"Lele Kawa" means cliff jumping into a pool of water. It was a sport that was turned into a test to show loyalty back in King Kahekili's time and has been a part of our Hawaiian culture dating as far back as in the 1800's. One of Kahekili's favorite spots to jump off from is "Black Rock" in Ka'anapali. Back then it was a 200ft climb to the top of a cliff. He would jump into the ocean from the cliffs. Local people still go there to jump.
We have been teaching our son's to "lele kawa" or jump off the cliff into water recently. For some reason they learned to jump before they learned to really swim. Because of this interest, we have been enjoying nature and visiting a few swimming ponds here and there. One is our favorite pond in the I'ao Stream.
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| I'ao Stream |
Another pond that we haven't gone to in a long while since they were a lot younger would be Honopou Stream. It's on a side road on the way to Hana. It's a very quiet pond off the beaten path sort of saying. It's not very crowded here but people do come and go. From the top of the stream looking down to the pond it is maybe a 20 to 30 foot drop. The pond itself is nice and deep.
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| Honopou Stream |
The cool thing about jumping off cliffs and learning is everyone that does jump likes to help encourage the young ones to overcome their fear. The uncles, aunties, and friends love to give their own tips as well. It's a happy accomplishment when you actually overcome that fear. It can also become an addiction as I've noticed.
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| Honopou jumping |
Every now and then depending on the spot you may find a few tourists that have wondered off the path and found their way to one of the hidden ponds. After watching a bit sometimes they even join in on the thrill as well. All in All it is fun to either watch or jump.
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