Island View Hawaii — Attraction in Hawaii

It was okay, and would suffice in a pinch, but if you have the luxury of shopping around you'll likely want to do so. Our original intent was to scuba (life guard and nitrox certs), but the wife was hesitant to do so with reef sharks (whale sharks are about her limit) and this offered an easier exit for her (which she took, and was subsequently for "not feeling well", despite clear anxiety swimming with sharks). The boat is a bit cramped, all customers have to sit on a center fiberglass bench together (no shade! bring hats, sunglasses, and wear sunscreen!).

The boat owner is quite strict, and perhaps was having a bad day based on reading reviews from other folks. No standing up or moving around, no shoes or sandels, everything out of reach. He was a bit condescending to the folks on our boat that had never used snorkeling equipment before and to the one that requested a life jacket. I get it, but maybe cater to tourists that pay your living?

In the water, we were drift viewing the sharks. They want you clustered so closely you can't help but being kicked by other swimmers in the water. If--god forbid--you drift 10-15 feet away from the group, even with two of their "safety swimmers" in the water with you, prepare to be yelled at. No diving down for better viewing until the final 10 (of 30) minutes in the water.

The sharks approach and follow the boat because they associate it with food (i.e. fishing boats). The boat did circles around us in the water to bring the sharks around which I appreciate since not everyone could even be considered a beginner swimmer, but if the captain / owner drives too close to you in the water, prepare to be yelled at because it's evidently your fault you are now too close to the boat.

We did see a couple sharks. I totally, 100% understand the rules and strict policies because of the sheer quantity of folks that have never snorkeled before, or even been on a boat. I just wish that there was some understanding that not everyone is newbie. It is not that I expect special treatment for this price point, just not be a "you're always wrong" drill sergeant attitude unless called for.

There were two women and two men running the show. The male [ostensibly the boat owner], another guy in ther water, a woman that seemed to be along for the ride, and the woman running the "dive" operation. The woman that operated the dive in the water was awesome. She explained the "whys" to the rules, took all the in-water pictures, and did all of the heavy lifting, bar none. If she reads this, she should venture out on her own and incorporate her own boat and LLC. Hell, I might even finance...

The experience was simply amazing. Every member of their team was friendly, professional, and they created a very comfortable atmosphere. I would go again in an instant.

If you have fears about doing the tour...don't. They are more than willing to be between you and the sharks the entire time and do a great job of making you comfortable. In our group, a couple were more scared and stayed close to the safety diver. Someone who wasn't comfortable swimming was able to use a flotation device. Others like myself were able to swim around a little to get a better view. It is just an awesome experience.

For those of you wanting to use a GoPro or have an issue with the GoPro policy. I am telling you that it isn't worth it. I thought for sure that I would want mine during the tour. As soon as I had it, I just wish I didn't. It felt like it was in the way and I ended up just turning it off. The experience is just beautiful and amazing. You should spend your time enjoying it and not trying to get the perfect shot. I used mine for about 10 minutes. But the whole time I had it, I kept trying to pawn it off on one of my buddies so I could just enjoy the experience. It is simply amazing to be among these animals. Enjoy it and trust that they will get great shots of you and the sharks.

I took several videos and a couple pictures but the videos and pictures they took are my favorite. Yeah I have a cool video of a shark swimming by me...but I am not in it. Looks like a shot from shark week. Their pictures are awesome because you can see yourself and the sharks. They are able to get a much better angle. Just trust me.

The experience is worth it pictures or not. But just soak it in. Appreciate the beauty of the scene around you. I loved the entire experience and would definitely do it again.

Just as an FYI...

Take Dramamine if you know you are going to get seasick and if you don't know if you will, take it anyway. One of my buddies got sick in the water and not on the boat. He threw up. Not pleasant.

If you're not a strong swimmer, you can float with their flotation devices. So don't let...

The day after I got married, I had him go shark diving in a cage. (Cough cough - great story to tell people.) He had a great experience and got great pictures. Though his stomach hurt all day because of how shaky it is with everyone basixally competing for visability while swimming in a box.

This last time I took him back home to see his family, I figured it was only right I gift him with another shark experience. He was much happier with this experience.

Firstly, the pictures and videos were amazing. And he got them within 5 minutes of getting off the boat.

Though most importantly, he was raving about the crew. The reason I went with them originally is because I had heard it was the ONLY freaking local crew. (If you're going to support tourism like doing things like this, please prioritize supporting the kanaka instead of money hungry organizations!)

Anywho... the crew kept the mood light and fun. Making jokes to tease and test those claiming to be comfortable with the water to ensure they could prioritize supporting those that were not. Evidently they had a few people on having some pretty big feelings about not reading the description of the swim, but he said the crew took time to get them comfortable.

Our five year old was having a whole fit trying to find out why I would sign her dad up to be eaten my sharks, so it felt like they were out there forever. Though he said it felt like he blinked and it was over because it was so great. They saw a bunch. Three barracuda as soon as they got in the water and lots of sharks.

Oh, also - I totally overbooked. We had a family BBQ planned the day he was initially scheduled to go out. I texted the number asking about swapping days. And they responded almost immediately. Confirmation was super quick with the changed day/time too. I reply appreciate that flexibility. Ya can't find that at a tourist trap.

Okay, I'm done rambling... if you want a shark adventure, if you have time to kill, or if you just want to get out to see the strength & beauty of the ocean from a different perspective - choose...