Walking on Water: Kaneohe Sandbar

Recently, we had the best location for a shoot. Ever.

Envision a quarter mile stretch of sand, a private beach in low tide floating in the middle of a tropical bay. On one side, the Koolau mountain range, on the other, the horizon. It’s the “Kaneohe Sandbar” on the Windward side of Oahu.

We were there before dawn, cameras poised and talent ready to go. It was one of those moments when you look around and realize that you live in a place others only dream of visiting.

At the lowest tide, the Sandbar looks like a beach without an edge. Seen under the Hawaiian sun, it becomes a brilliant white island of sand surrounded by a spectrum of blues ranging from aqua to indigo. While we were there, the tide ranged from about 8 inches deep to a foot. High tide is about thigh high.

There are tours to the Sandbar, some better than others. Most depart from Kaneohe Bay with a brief 10-minute ride. If you can, find a friend who has a boat so you can pack a picnic and stay awhile. Some people even bring canopy tents. Yes, seriously.

By the time we left the Sandbar, the kite boarders and tour boats were anchoring along the edges, but even with others around, it feels as if it belongs to only you.

Mahalo to Skimso, Steve Nohara and Juuuuj for these images.