Pokai Bay Beach Park

I’m a huge fan of this little beach park. It’s rarely crowded, the water is calm, and it’s safe. There’s a lifeguard stand, for those worried about water accidents. The beach is very clean and there’s plenty of space on the grass for picnics and barbecues. North of the wall, the water is close to still and easily handled by those that can’t swim well. There’s also a small playground for kids.
On the downside, the restrooms could use more upkeep.
While many of the west side beaches get a bad rap for homeless people and rowdy locals, I’ve always felt safe at this beach park. I’ve always seen lots of families and even some tourists occupying the beach.
Overall, this is a little gem of a beach park. For what I like to do at the beach (laze in the water and then soak up some sun), it’s just about perfect.

Absolutely love this beach park. There are three sections to this bay, going from very calm to normal waves. The calm section is protected by a rock wall, which also makes the water warmer. A lovely place for a family, with adjacent playground and bathrooms, good parking. Enter thru Wainae Valley Rd.

Growing up we would always go to this beach and honestly I hated going to this beach, because it would make me itchy and it was dirty but my goodness it has changed. The water is so nice, not itchy, beach is clean, lots of parking. It’s an ideal area for family events, picnics or even for a quick dip in the water. And the great thing about this place is its not rough so the kids and people who can’t swim well will enjoy as well!

This quickly became one of my favorite beaches on Oahu. If you go early and get parking, you’ll have a lovely day here. The water is so clear and pretty. Since it’s a bay, the water is super calm. We did stand up paddleboarding here and it’s the perfect place for it. You can also just swim or enjoy the sun on the sand. There’s shower stations to wash off and bathrooms too. This is a local beach so little to no tourists, an added benefit. Not to mention the beautiful Waianae mountains as scenery. Definitely a hidden treasure.

This is a very calm, relaxing beach. The sunset here is amazing. The breeze and waves are calm the evening we visited.

What a beautiful blessing it is to get to visit this beach. When we went we only wanted to see the sunset, so we decided to go to Waianea. Minute we stepped foot on the sand of this beach, it was amazingly soft. As we walked our way closer to the shore, we noticed how much aloha this beach has. From kids playing to family gatherings filled with love, laughter and good ol times. We had an great time watching the sunset, it was pure beauty. This beach is also surrounded by mountains. We will definitely be back to enjoy some fun in the sun. As far as people being afraid of coming to west side of Oahu, it really is not bad at all. It’s like anywhere you go in Hawaii, you are welcomed and treated like Ohana.

For my 200^th review, I figured it fitting I finally rate my favorite beach on O’ahu. It’s hard for me to put into words why I like Poka’i Bay so much, but whenever I get the chance to come here I feel so comfortable and happy.
Located in Waianae on the west side of the island, there are many great places to eat very close by. This entire area has a small town local feel. It’s hot and sunny.
Poka’i Bay Beach Park is right off the only main road, so it’s very easy to find. There is ample parking no matter when you arrive, most of it shady. The beach itself is a thick crescent with plenty of space to lay down, bring groups, or play beach games. The bay is small and protected from strong currents, so it’s a nice place to swim and wade; this makes it nice for children and people who don’t want to deal with strong waves. The surrounding topography is what always does it for me: the tall green and brown mountains behind, outcroppings looking north along the road, and beautiful blue ocean to the west. The beach park has restrooms, outdoor showers, and other facilities. I especially like the peninsula with volcanic rock ruins in the center; it’s a great place to take panoramas and get a view of just how beautiful this island really is.
My favorite thing is this beach is never crowded, I always feel like it’s just locals having a family relaxation day. This is a must-​stop beach on a tour of the island.

This beach is good for families wanting to pop up a canopy, bring some drinks and some food to BBQ while spending the day frolicking in the water and sunbathing. You can set up on the grass near the sand and see your kids swimming and they can just run back and forth to grab a sip of something cold or to pop a snack in their mouth.
You shouldn’t have any problems finding this beach because it’s easily accessible through several streets off the main freeway. I like to enter through Waianae Valley Road. There is also tons of parking.
The water is shallow and calm enough for the keiki to play in near the shoreline. However, there is a drop which is not too far out from shore. So even though there’s a lifeguard on duty, you might wanna make sure to keep a constant watchful eye on the little ones that can’t swim.

