I had the pleasure of staying in Kailua Bay for several weeks while working remotely. Throughout my time, I booked several tours & rented out some gear from KBA. Not only was it amazing to be out on the water in the bay, surrounded by the beautiful scenery and wildlife, I also could not speak more highly of the shop and the aloha spirit that each employee embodies! Although I’m sure much more could be said, I wanted to take the time to show my appreciation for all of the KBA employees I was lucky to meet:

Austin: During my first week, I took the Mokulua Islands tour with Austin as my guide. He made everyone feel completely comfortable with the paddle out - he even helped tow some inexperienced kayakers throughout the tour so they could sit back and enjoy the other aspects of the ride out to the islands. Towards the end of the tour, Austin graciously shared a list of his favorite places to eat/drink/adventure around the island - many of which I ended up exploring! I had a fantastic time and could not recommend it (or Austin) enough.

Mokulua Mike: Mike somehow feels like an old friend as soon as you meet him. After a few weeks of my stay in Kailua, he and I ended up running into each other every single day; whether it be on the beach, out in the open water while I was taking a swim & he was leading a tour, out on the town, and even way out in the mountains during a hike - and it was a pleasure every time! I was sad I didn’t get to see him in action on a tour but hey, on the list for next time.

Marty: I had a chance to chat with Marty several times throughout my stay whenever I stepped into the shop - whether it be to pick up a paddle board or to simply browse their gear (which features an amazing selection from local shops!). Marty knew me by name and always made me feel very welcome at KBA

Harmony: While Harmony and I never got a chance to talk too much, I did see her out helping launch & land kayaks day in and day out. She was always ready to dive in and help!

Griffin: Griffin helped outfit me with a paddle board several times throughout my stay & was always extremely helpful when setting me up with my gear & helping me launch into the water

Braden: Similarly, Braden was always very helpful when setting me up with some gear and was very friendly!

Chaz: I only met Chaz once, but I had a chance to witness him helping a particularly inexperienced first-time kayaker launch into the water. After what seemed like endless attempts, this kayaker eventually made it out with his friends - all thanks to the effort and dedication that Chaz put into making sure this person had a great time

Evelyn: I briefly interacted with Evelyn while she was leading a Twin Islands tour & I had paddled a rental out to Moku Nui. She seemed extremely knowledgeable about all the local wildlife & led the tour with obvious enthusiasm and passion. Plus, on the way back to the shop I heard her blasting “Dancing Queen” by ABBA which is just an obvious green flag

Egmar: Never talked to him, but he sounds like a stand up guy (ayyy)! Shoutout to Egmar for operating such a 10/10 shop. Hit me up if you want to hire an advertising tech employee based in New York <3

Grant: While no longer a current employee at KBA, I’d be remiss to not throw a shoutout to Grant who was actually the OG employee who led my first tour with KBA back in November 2022. Your legacy lives on, my guy

Ben: Last but not least, Ben. Ben is the definition of an exemplary employee. Famous for recruiting people right off the beach & getting them to do tours, he’s always got a can-do attitude and a smile on his face (#Smiles). No one can model the jump & twist or pull a kayak out of the water quite like him - everyday is arm day! He goes above and beyond when helping folks get in/out of kayaks & he’ll always remind you to put on some sunscreen. He is also passionate about keeping our beaches clean - we should all be like Ben!