My family and I had such a great experience with this Jet Ski company. Okay so first I have to compare this to other jet ski companies on the island and just say that this location gives you a larger space and more freedom to ride your jet ski and actually have fun all while keeping safe and following protocol. Secondly, the staff are wonderful a women named Lisa (owner) , and a young man named Chris were incredibly helpful and kind. I appreciated there fun laid back attitude. Please be aware that they will hold a security deposit fee on a card while you and your party are out riding however this fee will not be charged if the jet skis are not damaged upon return. You can ride solo here or tandem. Solo $120 and tandem $145 for 45 minutes of riding time. Out of all the Jet Ski company's on the island this one is by far my favorite, you get your moneys worth here and don't have to ride along a boring circle going 2mph. I am now recommending this company to all my friends and family for the reason stated above. If your looking for a fun time definitely hit this place up!! read more

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Had a great experience here. A lot of parking in the harbor where this business is. The owner was super nice and very helpful. We rented a double kayak and were given directions on getting out of the harbor area to the 'Anahula River. What a beautiful day to spend a couple hours just enjoying the island scenery. I know there are a lot of choices out there for rentals and I'm glad I chose The Watercraft Connection! read more

The Watercraft Connection - Boating Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

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Thank you so much! The kayaks were in great shape and even had the little pad to support your lower back. We appreciated the option to rent (reasonably $) a waterproof bag for our phones and keys... and that we were able to leave items with the staff (like our sandals;) we had the best time and even saw a couple turtles. Great price for such a fun outing! read more

We were celebrating a birthday and opted for the scenic view in Haleiwa. I was worried booking last minute that we might run into some issues, but Lisa made the booking process easy. I will admit that the company was more responsive through text, so try that if the phone keeps ringing. Once we were sorted out, Chris (instructor) was ready to take us out. The whole experience in the water was so much fun! After a few laps on tandem, I asked to sit with Chris while the birthday boy did his run. It was so great to learn this is a family business because they certainly made us feel that way. Overall, we left with big smiles! I would definitely come back. read more

The Watercraft Connection - This photo was helpful to find them in the harbor. - Boating Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

This was epic! I would totally recommend this. Also, $110 is pretty reasonable for an adrenaline activity in Hawaii - especially in Haleiwa. I was the only person that signed up at the time, so I basically got a private session. They arrived half an hour late because they misplaced the keys of their car, but $hit happens. I had such a good time that I don't want to hold that against them. read more

The Watercraft Connection - A photo the instructor helped me take - Boating Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Been in Oahu for a few days and this is definitely the highlight so far. Lisa and Chris are indeed like everyone says very nice and patient. They answer text even after hours and they do not nickel and dime you. We had a blast on the ski and kayaks. If you are visiting (we are from NY) I highly recommend this on your trip. Oh we did see a turtle or two when kayaking in the river. Video inc. Forgot to mention, the area where you jet ski is HUGE. it is a giant rectangle. My daughter and I were ripping the ski all over and it was a blast!! read more

My family and I reflected on our Hawaii trip's top 3 moments -- jet ski'ing was one of them. Chris and Lisa at The Watercraft Connection made this possible! Whether you're out in North Shore or not, please consider making a reservation here for a great time on the water. 4 reasons to bring your family here for jet skis (1) relatively cheaper than other rental places -- $110 for solo, $130 for tandem (2) longer rental session -- they offer 45 generous minutes, others offer only 30 (3) large rental proximity -- out in north shore, the perimeter we were given to ride was so large, my girlfriend and I were able to reach great speeds while feeling free to roam (4) Lisa and Chris were so nice, friendly, and accommodating for our party of 6 Yelp's review system can cause a lot of harmful misconceptions of actually amazing businesses. Unfortunately, many people who were angry about their reservation system (who probably never conducted paid business with the owners) left "fake" reviews, resulting in less than ideal Yelp ratings. The only note that I must say about The Watercraft Connection: They are phone-call appointment based (walk-ins available), so keep being persistent about calling, don't be a coward and leave a fake review if things didn't go your way. I would recommend for Chris and Lisa to look into an online booking appointment system. Thank you Watercraft Connection for giving my family a memory we will never forget! read more

