Ted and Grant were awesome - friendly, funny, helpful and no pressure when talking about excursions…read moreor renting equipment. Our family used snorkel equipment and paddle boards to enjoy the Kailua Bay. Grant was our guide for a morning magic kayak, across Kealakekua Bay to snorkel and return. He patiently led the group across and shared his knowledge of Hawaiian history relating to the bay. Once near our landing site he noticed some other kayakers who were in the water needing assistance. Grant paddled over, got into the water to right their craft before helping assist them back in. He patiently got our group into the water, assisting those needing more time or help, also freely answering questions from the public. All our equipment worked well. Got to see some interesting fish and beautiful coral. Our family had a fun and memorable experience! Great guide!

Our family of four had an excellent experience working with the Kona Boys Surf Shack, located on…read morethe beach behind the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. We signed up for a private outrigger canoe tour on Kailua Bay. Tommy and JP were fantastic with our kids (even when my son got a little upset mid-way through the tour) and provided a truly fun and memorable experience for all of us. The outrigger canoe tour was part tour and part history lesson of the Kona area, and was very nicely done. As guests at the hotel, we also worked with the Kona Boys to receive the beach gear items we were entitled to with our resort fee. All was great on that front too. Thank you and keep up the great work!

I've been on several excursions in Hawaii and they never disappoint. The dinner cruise by Body…read moreGlove was no exception. All I can say is, these companies/people really know what they're doing. And thank god for that because isn't that what we come to Hawaii for! Anyway, I booked this cruise because I really just wanted to experience the Kona sunsets which everyone seems to be raving about. Well, not only did we get a spectacular sunset viewing, but we also got a pretty cool adventure. Jessica, the captain, led her crew of two looked like they were having fun too. And that says a lot. Go book this tour. You won't regret it!

Captain Erika, was amazing the whole crew was awesome couldn't have had a better time than on the…read morebody glove for my birthday Side note: I lost my prescription glasses in the water and Chris (crew member) dove down and found it appreciate you

OK, this is uber touristy. However, they have their shtick down pat and know what they are doing…read more First you hear the history of Hawaiian cowboys. It was entertaining and good information, but I suspect that this "cowboy" does his act in Wyoming (or some other dude ranch) in the summer and Hawaii in the winter. His western cowboy accent sounded kind of fake to me, but I'm pretty cynical. He and his wife then sing songs and encourage people to dance. The next part is the buffet. I'm a prime rib kind of guy, so I thought it was fantastic and very good quality. There is also chicken, beans, salad, buns, dessert, and the other stuff that you would expect. Included is beer, wine, and bottled water, and soda. The after-dinner entertainment includes roping steers (of of the wooden variety), smores, and the chance to brand a piece of wood. If you look at their website, you will see exactly what you are getting. If that's worth $85 (per adult), go for it. It was included in our Hawaii tour package, so that was fine. If I had to pay $170 per couple, I'm not sure I'd do it.

It's always an incredible experience at kahua ranch, the horses, the cattle the views are…read moreincredible and the sunsets are absolutely stunning!

This was an amazing excursion for us! Capt. Brett is a true professional, with decades of local…read moreknowledge it was clear that he is operating with a level of competence that is probably unrivaled in Hawaii. The boat is so much fun, cruising everywhere at 30mph and even just for kicks we traveled at over 40mph at times. Not only is this speed fun but it's effective. Within the first hour of our trip we already found a pod of pilot whales to swim with. They had not been sighted much in preceding weeks so it was a big deal. Several successful drops with them and Capt. Brett was ready to take us to the next opportunity. Which by the way was more than 10 miles out at "F" buoy where we had an in water encounter with rough toothed dolphins and an oceanic white tip shark. Our in-water guide, Ron, was fantastic and carried so much energy and enthusiasm. We felt very safe next to him as he guided us around the shark and dolphins in 10,000 feet of water. After we left the buoy, Brett found more pilot whales for us. It was another fantastic drop and skillful spotting. Obviously the trip was already going great but Capt. decided to try and finish things off by seeing if any hammerheads were schooling. We did manage to find one and we stuck it out for 30 minutes to see if a school appeared, but it was too early in the day. Nevertheless, we appreciated the effort! On the way in Capt. Brett showed us the capability of this US Navy Seal RIB with its highly maneuverable turns and handling. It made me want to get a boat like this for myself! If you value your time, Wild Hawaii Ocean Adventures is the FASTEST and one of the most CAPABLE operators on the Big Island. Bang for the buck it can't be beat. And Capt. Brett along with water guide Ron were top notch and professional hosts.

We had yet another first-ratet experience with WHOA yesterday: they have become our go-to whale…read morewatching outfit every year for the past 10 years. The crew are fun and knowledgeable and the jet-powered RIB boats give immersive, thrilling experience. Our track record is a 100%: we've seen whales on every visit with them. Highly recommended!

We always have a great experience with Fair Wind Cruises. My family goes on this snorkel trip every…read moreyear during our annual Hawaii vacation, and it has become such a fun tradition for us. I usually suffer from sea sickness but I never feel ill on the Fair Winds boats. The staff is always so nice and friendly, which makes the whole experience even more enjoyable. We do miss the BBQ burgers they used to cook for lunch on the boat, but the vegetarian menu they offer now is still pretty good. We also really appreciate their efforts to be environmentally friendly, which makes us feel even better about supporting them. Overall, it is always a memorable and enjoyable trip, and we look forward to it every year!

