Hawai'i Surf and Kayak — Local services in Hawaii

10/10 would do again I went on a kayak/snorkel tour on a windy day in July. There were eight of us on the tour plus two guides. There were three two-person kayaks and the rest of us were in single person kayaks. The wind was causing some rougher waters to paddle in. The guide said that if we stopped paddling we would start to go backwards, but if we ran out of energy we could clip on to one of the two guides’ kayaks and they would help us out. We got about halfway to our destination when I was starting to get tired. One guide and I decided I would clip on to him and one of the two-person kayaks to make a train and get to the snorkel site. I tried to maneuver my kayak to clip in and a large wave came. I tipped and went in with all my things (nothing that couldn’t get wet). I swam for my paddle because I didn’t want to lose that and was able to grab my water bottle and one flip flop that were near by. I’m not the strongest swimmer. I’m pretty slow, but I can get there eventually. I was treading water for a bit and my foot hit a rock. I thought, great I can stand on this. I said as much out loud and the guide said don’t stand on the rocks! It will cut your feet! So I promptly stopped standing and I ended up cutting my knee on the rocks…oh well. They tell me how to get back in the kayak and we are on our way. We clip all of the kayaks together and one of the guides says he pulled a bottle of sunscreen and a flip flop out of the water. Yes! 1) I didn’t end up losing anything in the water, and 2) I don’t have to drive home barefoot. Now to the snorkeling. IT WAS AMAZING! We saw a ton of fish, a puffer fish, sea urchins, eels, and a few humuhumunukunukuapua'a. The guides had some of those red lifeguard buoys for us to use so it was super easy to float on the top of the water and just gently paddle around. The guide even took pictures for us with his GoPro so we didn’t have to bring cameras or phones. The kayak trip back was a lot easier since we were going with the wind. I clipped all of my things to the kayak this time. I would recommend only bringing things that can get wet or leaving them at home. I would also recommend water shoes. Maybe leave the flip flops in the car or clip them onto the kayak. I definitely recommend these tour guides! They saved me out of the ocean and made sure we all had a good time. Don’t forget to tip...

We booked a kayak and snorkel tour with Hawaii Surf and Kayak on a whim after seeing over a hundred 5 star reviews but we were unfortunately pretty disappointed.

Our guide was very nice but didn't share any information/interpretation/stories about the wildlife or environments of Hawaii. He talked more about himself than what we were actually experiencing on the tour. You could definitely tell that this was just a job that kept him outside but that he was really passionate about travel and surfing but not being a naturalist/guide.

Once we hopped out of the kayaks and got in the water he seemed doing his own thing. We ended up swimming along with another group from the company because we lost him for a little while.

The actual snorkeling areas was pretty and we were able to see multiple turtles which was great. We were really hoping to find an octopus but didn't have any luck, but you never know what wildlife you will see.

A picnic at the end of the tour was also advertised but this ended up just being string cheese, grain bites, and pineapple. A nice snack but I think we were expecting a bit more, especially at $160 as this was a pretty expensive tour. The next day we booked a small-group boat-based snorkel tour where we swam at 4 different locations with huge diversity of species for the same price.

Overall if you are really interested in kayaking this might be a good tour for you but between the lack of knowledge/interest from our guide and the price we would never book with Hawaii Surf and...

My husband and I had an amazing time with Hawaii Surf and Kayak. We couldn't have asked for a better guide than Andrew. He made sure we were all safe and prepared for the journey, was patient with the group as he showed us the ropes, and gave us a breathtaking tour of the reefs as well as a bit of whale watching!

While snorkeling Andrew would gently bring up safe anemones and urchins from the seafloor and demonstrate how to hold them. He was very understanding of some of the more squeamish snorkelers and reassured them that all was well. He also pointed out some sea turtles and would dive quite far down to point them out if we were having trouble seeing them.

I learned a lot, not just about the wildlife but a few skills I can use at home like equalizing pressure underwater so I can dive deeper and getting in and out of a kayak from the water which might come in handy for my own kayaking adventures!

I also need to mention Andrew's brother who served as our group's lifeguard. Towards the end of the trip my husband got sea sick and was not feeling too hot. The lifeguard (sorry, I forgot your name!) hooked up to our kayak and busted his butt towing us back to shore at the end of the tour!

I greatly appreciate the respectful approach these tours take with the reefs and wildlife, not to mention to their guests! I'd recommend Hawaii Surf and Kayak to anyone who wants an eco friendly and hands on experience...