We spent an awesome morning on the water with Evan. He was friendly, fun, knowledgeable and even went the extra mile (fathom?) while free diving 40 feet to find an octopus so that we could have an encounter with one. We saw lots of turtles getting their spa day while tropical fish cleaned them. Within an hour or two, we received an email with two dozen high quality photos and videos that Evan took with his GoPro. A pretty big value add to the tour! I was a little apprehensive about exiting the kayak but he made it a safe, easy and fun experience. If you're thinking of joining a huge group tour organized by one of the resorts, book a trip with Evan and his guides instead. You won't regret it! read more

Excellent experience. Evan and Don where great. They both were very knowledgeable of the ocean and took us to a great place to snorkel on the kayaks. read more

Hawaii Surf and Kayak - Paddleboarding Near Me

Over 10 years ago, I had the pleasure of finding and renting equipment from Evan's company and leaving a review reflecting my positive experience. This morning my group enjoyed an excellent kayaking and snorkeling excursion with Evan's brother, Andrew, who was equally as engaging and informative as his brother had been. We felt safe and well-guided at all times while never patronized. With clear and focused instructions, we navigated out into the ocean to a turtle feeding station where we snorkeled for over an hour with turtles and a beautiful array of tropical fish. Andrew facilitated our respectful handling of an octopus and a non-venomous sea urchin. He answered our questions and provided tips and advice for other excursions while we enjoyed the healthy snack at the conclusion of the trip. I heartily recommend this company for both safety, education, and great fun! Well done. read more

We did a kayak and snorkel with Evan, and we had a wonderful time! Evan was friendly and engaging, and it felt like having a personalized kayak and snorkel tour guide. We got to encounter amazing sea creatures (including an octopus!), and learned lots of cool information about them. Afterwards, Evan had so kindly brought the sweetest pineapple to share during our "picnic". It was one of favorite experiences of our trip, and we can't wait to go again! We've been recommending it to everyone we know. read more

Evan is great - professional and fun. alex was super nice. both helpful - we all had a really fun time!

Rented a sup for a week and had a great experience. The board was delivered and picked up which made things easy. The board was great and worked for what I needed. The price seemed fair read more

HIGHLY recommend this place for anytime you're in the area. I'd give this place ten stars if I could. Just rented two boards for five days and Evan was very cool about it. Really good communication because they are just a call/text away. They come by and drop off the boards and some straps and you're good to go! After a few days they come back to pick the boards up again so you can surf whenever you want to. Super easy process. Thanks for a great time! read more

Hawaii Surf and Kayak - Rented these beautiful boards !! - Paddleboarding Near Me

My friends and I had such a wonderful kayak & snorkel experience with Evan! We got to learn about Hawaiian history, the beautiful reef, and even the basics of how to free dive. Evan dove down to grab various things off the reef for us to touch and see, and got so many epic photos of us in the water. The underwater photos were a very cool added bonus, and something I've never gotten on a tour before. One of my friends had never kayaked or snorkeled before, and he did such a great job teaching her and making sure she felt safe. Then we finished the day with some food! The knowledge all the guides have of the area is incredible - highly recommend this experience! I also rented some paddleboards from them, and the free delivery was very convenient. They give you all you need to strap it to your car, and teach you how to do it! read more

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Amazing Experience!!! Went on a kayak tour with our kids and the tour guides were so patient, kind, enthusiastic, and always kept safety in mind. They took us to a turtle cleaning station and even allowed our sons to hold some sea creatures! We can't wait to do it again. PS- bring food in your car you'll only Be provided a small snack and water. read more

Hawaii Surf and Kayak - Paddleboarding Near Me

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Went with a large group(Backroads) and Evan, Andrew, Cesar, and Dom were our guides. They were professional and had a lot of great information. It was a bit choppy, so our two girls got help with a tow out to the reef. Once out on the reef, it was freeking amazing. I am not the strongest of a swimmer and got a bit winded(my 2nd time snorkeling). But Evan got me on a float and that helped a lot. The group and my family really enjoyed ourselves. I will say that our guides were great and I noticed a review about Andrew. Here is my thought about Andrew, he tended to be bit more focused. He was gruff in tone a couple of times, but I just think that was because he was dealing with a large group of people with different levels of experience and was looking out for our safety in the water. As I said before, this was an amazing day. They also took some great photos of everyone in the water(see photos below). read more