Thank you so much Chris, he was our awesome jet ski instructor, made everything so easy and convenient, it was my birthday and we traveled an hour to get to north shore, when we got there, the jet skies were beautiful, huge and brand new. The owner came by, her name was Lisa, so pleasant and relaxed, the customer service was I'm going back and bringing more friends and family!! Thank you again Lisa and Chris!! It was so an memorable experience. read more

Amazing time with Watercraft Connection Jey Skiing in Haleiwa. The crew were so great in explaining how to manage the Jet Ski and answered all my questions. The Skis were top of the line, responsive and we were able to ski in a large section of Haleiwa. Views were breathtaking!! Thank you for an awesome family experience. We definitely recommend and will be back !!! read more

The wife and I had an amazing and great experience. Friendly and very polite. I'll gladly be a returning customer! read more

Lisa was amazing! This is such a fun activity to experience on the island. Even though we had to wait for harbor police (pure coincidence) to verify us before heading out we had an amazing time! read more

Horrible ! Not answering phone calls ! Waste of time and not open. Worse experience!!!! read more

After searching for jet ski rental options on Oahu and finding most of them offer very limited "freedom" keeping you in a very small area and limited speeds. The watercraft connection offered us an awesome experience, while keeping safety in mind... we had an absolute blast and Chris and Lisa were both great! Chris was out in the water with us, offering suggestions or help if needed; but also just letting us GO!! It was spectacular! Though we are staying in the Honolulu area, it was worth the 45-60 minute drive to the North Shore to take a ride! It was epic! Highly recommended. read more

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Scheduled an appointment for 3 people to ride some jet skis for 2:00 then get a text message at 1:57 saying we have to push the appointment to 2:30 took us 45 plus minutes with traffic to get there. No care. They only respond through text. I told them I had other reservations for later but there was no care. Thanks for ruining this for us. read more

Although there are many bad reviews about reservation issues, this place and their workers do not reflect those bad reviews. I purchased 3 Groupons without knowing about reservations and unfortunately could not go through due to wind. One of the workers, Tyler, helped assist me with the Groupon refund although he didn't have to, which I greatly appreciated. He thoroughly explained the situation and apologized multiple times even though it wasn't his fault. So please, before you decide to "waste time" waiting and driving up to the location, give them a call MORE THAN A DAY in advance to confirm your reservation. I know a lot of reviews say they don't answer their phones, but you just have to be persistent. Don't want to? Then go somewhere else. There is also an option to send them a text if the call doesn't go through, which they respond to pretty quickly. Overall: Make sure to make a reservation before purchasing Groupons. Keep calling them or send them a text if needed. read more

Our family recently rented a few Kayaks form this local family business and I can say that even with a very small operation they are very professional and go that extra mile to ensure that their customers have a safe and enjoyable experience. Even watering down the deck to ensure that that the customers feet don't feel the heat of the Hawaiian sun as well as holing the Kayaks in place until everyone is safely onboard. Lisa instructed us where to go as well as the best way to get to the river, giving us suggestions where to go after exploring the river and also tell us where we may encounter rough water. Overall, I highly recommend this local business as they are professional, caring, affordable and want to ensure that their customers have a pleasant experience. read more

Friendly staff and great reply time. The guide was very instructive and easy to understand. He was also very helpful with any questions and also took pictures on our behalf, which was great because I didn't have the phone with me. read more

Best jet ski experience on the island! I have been jet skiing many times at many other locations and this one is by far the best. Their prices are unmatched, but the best part about it is you don't have to drive in a circle in the same direction around four buoys, you get to drive around freely inside a humongous set space! Chris was our instructor and he was so friendly and kind! Our session was at 11:30 and they got there about 11: 20 and we just had to wait for them to set up the jet skis and that took awhile but it was not a problem. Lisa was amazing in helping me book, she was texting back and forth with me for about a month. This is a must do. Thank you Watercraft Connection! 05/07/2022 read more

The Watercraft Connection - Boating Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

First time on a jetski and wow it was awesome, the experience was as good as the service we received. Even though it was our first time we got a solid 45 minutes of wave jumping, open ocean adrenaline pumping grin producing fun. It took us ages to wipe the smile of our faces...will be back for sure. read more

I don't normally provide a review on yelp but this one is deserving of my first one. Lisa responded promptly with my text request and they do take reservations. This seems to be the only place on Oahu where you can ride freely and are not restricted to a course. Chris guided us through our time and was available if we had any issues. This was a great experience for the family! read more

