Kayaking on Big Island

[rmb]

There are numerous Kayaking Tours available on the Big Island - the two specifically I am interested in are the Keauhou Sea Cave Tour and the Kealakekua Bay Tour. Is anyone familiar with either of these? Is it a bit rough for novice Kayakers?

It seems the Sea Cave Tour is more popular, but the opportunity to snorkel Kealakekua Bay is inviting. I do not want to do the Fairwinds Boat Tour... would prefer to kayak if it isn't too demanding. Info on either or both of these tours is much appreciated.

Sea Cave Tour: http://www.bigkahunahawaii.com/en/activities/keauhou_sea_cave_kayak_tour_244.htm

Kealakekua Bay & Capt. Cook Monument:
http://www.bigislandkayak.com/bikkayaksnorkeltour.htm

 

[DeniseM]

The hardest thing about sea kayaking is getting back into the boat after you tip over, or swim, or snorkel - one way or another, you will end up in the water. We did sea kayaking on the Big Island and I thought my DH who is 6'3" and 240 lbs. was going to have a heart attack trying to get back in the kayak. You have to kind of heave yourself up on the kayak without turning it over and it's not easy for a novice. He is physically fit and loves outdoor activities, but he sad no more kayaking for him.

 

[rmb]

http://www.bigislandkayak.com/

I like the sound of this one... captain cook monument, kayaking only in bay, 1 hour of snorkeling in the bay, 8 person minimum, 7:30 - 11:30 (snorkel early before the tour boats arrive), located 1 mile away from Greenwell Coffee Plantation, and they have a 'Summer Sizzler' (they call it).... $63.00 per person down from $79.

The Sea Cave Tour is a lot more paddling and also involves paddling in open ocean... could be a problem for a novice tandem.

 

[qa-Russ]

My vote is for the sea caves

My wife and I did the tandum kayak sea cave tour in Nov 2007. Son and his wife (very fit ) had a tandum as well. Long paddle out from harbour. rolling sea, not hard at all. Great scenery. Stop at cave was very interesting. Lunch on the water. Snorkel in water crystall clear, had to be 30 feet deep. The kids then cliff dived. Scared the crap out of both of them but they loved the thrill.
You are on or in the water all the time, no shore breaks.
Regretting I was just 5 months post abdominal surgery and hit the wall on the way back. My poor wife did nearly all paddling back, gotta love her for that.
Our guide was "Buddy" from Colorado. He was great.
I'd rate this as a very worthwhile day, just make sure you are able to handle the exercise.
Russ

 

[sammy]

Did Kealakekua on our own

I too debated between the kayak tours you mention, but after spending so much on surf lessons and other tours we needed, we opted to rent kayaks from Kona Boys and kayak the 1 mile across Kealakekua Bay on our own.

We ocean kayaked once before and while my kids and husband are quite fit, I should lose 30-40 pounds and have little upper body strength. Even at that, it only took us 30 minutes to paddle (in double kayaks) all the way across the bay to Captain Cook's monument. Then we very easily steered the kayaks into these little inlets that guide the kayaks in for easy exit and entry of both the kayaks and people in and out of their kayaks. We stayed there for about an hour or so of really wonderful snorkeling (on the far right of Captain Cook's monument), then kayaked back.

I think on a tour you will enjoy either one. If you love snorkeling, I'd choose Kealakekua, but if you want a more leisurely and interesting kayak and you are a little worried about the boat thing as Denise mentioned (we never had that issue, but I can see it could be a problem in deep water) rather than 30 solid minutes of mild to moderate kayaking, I'd suggest the Sea Cave tour.

Enjoy!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Personally, I wish that kayakers would be banned entirely from the Captain Cook area, because the kayakers have killed all of the coral in front of the monument by standing on the coral when beaching and launching their kayaks. I don't see any practical way to allow kayakers in the area and keep the kayakers from standing on the coral.

But perhaps there's now little additional damage associated with kayaking at Captain Cook since all of the shallow coral has already been killed anyway. Maybe we just accept that the shallow coral in front of the monument isn't worth restoring and let it remain as a dead reef.

 

[sammy]

We were instructed to restrict our kayak entry to one area so as to protect the coral and respected those guidelines as did the other kayakers on that day did as well. But I can see how many a kayaker will do as they choose and damage additional areas as you say, thinking this gift of nature is just for them and them alone on this one day.

Although much less severe, I'm sure, I also noticed several snorkelers off of the boats just standing on the shallow coral right outside their boats without any regard to the coral growth.