My husband rented a performance board from Backdoor and he was helped by Kahelei , she was…read morewonderful! She even gave us local recommendations for coffee and breakfast and her approach was outgoing and personable.

Do not come here for surfboard rentals. Here are three reasons why:…read more 1. **Higher Prices**: This is not the cheapest place to rent surfboards. My family and I initially wanted to rent from a different shop, but they close early in the afternoon. So, we ended up at Backdoor Surf instead. I recommend going to Hanalei Surfboard Rentals instead; it's cheaper, and they offer both half-day and full-day options. You can check them out at [Hanalei Surfboard Rentals](https://hanaleisurfboardrentals.com/). I'm not affiliated with them; I just had a really good experience, and they loaded the boards onto our car quickly. 2. **Long Wait Times and Attitude**: At Backdoor Surf, they spend a long time inspecting the boards and handling paperwork, but that's not the worst part. One of the store associates, David, was quite rude while loading the boards onto our car. My mother asked me to watch him so I could learn how to put the boards back on the car rack when we returned. I told her I already knew how to do it, and David interjected, "Then why don't you do it?" He had a poor attitude while loading the boards, despite us paying over $80 for two surfboards and one paddleboard. Another associate, Kira, told us that David would load the boards and he still gave us an attitude, and it took him about 20-30 minutes to do it. 3. **Poor Customer Service**: Kira started rambling about her personal problems during our visit, while David provided terrible service and only acted friendly when we returned the boards. **Summary**: Choose another rental place if you prefer to be treated professionally by those you are paying and if you value timely service.

This review is based on the rental facility located at Bali Hai. We rented a Beach Umbrella and 2…read moreBoogie Boards for the week. The Beach Umbrella was a nice Tommy Bahama beach umbrella but super old and flipped out in the winds at Salt Pond Beach. The Boogie Boards were old with flaps falling off that prevented us from catching good waves at Hanalei Bay and Poipu Beach. Make sure to inspect your gear before you leave! I didn't notice the quality of the boards until we were using them and seeing the rolls royce of nice boogie boards flying by us when we were trying to catch waves and going no where. This shop is conveniently located at the hotel and reasonably priced.

We rented two snorkel gears from here, very affordable! Discovered this place while we walked…read morearound Holy Grail donuts and were on our way to Hanalei bay. They have a bunch of other rentals and stuff to buy too. We got it for a day and had to leave early the day after. Couldn't return it in the evening the same day but they were nice enough to have us drop it early the next morning before they open up their store. I messaged them on the google chat or something , not expecting a reply and I got one! It was very easy to communicate and coordinate the drop off.

Cute little boutique that had gifts for kids, womens, and even items that could be gifted for men…read more I was intrigued by the jewelry - these beautiful beaded anklets that were quite pricey, earrings by the register, the beach things - only a few sizes in swimwear left, towels, wall decor - shell leis and lava stone arrows, and this sleek looking pocket knife. I really wanted to try on the anklet as it came in three colors, but I was never approached if I needed any help. I circled several times and entered the store two separate occasions while I was trying to decide if it was worth it. Nice shop to browse and if you're in need of a gift though.

Such a cute spot with lovely gifts and souvenirs to remember Kauai with. I highly recommend…read morestopping in and seeing the cute jewelry. The handmade ohana brand clothes, the linens, locallly made jewelry and even smell a nice Pikake candle. The workers are nice and always accommodating and they give you space to shop. I even purchase online from them just to support local. Check out this little gem!

Got some sweet board shorts but more importantly the guy working the register gave us some good…read morepointers for using a local leaf to help keep snorkel masks from fogging up. He ask gave some good recommendations for spots to snorkel at. True aloha spirit indeed

Always a great and highly recommended outfit. Friendly customer service and great priceread more

Aloha Exchange Kilauea is located in a small corner plaza that has several other shops located…read moreinside. Sorry I didn't pay much attention but im guessing a coffee shop is also located there because people were just sitting around. Anyhow it was our first time visiting this Aloha Exchange location and it was quite nice. It's a great spot to stop by if you're coming back from visiting the Kilauea lighthouse, pick up some nice clothing items for friends or relatives (local brand so its even more special) as gifts. Pricing is very competitive with our surf clothing shops but the quality of their shirts and shorts are much better and much softer than others. I'm not a booshee type person but other shops just can't compare to the quality of Aloha Exchange. The employees are all friendly and helpful and for some odd reason, the employee are all good looking lol (in both locations) model type. They must be Kauai made as well. Overall this Aloha Exchange location was very nice. It seems they have slightly different items from their Kalaeho location so it's worth the visit.