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Evan and Andrew were a-maze-ing. They got me on a kayak/snorkeling trip next day, as a solo traveler (much appreciated), and it was fantastic! I drove up from Kona-Kailua, which is about 30 minutes away. This was a much nicer environment than the touristy stuff in Kona. Our group was a family (mom, dad and two preteen daughters) and me. Let's say...I'm weight challenged and no longer the athletic person I was. They were super accommodating -- don't hesitate to ask them for help (like steadying that kayak so you can get back in! LOL). I had kayak previously, but had never snorkeled -- they taught me how. Even though I was by myself, the guides made it fun for me. They were fun, friendly and kind, with a little education thrown in. We met on a beach, paddled out and snorkeled with sea turtles. Andrew took fantastic pictures with a GoPro and shared with us next day. These are the best pictures of my entire Hawaii trip and since I was by myself, it was much appreciated. Near the end of the trip, we stopped on a beach for a fresh pineapple and granola bar snack before heading back. Highly recommend this trip!! P.S. I also took a boat trip to swim and snorkel with dolphins from another company. Much more expensive and it didn't compare to this. July 2021 read more

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We had a really great guide, he explained everything very well. He made sure we saw turtles and plenty of sea life, he was a pleasure. He even swam down to fetch sea creatures you could take a picture with. The timing was perfect, not too much kayaking to get you too tired. If you go on the morning tour, you leave right when the other busier tours arrive on boats. The beach we stopped at for a snack was perfect. The fresh pineapple served was delicious. Thank you for showing us a great time! The views were beautiful and the snorkeling was so much fun. One of the best excursions we have ever been on. read more

We had so much fun on our kayak and snorkel tour! Evan and Blip are great, and is super helpful for even us novice kayakers. The waves were rough when we were out so we snorkeled a bit closer, but we were still able to see a manta ray! Evan took pictures for us while we were snorkeling too. 10/10 recommend! read more

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Hawaii Surf and Kayak is your go to for kayaks. I've rental from Evan several times now and have had great experiences. Evan, thanks for hooking it up again! Call you next time we are back. read more

We had a wonder-filled experience with Evan at Hawaii Surf and Paddle. If you are looking for an exceptional, personal experience, this is a great choice. Evan was very kind, knowledgeable and fun! My advise is to relax and enjoy the moments and you will not be disappointed. The whales, turtles and fish showed up in all their beauty! Thank you Evan! read more

