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Spitting Cave Cliff Jumping Spot on Oahu, Hawaii

Spitting Cave Cliff Jumping Spot on Oahu, Hawaii

Nestled in the beautiful neighborhood of Portlock on the southeast coast of Oahu, Hawaii is a huge cliff jump. Known as Spitting Cave, the location is one of the coolest spots to chill at even if you don’t like cliff-jumping. I went there over ten times and never jumped. Spitting Cave is also a very popular sunset spot and a grab place to end the day.

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A GUIDE TO SPITTING CAVE ON OAHU

In this blog post, I will share a few quick pointers about what to expect, how to get there, safely cliff jumping, ideal conditions, whale watching, and sunset conditions.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT SPITTING CAVE

The cliffs are similar to China Walls, which is just around the corner. However, everything at Spitting Cave is on a large grander scale. A small inlet feeds into a cave in the cliffs below and as the pressure builds inside the cave with each ebb and flows the water bursts out with huge force. On days with rough conditions in the ocean, the blasts from the cave are phenomenal. If you like this spot, you should check my guide to cliff jumping on Oahu.

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HOW TO GET TO SPITTING CAVE ON OAHU

The exact location is a little bit of a maze to get to. It’s on google maps, which makes life easy. When you arrive at the location on google maps. You will see a small little alley in between two houses leading out towards the ocean. I guarantee you will be blown away by the view once you reach the end of my valley. It’s one of my favorite spots on Oahu!

 

CLIFF JUMPING AT SPITTING CAVE

The cliffs drop down about 70 feet into the water although some ledges make it possible to jump in from lower. The landing zone is wide enough but still quite narrow. On a clear day, you can easily see the rock and reef edges. However, often the big swell is rough and you need to land smack bang in the middle.

Once you hit the water, getting out is the next difficulty. Scrambling up the rocks is often difficult in big waves and a few scrapes are par for the course at this spot. Climbing back up the rock wall is possible with good climbing skills and the use of a few installed ropes.

I often went down to Spitting Cave and watched a few locals who were on the dive team from the University of Hawaii. These guys were competitive divers and would gracefully launch into multiple flips before producing no-splash landings. Often they would purposefully wait for the surge of water from the Spitting Cave to blast out so they could land on it.

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I’ve seen these guys who are expert-level but also recreational thrill-seekers making the jump. I think before I go any further it’s important to know the spot. I would never head to a spot like this without someone who knows the conditions, where to land, and the safety precautions. The water is often quite turbid so you cannot see where rocks are beneath the surface.

Waimea Bay also has a jump rock perfect for an adrenaline rush that isn’t quite as crazy as Spitting Cave if you are looking to jump without the risks of Spitting Cave.

WHALE WATCHING FROM SPITTING CAVE

During the later months of the year, this is the prime spot on the island for whale watching. In fact, I’ve been to Spitting Cave a few times when the survey teams are doing the whale counts for research purposes. They set up all day on the cliffs and count the sightings. Not a bad job!

Every single year, from December to April, it’s a great time to be on the lookout for Humpback Whales in the oceans of Oahu. The whales are migrating from Alaska to Hawaii to give birth to their calves and can be spotted along the coastline throughout the winter months. Many tourists will pay for a whale-watching tour although all the locals know you can easily spot them from many coastal lookouts such as Spitting Cave.

It’s not just a whale hotspot. Turtles and seals also hang around the area but because of the waves and lack of easy entry, it’s not really a snorkeling hotspot, although it is possible.

Whale
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SUNSET FROM SPITTING CAVE

Just like China Walls around the corner, this is a great place to post up on the rocks with a drink or a snack and watch the sunset. It sets slightly around the corner but only dips away at the last minute. The sound of the ocean, big drops, and colors in the sky make this a beautiful and peaceful sunset spot.

I hope you enjoyed this guide to Spitting Cave on Oahu. If you want to tackle one of the toughest hikes on Oahu, head just around the corner from this spot to take on the 1,048 stairs of the Koko Head Crater Hike.

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WHERE TO STAY ON OAHU

  • Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort (Overall Favorite): In the heart of Waikiki, this high-end resort is right on the beach with a private lagoon.
  • Sheraton Waikiki (Luxury): A luxury resort with the most amazing infinity pool on the island, which overlooks the beach.
  • Ewa Hotel Waikiki: (Value): Ewa Hotel is just one block back from the beach and is just over $150 USD.
  • Waikiki Beachside Hostel (Budget Choice): A budget alternative, which is still in an amazing location.
  • Disney Aulani Resort (Family Choice): This is a resort your kids will never forget. It honestly feels like you are living in a theme park.

MORE OAHU BLOG POSTS

I lived on Oahu for two years and loved adventuring from the beaches to the mountains to the waterfalls! These are my most popular blog post and guides from the beautiful island of Oahu to help you plan your trip!

 

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Kidron

Thursday 31st of March 2022

I love that you share insights into places like this and allow individuals to decide for themselves whether or not to jump. Our culture has become obsessed with protectionism, and people don't want to allow others the opportunities to think and make decisions for themselves. We need to stop making it illegal for people to do dangerous things and potentially die. It's part of life. We can't rely on authorities or anyone else to do our thinking for us. People need to be allowed the opportunity to think and make educated decisions for themselves and in the end, take risks. Living safely and avoiding death at all costs is a miserable existence. I won't jump here, but I'm going to check the spot out and enjoy the view if others decide to. Thanks for being willing to post things like this and ignoring detractors. I've enjoyed your other cliff jumping related posts and have used them to make some other plans which I'm looking forward to. Cheers.

Donna Bradford

Wednesday 17th of March 2021

How do you support your travel lifestyle?

Anonyomous

Friday 5th of March 2021

I lost my brother to this cave in 2014. He was a navy corpsman. Crazy to think a spot like this would still be available to the public.

Jackson

Saturday 6th of March 2021

Sorry for your loss. Yes, it can be dangerous there depending on the wave and weather conditions. In the summer it is often calm.

Monday 4th of November 2019

is it actually 70 ft

Doug Fitch

Thursday 6th of June 2019

Great place to die. Many many do it every year And we just had another one today! I live on O’ahu, I formerly had a career in a dangerous sport, grew up in a place very dangerous in the mountains (lots of tourist deaths there too) and I’m a adept in the water (not an expert). No way would I ever jump or swim or surf near here or China Walls. I appreciate your mention of the true expertise required but face it, lots of idiots will read that as a dare regardless. Stop talking about these areas or more overzealous visitors will make an appearance on the evening news in a body bag.