Empty nesters Barack Obama and wife Michelle are enjoying their time off in Hawaii with near and dear ones. The former president of the US was photographed smiling during a night out with his family at a local restaurant.

The former POTUS was photographed paddleboarding as he was holidaying in his home state on Thursday. For the adventure the 58-year-old Barack Obama went shirtless. He wore a pair of dark-coloured swimming trunks.

However, he had one unlikely accessory tied to his ankle. Looks like the former president doesn't like sharks! The device on Obama's right ankle is called a Sharkbanz and the company claims that it repels them from attacking, TMZ reports.

A spokesperson of the company told the publication that the band "uses patented magnetic technology developed by marine biologists to deter predatory shark species."

The couple whose daughters are now in college also enjoyed a night out at local restaurant Ya-Ya's Chophouse and Seafood. The restaurant took to Instagram and shared a group photograph with Obama. "Our chophouse just got a whole lot more presidential."

"Last night, we were incredibly honoured to welcome @barackobama and his family into our restaurant where he dined on Chef Bo's famous dishes! Mr. President, you will ALWAYS have a seat at our table. #ComeBackSoon," the restaurant wrote on Instagram Friday.

The former first couple of the US enjoyed the dinner along with Obama's sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and her family, Hawaii News Now reports. Barack and Michelle dropped Sasha, 18, to college last year. The former FLOTUS recently spoke to People about living without their daughters.

"We've rediscovered all these little pockets of time, just me and Barack, that for a couple decades have been filled with school events or sports practices," said Michelle. "We're taking full advantage of this new normal, simply spending time with each other and remembering what brought us together in the first place," the 55-year-old added.

Michelle and Barack Obama
The couple tweeted out a special tribute to each other this Valentine's Day Getty

"On my deathbed, I am confident I will not remember any bill I passed. I will not remember any speech I gave, any crowds. I won't be thinking about the inauguration," he said. "I will be thinking about holding hands with my daughters and taking them to a park or seeing them laugh while they're playing in the water. That is going to be the thing that lasts," said Barack Obama.

He was speaking during a Q&A session in mid-December in Malaysia. It was the Obama couple's multi-country trip to Asia with the Obama Foundation,

Barack Obama