most winter days in Hawaii is still the perfect summer day ... and you would think it is summer until you go to the beach.  it is the rhythm of the ocean that will tell you what season it is.  the waves are rockin'!!  there are lots of surfing competitions, which are so fun to watch.  on Oahu, they're all (or mostly) done on the North Shore ... add that to your to-do this if you come out during the winter time.


but when I say rockin' I don't mean its so awesome and I had a great time.  NO.  I mean, those waves are HUGE and get ready to be thrown around ... if you can handle it.


I am not a strong swimmer.  I know how to swim but I don't have much experience, especially in the ocean.  my swimming lessons were done in a lake, where its caaaaaaaalm.  the only think I worried about what was possibly swimming in there with me - think river monster.


there is usually a spot on the beach where its calmer; a place where its still ok to take the kids to chase the waves around.  today there was a calmer entry point, but still, not for kids.  I was with a new-to-Hawaii neighbor, and of course she wanted to go in.  so we did.

the first few set of waves, we did good.  Sam even came in, but he got tossed around a little too much and left.   then the big ones came ... I don't know how big, but from my perspective, they were huge.


I thought if I went under deep enough, I wouldn't get slammed hardly at all ... SO. NOT. TRUE.


look at these pictures.  can you imagine being in that?!  try to image this wave coming down on you.

so glad I made it out alive.  writing this, 6 hours later, I can still feel it.  I didn't get physically hurt - thank you God - but I feel that crashing wave on/in my body the same way I can feel those nicer, softer, just-hang-out-swimming waves that are during the summer.  you know what I mean?

it only takes one wave ... I am so much smaller than the power of that water.  it demands respect.


lesson learned.