Kaneohe Bay Kayak & Snorkel Self-Guided Tour [Tour Not Available]
Overall Rating
4.69
Wind canceled it.
Reviewed by: RoR, 2023/03/02always wanted to paddle out to the sandbar, but unfortunately picked the gale force wind day of the week to try it. On arrival seeing the white caps and some amateur kayakers struggling to paddle 10ft in the wind, basically paddling in place, I knew that this was going to be a rough adventure. Talking to the young staff girl, she stated that we could get a refund for the inclimate weather and typed it into the notes to the booker veltra. I said absolutely and we'll save this adventure for a different day. Thankyou state park girl, and because of that I would book this again.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/02/21 |
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Far kayak, but great!
Reviewed by: Tee Gee, 2023/02/02A little difficult to navigate and see things. You’re on your own, so you’ll really need to be cognizant of the area and where to anchor down. Sand bar was a bit out, but was a great experience. Not for beginners but also not terribly difficult. Bring a watch or phone, the kayaks are very stable and didn’t tip on us when trying to get back in. Staff was great
Aloha Tee Gee! Thank you so much for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure! And thank you for taking the time to leave this great review. All very good feedback and we certainly appreciate it. Definitely good for people to know that you are going on your own so you definitely do have to be aware of a few important things. Hopefully our staff did a good job briefing you on all of that, glad to hear it sounds like they were good to you! And glad to hear overall it sounds like you had a good experience kayaking with us. We hope to see you again soon! Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/01/31 |
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Kayak
Reviewed by: Lance, 2022/11/16The check in and out process were quick and smooth as long as you have reservation. You can pay by card too.
You can rent out the kayaks and snorkeling gear on site.
Debriefing session is nice and short and they give you a map and show you the best spots to snorkel and sandbar.
The only hard thing is that it is hard to determine where the snorkeling parts were at even with the map. Once you are at sea, its hard to find landmarks. Adding landmarks would be helpful. The sandbar was so nice!
Aloha Lance! Thank you so much for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure, and thank you for taking the time to leave this review and feedback for us. We really appreciate that. Looks like you had a beautiful day at the sandbar. That's great. Hope to see you again soon. Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/14 |
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Kaneohe bay kayak tour
Reviewed by: Corrine, 2022/11/11This was a great experience and a definite must if your visiting Oahu. Kayaking over coral reefs and clear blue green water. It was so nice to walk around on the sandbar surrounded by beautiful water. The staff were all so helpful and knowledgeable. It was easy to find and easy to book. So glad we did it!
Aloha Corrine! Thank you so much for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure! And thank you for taking the time to leave this awesome review for us. We really appreciate that. Stoked to hear you had a great experience out there and hope to see you again soon! Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/11/09 |
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Fun but you need lots of upper body strength lol
Reviewed by: Val, 2022/10/15I went with my husband for this kayaking adventure. We are both very new to this so it was a bit hard at first. I think the hardest thing was understanding the map. However after a while it was great. The only down side is that is was windy and going back did take it out of us. However we did have so much fun at the sand bar. We weren’t able to go snorkeling because we we’re going to run out of time. So buy the 8 hours. It’s worth it
Aloha Val! Thank you so much for joining us for a kayaking adventure! And thank you for taking the time to leave this awesome review for us. We really appreciate that. Kayaking in the ocean can certainly be a workout because of the wind and current, and the sandbar is the farthest paddle, so it's great that you made it out there and it looks like you had a beautiful day for it. Stoked to hear it was a good kayaking experience and hope to see you again soon! Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/09/19 |
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Pleasant time on the waters
Reviewed by: Tim R, 2022/08/31Pleasant time on the waves in the sun and breeze. Sadly, almost no fish, no turtles, but interesting pink and white sea cucumbers (apparently unique to Kaneohe and Pearl Harbor). Would do it again, but don't need four hours....
Aloha Tim! Thank you so much for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review for us. We certainly appreciate that. I'm sorry to hear that most of the marine life (except for the conspicuous sea cucumbers) was a little shy for you. Although there is a lot of marine life out there in Kane'ohe Bay, what you see is always hit or miss and involves being in the right place at the right time. But we certainly hope to see you again soon to get back out there and find some of those sea creatures! And glad to hear other than that it was still overall a good experience. Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/29 |
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Great Value, tons of fun with a minor annoyance
Reviewed by: Will, 2022/08/28Overall, this experience was awesome! The sandbar was about a 3 mile kayak away from where you dock. Not super difficult, took us about 30-40 minutes to get there and once we did, it was awesome. the tide was a little high, the water went up to just below my neck and I'm 6 feet tall. We went out at 11 am. There's not much to see snorkel-wise at the sandbar, which was relayed to us by the staff setting us up. It was just a nice place to stand in the middle of the ocean and have a snack or two. They were also clear on where go on the sand bar and where the restricted zone was.
