It's a hoof down the cliffs and most schools won't take you there because it's a bit shallow but on a calm, clear day there is alway surf at the base of Diamond Head and the waves are extremely mellow. I was out recently (as my Mobile Post allow can attest) and caught a lovely day with 1-2 foot waves. On the inside scads of soft-top newbies tooled around in the whitewash, just getting used the pitch and roll of the sport. Lather up as the sun is mega-intense and you might want to try reef booties to protect the footsies. But keep this place in mind if you want to get slightly less crowds than Waikiki and don't mind shallow water with some sharp reefs (not that sharp, really).

—Alex, 02/19/08