Hawaii - summer vs winter

[ER_Hopeful]

toying with the idea of taking a 3-month hiatus and go live in HI. We've only been to the islands during summer times, how is it during the winter? is it windier/bigger waves? will be going with my wife. teenage daughters will probably join us for a couple weeks.


We like activities on the water (snorkeling, kayaking, etc) and easy to moderate hiking.



what are some good options for short term lodging and getting a car?

[skyking1]

Which island?
One of the new members here has several airbnbs on his coffee farm in Kona. That is what we are going to do next time.
If it was Kauai, I would be looking at Hanalei. It is by no means the least expensive, but it captured the essence of the island for us.
I don't care for all the people and hustle of Oahu, but the north shore area is appealing.
I have never been to Maui so no idea there.

[ER_Hopeful]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyking1 Which island? One of the new members here has several airbnbs on his coffee farm in Kona. That is what we are going to do next time. If it was Kauai, I would be looking at Hanalei. It is by no means the least expensive, but it captured the essence of the island for us. I don't care for all the people and hustle of Oahu, but the north shore area is appealing. I have never been to Maui so no idea there.

haven't decided on any specific island yet, maybe a)split the time between Maui and Big Island or b) stay at Big Island and do a week trip to Maui and Kauai. Looking for ideas basically.



(been to Oahu/Maui/Big Island but not Kauai yet.)

[skyking1]

Kauai is really cool IMO. You can get off to a quiet corner and really wind down. Look up Captain Sundown on Hanalei, he sails out of there with a big catamaran to the Na Pali coast.
All the power boats motor around from the south end to get there. Sure, cheaper. Cooler? Not a chance. hours of motoring along with the diesel fume possibilities, rough seas etc.
You ride out in small boats to the sailboat anchored in the magical Hanalei Bay. He drops a pair of big honda outboards and motors out, and catches the almost constant wind and picks up the hondas and off you go. You are at the Na Pali in an hour or less.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...ai_Hawaii.html

[pacergal]

We've been to the Hawaiian islands during all four seasons, and visited Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii.
Our experience is that the weather generally is pleasant year around. Did have a big wind and rain storm on Kauai once, lasted a day but pretty much kept us in the condo.
We have visited just before Christmas, during June, July, in February, in September.
Each island has so many wonderful things to do and see, it really depends on what you are looking for.

[audreyh1]

North shores on all islands pretty rough water in winter, no?

[Bamaman]

I've been to virtually all the islands. I can say that Kailua is perhaps the most beautiful place I've ever seen. We spent our honeymoon at Kapalua Bay Resort on Maui, and it was great.
One close friend I Facebook all the time has lived on Oahu since 1977 and not worn shoes or been back to the Mainland in all these years. We visited him last time we were on Hawaii.
They were unusually cool for a few weeks this winter. Since many don't have a/c, August is usually the most uncomfortable month. I would say their weather is about as good as it gets, however it can be rainy late afternoons.
If you get the chance to spend 3 months there, go for it.

[ScoopKona]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 North shores on all islands pretty rough water in winter, no?

It can be. The big waves are typically farther out -- farther than anyone is going to go when snorkeling.

Except for surfers, the only real difference between the summer and winter is five degrees.

Unless there's a storm in the area, the weather forecast where I live is the same every day, with a five-degree swing in average temperatures.

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER_Hopeful toying with the idea of taking a 3-month hiatus and go live in HI. We've only been to the islands during summer times, how is it during the winter? is it windier/bigger waves? will be going with my wife. teenage daughters will probably join us for a couple weeks. We like activities on the water (snorkeling, kayaking, etc) and easy to moderate hiking. what are some good options for short term lodging and getting a car?

Housing: No expert, but there are some B&Bs and other options besides "tourist hotels." Likely, they will not be "cheap." Probably need to do a lot of research and I'd call whoever you plan to stay with. If you "hit the lottery" you might find someone who would let you stay free if you water the plants and feed the cats, etc. It does happen that way occasionally. We let folks stay in our apartment free if we know them or they have association with our church. We had a whole wedding party here once when one of our friends daughter was getting married and we were on mainland.

I strongly recommend a series of books written by Andrew Doughty. These books (for most Islands) will help you decide which island is most in line with your desire for activities.

Weather: Heh, heh, we joke that the difference between summer and winter is 5 degrees F (but, of course, that's average.) We still laugh when we see folks running around in winter with down coats (of course, they were still wearing their shorts and flip/flops.) We wear shorts and T-shirts year round. My experience with weather is that August is hot but late sept./early Oct. can be the worst time on Windward Oahu. I've never seen it so warm at the same time it was continuously raining sheets. Good news, all you have to do is gain altitude to beat the heat. We primarily measure our weather by the Trade Winds. When they are blowing, it is pleasant. When they stop, it can get too warm. Winds out of the south (Kona winds) may blow VOG - volcanic smoke - from Big Island up the Island chain. I always get a sore throat from VOG. Mostly, I just don't worry about the weather - heh, heh, unless there's a hurricane brewing.

Waves are primarily driven by storms up in the Aleutians. They occur in winter so that's when all the surf championships are run. In summer, the North Shore water may be glassy. Oh, and Hurricane season is June through November.

Cars: Car rentals are improving but are still outrageously expensive in comparison to pre-Covid. For 3 months, I'd consider buying a used car and selling it when you leave though that would be a hassle. YMMV

[ScoopKona]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau Cars: Car rentals are improving but are still outrageously expensive in comparison to pre-Covid. For 3 months, I'd consider buying a used car and selling it when you leave though that would be a hassle. YMMV

I completely agree with buying a used car and selling it after three months.

If the Big Island hydrogen plan is delayed (as everything here tends to be delayed), I would absolutely buy that used car if it's something useful at a coffee farm -- 4x4 or pickup. I technically have a car here. It's been such a pain since shipping it over than I'm almost willing to drop a match into the gas tank.