This establishment has the worst customer service I have ever seen. I waited an hour past opening time to only be told it would be an additional hour until we could rent jet skis. The person who was in charge of renting out the jet skis was short and rude the entire visit. She ignored my husband and I and said if you can't wait, just leave. We were extremely polite and just left and said thank you. read more

The owner(?) - possibly Australian, was an incredibly RUDE individual. They charge $350.00 hold per jetski as a damage fee. This is a completely unnecessary charge. The guy that actually helped us with the skis is the ONLY reason this place gets any stars AT ALL. I live in the area and we wanted to have fun while my husband was home for R&R. Next time we will drive ALL THE WAY out to Hawaii Kai. At least out there those people understand customer service. NEVER AGAIN read more

Friend from Kailua told us about renting Jet Skis in Haleiwa. Watercraft Connection is what he was referring to and it's located in the Haleiwa boat harbor. Not a few miles north and inland as Google maps might have you believe (that's a PO box). It's not even a real building. It's a small shack in the harbor right behind Haleiwa Joe's. They rent jet skis and kayaks. Jet ski rental ends up being $135 (after taxes and harbor fees) for an hour of time. Jet skis are big enough to seat 2 comfortably, and there's a seat for a 3rd... but they'd have to be small. They have 3 jet skis for rent, with a 4th that the instructor uses Kayaks are 1 or 2 person and you basically just go paddle up the creek. For the jet ski rentals - an instructor leads you out of the harbor to about a mile off shore. You then have an area marked off by 3 buoys and the instructor's jetski (a rectangle of sorts) to play around in. Decently large area and plenty of room to get up to speed. Nothing to really do except just go putz around in the ocean - which can be a ton of fun if you've never been jetskiing before. With the chop and larger ocean swells we got up to a max speed of 41mph but if it's smooth we heard you can hit 50mph. With the large swells it's a lot of fun to hit them and get some air before coming crashing back down into the water. It's actually a lot of fun for those who enjoy that kind of thing. Our jetski actually started beeping (loud and annoying) at us and started flashing the "check engine" light. We brought it back into the harbor and let them deal with it. Overall a really fun time going fast over the water, getting sprayed by the ocean and jumping swells. It's pricey but worth it in my opinion if you've never done it. Docked stars for cost, difficulty actually finding the place, and the business basically amounting to a small shack with a stool in it. read more

The service was great... After we told her we were going to pay for the activity. When we arrived she seemed bugged or too busy to care. We did an hour long session, which was great for about 40 mins, then we got bored. The area that we could be in was not very big, so we weren't able to travel around the ocean much. The jet skis worked great. The ocean area we were able to be in was good, we saw some sea turtles which was fun. Overall a great experience, though a little pricey read more

Badass!!! What a great experience these folks offer. They are so chill and humble! 80 degrees the sun was out , man it was a beautiful time . After 45 min of sending it I was beat . My goodness we had a great time . Thank you so much for the experience, I will definitely do it again next time on the island . read more

My girlfriend and I had our minds set on jet skiing in Hawaii during our trip so we found this place which had very promising reviews. We called ahead but there was no answer so we decided to just show up. When we arrived we were told they weren't offering jet ski's because the weather didn't permit but that they had kayaks if we wanted. We ended up getting a mean arm workout from kayaking and decided to try our luck again with jet ski's a couple days later. Two days later we called before they opened to ask about jet ski's and the lady answered the phone and pretty much told us that she didn't think they'd be renting jet ski's again due to the weather - she seemed very uncertain and sounded as if she just didn't want to deal with pulling her jet ski's out for us to rent for 45 minutes. She told us to call back a little later to see if the weather changed. When we called back she still basically said that there was a lot of wind and we probably wouldn't enjoy it so she didn't think they'd be renting them but, "we could try it if u want." -_____- let it be known that this was my first time jet skiing and her interaction over the phone with me made me hesitant and a little bothered that she didn't want to make any money that day. I thought, she must be rich. We decided to just go for it and it turned out to be SO MUCH FUN. Now, I just feel like the woman over the phone, who I'm pretty sure was happy to take my credit card, just didn't want to work that day. The weather wasn't bad, it wasn't IDEAL but it was absolutely fun and adventurous to actually learn how to jet ski through a little chop. The guys who taught us the ropes were pretty awesome. Because we came back a second day we had good conversations with them and they were really friendly. They empowered us not to worry as I was a little nervous after having the conversation over the phone with the lady. She told me that, "we were in for a ride" because of the weather when we arrived, "cuz of what I told you over the phone earlier." She says. Terrible sales lady. Unprofessional. No sense of enthusiasm. And you could tell on the phone and in person that she really just didn't want to be there. Other than that - the experience was amazing, and that's why they're still getting 4 stars. Thank you to the gentlemen and the young lady who coached us thru our kayaking and jet skiing adventures! read more

