Is Brennecke's Beach open?
Advisory
Brennecke's Beach has an advisory. 1 official notice names it, checked Oct 28, 3:01 pm HST. Details
Weather Service alert
Weather
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Air temp
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UV index
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Surf
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Water temp
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Sunrise and sunset
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Brennecke's Beach in 3D
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Drag to spin · Blue P: parking · White line: walk to the sand · Heights doubled; waves are for illustration, not a surf report ·
Known hazards
“a 10- to 15-foot tiger shark was sighted in waters off Brennecke’s Beach on Saturday afternoon.”County of Kauaʻi (Ocean Safety Bureau), 2024-10-19
Closures and alerts
Closures and advisories
- Brown Water Advisory at Po'ipu Beach Pavilion, Kaua‘i.
Official alerts
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Conditions
Surf
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Weather
Tide
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Parking and access
Parking
A few roadside stalls on Hoʻone Road right behind the beach. They fill early. The free Poʻipū Beach Park lot off Hoʻowili Road is a few minutes' walk west, with overflow along Hoʻone Road. Restaurant and condo lots nearby are not beach parking.
Getting to the sand
The sand sits just below Hoʻone Road, a few steps from the roadside. From the Poʻipū Beach Park lot, walk east along the park and Hoʻone Road, past the rocky point at the park's east end.
Lifeguard
Not guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau doesn't list a lifeguard tower here.
About Brennecke's Beach
Brennecke's Beach is a small pocket of sand on Kauaʻi's South Shore in Poʻipū, at the east end of Poʻipū Beach Park where Hoʻone Road runs along the shore. It is named for Dr. Marvin Brennecke, a longtime Kauaʻi plantation doctor who built a small beach house above the sand in 1936. Brennecke's Beach Broiler sits across the road, and the park's lawn, restrooms and showers are a short walk west past a low rocky point.
The beach is known for bodyboarding and bodysurfing in a shorebreak that breaks hard and close to the sand. State rules ban surfboards and paipo boards in the nearshore waters, leaving them to bodyboarders and bodysurfers. Hurricane ʻIwa in 1982 reshaped the break, pulled sand offshore and destroyed the Brennecke house; Hurricane ʻIniki in 1992 stripped the sand again, and the County later removed an old seawall and trucked in sand. The beach has no lifeguard tower of its own.
Brennecke's Beach (also called Brennecke Beach) is a beach on Kauaʻi’s South Shore, on the south-facing coast. No County lifeguard tower covers it. Its surf follows the National Weather Service forecast for South-facing shores, and its tides follow NOAA’s Nawiliwili station. Facilities: restrooms.
Questions
Is Brennecke's Beach open?
The top of this page shows any closure or advisory that the County of Kauaʻi, the State (DLNR) or the Hawaiʻi Department of Health has posted for Brennecke's Beach. We check every 3 hours. If our last check is more than a day old, it says “Status unknown” instead of guessing.
Where is Brennecke's Beach, and how do you get there?
Brennecke's Beach is on Kauaʻi’s South Shore. Its public access point is at GPS 21.87310, -159.45140. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.
Is there a lifeguard at Brennecke's Beach?
No. Brennecke's Beach has no County lifeguard tower. The nearest guarded beach is the place to ask about conditions.
Where do you park for Brennecke's Beach?
A few roadside stalls on Hoʻone Road right behind the beach. They fill early. The free Poʻipū Beach Park lot off Hoʻowili Road is a few minutes' walk west, with overflow along Hoʻone Road. Restaurant and condo lots nearby are not beach parking.
Does Brennecke's Beach have bathrooms?
Yes. The County lists comfort stations (public restrooms) there. Showers aren’t on the County’s list. Source: County of Kauaʻi Parks.
Can you swim at Brennecke's Beach?
That changes day to day with the surf, and this site doesn't make that call. Check the South-facing surf range above, any alerts, and a lifeguard at the nearest guarded beach. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at hawaiibeachsafety.com.
Report conditions
Just there? Tell us what you found. Reports never change this page by themselves.
Sources
- Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR, Hawaiʻi Department of Health
- Surf, weather and alerts: National Weather Service Honolulu
- Tides: NOAA station 1611400
- Parking lots on the map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sources last checked October 26, 2026.