Went on the fair wind with my family, and we had a blast. There was some good vegan food ( the…read moresliders weren't my favorite) and free root beer. The scenery around was really pretty and I saw lot of coral reef and mountainous views from the water. The staff there was awesome and they attended to everyone needs well. I love snorkeling now.

We did a Captain Cook snorkeling tour with Sea Quest Hawaii today and were very impressed. Erin,…read morethe phone representative, was friendly, patient, and answered all my questions, which made me choose this company. Captain Natalie and Assistant Anna were fantastic, knowledgeable, funny, and very attentive throughout the trip. Captain Natalie shared interesting stories about Captain Cook and the surrounding lava caves, and she even helped me with my snorkeling gear and inflating the vest. The snorkeling spot near Captain Cook Monument was incredible, and we saw so many fish. They also provided fresh fruit, chips, cookies, and soft drinks. Thanks to Captain Natalie and Anna, all six of us had a great time and would highly recommend this company.

Hands down one of the coolest things I've ever done. We popped over to the Big Island with cousins…read morefor Spring Break and didn't book until a couple days out because of weather. Thankfully, they had space for our entire group for the sunset time (615pm check-in) and we didn't have to wait for the late-late slots. Online booking was easy-peasy (no kama'aina discount, unfortunately). We checked in (parking is street parking and there are several boats leaving from the same area, so it can be a bit of a challenge) pretty easily - there were folks out front directing us where to go for Sea Quest. I decided the $35 for the GoPro rental was a steal compared to trusting my waterproof phone pouch and I have no regrets - you can leave the camera running the whole time and they give you the SD card at the end. It was no trouble to do that once we got there, as I didn't add that when booking. They have a decent gift shop and the keiki in our party bought themselves some stuffed souvenirs. We got fitted for shorty wet suits and prescription masks if needed, and then waited for them to split us into boats and groups. We were accompanied in the water by Wylen (sorry if I butchered the spelling) and Abram, and they had the perfect blend of aloha, humor, and information. Super chill, but you also knew they meant business about Rule Number 1. From there, we boarded the boat, a small zodiac-style craft, for the 5 minute journey to Manta Village. The website made it seem like we could leave things on board, but that really wasn't the case. We left all bags, clothing, towels in a secure room on shore, slippers got collected on the pier, and small things like eyeglasses were stored in a bin on the boat. No trouble, but I wouldn't plan to take anything with you on the boat. Getting into the water was easy, and we had one keiki who was a little apprehensive about everything - they took great care to lower him into the water, and when he wanted to go back to the boat a little early, they accompanied him back to the ladder no problem. There were plenty staff around to help and also identify the mantas by their markings. And there were SO MANY mantas! We had an amazing evening watching them - I lost count and forgot many names, there were so many swimming past. We had 30-40 minutes in the water and we had multiple mantas around us the whole time. I thought the time was plenty - by the time we had about 5 minutes to go, my stomach was ready to be back on land. My only regret is not stretching my triceps beforehand - I was not expecting my arms to be so sore after holding onto the bar around the light board! We paid $135ish plus fees per person (all ages) and it was the highlight of the trip, for sure.

The manta ray night snorkel is must-do when on Big Island! Sea Paradise did a wonderful job of…read moreprepping and herding us humans into the magical world of manta rays. The crew have a great love for these creatures, are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge. They are docked a short walk from the Outrigger. Even better, getting to Manta Ray Village is a short ride, maybe 5-10 minutes? Great for those of you who get a little seasick. I've done a tour with another company a few years ago. I for sure would repeat with Sea Paradise again!

What a beautiful day out on the water. We started the morning with an incredible crew who quickly…read morejumped into action when noticing a derelict net at the oceans surface. Crew member Grace was quick to notify the captain to slow the boat, and Josh used a long pole to retrieve the debris. The whole board cheered! At that moment I knew we were in good hands. Kona was experiencing high swells this week, but that was no challenge for Sea Paradise and Captain John. The sail was very comfortable on a double hauled catamaran, the boat even had with a large seating area through the middle that's shaded! Snorkel gear was provided, along with a demonstration on how to use it for beginners. The first snorkel locations had lots of fish (I SAW AN EEL!) As we boated over to the second location, a pod of SPINNER DOLPHINS joined us!! We sprawled out on the splash nets at the front of the boat to get up pretty close the the dolphins who loved playing in the boats wake. At the second location I choose to stay on board and enjoy the drink service. Crew members Kamaile and Myrissa were very friendly and tentative making sure our cup was filled. ** I highly recommend the spicy margaritas ** Lunch was served on the way back to the boat ramp, where a sandwich bar was prepared with a variety of meat and cheese options to choose from, (I combined tuna with turkey and pepper jack cheese with lettuce and cucumbers inside) It was delish. Many people learn from history books about captain cook, on this sail we were enlightened about the significance of Kealakekua Bay from the Native Hawaiian perspective. The Hawaiian culture is just so impressive. I highly recommend joining the sail to gain insight on how special the land and surrounding oceans are to Natives. Thank you for an amazing experience Sea Paradise and Crew!