There are a few spots on Oahu that are close to Honolulu, but don't really get the tourist traffic. One of the local favorites is called Sandy Beach, or "Sandys". 

If I could paint a picture of what a Hawaiian beach should look like, it would look a lot like Sandys.  Fine light colored sand, palm trees, ocean in 5 shades of blue, crashing waves, surfers, boogie boarders, skim boarders, tan bodies and the smell of cooking food in the air.

At the same time Sandy's makes me feel very haole.  Walking down the beach, I felt like people had to squint from the reflection off my lily-white skin.  I'm sure the local boys picked me out as a tourist.

 The surfable waves break out on a reef, but the shore break is ridden by the boogie boarders and body surfers.  I've never seen waves break on the shore the way they do at Sandys.  The stack up 4-6 feet high and crash on bare sand, which makes for pretty hardcore body surfing.  I got pulled over the falls a few times and held against bottom- and I was only there taking pictures.