Activity Tips
Kevin Ditamore – Owner / Manager
Snorkeling along the Kona Coast is some of the best anywhere in Hawaii. Fish love lava rocks and coral … sand not so much. Because the Big Island is the youngest of the Hawaiian Islands, there has been less time for parrotfish to chomp on the coral and to … ummm .. excrete it out the other end. That’s where sand comes from you know … really! Remember that the next time you are walking down a beautiful white sand beach … it’s just a pile of parrotfish dung! Anyway, there is very little sand on the Big Island … it has a very rocky coastline and this makes for excellent snorkeling. Captain Zodiac Rafting is the best choice for snorkeling and sightseeing along the rocky, volcanic shores.
These tours aren’t for everyone … they aren’t really physically demanding but you do need to be free of any nagging injuries that could be aggravated by the bouncy nature of this ride. Kids need to be a minimum age of 5 … and ladies carrying the unborn can’t go as the unborn are definitely under the age of 5. But what about those of you who are prone to sea sickness??? We actually find that the motion of a high speed raft causes LESS seasickness than larger boats. Larger boats have more of a tendency to sway back and forth … while these rafts have more of a punching motion as they pierce the waves. It’s that rocking-swaying motion that disturbs the inner ear … the bouncing-pounding motion doesn’t bother most people.
If this is the right tour for you, the next choice is which tour time is right for you? The 5 hour tour is the best deal as it is longer and includes lunch for just $5 more! If you are doing the 4 hour tour, you have your choice between am and pm trips. Cost and length is the same either way. The general wisdom is that in the Hawaiian Islands the tradewinds kick up in the afternoon and the ocean gets rough. This is ESPECIALLY true on the island of Maui, but it isn’t as true for the Kona Coast of the Big Island. Kona is in the wind shadow of Mauna Loa, which is the TALLEST mountain on planet earth - 33,000 feet when measured from its base on the ocean floor. Above sea level, the 13,796′ summit of Mauna Kea is massively wide and broad … the ultimate example of a shield volcano. This shield volcano shields the Kona Coast from tradewinds, which means 2 things. #1- it is often just as calm in the afternoon as it is the morning out on the ocean and #2 – without the tradewinds Kona can get just downright stuffy and hot onshore in the afternoon. Why not enjoy the island during the morning hours before things really heat up, then go out and do your Zodiac tour during the heat of the day?
Captain Zodiac Rafting is an award-winning tour for cruise ship passengers. While their tours normally depart from Honokohau Harbor, any day that a cruise ship is in port they depart from the main dock in downtown Kona so that any cruise ship passengers can just get off their tender and jump on the Zodiac. How convenient is that??? We highly recommend that cruise ship passengers do the afternoon timeslot. The morning tour can be done, but don’t forget about the time it takes to ride the tender to shore, and don’t forget that every one of those other 2500 people on your cruise ship are in just as much of a hurry to get into the dock as you are. We recommend that you eat breakfast while all those others are waiting in endless lines, and then take a leisurely tender after the crowds have thinned. Get to shore around 10am, walk around a little bit and look over the shops, then head back to the pier for your Captain Zodiac tour checkin. Our goal is to help you have a great time on your vacation AND to help you reduce your stress at the same time. You don’t need stress. Stress is bad.
If you are not a cruise ship passenger, your tour will most likely depart from Honokohau Harbor, which is just south of the airport and about 10 minutes drive north of downtown Kona. But it IS possible that even though you are not on a cruise ship, you might be booking a tour for a day when a ship is in port. If that is the case, your email confirmation will direct you to the Kona Pier instead of the Captain Zodiac location at Honokohau. Tours always depart from the Kona Pier on Wednesdays since the Pride of America is in port every Wednesday. Other ships are hit and miss … again … your confirmation will tell you the departure point on your date.
For our clients staying in the Waikoloa area, including the Hilton, Marriott, Fairmont Orchid, Hapuna Prince, etc, the Waikoloa Snorkel Sail is an excellent choice. Since this tour departs from the Waikoloa area it saves you the 40-minute drive into Kona and the boat will take you to snorkel destinations that are difficult to access from shore. Other snorkel options include Fairwind, Hula Kai, Dolphin Snorkel Swim, Manta Ray Night Snorkel, and Private Snorkel Charters.
ruise Ship Passengers
