Maui revealed the ultimate guidebook 2012

So when they say 2 ft waves, it means the distance from the top of the wave to the bottom is 4 feet, which should be pretty safe. Keep in mind that in Hawaii, unlike the mainland, the real height of the surf is used, which is half of the size of the wave face, and even then it is often underestimated. Huge waves donРІР‚в„ўt come when the surf is nearly flat, but if there is any kind of moderate surf, much larger РІР‚СљrogueРІР‚Сњ waves occasionally arrive. If you want to visit these pools, or just go into the ocean in general, checking the surf report is mandatory (even in Summer, on rare occasions there is large surf). There are numerous surf reports you can call or find on the internet, and they are pretty reliable.

Note that almost all of the tragic posts are dated during other times of the year РІР‚вЂњ especially November-April. It is rare to have any kind of large surf on Maui during the summer РІР‚вЂњ June-early September. It also goes without saying that visiting this site after drinking alcohol and using other substances would definitely put your odds in the favor of tragedy. Even then, put down the phone, camera, drone РІР‚вЂњ whatever the distraction РІР‚вЂњ and pay attention to your surroundings. The place is definitely worth seeing, albeit, with sufficient distance between you and calm sea. IРІР‚в„ўm an adventurous person, but IРІР‚в„ўm also a nurse trust me, IРІР‚в„ўve seen enough to be very good at weighing risk vs reward. I could definitely see how any kind of large wave could result in death or serious injuryРІР‚В¦ even if you get knocked over mid-pool, those lava rocks would make for a really traumatic landing and / or surface to slide acrossРІР‚В¦ and then there are the countless bacteria in the ocean that are ready and willing to make sure you remember for a long, long time. We would definitely go back to the pools in the future, however, only people with a death-wish or delusions of invincibility would stand anywhere near those rocks close to the waterРІР‚в„ўs edge. As there were (again) no other cars or people around, we opted to drive on by and avoid the destruction of our rental. We did drive past the pools a few years later when we came back to maui again and I will definitely confirm that there was shattered glass all over the parking pull off. Needless to say, we found the adventure we were looking for. Seriously, I looked down out the passenger window as we passed a car and only saw straight down no road, no grass, no dirt, just DOWN (I really hope they have upgraded that road by now!). Dont get me wrong РІР‚вЂњ it was gorgeous and something I will always remember РІР‚вЂњ but I did hightail it out of said bowlРІР‚В¦ only to later encounter the super-long, narrow, one-lane, cliff-side road with two-dirrection traffic and no guard rail. ItРІР‚в„ўs definitely a bit horrifying to realize youРІР‚в„ўre standing in a giant bowl and have no idea when or if itРІР‚в„ўs about to fill up. I honestly dont remember the РІР‚СљpoolsРІР‚Сњ being quite so largeРІР‚В¦ but what I do remember is trekking down the cliff-side, hopscotching my way across various puddles, and climbing up a large rock at the far end of the pool to get a better lookРІР‚В¦ and being met with a sea-swell that was nearly at eye level. When we went nobody was there, however, we did go during the РІР‚Сљoff seasonРІР‚Сњ and it was a lot more difficult to to find interesting places without the convenience of todayРІР‚в„ўs version of google maps. We had been out on a scenic drive (looking for a bit adventure, as we were 18 and 21 at the time) and just happened to see a small parking spot and a dirt path leading toward the ocean. My husband and I went here back in July 2004 РІР‚вЂњ though I didnt even know it had a name at the time, let alone that it may be some kind of popular attraction. Strong currents and the jagged rock assure the ocean will be very difficult to escape from.Р”ВonРІР‚в„ўt judge safe actions by what others are doing РІР‚вЂњ virtually no one you will see here now knows more than you do after reading this article and the comments. Since this attraction was made popular, too many people have died or been severely injured here when swept out from the edges of this lava finger. If you are washed into the open ocean in this location, chances of survival are slim for even the strongest of swimmers.Р”Р„lso quite important to note is that the lava walls close to where the waves break are always unsafe no matter how it may appear РІР‚вЂњ individual large waves come up even in otherwise calm seas unexpectedly here. If waves are crashing into the pools with any force at all, definitely do not enter the pools (no matter what everyone else is doing.) Even if most waves appear as if they would not sweep you out, be aware that bigger waves come in sets that can be spaced very far apart. Sound-bite: РІР‚СљMy car got broken into!РІР‚Сњ Be Very Careful Here Terrain on the short hike is unforgiving to those who are not sure-footed.

In a nutshell: Dramatic, swimmable tidepools located on barren lava along the oceanРІР‚в„ўs edge on the back-side of West Maui.

Maui revealed the ultimate guidebook 2012