As Wanderlust Festivals make waves across the globe, it’s no wonder locations like Turtle Bay Resort make Wanderlust O’ahu a surfer’s wet dream. Both yogis and surfers appreciate and embrace the power of nature and the elements, have an innate ability to tune – in with and trust the universe and clearly understand that transformation comes through practice, practice, practice. Dudes, the time is now to ride the Wander-wave and find your true north.
Turtle Bay Resort: O’ahu’s Fabled North Shore
Photo courtesy of Turtle Bay Resort
If size does matter, these 840 acres of private land and year-round waves will keep you satisfied. Your wildest surf fantasy vacation is more accessible than you think. With unlimited waves and secret spots to choose from, you won’t have to leave the property to find personal wave space with a minimal lineup. Whether or not you are a passionate kook, star-struck by the history of the North Shore and legends past and present, prepare to be awed by Turtle Bay Resort’s surf culture and attention to detail like the wall-to-wall action photography and a Surfer Mag in every room. Since your're in Hawaii on an epic vacation, plan on splurging for some of Turtle Bay's fine dining options like the new Pa'akai Resturaurant. Surfers, you'll love the sea to table starters like the Hilmalayan Salt Block and entrees like the Duet of Seared Saikou Salmon and Ahi Tuna, an island party in your mouth.
Duet of Seared Saikuo Salmon and Ahi Tuna - Pa'akai Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Turtle Bay Resort
A lot can happen in four days
Planning your schedule is all part of the Wanderlust experience. Certain classes will just call out to you while others will just stir your curiosity. Take the time to pick and choose. A typical day at Wanderlust O’ahu starts at 7am so there is plenty of time for surf sessions, fuel and poolside chill time. If dating a yoga instructor speaks to you louder than surfing O’ahu’s famous North Shore waves, set your intention and see what the universe will deliver. Surfing, yoga and Hawaii’s North Shore are all sexy. It’s amazing what a warm water climate, killer surf resort and four day yoga festival can deliver. Expect the unexpected. They put the lust in Wanderlust for a reason, so feel free to ride it any which way you please. Write your own story because these four days will shake your chakras.
Timelapse produced by Wanderlust
Surf inspired yoga classes.
Yoga instructor / soul surfer / ocean worshipper Eoin Finn calls Ucluelet home when he’s not chasing waves and spreading his Blissology philosophy around the world. Blissology is his transformative, happiness-inducing style of yoga which includes busting 360s and getting barreled. Other instructors like Kris Karuna bring meditation and intention into our surf practice. Reminding us that it’s about the journey not the destination, Karuna brings us back to surfing’s playful, fun factor often lost in today’s competitive surf culture.
Soul Surfer Eoin Finn gets his class blissed out and limber for their next surf session
Lululemon Quiver
Time to table the truth guys. The amount of Lululemon luon you will witness at Wanderlust O’ahu will test your ability to focus inward. On one hand, your chatarangas may be super charged; on the other you may find the distraction a true test. DWDing (Finn’s short term for downward dog) and staying inward among a sea of mermaids in Lululemon luon, could possibly be your biggest challenge yet. Just as great thought is put into planning your quiver of surf boards or board shorts, Wanderlust ladies have put some love into planning their tropical luon quiver.
A sea of Lululemon clad Wanderlust O'ahu yogi's having a chill moment in Seane Corn's sunset class
Same sea of Lululemon clad yogi's embracing their surroundings in Seane Corn's same class
The local scene
Whether or not you stay at the coveted Turtle Bay Resort, plan on renting a car. A set of wheels will give you the freedom to enjoy the local North Shore scene on an intimate level, not to mention trips to the grocery store. Don’t forget your long lens, because the pro surf sessions that go down at Waimea Bay, Piepline and Sunset Beach will leave you star-struck. Then, hit the food trucks for some affordable gourmet grub. (Food by the way is super expensive in Hawaii) Chow down at the Thai Food Truck while local musicians strum mellow surf grooves and create the perfect chillaxed dining atmosphere. Life on the North Shore is simple and the people who live there are stoked. You may decide right then and there to join the trend, ditch your life plan and move to O’ahu. Too bad for us Canadians - it isn’t as easy as it is for our US counterparts to relocate to paradise on a whim.