After the sandbar we went out to the coral reefs just around the corner of where we started. By then though, the sun wasn't too bright (it was a gloomy-ish day). we could only see maybe 10 feet in front of us in the water and all the fish were either hiding or just not there. Coral was nice to see and swim around though. Saw sea turtles in the distance but none in the water while we were in it. Finding the snorkel zones were actually pretty difficult. We spent about 20-30 minutes finding good spots, but there are no markers out there so I'm not even sure if we were in the spots they marked on the map. Only 2 other kayakers came to this area, tried looking around but all gave up after maybe 5-10 minutes.
Still had fun overall though, would do it again. Hopefully they add markers out of the water next time though.
Aloha Will! Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to leave this review and feedback! Stoked to hear that overall you had a good experience. And I am glad to hear our staff did a good job of describing the details of where to go and where not to go. That is important because you are correct, there aren't really any signs or many markers out there. Sadly we're not permitted to put anything like that out there. Most of the reefs only have very basic reef markers that are installed by the State's Division of Aquatic Resources, and us putting any other signs or markers out there would be strictly prohibited. And certainly the visibility can vary, but I'm glad to hear that overall it sounds like you had a good time. We hope to see you again soon! Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/23 |
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Kaneohe Bay Kayak
Reviewed by: V. Lam, 2022/08/11Tandem self kayak out to Kaneohe Bay sand bar was fun and exciting. The sand bar was beautiful with very clear water. It takes a bit of work to kayak out to the sand bar but totally worth it.
Aloha! Thank you so much for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure! And thank you for taking the time to leave this awesome review for us. We really appreciate. I am glad to hear it sounds like you had a really good experience kayaking with us. We hope to see you again soon. Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/08 |
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Kool Kayak Experience!
Reviewed by: May, 2022/05/07My boyfriend and I purchased the kayak/snorkeling experience and it was quite the memory! Everyone was great helping us get set up and guiding us! When we went out and kayaked we saw so many different fishes during our snorkeling adventure! The crazy part was that it started raining while we were far out and snorkeling. Instead of kayaking back we continued to snorkel until the rain stopped! For the price and experience it was totally worth it!
Also I recommend purchasing the 4 hour experience because I don’t think you will be out for the whole 8 hours even tho it costs just a little bit more! We were our a max of 2 hours!
If you’re wondering on whether or not to purchase think no more! Overall it was an amazing experience and I highly recommend it! Also booking this package will prepare you for everything vs booking on the actual business site since this package has a dry bag, snorkeling gear, and the anchor (this will keep your kayak in place while you’re snorkeling). Hope this helps and you make great memories from this experience!
Aloha May! Thank you for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure! And thank you for taking the time to leave this great review for us. Your feedback is very valuable and much appreciated. I’m certainly glad to hear you had a great kayak and snorkel experience with us, and we hope to see you again soon. Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/04/16 |
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Beautiful Reef, very windy day
Reviewed by: M. Graham, 2022/05/04First off, the day turned out to be very windy and a little rainy and therefore want the best kayaking weather, but they did offer us a refund or reschedule. It was out last day and we didn’t have anything better to do so we stayed.
The guys getting our kayak and gear gave us some information about where to go and a little about the kayaks (hope to anchor them, out the heaviest in back), but nothing really about paddling or steering especially in the windy conditions. We had some idea, so it wasn’t too bad, but a little more direction would have been helpful.
Once on the water, it was choppy and a hard kayak, but we pushed through. It was hard to anchor in the sand because we had two anchors for three kayaks and the wind was too strong. We ended up tying all three to the two anchors and that worked. The spot was great to snorkel in (We went to horseshoe bend? It was the spot recommended for snorkeling). The coral was beautiful and on a clearer day would be gorgeous. There were fish, but it was harder to get close up to see them with life jackets on. We did see a giant fish and a huge turtle walk right under me. It was pretty cool.
A little more guidance on the kayaks and ensuring everyone has tips on paddling in currents and waves and’s provide defogger for the snorkeling and it would be great. Thank you!
