Ko Olina Ocean Adventures — Local services in Oʻahu

I cannot say enough good things about Captain Travis and his crew on Ko Olina Ocean Adventures. My family consisting of me, my wife and two children ages 9 and 11 went out on the Oahu Sunset Sailing Cruise. Everything is well thought out and a breeze, from checking in to boarding the beautiful boat everything is amazing. Once everyone is on board (about 20 people in total), a quick safety brief is conducted. You then can sit wherever you would like aboard the ship and the staff brings drinks to you. About halfway through the staff comes and brings each person a snack box with deli meat, cheeses, and crackers. The ocean was a little choppy the night we went, but Captain Travis knew exactly how to navigate the sea. My one child is prone to sea sickness but was completely fine. At the end of the tour the boat returns to the marina and the staff sets everyone shoes on the deck as they assist you off the deck. We had an absolutely wonderful night out!!

We had a snorkel excursion booked with another company but decided to cancel with the other company and rebook with Ko Olina Ocean Adventures due to the amazing time we had on the sunset sailing. We booked the Morning Sail and Snorkel Cruise. Captain Travis again was the captain along with the helping hands of Kisane and other helpful staff. The cruise starts off with a fun sailing out to the snorkel spot near Electric Beach. Staff is busy taking drink orders and handing out gear as you sail and take in the great views. Once at the snorkel spot two lifeguards are in the water at all times, keeping a watchful eye over everyone and pointing out some cool fish. After a good amount of time snorkeling, everyone gets back aboard the boat and lunch is provided (a very good deli type turkey sandwich). The cruise ends with a nice sail back to the marina. We liked that we were finished before the heat of the day, and had the rest of the day to hang by the pool.

I once again can’t say enough about Ko Olina Ocean Adventures. It is a very safe, very efficient operation and these two excursions were amongst my families favorite during our near two-week trip to the island. The staff on board especially Kisane are great to talk to and very engaging! We absolutely will be booking both trips again our next time...

As a traveler who experiences excursions all around the world, I was so impressed with the sail I took with Ko Olina Ocean Adventures, and I would book with them again in a heart beat.

Located in the Ko Olina Marina, there were no other tours happening during my arrival time and it was super easy to find with plenty of parking. The parking is paid, and cost $18.00 additional to the tour. If you’re staying in Ko Olina, you could potentially walk to the tour from your hotel as long as you’re ok walking back in the dark (the area is well-lit).

I took the sunset sail in mid-February. I’m not sure what capacity is on the catamaran, but it was not full during our sail.

Our captain was so nice and easy-going. He and the rest of the staff made everyone feel welcomed and taken care of the entire time. Obviously the smoothness of the ride has more to do with ocean conditions and swells, but Captain Todd truly took it to the next level and gave us such a smooth sail.

You’re welcome to walk up to the bar for drinks, but I love how the staff checks in regularly and brings you drinks when you need a refill - it’s great to be able to stay in your spot and not have to head to the bar. I’m plant-based and the staff accommodated with a vegan charcuterie bowl for me (I let them know in advance, I believe that the meat and cheese were pre-packed with the fruit & crackers for the non-vegan versions before the sail).

The music was completely on point and the sunset views were perfect! I loved the timing of this sail as we got to enjoy a bunch of daylight, and then wound back up at dock just after sunset (still enough light to begin your walk back to your hotel or enjoy some views of the last light before heading back out of Ko Olina).

We unfortunately didn’t see any whales, turtles or dolphins this trip - but the crew was surprised because they had been out a lot during the day. They must have put on a show earlier and been asleep for our sail! Crew told me that they’ve had whales and dolphins ride right along the boat at times.

The people and the vibes were wonderful, and it was the perfect sail around Ko Olina. ...

Ko Olina Ocean Adventures was a great experience! We looked for a smaller capacity cruise, and we found it with Ko Olina - there were perhaps 30 people on our cruise, on a comfortable sailing catamaran converted to this sort of duty.

2 in our party (one adult and one teen) had their first experience snorkeling on our trip, and they both remarked how awesome it was. The crew was genuinely interested in their well being and enjoyment, and were attentive in the water until everyone was comfortable, then they stepped (er...floated) back and let everyone enjoy themselves.

They arranged for transportation to the marina from our hotel in Waikiki (about a 35-40.minute drive from Waikiki Beach) in a comfortable van. We took a morning cruise, which was a short jaunt out of the marina to the reef area. The crew gave great safety and orientation briefings, handed out gear and ensured proper fit, and efficiently got everyone in the water. We were immediately surrounded by beautiful fish, and even had two turtle sightings. The reef isn't your aquarium-quality reef bursting with colorful anemone and sea fans, but the fish sure looked like they came from one.

A hearty and delicious turkey sandwich (pastrami available if you order ahead...we booked through TripAdvisor and didn't see that option), chips, and drinks were served after everyone had their fill of sun and sea, and we had a gentle sail back to the marina.

A great experience, highly recommended for small groups/families visiting Oahu who want low risk snorkeling in a smaller group, with guaranteed tropical fish sightings, and don't want to commit to a full day out on the water. Very appropriate to young snorkelers!

Would...