Poka’i Bay Beach Park… it’s a great place for relaxation, a wonderful place to hold family picnics, or even celebrating the life of a loved one.
The morning hours on certain weekdays there would be a group gathering for AA meetings. I witnessed this several times after getting off of grave shift at a 24 hour convenience store and I just need to relax.
The few mornings that I have been to Poka’i Bay I would do one or all of the following:
1) take a walk along the beach
2) sit on one of the swings and see how high I can go (don’t know if the park still has the swings or not)
3) sit at one of the tables and start writing in my composition book
4) find a spot under the tree and just take a short nap.
You might be wondering «why don’t you go for a swim?» My answer is «I have never taken up swimming lessons and when I did try to learn to swim in a pool someone grabbed my leg and I almost drowned.». The one time I did go into the waters of Poka’i Bay many years ago I came out of the water covered in hives. Never again have I stepped foot into the waters at Poka’i Bay Beach Park.
My visits to Poka’i Bay Beach Park is more for relaxation and people watching. Watching the children play, watching the dogs with their owners, and watching the individuals enjoying the beach.
One thing I really love about Poka’i Bay Beach Park is that it is within walking distance to both L&L Drive Inn and Barbeque Kai. In case you are hungry… just walk on towards either eateries to grab breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A person can access the Pilila’au Army Recreation Center when walking westbound of the beach.

Great beach park to have party’s no big waves good the kids just kick back environment

Since I just moved to the west side, Waianae to be exact, I am getting tanner and tanner! It is so dang hot! I’m such a city girl, and I am not used to that kind of heat! The first day in Waianae, I started having really bad headaches and even a nose bleed! Now, a week into the town, I am so used to it!
I am glad to have Pokai bay right outside my house! I recently went diving there on Sunday (⁹⁄₂₂) and it was beautiful! About 50 feet out from the shore, there is a major drop, I could see monsters below me!
my brother seen a fat Uhu, but he couldnt get it because he didn’t bring his spear gun with him. He was so upset!
We ended up just catching weke, and eating it for dinner.
This is a great beach for keiki becuase it is nice and calm.
Showers are extremely cold, so bring towels for the babies!

this beach is pretty nice place to swim and catch some sun. i never stopped at this beach because I’m always on the main road but I can see why people drive this far if they don’t live on the west side. I was just shocked at the amount of children left unattended. I guess that is not the beaches fault, or is it? well this is one of many dope westside beaches. enjoy oahu!

Tourists go home. You make this beach crowded. Locals pick up after yourselves you make this beach dirty. Homeless pick up after yourselves, your dog’s doo doo, leash your unruly dogs and quit doing drugs!

Yes it is far, but it is a very beautiful beach. I was very pleased with the natural splendor and views that were to be had at Pokai Bay Beach Park. My wife and I were looking for a new beach to enjoy the post Iselle sunshine and we decided to make the trek to the west side. We don’t make it out there much, and we couldn’t think of anything better to do.
The park itself is very big with tons of amenities. There were bathrooms, showers, lifeguards, grassy areas, lots of sand, lots of trees and shade, and plenty of parking. The services that are at this beach cannot be ridiculed. One of the downsides, and I know this may be a personal taste thing, was the large amount of people that were there. We went on a Sunday morning/​afternoon and the beach crowd was enormous. I heard so many conflicting radio stations, screaming kids, splashing, and beach games going on around me that it was hard at times to just enjoy the beach. Minus these things, this beach was close to perfect. I would recommend this beach to anyone looking for a west side beach on Oahu who doesn’t mind the drive.

Beautiful beach on the west side. Not crowded and totally worth the drive. Like coming for a couple hours in the AM, then grabbing lunch at Coquitos down the road.
The beach is in a crescent cove shape with calm waters for the kiddos to splash around in, watch out though, the sand gets super hot!
Enjoy pristine teal waters with the backdrop of sky scraping mountains.

