Planning our first trip to the Big Island and my husband was excited about trying to kayak in Kealakekua Bay. We are in our late twenties, athletic. The problem is that neither of us have ever kayaked - and I am a non-swimmer - I can snorkel with a life-vest on. My husband is a strong swimmer. As the water can be rough and I can%26#39;t swim - this is something we should pass on right? Wanted to hear your thoughts! Thanks in advance...
Kayaking in Kealakekua Bay?
Aloha.....
I like to err on the safe side....you as a non- swimmer is a consideration that you have to think on evenwith a life jacket..
On the other hand your age and condition are positive factors.
Iit is the ocean, and not under any control but the water in normaly calm.
Ask, have I been in deep open water in a small boat before? Can I handel it ? That is where you and only you cna answer. Dont be pressured either way
Before your make a final decision you can rent Kayaks in Keauhou Bay and try it out first.....you dont have to go for the gold your first time. Takel a small step......you might love it or hate it...but will have experienced it and have better means to judge.......its an option worth considering.
Then there are the many fine small snorkel tours 6 to 12 person that go there...... You don%26#39;t have to do anything.
Its a vacation....not an event
Hawaiidan
Kayaking in Kealakekua Bay?
Kayaking in Keauhou Bay is an excellent idea - especially since we%26#39;re staying there. Thanks for answering!
Aloha Wendy, my sons were very excited to kayak in Kealakekua Bay. Oh course they didn%26#39;t go out too far. It was just around the bay pretty close to shore. They had a great time. The boat rentals are right there.
Hi Wendy,
I%26#39;m curious to hear about your snorkeling experience. I too do not swim but love the water. I go jet skiing with a life vest on and am not scared (although I don%26#39;t go too fast!).
Do you think most of the water sports companies will let me snorkel with a vest? I went to Maui and didn%26#39;t do Molokini! I would hate to make the same mistake again when I go to BI in July!
Thanks!
Hi again!
I too would like to try kayaking in Hawaii. Please post again if you find some more places where the water is calm. I went kayaking in Key West and it was GREAT! But the water was super calm....
I agree with HD. My husband and I are both very adventurous %26amp; athletic. We went SCUBA diving 2 days last year on our trip to the Big Island, and were very excited to rent a kayak and paddle over to snorkel at the Captain Cook monument.
The kayak trip was tough. It%26#39;s a mile across from the boat launch to the monument. Paddling in open ocean is tough work - the currents can be strong, and conditions can change quickly. While we were snorkeling some very dark %26amp; threatening clouds moved in. I was getting very nervous looking at the sky and wondering if we could make it back 1 mile before the storm hit. Thankfully we were back in our truck before any rain fell.
If you are wanting to kayak, I%26#39;d try HD%26#39;s recommendation. If you want to snorkel at Captain Cook, I%26#39;d take a boat tour. I should note that we usually prefer to do activities on our own - but considering the cost of the kayak rental vs. the boat trip - and with the boat you get lunch and all your gear provided (with no effort/no work) - the boat is a better deal.
BTW, the snorkeling there is probably the best we%26#39;ve experienced in all of our Hawaii trips thus far. It%26#39;s incredible!
Thanks for all the information! So, do the experts agree that Keahou Bay is calmer and less treacherous than Kealakekua? Do you access Keahou from a boat? We%26#39;re staying at the Sheraton. Will we have access from the hotel?
It seems from all the literature and reviews that kayaking and snorkeling with a life vest on would be okay at Kealakekua. Although I don%26#39;t really know anything about snorkeling...
Sigh, these are times when being a bad swimmer really stinks!
Aquarium anyone?
Thanks again for all the great tips. This forum rocks!
I disagree that the boat is a better deal. It%26#39;s $50 for a kayak at Pineapple Park (right above the bay), and they put the kayak on your car for you (though you have to take it off). Add a few more bucks for the snorkel gear (we bring our own from home). So, say, $70 total if you don%26#39;t have snorkel gear.
A boat ride costs around $70+ each ($140+ total). Twice as much.
For me kayaking is half the fun of going to Kealakekua. Plus, once you get there, you are not rushed for time. You are also able to just relax on shore if you wish (which I always seem to do between swims). But not if you come on a boat!
However, if you cannot swim, even though you would likely not have too much trouble kayaking across (it%26#39;s good to rest a bit several times as you cross), it would be better to take a boat.
Most boats provide those water weenie things that you can float on top of. May want to be sure they can provide lifevests.
My wife and I were out there in May. I am a pretty good swimmer, while she was not. We drove down to the Bay the day before to at least check it out. As HawaiiDan states, this is not a walk in the park, nor is it a challenge like doing a traithlon. Talked to some of the locals there to get an idea of what time would be best, and how the weather/tide had been the past few days.
That being said, we decided to give it a try, and at worst, if the conditions were that bad, we would just turn around and come back. We got there at 9:00 after renting our kayak from Kona Boys, who were great. We had one of the locals (tipped him $5) help us into the kayak. The trip over took about 20 minutes, with me doing most of the work from the back. There was a bit of a current and some choppy water, but no white caps or anything erally scarey. One thing I would recommend if you are afraid of the deep water, is to paddle nearer to the shore on your way out and back.
Snorkling in front of the monument was excellent. 100 foot visibilty with lots of fish. I would also recommend water shoes in place of flippers, because you have to walk out from the monument to get into the water. Watch out for sea urchins!
On the way back we were entertained by 15 or so spinner dolphins for about a half hour. This was the highlight of our trip. Upon returning to the dock, the same person helped us out of the kayak and helped me carry it back to the car, which my wife appreciated.
Our experience with this was great. I%26#39;m glad my wife decided to give it a shot. If she said no, we probably would not have done it. My advise would be to give it a looks see. If you do not feel comfortable with it, don%26#39;t do it. There are a couple of tour companies that will take you out there via boat.
Hope this helps!
Nick
My wife and I were out there in May. I am a pretty good swimmer, while she was not. We drove down to the Bay the day before to at least check it out. As HawaiiDan states, this is not a walk in the park, nor is it a challenge like doing a traithlon. Talked to some of the locals there to get an idea of what time would be best, and how the weather/tide had been the past few days.
That being said, we decided to give it a try, and at worst, if the conditions were that bad, we would just turn around and come back. We got there at 9:00 after renting our kayak from Kona Boys, who were great. We had one of the locals (tipped him $5) help us into the kayak. The trip over took about 20 minutes, with me doing most of the work from the back. There was a bit of a current and some choppy water, but no white caps or anything erally scarey. One thing I would recommend if you are afraid of the deep water, is to paddle nearer to the shore on your way out and back.
Snorkling in front of the monument was excellent. 100 foot visibilty with lots of fish. I would also recommend water shoes in place of flippers, because you have to walk out from the monument to get into the water. Watch out for sea urchins!
On the way back we were entertained by 15 or so spinner dolphins for about a half hour. This was the highlight of our trip. Upon returning to the dock, the same person helped us out of the kayak and helped me carry it back to the car, which my wife appreciated.
Our experience with this was great. I%26#39;m glad my wife decided to give it a shot. If she said no, we probably would not have done it. My advise would be to give it a looks see. If you do not feel comfortable with it, don%26#39;t do it. There are a couple of tour companies that will take you out there via boat.
Hope this helps!
Nick
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