Hawaii Ocean Charters — Local services in Honolulu

Captain Sam and mate Hailey were super friendly and energetic and welcomed our family onto the beautiful catamaran for a private 2 hour cruise and snorkel. This cruise was a family bucket list trip we'd looked forward to for a long time. Sam set up my daughter's "catamaran cruise" playlist through his bluetooth speaker system and we were in heaven. My wife and I loved the super relaxing bean bag chairs on the fore deck while our "kids" (23 and 25) thrilled on the roller-coaster ride of the two bow seats, with their feet swinging in the air as waves sprayed past them.

Sam and Hailey offered to either take us to a secluded area where we could swim off the boat and enjoy the views of the island while lounging on the deck, or a popular snorkeling spot where we were almost certain to see some sea turtles. Our daughter was so looking forward to swimming with turtles that we elected to go to the popular spot even if it was a bit crowded.

The ride was absolutely gorgeous, the breeze was so refreshing, the cat sliced quickly through the water with far less bouncing and slamming than a mono-hulled boat. We sped right past all the surfers catching waves with an incredible view of Waikiki and Diamond Head behind them. Amazing!

In about 15 minutes we pulled up alongside half a dozen other tourist boats, and as advised there were probably 50 tourists already in the water. Hailey snorkeled up and jumped in first to anchor us outside the cluster while Sam had us all sit on the rear deck and was very helpful getting us set up with fins, masks, snorkels, and a floaty belt (which we loved). Sam got a great group photo of us before we dropped into the water.

We followed Hailey over the reef and she dove down and grabbed a cute little spiney urchin (?) and brought it up to show us. We swam on, seeing more sea life and eventually a dozen turtles both resting on the bottom and coming up for air right near us! Wow! There's not a lot of color in the reef, but Hailey brought some fish food which instantly drew a swarm of colorful stripey fish. So cool!

Sam and Hailey took great care of our family and we had a lifetime experience. I highly recommend Hawaii Ocean Charters and Sam and Hailey and the...

Our amazing afternoon / evening on the Keanuenue with the Captain and Adam was the highlight of our trip. We live on the east coast and our daughter, son-in-law, and teen grandkids live on Oahu. We never get to spend as much time together as we'd like, so when we do have the opportunity to be together, we want everyone to enjoy the adventure and make great memories - this day was one for the books. Having a private day on the water with just our tribe was so worth it! It was great to hear the grandkids and adults laughing and playing and enjoying the day (anytime you can find an adventure that even the teens will love, you know it's a good day!). The Captain and Adam are the best at what they do - making sure that the day is exactly what each guest needs it to be while keeping it safe. They are engaging and so respectful of the different needs within the group. Ask the Captain about how the Keanuenue became his - it speaks to his character and the business he's building. These are the kind of people we all need to support in business. We can't recommend them highly enough! We are already looking forward to...

Incredible Private Snorkeling Charter – Family-Friendly and Worth Every Dollar

We booked a Semi-private snorkeling trip to Turtle Canyon with Hawaii Ocean Charters through Viator, and it exceeded all expectations. With three young boys under 11, we were looking for a more personal experience—and this was exactly that.

Unlike other boats packed with 20–30 people and just one or two guides in the water, we had two amazing captains—Francesco and Masi—focused entirely on us. The trip started with a light rain, but they dried the seats and made sure we were comfortable and informed throughout.

Masi was an incredible underwater guide—helping our boys spot turtles, fish, and even sea urchins. Francesco was prepared with ginger candy when our oldest started to feel seasick. Both were knowledgeable, warm, and clearly love what they do.

We even got a little extra time in the water and great local food tips—don’t miss Pioneer Station in the Salt area!

This was easily one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommend for families or anyone wanting a personal, unforgettable...