leeward side is SO FLAT AND EASY compared to the beaches near us! We zipped from Fort Debussy down past a few reefs and shore breaks to the iconic beaches in front of the pink Royal Hawaiian and stately Moana Surfrider hotels, got (terrible) shave ice (and delicious fries), practiced shakas in front of the Duke statue, then paddled back out to the sea turtles.

Chris was paddling along, minding his own business between frequent dunks in the drink, when the hugest sea turtle he’s ever seen swam right underneath his board. Turtle heads popped up left and right all around Eloise and me, but none as close or as big as the one Chris saw.

Isaac only fell off his board once, and I think it was because he was trying to surf. I didn’t fall at all, because my balance is awesome…and I have a three-year-old board stabilizer. Chris basically went swimming. It’s not because being tall gives him a balancing disadvantage, he just likes swimming with turtles, ok? It’s fun!

So here’s what we discovered: Parking in the Fort Debussy lot is very convenient for a flat walk to the water while toting boards (parking validation for military at the Hale Koa or pool), where to get awful shave ice, where the sea turtles swim off the coast (everywhere-ish), and which reef break to avoid because there is an underwater cave of harmless, five-foot black-tip sharks. The fear lives on.