I felt compelled to write this review after seeing the negative reviews. This is the third summer in a row that we've come here to rent wave runners and we've had an excellent time each time. Well be back for more in coming years. The owners explain everything including the deposit. Makes sense to me considering we're renting a $10,000 vehicle that could be damaged through careless use. The space to run the vehicles is expansive and there's someone there the entire time to ensure our safety while we're riding. As long as you stay within the large boundaries they are there only to observe and keep us safe. Rented a paddle board and kayaks in the past as well and always an excellent experience Check out the huge turtles if they're in the area. Jump off the nearby rainbow bridge too, it's a blast. read more

*update* attempted to return to this business through Groupon again in January 2019 (as I had a great experience in July 2017) Booked the same Groupon but also added my boyfriend I was traveling with. The business never returned any phone calls after 4 calls and voicemails asking for reservations. Called 2 weeks before we left for Hawaï, 1 week before and twice during. Never was called back, left Hawaii with an unused Groupon. Had to threaten Groupon with a credit charge refusal as they wouldn't refund us (that's a problem with Groupon and not this business but extremely poor service as we were never called back). read more

Ooh if I could give a Zero stars rating I would! We drove all the way out to Haleiwa and looked forward to jet skiing in the open ocean after being recommended by some friends who just went here. I called the number in advance and told him we were on our way with 4 people. I kept asking him for an address to put in the GPS and the man was so irrate and just kept telling me "The Harbor". He would get so frustrated when I asked for the address number. I should have known then. He could have just said that they don't actually have an address. That should give you a clue as to what type of business this is. When we finally found the shack and ready to pay and sign up, they quoted a different price than what I thought I had heard on the phone (the connection was very static-y). When we said maybe it was a different place, the man and woman were both very aggressive asking who else would it be? They were the ONLY ONES allowed to rent jet skis in the harbor. I asked them if the man was the one I spoke with since i had just called and they said yeah - you're the one who kept asking for an address (all annoyed). By this point, both my husband and my BFF's husband felt that the man was being a TOTAL D**K to me and ushered me away. We had over $200 in business with cash and cards in hand. They could have been nicer and we would have still paid what they wanted. Instead, they just were outright RUDE and !@#@#$@#% It was just not worth it. THESE PEOPLE SUCK!!! (and if you think I'm just b-tching - check out most of my other reviews are all 4-5 stars). TIP: If you are in the Haleiwa harbor area, towards the left of the harbor and bridge (facing the road) you will find a RENTAL shop renting paddleboards and kayaks. We went here and found the NICEST staff and had SO MUCH MORE FUN than we would have had jet skiing, for so much less $$! Great prices, a nice little river from the ocean inlet complete with rope swings. A much better time and service! read more

Looking to jet ski? Forget the restrictions of Honolulu. Drive out to the North Shore area of Haleiwa and try out a wave runner in the ocean. It'll be one of the best times you've ever had. You'll find the rental shack in the Haleiwa Harbor parking lot. Jet skiings is a little pricey at $100-$125/hr, depending on the model you rent, but it's definitely worth it. No set course that you have to follow. Just a wide open area for you to speed around in and get wet. Watch out for the sea turtles! read more

The rudest and most inconsiderate people on the island. Absolutely no phone etiquette. In person, absolutely no positivity. I felt as though I was dealing with your average crook. The overall morale of the man and woman was as though they were your semi-polished drug dealer looking for their next fix. Their little shack was just as hopeless as well. Oh and they have been known to change their business's name so their reviews do not follow. They are the only ones, on this side of the island that rent Jet Skis. Do not be fooled. We ended up leaving because these people were just not the people we wanted to take our business to. read more

