Captain J's Kauai Offshore Adventures — Attraction in Kauai

Well... based on the other 1-star reviews, I'm completely expecting to get ripped apart in long tirade by the owner, but I'm ok with that. I'm not a nit-picky reviewer, and I've never given any other business fewer than 3-stars before. The first hour or two of the excursion, was very enjoyable. The cruise to the snorkeling location was mostly calm and exciting. Snorkeling was awesome-- unfortunately, from that point on, it went incredibly downhill. The weather and waves got progressively worse on the way toward the Napali coast. Obviously, the crew can't control the conditions; I totally get that, but the way the boat was driven seemed almost reckless, at times. I was seated in the front of the boat, and to be fair, Captain Ryan DID explain to the tour group, before departure, that the front of the boat was a rougher ride, whereas choosing the rear of the boat, might get you a bit wet-- what an understatement! I'm a healthy man in decent physical condition. I enjoy contact sports, off-road vehicles, roller coasters etc... I've been fishing and boating on big water in rough conditions before, but this was a whole different level of bodily assault. I flew completely out of my seat multiple times-- at one point, in such an extreme way that I literally landed on top of the metal armrest and bruised the back of my thigh. I heard multiple people yelling in pain or frustration, but Ryan continued to drive at "regular" cruising speed. I get that the tour is on a schedule, but come on-- read the room. No one seemed to be enjoying themselves at that point. Before the return trip to the harbor, I chose to move all the way to the back of the boat because my body was in pain. When I got there, Ryan automatically assumed I was sea-sick; I was not. I told him I felt fine but was tired of getting the crap kicked out of me, up front. Without any type of sympathy, he simply responded, "Well... YOU chose the front of the boat." The ride in the rear WAS, in fact, less-agressive...and again, we WERE warned that we might get a little wet, the further back we went, but at that point I didn't care anymore. However, "a little wet" did not align with my expectations of ocean spray or an occasional splash. For about 20-30 minutes it felt like being blasted with cold shower water, over and over again. Throughout the trip, the crew was acting incredibly unprofessionally, in my opinion. Ryan and Cannon both came off as a bit cocky and condescending to the point where I was actually surprised...and I'm definitely NOT a person who is easily offended. I heard other customers also commenting about their level of professionalism (or lack, there-of.) They both made jokes and quips that came off as, what I can only describe, as sexual innuendo. It was very strange. Nearing the harbor, a female boat captain from another vessel contacted Ryan on the radio. They began a conversation over the radio that was flirty and awkward to listen to, referring to eye candy, giving them something to look and she was saying she wanted them to give her the "boom-boom." When we approached their vessel, Cannon took out a large speaker, turned up the music, and began dancing on top of the steering consol. Then the two boats began to circle eachother, in what felt like some type of strange mating ritual...? My entire group (and other passengers who were seated near the rear) also mentioned their unprofessionalism and flirting-- one customer asking Ryan if they were dating or something. He replied, "she's been TRYING for a while...." Needless to say, I was very glad to be back on land when it was finally over. I spent the rest of my evening popping ibuprofen while rubbing IcyHot and lidocaine into my neck and back. If you're a masochist who enjoys being abused, I'd highly- recommend this tour-- for anyone else, maybe book a different excursion. I was soooo glad my mother wasn't on the boat with us; she wouldn't have made it. That being said, I was glad to have had the experience and seeing the sights. Would I do it...

Our family of five really enjoyed our tour on Captain J's. We went out with Captain Landon and Cannon and they were awesome.

The good: -the ride was bumpy and thrilling. If you want a smooth chill ride this is not the tour for you. We had a blast cutting and serving and bashing over waves, I imagine if you had any back or neck pain or other conditions you would NOT enjoy this ride as much. For our family of adults in their forties and kids 8 and 12 it was great, but we saw people of all ages having fun. -the seats were surprisingly comfy and you spend a lot of time sitting in them (this is a sitting tour, not a standing tour). -The guides provided light commentary and historical info once we got out to the Na Pali coast. It was the perfect amount, they weren't talking continuously. -the snacks were nothing special but generously available. Lots of variety of things I pack my kids for snacks - granola bars, chips, applesauce. Water and Gatorade were available as well.

The great: -the sights were amazing. Na Pali coastline is truly worth it. -i enjoyed going into sea caves and other feats of boating skill from Capt. Landon. Seriously thrilling. We got very upset close and personal with the coastline. -we loved the snorkeling. We were in pretty deep water but it was just fun to get off the boat and swim in a beautiful spot. We could see the crew keeping a close eye on us so no one floated off -the soundtrack was AWESOME. Even more awesome was that it synced to the ride to a crazy degree. It really enhanced the experience. I enjoyed every minute of the ride, even the bumpy ride to and back. Edit: my husband mentioned he heard from Capt. Landon this was his own soundtrack and I have even more appreciation for him. At one point during the ride I texted my husband "I want to inject capt jß soundtrack into my veins the rest of this trip".

A few notes - they provide kid sized life vests, snorkels/masks and fins but up to kids/families to use them, our kids wore them on the boat. One of kids used the vest in the water and it helped her, the others didn't. They provide adult mask/snorkel and fins and a dry bag. The dry bags are not huge so I wasn't able to fit all five of our towels in one (and we had the packable towels) with our other stuff but it was fine.

Tips: -get there as early as you can to have time to use the bathroom and apply sunscreen before getting on the boat. There was a tiny head on the boat but you have to pick your moment to use it. -When the boat is moving you are sitting. No one is up moving around during most of this tour. Expect to sit, abs clenched, for most of the ride, it hard to do anything else (including applying sunscreen). -There are no assigned seats. If you have a big group, you may be split up. Our family of five was spread out over three rows because we boarded toward the end and the open seats were limited. This was fine with us but if you want to sit together, try to board first to get your pick of seats. -Front of boat is bumpy, back of boat felt turns more and got more sea spray. -We took a dose of Dramamine the night before and the morning of the tour and felt fine. No one was sick our tour. I think the high speed and relatively smooth ocean helped. We did the morning tour for that reason. -The morning tour was more overcast and some sights were shrouded in mist. Still beautiful and worth it. I think afternoon would be the best lighting to show off the cliffs.

This was a GREAT tour for our family. I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would and our whole family had a great time. I highly...

Book it! I knew we wanted a rafting experience not a catamaran. I originally booked with a different company but was hesitant about the boat. It looked like it could be uncomfortable for the amount of time we would be on the boat. Then I came across Captain J's boat. It has seating (as opposed sitting on the side of a raft). It even has a bathroom. Their raft style boat offered the best of both worlds, maneuverability and comfort. They get you up close and personal with the shore line and dolphins. Captain Ryan and deckhand Mason were great. They made the experience fun and educational. We went in January (winter) where swells are known to be big. Our day didn't allow us to go fully into the cave but we did get partly in side. Safety is the priority, which we all respected. At one spot the swells were 10 feet but Captain Ryan maneuvered the boat in a great manner. It was like an added bonus, a roller-coaster ride! Our 2 kids (15 & 12) were the youngest on the boat. Most seemed to be 20-60. Our kids loved it. They honestly liked it more with the big swells. We got to see spinner dolphins as well. They do provide a small dry bag. We happened to have our own and kept our towels, snacks and cameras (water proof is a good option) in it. If doing the morning tour, especially in the winter months, dress warm. They travel quickly and the breeze is cool. We were thankful to have on quick drying pants and long sleeves. They provide beverages so you don't have to bring any. They also offer some light snacks (chips, granola bar, cookies), but feel free to bring your own if you want a little more substance. Don't forget to bring cash to tip the crew. They did a great job. We would book again and certainly...