Pipeline
Seaside Singsongs and Pumping DJ Sessions
All the beautiful people flock to the Wanderlust Festival grounds once the sun goes down. Whether it’s a beach party bonfire or a full DJ throwdown by Moby, don’t be surprised when you find yourself grooving with that hot hula dancer you eye-balled earlier on the beach. If you have your Wanderlust Festival pass, all the music is included. That’s reason enough right there to fork out and commit to the entire event. Music is a huge part of the Wanderlust Festival experience. It is right up there with yoga, food and the ocean. When daily yoga class options include Beastie Yoga with DJ Drez and MC Yogi, you know you are in for a real musical treat. Turtle Bay Resort lobby line-ups for late nights at Surfer, the bar are well worth the wait. Josh Sharp, Fel- Barr, DJ Drez and DJ HyFi are a few of the talents you can blame when you are a no-show at an early morning yoga class or surf session.
Saturday Night Moby DJ set 
MC Yogi and DJ Drez - Beatie Yoga class at Wanderlust O'ahu
Waves, waves and more waves
Dudes, it’s the North Shore of O’ahu! No matter what your level, there is a wave for you. Whether you are a beginner or advanced surfer, head to the Hans Hedemann Surf School at Turtle Bay Resort. Get to know the waves with an instructor first. Considering that the instructors are local surfers, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how genuinely stoked they are to paddle out with you, sharing all the tips needed to boost your confidence for the rest of your stay. Warning: in winter the waves are big and powerful so if it’s been a while since you’ve banked solid water time, you may want to ease into strengthening your paddle arms by staying on the inside of Kawela Bay. Then, when you’re ready you’ll be able to safely face some of the big, yet clean North Shore sets. Hans Hedemann offers a huge selection of epoxy board and lesson options. Pick and choose a different board daily and enjoy the comforts of surfing close to home. You are literally steps from the surf so you don’t need to leave the property….ever. Surfing on the resort property is a lot less daunting than heading out into the line-up with North Shore locals. Bottom line, let go of your ego. Sign up for a lesson and paddle out with a pro before you drop in. You’ll be glad you did. P.S. Don’t forget your GoPro. Friends won’t believe that you were ripping the same waves as big name local surfers without solid proof!
Beautiful People, inside and out
There is no testing the waters when it comes to the Wanderlust ladies. How often can you descend upon a 4 day festival complete with palm trees and tropical temperatures where beautiful women come from all over the world to gather, share and release? A plethora of emotionally open, confident and physically fit women and men gather for four days of barrels, beats and Buddha. Their intention is as clear as the ocean is blue. The mission is to let it go, play, hula, practice yoga, surf and spread the love. By the end of a super -charged Wanderlust day, the cosmic energy begins to build at Kulima Point (the mainstage) to end the day with a lovefest, a dance-off, a Blissology showdown, a happy transformation into a Hawaiian evening vibe where music, festivities and love take over Turtle Bay Resort. Pure Bliss.
Yoga is great cross-training for surfing
Simply said, surfers have been on the yoga bandwagon for years. The fluidity of yoga and surfing are the same. The range of motion and movement in yoga enables you to practice the balance, focus and patience needed to surf. Positions like upward dog, cobra, and warrior help strengthen the muscles used in pop-ups and paddling. Balancing poses help create the core strength needed to ride a wave.
Life can be compared to a wave. Having a clear focus, positive mindset and open heart will give you the inner strength needed to ride out any big waves life rolls at you without fear and to learn how to let the little mushy waves wash away without a worry. Wanderlust O’ahu makes it all too clear that surfing and yoga are a match made in the Hawaiian heavens. As Eoin Finn says, “the ocean lives within each of us”.
Grab your bros and get your butt to O’ahu where women, waves and the Wanderlust Festival will leave you with a perma-grin forever and ever. Namaste.