I read all the reviews and was a little surprised- the experience in itself was pretty awesome (definitely would have done 4-5 stars), but our interaction with Andrew was most certainly not (reason for the 2 stars)! We had a party of 10, Andrew and Dominic were our guides. Andrew somehow was not like everyone said in the reviews here. It will be long but I hope it's taken in the spirit it's being written in, and helps the company improve their quality, more specifically their customer service, by maybe having their employees take sensitivity training. Re Andrew: not sure if he was just having a bad day (in which case I apologize) or if he was just a tad racist (we were a party of 10 brown/south eastern Asian people)- this seems to be more the case in our opinion! - in the very beginning when going through the names he openly said something to the affect of: I have never heard/said these names, so I am pretty sure I am not going to be able to remember them! And this was not said in a friendly way! - later towards the end when offering the yummy/healthy snacks everyone mentions here, one of our friends had a 9 yo who she was attending to, when he had initially offered the pineapple, asked Andrew if he had more pineapple. His response, again said very rudely: I already asked about 4 times if someone wanted it! Some more specifics about Andrew's what we would call his 'bedside manner' in the physician world, or 'customer service' in general: I am not a swimmer, and my husband not a strong one either (the rest of our party was!), and I had called them and checked specifically the day before, if they would recommend in this situation to not do the kayaking/snorkeling! I was told clearly there were life jackets and buoys available, so as long as one could relax in the water it should be fine. In our case it ended up being fine overall, with a little adventure thrown in (to keep it positive!). On our way back, our kayak toppled over. It was more embarrassing than traumatizing (we had life jackets on- thankfully). Andrew and Dom got us back on (I completely understand Andrew's being annoyed- believe me he couldn't have been more annoyed with us then I was already, on undertaking a water adventure when not comfortable in the water. And with our limited to non existent skills they had to probably work harder than usual). But considering he is the face of this company, he did not need to be so unpleasant about it, eg - he said 'this is what happens when you don't pay attention to the guides and follow instructions' - my son told me later he trash talked when our kayak toppled (before he joined Dom to help us get back on), saying 'these 2 have not been listening from the beginning and not following instructions (and I can assure you we were listening- just having never done it before, needed more help than usual, especially to get back on the kayak etc). So I feel he did not need to be kind of so unpleasant (putting this politely) about it! I asked Dom later how many times they have this happen; he was really sweet about it and said not to worry about it, it happens all the time, since it's very easy to happen and any little thing can cause it! (Definitely made me feel better). So, initially I thought Andrew had just taken a dislike to us (my husband and me) for being so unskilled, but after putting all the above together, with how he spoke the group in general before and my friend in the end specifically, I felt it was more than just annoyance at the 2 of us. So my recommendation would be for Evan (the owner- who happens to be Andrew's brother) put better instructions and guidance (on their website) about skills needed to sign up for the activity (eg IMO definitely need to know how to swim and hold your own, to better enjoy; can certainly be done if not a swimmer, but should know the struggles one might face, so the person makes a well informed decision and goes in prepared!). Also maybe recommend in this situation, doing a more 1 on 1 guide, #1 to avoid embarrassment (for the one going through it), #2 help the guides be more available (understanding the cost will be higher) to the ones who need it without taking away from the rest of the group's experience, AND finally #3 for the rest of the group, so they can get the most from the activity without being held back because of less skilled people in the group!. I will end on a positive note; the activity itself is pretty amazing, Dom was super sweet and much kinder than Andrew, and would definitely recommend the activity, but to recommend this specific company, would suggest a little more clearer guidance on the website about the activity, and sorry to say, but some sensitivity/manners/kindness training for Andrew! read more

Fantastic morning with Andrew! His brother Evan got us scheduled and was very helpful and flexible with our travel plans. We had an amazing experience with Andrew as our guide. He was wonderful with my two boys, and anyone who can talk to a six-year-old for two hours is a keeper in my book. We started out with a safety talk about the kayaks and then we got on the kayaks. Both kids had to wear life jackets while on the kayaks but not in the water. We were lucky and got to catch the glimpses of a whale's tail a few times in the distance and Andrew even played whale sounds on his phone hoping to attract them. He's an amazing person and even helped tow me and my little one when I ran out of gas lol. We docked our kayaks by the Bayou and started snorkeling. At the turtle washing station location we saw sea turtles, a spotted eagle ray,red pencil urchins, and an octopus that we got to hold courtesy of Andrew. As a mom I thought the best part of all this was Andrew capturing our memories on his go pro and sharing them the same night on Google drive. After we were done snorkeling, we were offered healthy snacks like Aussie bites, cheese sticks and fresh cut pineapple. We had a wonderful first day in big Island with Andrew and I highly recommend anyone with kids to check out this adventure which is more tailored and personalized than some of the bigger operators. read more

We luckily ended up with a private tour with Andrew on a calm water day. We kayaked out (one double and one single), and I was worried about handling a kayak on my own but it was quite doable. In the water, we saw a lot of turtles, some with groups of fish cleaning their shells, and Andrew also found an octopus and an eel! We had a lot of time to explore the area and Andrew was very nice and personable. He spent a lot of time making sure we had great pictures with his GoPro. The pictures we received were very special. We also rented the snorkeling equipment for a week and Evan was super flexible about meeting up with us for the return. Thanks guys! read more

Amazing tour! Great adventure to add to your to do list. Evan our tour guide was amazing and provided us with an amazing experience. He was hopeful to find us an octopus and with his persistence he did! Definitely a highlight to our experience! read more

Wonderful experience with Cesar and one other couple from Seattle. We saw a humpback whale, mom & baby shortly after heading out. Our guide, Cesar, asked continue to a snorkeling area or follow, observe the whales. Just an amazing experience. Peaceful & beautiful. The only sounds were the whales breathing & calm sea lapping at the kayak. Unforgettable. read more

Andrew was amazing!!! I loved the tour, we swam with sea turtles and stingrays and it was beautiful. They have the perfect spot to explore the reef. read more