Aloha! Glad to hear you still had a good kayaking and snorkeling experience on a day with some tough conditions. All good feedback that we really appreciate. Thank you so much. Hope to see you again soon! Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/05/02 |
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could have been better
Reviewed by: Jess, 2021/08/03when we went to check-in, they told us to wait for 2 hours because it's too windy. Our check-in time was at 8am and we had to wait until 10:30am. I would absolutely not recommend going in the morning because this side of island is very windy, rainy, and weather cannot be expected at all. Weather app tells you it won't rain but it spontaneously rains, especially in the morning. Also, water doesn't get high enough to kayak or snorkel in the morning often because of this. I don't even understand why they even have morning session to book tho. They totally could've sent us an email in the morning before we arrive, so that we don't have to wait there doing nothing for 2 hours, which was very unfortunate. Anyway, we waited and did kayaking and self-snorkeling, which I also hoped there was an instructor leading the kayaking or snorkeling but wasn't. everything was verbally told and self-learning. (kayak rental staff/instructor was extremely kind, I really liked him. nothing was his fault, it was just more the system how they work was not the best.) They did not recommend to go to sandbar, in fact they say going to sandbar is advanced and do not recommend for first time kayaking people. Then why do they even have it on their activity title? you expect fun kayaking to kaneohe sandbar and beautiful snorkeling, but in reality, we did not get to go to kaneohe sandbar, only coral reefs. overall, I don't regret doing this activity, just wish it was better. Also, 4 hour renting is way enough. we only did about an hour and half and was able to go both reefs and snorkel there. Giving 4 stars only because we went there for our honeymoon activity and it was fun between two of us no matter what, but if not, I wouldn't be much happy and fun with it tho.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/07/23 |
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beautiful!
Reviewed by: Mary, 2020/01/27Great experience and beautiful views! The sand bar was incredible. We had a full days trip, but we didn't need that much time. I would recommend a half day for future participants.
Aloha! Thank you so much for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure! And thank you for taking the time to leave such a positive and encouraging review. We really appreciate that. We look forward to seeing you again soon! Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2019/12/30 |
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Kane'ohe sandbar self-guided kayaking
Reviewed by: Eric, 2020/01/04Becoming aware early in the morning a boat is needed to go to the beautiful Kane’ohe sandbar, I called Veltra trying to make a same-day kayak booking (online booking must be made a day beforehand). The lady was warm and patient to help check availability and input personal data of four participants - most important of all get 2 tandems confirmed for our trip! When we checked in at He’eia Kea State Park, water in the bay was a bit choppy, yet not enough for a formal cancellation. Two ladies in our group saw the condition creepy and had to abandon the adventure. As on the phone I was informed no cancellation can be made for the same-day booking, we had to forgo using 1 of the 2 double kayaks. Well, the trip of two-go is simply AMAZING!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/12/27 |
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Fun
Reviewed by: Fluffy, 2017/11/09We all experienced kayaking for the first time in our lives. It was fun. Snorkeling was also fun and food was good too.
Aloha,
Thank you so much for joining us during your Hawaiian vacation, and for leaving us this awesome, positive feedback. Please come see us again next time!
Andy
Holokai Kayak and Snorkel Adventure
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2017/11/06 |
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Great adventure, great view!
Reviewed by: Emmmily, 2017/09/30Had great experience kayaking and snorkeling in the beautiful bay! Great guides with little stories about the historical background (and super supportive in care you're not fully comfortable).
The tour doesn't make a stop at the famous "sand bar", so not recommended to those who wish to do some photo shooting there.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/09/06 |
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Great fun and food
Reviewed by: Zenaida, 2017/08/20Natalie and Zooey were awesome! We had an amazing day. They took pictures and shared it with us.
The only downside is that the snorkeling was not in clearer waters.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2017/08/17 |
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Awesome!
Reviewed by: Mandy and Brett, 2016/10/26Zoe and Natalie were amazing guides. Both were friendly, patient and informative. We loved the kayaking and for me it was my first time snorkeling. We battled sun, wind and a rain storm-very interesting. Lunch at the end was just the icing on the cake. Starving after all our hard work! Only change I would suggest, would be to put in changing rooms, as not so nice trying to get dressed and dry in the toilets.
Thank you Zoe and Natalie.
Aloha Mandy and Brett,
Thank you so much for joining us for a kayak and snorkel adventure! And thank you for this wonderful feedback. I appreciate that you have so many different options of things to do while in Hawaii. And it really means a lot to us that you chose to spend some of your time with us. And sharing a wonderful review like this really helps us a lot. I really appreciate that you took the time to do that. I speak for Natalie and Zoe when I say it was a pleasure having you, and we hope to see you next time you visit Oahu! And next time we will definitely have changing rooms! Thanks again. Come back and see us soon.
Andy
Holokai Kayak and Snorkel Adventure
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/10/21 |
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not quite
Reviewed by: Happy camper, 2016/09/27I was most excited to be at the actual (gilligans Island) unfortunately....not really allowed to be on the Island. Fun kayak beautiful scenery and some nice snorkeling as well
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/09/15 |
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Aloha! Thank you so much for this feedback. Please do come back and see us again for a sandbar kayaking adventure! Hopefully the bay will give us calmer, less windy conditions for you next time! Mahalo.