Open Water Data

Kaimana Beach (Sans Souci Beach)

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Data Sources
  • Enterococcus
    PASS 10mpn (single) Sun, May 17, 2026 at 1:32pm
  • Water Quality Status
    Passed tests Sun, May 17, 2026 at 1:32pm
  • Water Temperature
    27°C / 80.6°F (water) Tue, Apr 28, 2026 at 4:57pm
  • Air Temperature
    21.4°C / 70.5°F (air) Sun, May 24, 2026 at 6:00am
  • Wind
    32.8 - 44.4km/h ENE 63° Sun, May 24, 2026 at 6:00am
  • Light rain
    Light rain Sun, May 24, 2026 at 6:00am
  • Precipitation
    0mm Sun, May 24, 2026 at 6:00am
  • Air Visibility
    16km Sun, May 24, 2026 at 6:00am
  • Humidity
    83% Sun, May 24, 2026 at 6:00am

Photo by Pono Guerrero on Google Maps (Oct 2020)

Photo by Jonny Pants on Google Maps (Mar 2019)

Kaimana Beach, also known as Sans Souci Beach, is located next to the disrepair War Memorial Pool Natatorium on Oahu and the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel near Waikiki at the foot of the Diamond Head volcano and adjacent to Kapiolani park.  It is an extremely popular spot to sun tan and swim and is the start of the Waikiki Roughwater Swim and the Hawaiian Christmas Looong Distance Invitational Rough-H2O Swim.  It features a narrow channel out to the open ocean.

Many local residents consider Kaimana Beach one of the best family beaches in Waikiki.  Protected by a wide reef, the nearshore bottom is shallow, sandy, and free of strong currents.  Open ocean swimmers and kayakers also frequent the beach to access the waters beyond the reef through Kapua Channel, which also leads to Old Man’s, a popular surf site.

The beach is a frequent visit and pupping site for endangered Hawaiian monk seals, often resulting in temporary beach closures to protect the mother and pup during the 5-7 week nursing period.  Monk seals can give birth year-round, but the peak pupping season in Hawaii typically runs Mar-Aug.  Due to territorial behavior, specifically by the mother seal "Rocky" in 2022, officials enforce strict, large cordoned areas and advise staying at least 50-150 feet away.

The beach takes its name from the hotel, which was named for Kaimana Hila, or Diamond Head.  Kaimana Beach is also known to local residents as Sans Souci Beach, an old name that goes back to 1884 when Allen Herbert bought several acres of land here and opened a lodging house.  He named it Sans Souci, French for “without a care,” after the palace of Frederick the Great in Potsdam.

The description above is heavily based on Openwaterpedia.

Features

More Information