Oahu
Kayak Tours
The stunningly beautiful windward side of Oahu offers some of Hawaii's best kayaking opportunities. Fringing reef miles offshore cause the large waves to break in the distance, offering miles of pristine bay that are just begging to be explored!. The shallow waters and sandy bottom paint the ocean in striking hues of emerald green and azure blue, which contrasts beautifully with the stunning spires of the Ko'olau Mountains as the backdrop.
We offer kayak experiences with Oahu's premiere tour operator, Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks. Their shop is located in the Kailua Beach Center which serves as the staging area for their operations.
For those staying in Waikiki or arriving by cruise ship at Honolulu Harbor, complimentary pickup and round-trip transportation is available with all four of these packages. Guests will enjoy the ride to Kailua via the Pali Highway and its scenic route as you pass tropical rainforests, seasonal waterfalls, and overlooks high above Kailua Bay. When you arrive at the shop you'll receive instruction, safety briefings, and get set up with your kayak and snorkel gear and meet your guides. Restroom facilities, changing rooms, lockers, and showers are available here. They have dry bags you can use to protect the things you want to take on the tour that you don't want to get wet..
Professional guides lead paddlers through the protected waters and sanctuaries of Kailua Bay and its offshore islets. All guides carry certifications in adult and pediatric CPR, as well as first aid training. These guides function as your informed eyes and ears out on the water. They will instruct you in paddling technique, educate you about the ocean environment, and assist you in launching and landing your kayak. Four different experiences are offered; lunch is included with all of these packages.
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2 Hour Guided Kayaking Tour (beginner) $95 for adults; $81 for children (ages 8-12)
The two hour guided excursion is perfect for first-time kayakers and families with children 8 years of age and older. While the kayaking portion itself is two hours in length, the tour also includes lunch and two hours of "beach time" with boogie boards and snorkel gear included.
Following basic paddling instruction, you'll do a short walk to Kailua Beach Park where your guide will assist you in launching your sit-on-top ocean kayak. The destination is usually Popo'ia Island, a protected seabird sanctuary located about 1/3 of a mile offshore. As you near the islet you will likely encounter some "Honu" ... Hawaiian green sea turtles that make this area their home. Once you land on the island's sandy beach, you'll venture out on a 20 minute guided eco-hike around the island and explore tide pools. If you are lucky, you might see a Wedge-tailed Shearwater hatchling crawling out of its egg!
After returning to shore, you'll be served a deli lunch and then enjoy another 2 hours of free time at Kailua Beach where boogie boards and snorkel gear are provided.
4 Hour Guided Kayaking Tour (intermediate) $125 per person; minimum age 13
The four hour guided excursion is designed for physically-able adventure-minded beginners, as well as intermediate and experienced kayakers. All tour participants must be able to swim and feel comfortable in the water (doggie paddling is OK). Snorkeling equipment and top of the line kayaks are included on this tour. The minimum age for this tour is 13, and guests 16 and over may choose either a single or double kayak.
Once you launch from Kailua Beach, the first stop is tranquil Lanikai Beach which has been rated as one of the top beaches in the world by the Travel Channel's "Dr. Beach." While some guests take a break by lying in the sand, most will head out for a snorkel with reef fish and live coral.
After snorkeling it's off to the Moku'ula Islands which lie one mile offshore. You'll land at the sandy beach of this protected bird sanctuary and your hard work will be rewarded with a hearty picnic lunch served by your guide. After lunch your guide will lead you on a hike as you explore this island and its fascinating inhabitants ... including a variety of birds, green sea turtles, rock crabs, and more. Ocean conditions permitting, a secret tidepool is visited. Depending on the paddling speed of your group, a second snorkel session may be included here before you paddle back to Kailua Beach.
6 Hour Guided Kayaking Tour (advanced) $249 per person; minimum age 16. Two person minimum to book this tour.
The six hour guided excursion is designed for experienced and physically fit kayakers. Previous kayaking experience is REQUIRED for this tour. All tour participants must be able to swim and feel comfortable in the water. Snorkeling equipment and top of the line kayaks are included on this tour, and the most elite guides are selected to lead this excursion.
On a typical day this tour will start from the Waimanalo Pier and will first paddle out to Rabbit Island, a preserve for the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. In Waimanalo Bay you'll snorkel the reef, which includes crevasses, caverns, and even a few portions of the remains of a sunken WWII fighter plane.
After snorkeling, you'll hop back in your kayak and paddle to the Moku'ula Islands ... this stretch of ocean offers the best opportunity to encounter spinner dolphins, sea turtles, and humpback whales (in season). Lunch will be served on the beach at Moku'ula followed by the same eco hike found ont he 4 hour tour. You'll then paddle downwind to Lanikai Beach and a possible second snorkel experience, and then on to Popo'ia island and another short eco hike.
4 Hour Self-Guided Kayaking (all levels) $69 per adult; $59 per child (ages 3-12)
This self-guided experience is designed for those who have an indendent streak and want ocean adventure at their own pace. Kailua Bay offers kayaking opportunities for beginner to experienced paddler and you have your choice of several different offshore islands to explore. A comprehensive video briefing, weather updates, and staff instruction prepare you for your day on the water. Lunch is included, and when you are done kayaking you can use boogie boards and snorkel gear during the rest of your time at Kailua Beach.
Please note that child participants must weight at least 30 pounds so that the flotation device fits them properly.
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CRUISE
SHIP PASSENGERS |
These Kayak Tours provide
complimentary transportation from the cruise ship dock!
ACTIVITY
TIPS
While a "rent a kayak and go out on your own without a guide" option is available, we HIGHLY recommend that you take one of the guided tours. Not only will you have someone with you who is trained in ocean safety, you will also LEARN a lot more and SEE a lot that you might otherwise miss. You'll also make new friends during your ocean adventure
We most highly recommend the 4 hour guided tour ... myself and one of my staff enjoyed this tour in April of 2010. The paddle out to Moku'ula is not difficult and landing on this island was a real adventure! From a distance it looks like a barren rock, but as you explore the island you'll discover it has a rugged and exquisite beauty. The lava rock formations on this island are colorful and fascinating, and we saw dozens of the wedge-tailed shearwaters paired up in their ground nests anxiously awaiting the arrival of this season's one and only egg.
Snorkeling at Lani Kai was a pleasure. Uncrowded, lots of fish, and unlike the coral that has been badly trampled at Haunama Bay, the coral formations here are colorful and most importantly, still vibrantly alive!
We found the staff and tour guides to be friendly, knowledgeable, and they did most of the "grunt" work getting the kayaks unloaded at the beach. At the conclusion of the tour, we paddled a short ways up an estuary to a riverbank location where we disembarked. The staff said "leave everything here ... we'll take care of it." That's a nice touch.
Please note that all tours are subject to wind/weather conditions. Kailua Sailboard and Kayak is committed to your safety and knows the waters of this bay very well. They have specific guidelines for when these tours may and may not operate based upon current conditions and forcasts. Decisions on operating the tours are solely at their discretion. Tours may occassionally cancel due to high winds; we suggest that you reserve this tour for your first or second day on Oahu so that if your tour is canceled you have the opportunity to reschedule for another day. If the tour operator cancels your program and you are unable to reschedule, you will of course receive a complete refund.
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