Great store! Always visit when we're on the island. We also grab coffee and the shop nearbyread more

Well, I read some of the reviews and being an older man myself my comment to you guys bite it…read more Gentlemen that owns the shop has been over and above kind to us even ordering special shirts for my wife and shipping them to her and doing it over because she gave him the wrong ZIP Code. He didn't have to go to extreme, but he did and for that we are deeply appreciative to the gentleman. Take your time get to know him you're gonna get old and grumpy someday yourself and dealing with people like you I can understand why.

Unpleasant experience all around. Agree with the other reviews about the gentleman running the…read moreshop. I wanted to leave immediately. Not worth the hassle for some t-shirts.

Barbara bought two pairs of walking shoes. Super comfortable, well made and really whacky…read morelooking. Woven material of many colors. Looks like party confetti on her feet. Store has other items in addition to the sizable inventory of shoes. Hats, tee shirts, sunglasses. The store is crammed full of stuff. If you decide to go hiking the rigorous Na Pali coast trail but left your boots at home, this store is the best place to buy a pair. They stock Merrill's, Hoka, Timberline. Employee was not the most cheerful person, yet helpful.

Unusual for this shop. We walked in and the clerk was at the counter talking to her friends in…read moreFrench. Not a hello, may I help you, eye contact, or even a wave. We've been visiting the shop for 25 years, and never had this experience. Hopefully the owner adresses this so that the shop remains a fixture in Princeville.

We actually walked around quite a bit before ending up here. Checked a few spots, compared prices,…read moretalked to people -- the usual process. And honestly, I'm really glad we landed on this place. They offered us the best deal we found: $30 per paddleboard, no pressure, no weird upselling. Everything was explained clearly, calmly, and with patience. The boards were in good condition, nothing sketchy. They helped us load everything onto the car and made sure it was secured properly, which sounds small, but after a long day -- that matters. The whole experience felt easy. No rush, no attitude, no "tourist trap" vibe. Just people who know what they're doing and treat you with respect. After that, we had an amazing time out on the river. Peaceful water, beautiful views -- exactly what we came for. Four hours flew by without even noticing. If I'm back on the island, I won't even think twice. I'll come straight here. $30 for 4 hours, solid boards, good people, zero stress. That's all I need. Highly recommend.

Best place in Hanalei to rent a paddle board or a surfboard. We checked several other spots first,…read moreand everywhere else either had much higher prices or a bunch of restrictions and hidden fees (like charging $100 just to put a board on your car roof). None of that here. They have very reasonable prices, good-quality boards, and the staff helps you choose the right size board and paddle. We paid only $30 per person for a half-day SUP rental and $25 for a full day surfboard rental, which is a great deal for this area. One thing I'd recommend though - double-check that the staff actually secures the rope when they strap the boards to your car. The employee didn't want our help, but a few minutes into the drive the boards started coming loose. Luckily, we had a Jeep Wrangler with an open roof, so we were able to hold them. Turned out the ropes weren't even properly tied, just kinda thrown on. Hopefully this was just a one-off, especially since they do keep your card on file in case anything happens to the boards. Overall though best prices and conditions in town. Definately recommend!

Awesome friendly staff, they were able to explain how to get to the waterfall and answered any…read morequestions we may have. If you're strong and up for the challenge, paddle boarding 2 miles to the waterfall is awesome but very very challenging especially on the way back! They even loaded up and took down our paddle boards from the car with foam pads, so the car wouldn't get scratched!

With well over ten years of SUPing experience, we knew we didn't want to paddle up the river on…read morerecreational SUP boards. I sprung for two touring boards which turned out to be a good decision. Keylan was very professional and helpful answering all our questions. He showed us an aerial view of the river on his computer screen so we had a visual of where we were going before heading out. He set us up with two 4" x 4" foam "boards" which were placed on the car roof before loading the SUP boards. He provided us with straps to hold the boards securely up there for the very short drive (about five minutes) to the launching spot on the river. The paddle up the river and the hike to t he waterfall was definitely worth the effort. We did that first at Keylan's recommendation, then went to see Fern Grotto. Allow yourself lots of extra time for the return trip as you will be paddling into the wind which can be quite strong in certain areas. We had a great day thanks to Kauai SUP and Kayak. I highly recommend this business.