If you find yourself on the West side of Oahu or looking for something secluded and quaint, stop by Pokai Bay Beach Park!
i got a recommendation from a friend who did a review of this «perfect beach» to go and check it out. She was right! It’s not a vast beach as Yokohama Beach, in fact it’s an intimate bay that’s protected by a jetty. The water starts out shallow and deepens rather quickly. On any given day, you will see a boat anchored in the bay. The shore and swim area is protected by markers and rest assured, it’s safe for kayaks, floaters and SUPs. We actually got to see turtles in the bay and off in the distance, a whale breeching and waving aloha!
There’s tons of parking, bathroom facility, lifeguards, grassy areas to picnic on and tons of fine sand to bask in after a frolic in the water. The water was so inviting… shame on us for NOT bringing our beach stuff with us.
We explored the area to the left of the bay and found some awesome fishing spots and some beautiful tide pools and even a miniature rock bridge. I can only assume that the entire rocky area left of the lagoon (the one not restricted for fishing) IS a popular fishing spot. I’ve nicknamed this area the «headstones» because there are numerous plaques there commemorating a loved one. My imagination runs wild when I wonder what would compel someone to put up a plaque out there — other than it was a favorite spot for their deceased loved one. There is a restricted fishing area near the jetty however there were many people fishing off the the left side of the bay.
I also noted a few homeless tents set up near the water as well as overflowing trashcans. It seems they are tucked away from the general population but it was as if we were intruding on their space as we explored the area. If not for the homeless in the area, i would probably have rated this beach five stars, however it is what it is and I can’t overlook that.
This IS a beautiful beach with safe, flat water and a mountain range in the distance. We’re already planning our next trip out there — this time with swimming stuff with us.

This is a dang near perfect beach. It’s not crowded or busy. There’s places to easily find parking. There are clean bathrooms as well as showers to rinse the sand off. It’s absolutely gorgeous. You have the beautiful beach and the huge mountains in the background with an occasional rainbow in the sky behind them that make for a great postcard! You have the option of paddle boarding or kayaking in the calm bay or catching some waves beyond the rocks. Sunset café is also in close walking proximity if you want to grab an appetizer or drink. Although a portion of it is on military property, you can still get past the gates with appropriate ID. If you are military, they have some cute ocean front cottages for dirt cheap to rent.
There is fishing available, but I believe it’s catch and release only. The kids, and I’ll admit I like it too, like to climb the rocks at the end and jump off! Just don’t dive off because it’s not as deep as you think. A lot of families hang out here so it’s a good place to bring kids. The waves in the bay aren’t strong so smaller kids can enjoy themselves without their parents staying on edge the whole time. We paddle board and surf all day, then grill at night. We will be frequenting this beach more often.

I’ve always loved pokai bay. It’s the closest beach to my house and whenever I’m in the mood to ride my bike, be alone, enjoy a good book next to the beach, or take my little tiny dog on an adventure, I opt for this beach.
It’s guaranteed to be flat and calm. You can always swim, paddle board, kayak, or snorkel (although there isn’t too much to see here opposed to other beaches along the west coast).
Most times I bring my neon green flotation tube or my air-​pumped «bed» and just hang in the waters, let the breeze and current take me where ever it pleases and enjoy the wonder of nature.
I’ve seen quite a bit of turtles here, snorkeled near v’s and horseshoes, and found a dead fish with a horn once – creepy!
I cleaned this beach for a community service project when I was in high school and it was disgusting how much trash there was – needles, beer bottles, plastic etc. I love this beach but I wish people had the courtesy to clean up after themselves… and their pets! Saw a guy once just cover his dogs massive poop with sand. Gross!
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoy this beach!

An attractive and clean beach park. The surf is rather benign here, courtesy of surrounding jetties and the fact that the park is inside a cove. Well, maybe the surf isn’t that benign, because a rogue wave slapped JP but good as he was walking below the seawall, destroying the iPhone in his pocket (and heretofore, I wondered if perhaps iPhones might be waterproof).
If you are interested, you can rent paddleboards and kayaks on the beach. Also, a boat from a nearby marina provides a dolphin-​watching service.
The beach itself is just okay. While the sand is your typical Pacific Coast ecru tint, there is this thing where the surf brings in white rocks that will bump into your ankles, sometimes rather harshly, as the ebb tide takes the rocks back out. Also, the beach slopes fairly sharply from the seawall to the water, so lying out on the beach might be a little problematic.

This beach is off the beaten path, about 30 – 40 minutes drive from downtown Waikiki. Definitely worth the drive (if you have a car) if you’re looking for powdery-​soft sand, blue waters, a secluded beach, and ample parking! Coming to this beach was definitely a nice change from the crowded, hustle-​and-​bustle of Waikiki.
The drive along Farrington Highway is nice, long and scenic… But you kind of get the feeling of, am I there yet? And when you get there… You’re left in awe of the beauty of the place. Calm, blue waters — perfect for swimming — what more can you ask for? On weekdays (when I went) it was not crowded at all… There were mostly locals either swimming, sunbathing, or teaching their kids or grandchildren how to swim. It was really a wonderful sight to see families flock here and spend quality time at the beach.
Parking is free, which is great. Ample parking for all… And if not there are plenty of side streets.
5 stars! Aloha!