This morning kayak and snorkel trip was such an awesome experience!! Evan and Cesar are super knowledgeable about the area, the local marine life and water safety. We had two kiddos with us who are fairly new to snorkeling and brand new to kayaking, and we felt safe the entire time. Cesar found sea urchins and even an octopus for us to visit while we snorkeled. We got emailed a ton of incredible photos a couple hours after the trip, which was a nice touch. These guys really take pride in their business!!! We would absolutely do this trip again. :-) read more

My family and I went on the 8:30 kayak and snorkel tour last week. We had a great time. It ended up just being our party of 4 and the guide, Evan. He was a super nice guy, very knowledgeable about Hawaii and the ocean. It was interesting and relaxing. We kayaked for about 20 minutes to our snorkel spot and then Evan spent the next hour guiding us around the bay showing us interesting sea life and really cool coral formations while we snorkeled. We went on the beach and had a little snack and some good conversation and then kayaked back. We have gone on many kayak/snorkel trips throughout the islands, and this was definitely one of the best. Evan had a GoPro and took pictures and video of our trip and sent them to us the next day - a very nice touch! I can't recommend Hawaii Surf and Kayak enough. read more

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Thank you Evan (Captain Flipper) and Blip (a little bit of Texas right here in paradise). Great morning spent with you on the kayak/snorkeling tour. Thank you for making it fun and interesting and bringing some sea life to the surface for us. Thanks for not canceling even though it was a bit windy Enjoyed the tour and your extra sightseeing suggestions. Fun, professional, safety conscious - highly recommend this team! Great pineapple & homemade snacks too! read more

Definitely would do this again. It was an awesome experience. We went out in the morning, a bit choppy but added to the fun. Cesar gave perfect instructions and was able to catch a sea urchin and octopus for underwater pictures. The pictures he provided were amazing on his go pro. Thank you Cesar, the experience was awesome. read more

Wow ! Great time with Evan on the kayak and snorkeling trip. If you are considering it don't hesitate to book. Our best experience of the trip. I went with my family and everyone from my 10 yo niece to my 80 yo dad had a fabulous time. The trip leaders thought of every detail so I could relax and enjoy the unparalleled view of island and incredible snorkeling like nothing else on the island. Evan and Michael were very helpful and knowledgeable. thanks again ! read more

We had the best experience on our kayak/snorkel with Andrew, Dom and Cesar!! They were so upbeat, informative and made sure my granddaughters had the best time snorkeling along side sea turtles, tropical fish and so much more! We all haven't stopped talking about what we saw and how much we laughed! can't wait to do it again! thank you guys!!! Christy, Megan , Maya & Emma read more

Had an incredible time out on the water! Evan and Nalu set us up for a quality sunrise paddling and snorkeling session on the Puako bay. Conditions were completely calm, it felt like we were on a lake. As an outfitter we were more than pleased. They had quality gear, set up at the boat ramp 20 mins early with water and snacks. Also I appreciated that they had quality touring boats which made for a smooth paddle out. Having rented from other shops out here, it was awesome that we had legit gear. The snorkeling also was effortless and we saw a ton of fish nearby. I'd definitely recommend Hawaii surf and kayak and will absolutely rent from them again on the next trip to the area. read more

Hawaii Surf and Kayak - Paddleboarding Near Me

Andrew was a fantastic guide. We had a fun kayak ride out to the reef and an hour plus snorkeling adventure. We saw all kinds of sea life including pics while holding several varieties. We swam with sea turtles and learned about their habitat. We also received fantastic photos of the day. The fresh pineapple snack on the beach after our trek was a great bonus. The highlight of our vacation, thank you! read more

Great morning kayak and snorkeling with Evan and Andrew! We were lucky with perfect calm water and the visibility was amazing. These guys are great guides, super friendly and helpful with everyone- no matter your skill level in the water. We saw tons of fish and sea turtles at their favorite spot. Highly recommend this trip for anyone! read more

Hawaii Surf and Kayak - Paddleboarding Near Me

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Andrew was a wonderful guide! From up close encounter with an octopus to a turtle cleaning station to healthy snacks! Exceptional experience! Thank you Andrew! read more