My husband and I had a blast riding jetskis with Watercraft Connection. It is $65 for 30 minutes and and $125 for an hour to ride, and I would mention to keep in mind that those times to include the time it takes to go to and from the open ocean area that you will be riding, a trip that has to be taken at idle speed due to safety requirements. There were some larger swells the day that we were riding, so we had a lot of fun jumping the jetski. There is an instructor that explains how to operate the jetski and all of the safety requirements. Our instructor, Carl, was extremely helpful with giving us other tips as we have recently moved to the island. He recommended several restaurants and gave advice as to buying a jetski on island. Unfortunately, we had to leave ours on the mainland. Also, I would recommend renting the goggles for $15. The couple that was jetskiing with us opted to go with their own sunglasses, and now somewhere there is a nice pair of women's Oakley's at the bottom of the sea. There are only two changes I would have made for our trip: I would have worn sunscreen (oops!), and I would have paid for an hour rather than 30 minutes. The adage is definitely true, "Time flies when you're having fun." read more

Horrible experience here the other day.. Called ahead and asked to reserve 3 jet skis.. Was specifically told that they don't do reservations .. When we arrived we were told they were booked for the next 3 hrs.. And given quite the attitude from the lady that runs it .. How are you booked when you don't do reservations ?!! And when we pulled up, we were the only ones there .. We had used this company the year prior .. Definitely will never be back here again! read more

Thank you for a great day! We rented jet skis for an hour. After guided out to the place where we would be riding we were able to take off on our own. It was a pretty large area. Perfect for me as Ive only rode one other time. The best part was we saw a pod of dolphins....twice! About 15-20 and super close. We stopped and just watched, they were beautiful. It was a great relaxing hour of fun. We were able to stop and swim around in the water when we wanted to an hour was a perfect amount of time. I will def be returning. Thank you for an enjoyAble day!!!!! :) :) read more

Our family had a great time kayaking on the Anahulu river thanks to the owners of this rental "shack" (they seem to have about 4 jet skis and a half-dozen kayaks) who were just closing up but stayed around another hour for us. We'll come back another time to rent from them again, for sure! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our lazy relaxing paddle up the river ! Saw a few turtles! The people running the booth were great! Very friendly and helpful! Would go back anytime! A very nice activities in Haliewa! read more

The jet ski experience was amazing. The wave runners were good quality and the people were friendly and helpful. The jet ski area is large and we were able to see turtles up front in the water. We were originally going to rent for 1 hour but the girl at the check in desk recommended we only do a half hour. She was right! Thirty minutes is plenty of time. I appreciate their honesty and would definitely recommend this place to friends and family. read more

We went whale watching on January 26, 2011. It was amazing!! We watched whales off and on for over an hour. The owners were nice and honest folk. They arranged a trip just for us. It was well worth it. Our captain was awesome! He was knowledgeable, skilled, and knew where to see whales. He was very respectful of them, and because of that, they had no problem with us being around, and we had so many amazing sightings. Take an ice chest, maybe some food, and sunscreen, and a camera. I have some great photos and it was really amazing to see these humpback whales up close. There were some pretty cool moments, I have to say I would go again. Thanks guys, we had fun, and I'll send some pics. p.s. you can find them in the harbor parking lot behind Hale'iwa Joe's. There's a sign that says whale watching. They rent jet skis and other stuff too. read more

This place is the real deal, who cares if the people aren't friendly, you're there to jet ski. The people seemed friendly enough, right to business. The jet skis were fast and the area you go to is huge and has awesome waves. One of the best things I did while in Hawaii. read more

It is $100 for solo riders and $10 more for a double so my friend and I rode a jet ski together for $110 for 45 minutes and were able to switch who was driving half way through....but there is a $350 deposit fee (BUT DONT WORRY- you get the money back they just do it just Incase you break the jet ski) I thought it was weird but they said they're trying to find a better way so people don't get freaked out when they hear $350 lol but it wasn't a big deal. It was so fun and there are a few turtles in the area so if you see something in the water.. don't worry it's just a friendly turtle! Our guide was so cool and very nice! Overall, an amazing experience, definitely go check them out for some water fun! read more