Kailua Ocean Adventures — Local services in Oʻahu

My family went for the Huaka'i Waʻa Pe’a (Hawaiian Sailing Canoe) to the Na Mokulua (twin islands). I picked this tour because I thought it was the safest and most fun way to get to the islands with my 4-year old son and 78-year old mother. It turned out to be perfect and we all had a blast and an amazing time. The watersmen who were a husband-wife tandem were very polite,nice and patient with us. They immediately connected with my chatterbox and very inquisitive son. I can tell that they are very experienced. They were able to immediately assess our situation — my son and mother cannot consistently paddle and with the wind blowing against us, they decided not to open the sail to minimize the drag.On the other hand, my husband and I had a good 45-minute workout as we both paddled all the way on the front of the canoe. On our way back, they opened the sail and since the winds were blowing perfectly, we did not have to paddle 90% of the time and they took us around the waters for a bit to catch some big waves and experience the “ocean roller coaster” — this was priceless especially for our son!.. We felt very safe and taken cared of like family. I would recommend this to families with small or elderly members for safety reasons and for groups of 4-6 people who want private tours to the twin islands without paying much. And yes, as their website says, you have to have some level of physical fitness or at least 2 of your party should be able to paddle consistently, i do not think the watersmen alone can paddle an entire group without any help considering that the wind and ocean can be unpredictable. This is a very fun interactive and engaging tour...

This was my second time touring with this company and this experience was vastly different. I had such a blast the first time in 2019. My sister heard how great it was, it was her number one activity she was looking forward to.

We had different guides for this tour. The older (more experienced) guide was extremely rude to us throughout the tour. My sister was apprehensive as this was her first time going out in the ocean. When she tried to ask questions, she was told to be quiet and there "was time for questions later once we were out on the water." Once I mentioned I lived here, anything I had to contribute was contradicted. This experience is clearly only for tourists. I had inquired before booking as they advertise as offering a kama'āina (local) discount on their website. They never returned my voicemail after I tried calling several times. I was able to get a "no discounts offered" text message reply after using their chat feature.

We spent two hours getting to Moku Nui and were told when we landed we weren't able to spend much time there. Completely understandable as wind, ocean, weather conditions vary. I did ask if we could still visit the Queen's bath, as that was a highlight before. I was asked (sarcastically) "Can I do my job or do you want to run this show?" which I have recorded. It made me feel belittled.

They seem to be the only company that offers an authentic outrigger canoe tour, which is a shame because I can't recommend them again after this most recent experience. Their customer service seems to be severely lacking.

If you're a tourist you can take a gamble that you will get a good guide but I'd steer clear if...

My friend and I did a last minute trip to Hawaii and wanted to do a unique water experience. I came across Koa Canoes / Kailua Ocean Adventures on Airbnb and booked through there. Booking was a breeze and considering COVID, they were on top of it! We had to submit our vaccination cards + information 24 hours prior to the reservation. Communication was great and it was easy to find them on the beach. Parking was really convenient as well, but I suggest to show up early. Our reservation was at 11:45am but we got to Lanikai around 9:30am to hang out at the beach. When it was around 11am, the parking lots were packed.

SUNSCREEN. Duh, right? I forgot and got burnt.. but thats the only "bad" thing I can say about this day! We did the 3 hour paddle canoe tour to Mokulua. It was SO fun. Honestly, if Kawelo and Carrie wasnt as funny, social, and just easy to talk to , I dont think I wouldve enjoyed it as much. Its all about customer service right? They are amazing and I can see why they do this for a living. I totally suggest this for all ages - families, adults, etc. It was so fun and we even surfed some waves on the way back to the beach. Kawelo and Carrie are both local natives and know so much history about their culture. I learned so much in such a small amount of time and thats what really made it special. You dont feel like youre just with a guide who takes you somewhere and the tour ends. Its truly a full experience.. Highly...