Our Waikoloa Scouts Troop and families went on our annual whale watch on March 8 aboard Sea Smoke…read morewith Ocean Sports, and after doing this outing for more than 9 years, I can honestly say this was one of the best trips yet. We had about 30 Scouts and family members join us, and the whales absolutely showed up! We saw pods everywhere, tail slaps, and even a full breach. The highlight was when a humpback surfaced about 10 yards from the boat, giving the kids a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The crew also dropped the hydrophone, allowing everyone to hear the whales singing underwater, which was an incredible learning experience for the Scouts. Moments like that truly connect our youth with the ocean and the amazing wildlife here in Hawaiʻi. Ocean Sports continues to impress us every year. Booking was easy, waivers were handled electronically, check-in was smooth, parking simple, and the hospitality from the crew was outstanding. They were knowledgeable, welcoming, and fantastic with the kids. Mahalo to the entire Sea Smoke crew for sharing the ocean with us and helping create such an unforgettable adventure for our Scouts and families. Your aloha spirit and professionalism make this trip something we look forward to every year. Highly recommend Ocean Sports whale watch tours!

Loved the experience! The staff was very friendly (at the beach and on a boat). The vessel was…read moreclean so we could see everything clearly. Boat crew made sure we encountered every creature possible so they had to "chase" manta for a bit. Pretty good value! Highly recommend!

We spent an awesome morning on the water with Evan. He was friendly, fun, knowledgeable and even…read morewent 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!

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

INTRO Friendly shop with fair prices, but board quality can…read morebe hit or miss - especially some of the soft tops, which may be waterlogged and very difficult to surf. Definitely inspect your board before heading out and if you get a bad board, simply head in and swap it out. They will be very cool about it and likely give you more time in the water for the inconvenience. THE STAFF Very, very friendly and welcoming. No issues here. THE BOARDS Beware: some of the soft-top boards may be waterlogged. Pick them up - if they're unusually heavy, they're likely full of water and will surf terribly. I raised this with the leadership team, and Ben said they're going to do a better job inspecting the rental quiver to ensure boards are ready to ride. When in doubt, opt for a solid 8-9' hard top. BOOTIES You may think you want them to get out past the ~10 feet of rocky bottom. Not the end of the world - smooth rocks and ZERO sea urchins. They'll tell you they're everywhere, but you're only touching bottom for a couple seconds as you enter the crystal-clear water. Bring your own or rent for $5. If I had to do it again, I'd skip the booties. THE WAVES Scout the waves first. This is not Waikiki. This spot is hit or miss. THE CROWD Perpetual surf school sitting in the best spot in the lineup. No issues with them personally, but it does make the area feel crowded. OVERALL You're surfing in Hawaii - it's always a good outing. This is the best rental option for this beach. The staff is great and the prices are fair. Just double-check the surf and your rental board before paddling out, and don't hesitate to return to the shop during your rental to swap boards. They're happy to help, and if you lose time due to a bad board, ask for extra time - their team will likely make it right.

Awesome! The place to go if you're looking to surf while on vacation! The guys here are great!…read moreHighly recommend STEVE! Surf lesson on ground and then hit the waves! Very detailed- great experience! Show up early and have lunch at tables on the beach or go snorkeling before or after surfing. Da Poke Shack is 5 minutes away on the same street Ali. Perfect spot/beach to spend the day! Tell Steve hello!

This is the prettiest, calmest bay water to swim in & snorkel in. I dont have to worry about my…read morehusband in the water here. The water is so calm. I am able to swim all the way out, knowing he is just fine. They have clean bathrooms, out door showers & changing rooms. Perfect! Snorkeling is good here. I would say great. But you mayl see at least 50 fishes in 30 minutes. The water is clean & clear. On a sunny day you can see the bottom from 60 feet up without a Snorkel mask! I highly recommend swimming here, especially if you have inexperienced swimmers with you! Enjoy! Mahalo

Beautiful small beach that starts sandy and shallow before gradually getting deeper. Tons of coral…read moreand excellent snorkeling once you go deeper. There are shower facilities and paddle board or kayak rentals on site. Easy drive-in beach access for private beach club members staying in Mauna Lani but can also be accessed by parking elsewhere and walking in. You can also access a lovely walking path to local fishponds. We loved it.

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!