WOW!!! While traveling, there are some things that worth way more than the cost. This is one of them We went on kayak/snorkel tour with Evan and Larry on feb 27th 2016. We have done kayaking and snorkeling twice before and would call ourselves beginners. They answered all of our questions, and were very prompt with all inquiries. We parked on the street next to the church as they instructed but quickly found out only my wife and I booked that day! They did not cancel and gave us the best ocean tour we have been on (we have been on a few between maui/san diego/big island). Our previous tour guides have been nice but they all lacked the personal touch Hawaii surf and kayak possess. After snorkeling, THEY CUT OPEN A WHOLE PINAPPLE in the middle of the ocean to share. As if that wasn't great enough, they cut open a papaya afterwards. That maybe the best pineapple/papaya I have had in my life! They had vegetarian snacks (per our preference) for us to enjoy while drifting on the kayak/watching whales. They took the garbage back with them on the kayak afterwards as well. They provide water bottles + all the snorkeling gear + will have a dry bag for valuables. They sent us some photos in the afternoon via email as well! We saw 4-5 turtles at one time, multiples different types of fish, whales, and a mantaray up close. I would without a doubt recommend this company to the highest level. Don't think about it anymore, just book it! read more

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These young pros are located on the shore of the Big Island. Excited to hear of the new business on this side of the island. It's short drive from Waikoloa Beach, which I feel is a time saving deal for anyone on this side of the island. Evan and Walt, both friendly and professional saw to it that they would show all of us a fun journey on the ocean. We called to make an appointment and found them at the 2 Puako Beach Drive. Totally a deserving trip, showed us a good time. We used Siri to map out our trip to the location and only got lost. (Note to newcomers: Don't use Siri on the island.) read more

This review is long overdue as we got the pleasure of experiencing kayaking and snorkeling on our vacation back in January but it was such an unforgettable experience I've been meaning to leave a review so here it is. We came for my brother's wedding and wanted to do some snorkeling and kayaking while we were there. We very much wanted to see some whales up close but figured we may only be lucky to catch some sea life via snorkeling. While that was an incredible experience in itself, we were then told we could go see if we wanted to try and see some whales on our kayaks. To our complete amazement, two adult whales appeared closer than probably even initially comfortable with (out of our control bc yes, it's nature and it does what it wants lol) but it was the absolute highlight of our entire trip, next to the actual wedding itself! read more

We were turned on to HS&K by our hotel conceirge and we're so glad we were able to discover this gem of a snorkel tour. Our guide, Evan was great and got us out on the water in Sea kayaks that we're stable and easy to use. He guided our small group to a nearby cove we're we got to experience a beautiful reef without crowds of people around. Evan would dive down and bring up creatures for us to touch and learn about. He is very knowledgeable about the area and the sea life. We wrapped up the trip with get snacks and fresh cut pineapple! I highly recommend HS&K tours if youre looking for a fun and interactive snorkle trip. read more

What an exciting trip! The team was fantastic; they were attentive & helpful, even served up delicious pineapple after we finished. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a Hawaiian adventure. :-) read more

We first went out with these guys in April 2016 and loved it so much - we knew we had to do it again in September 2017! The excursion was awesome start to finish. They're so nice and knowledgeable about the area, and make you feel so comfortable. You get to explore the less-traveled parts of the ocean so you won't have to worry about bumping into people while you're snorkeling. Both times, we saw a bunch of turtles - and the second time we even got to see a shark and an eagle ray! I can't forget to mention the fresh pineapple and snacks you get to eat in the middle of the ocean as well. Book it!! Worth every penny! read more

Definitely recommend Hawaii Surf and Kayak for rentals. We've rented SUPs through Evan multiple times now, and he always brings great customer service and quality product. Most conveniently, the paddle boards were delivered to our door in Puako and he was very flexible for pickup time. Evan is so friendly and driven, it's been really cool to see his business grow through the years. read more

First of all they were safety conscious but not so much that it was annoying. They made sure we were safe but allowed us to have fun. And fun is what we had. We saw lots of fish and an eel with lots of sea urchin's. They explained the fragility if the coral and the history of Hawaii for the area of our snorkeling. Caesar and ( I'm sorry if this is wrong) Hal, were attentive and showed us a great area. My wife and I had a great time and absolutely recommend this company. read more

Big thank you to Dominic, Andrew and Cesar for an amazing kayak and snorkel experience. These guys are top notch. Don't hesitate to book, you are in for a treat! read more