We stumbled on to this place our first day on the island. They are located at a small quiet beach…read morearea they rent everything you could possibly need for the day at a reasonable price. The staff is amazing and went above and beyond making sure we had everything we needed. We rented kayaks 3 times and umbrellas and chairs twice. If your looking for a relaxing day at the beach and or some time on the water give theses guys a shot you won't regret it.

Had a great time kayaking through Kealakekua bay with Evan and Steve and then snorkeling near…read moreCaptain Cook's monument. This was our second time and it was just as fun, if not more! The early morning kayaking through the bay is soothing for the soul. We also got lucky and saw some dolphins. The snorkeling is out of this world with such clear water and variety of colorful fish of all sizes. Evan and Steve were both very attentive to all the kayakers and super knowledgeable as we learned a bunch about Hawaiian history, Captain Cook's arrival (and demise), and the lasting legacy of that episode on Hawaii's history. After all the snorkeling, the sandwich lunch hit the spot. It also came with a souvenir water bottle! I had a last minute dietary request and they graciously accommodated. Even though this was our second time, we still had fun and actually learned new details about the history and conservation efforts happening in the area! If you want a fun, yet respectful and ethical experience, this is it!

Picked up a paddle board this morning at kealakeakua. Todd (mustache man), best mustache I've ever…read moreseen, made it a smooth process and even helped us strap down the paddle board and got us all situated. He made sure we knew where we were going and we had an awesome time! Highly recommend Kona boys.

Everyone RAVES about the manta ray experience. However, it's the manta ray company you choose that…read morewill determine if you want a personalized, memorable trip where you actually learn about manta rays versus float in a big ring in the ocean staring at them. We chose the first option. Smaller size (6 people max), ecofriendly, and kid friendly. Anelakai crew is exactly that! Personable! Wealth of knowledge! Professional, yet fun! I believe it's the only company where you get to paddle out on a canoe to view the manta rays. Nothing to fear! It's a super easy paddle out and back! If my 9 & 10 y/o kids can do it, so can you! It's very ecofriendly. The exhaust from the neighboring boats was nauseating. It's too bad they haven't followed suit. The crew took care of the kids 100%. From helping them with snorkel masks, assisting getting in and out of the canoe (my 10 y/o freaked out a little and they calmed her down in an instant), and just teaching them (and all of us) all about manta rays! The viewing was amazing. I couldn't keep track of how many we saw, but we do recall seeing Big Bertha, Greyson, and Queenie. Yes! They have names! And the crew will identify them for you and how they got their names! Props to: Kono, & the younger guy (forgot his name) Thank you for the wonderful tour! If we're ever back on the island, we'll pay another visit. The kids can't stop talking about Big Bertha and Queenie, all the backflips the manta rays take, seeing plankton up close, and paddling their first canoe IN THE DARK WITH A FULL MOON. You've inspired one of my kids who has a love for marine animals to one day work closely with them AND/OR if ever so lucky...to identify a new manta ray (if not in the database) and name it "6 - 7".

My teenage son and I had the best experience with Anelakai Adventures. Paddling out in a canoe at…read moresunset definitely adds to the whole experience! Great memories were made.

Great options of adult and kids swim clothes. Very friendly and helpful service. They also rent…read morebeach chairs and umbrellas.

This review is for a weeklong "high performance" surfboard rental. I wanted to chime in here for…read moretwo reasons: first, because other reviews don't discuss the weekly or high-performance rentals. And second, because this place has some less-than-stellar reviews that I feel might not be totally warranted. The staff members I spoke with during pick-up and drop-off were both super friendly-- way more so than I expected. The board itself was not exactly "high performance" compared to my favorite boards back home, but it was definitely better than the Wavestorms and NSPs you commonly see for rent on beachfront stands. Can you do better elsewhere? Maybe, probably, if you put some legwork into finding alternatives. But there aren't that many other options if you're on the northwest side of the Big Island. Anyway more about the rental itself: The boards are epoxy but somehow the one I got was not as chattery and stiff as other epoxy boards I've used in the past. They're not exactly "real" hand-shaped (or even hand-finished) boards you would get from a "core" surf shop, but they seem a lot better than the average mass-market pop-out. They also said I could come and swap out for a different design during my rental period if I wanted as well. There were short boards, mid lengths, and longboards. Thrusters, single fins, and 1+2s mostly. Not gonna replace my quiver back home, but a totally fine experience all around.