BOB's Hawaii Underwater Scooter Adventure & Turtle Watching Tour
Overall Rating
4.68
Pictures look great but reality not so good
Reviewed by: KGC1, 2022/09/16The underwater scooter adventure seemed like a great idea, particularly for my wife, who doesn't like snorkeling because of having the breathing tube in her mouth. This diving-bell style system seemed like the perfect solution. It worked, but there were some major issues. Start with the boat, which is small and when moored to the dive area bobs like a cork in the ocean swells, creating motion issues. The scooter itself has air pumped in constantly, resulting in an ever-changing level of air pressure until the air is forced out. So, your ears are constantly clogging and unclogging like you are descending and ascending in a plane the whole time. You also have no control over where the scooter goes, since it is not really self-propelled. Each scooter is accompanied by a "dive master" who physically pushes you to where the master wants you to go, and who controls when you submerge and when you surface. The marine life is swell, with fish food provided to bring in the fish right up to your helmet. The helmet is also very noisy, with the compressed air machine running, making it unlike snorkeling, which is quiet and peaceful. Bobbing up and down in the current inside the diving bell also produces a lot of motion, so don't eat anything before taking the trip. The crew was nice, but did not provide much instruction about what would happen once under the bell. There are hand signals for the dive master, but you feel very much out of control during the dive. On balance, I would not do this again -- even if I had not gotten seasick.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/09/14 |
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Time of our lives
Reviewed by: Carol D, 2022/04/14Friends vacationing in Hawaii had a blast and the sub-scooters was the highlight of our trip. We recommend you also buy the package of underground photos for your forever-memories.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/04/12 |
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Fantastic Excursion - highly recommend
Reviewed by: Bulletbob, 2022/04/14Captain and crew were very friendly and helpful. Divers assistance also very nice. Enjoyed the whole experience. Will recommend to all family and friends. ;)
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/04/12 |
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Bobbing/snorkeling
Reviewed by: Molly, 2022/01/24The crew were all friendly and knowledgeable. They made sure everyone’s experience was the best it could be. i was a bit nervous but the girl talked me thru it
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2022/01/18 |
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Amazing!
Reviewed by: Pat, 2021/09/19The crew was very friendly and helpful, especially with making non-swimmers comfortable getting into the ocean. The scooters were super fun, and we saw sea turtles while snorkeling after our turn on the scooters.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2021/09/17 |
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Amazing experience
Reviewed by: Jules, 2019/12/21Fabulous experience - I would highly recommend this to everyone. Well organised, helpful staff, who went out of their way to make it an amazing experience for all. Plenty of time to snorkel when it wasn't your turn to ride on the underwater scooter. We saw turtles and lots of different types of fish. The photographer took great photos and a video, which you can pay to download later if you want to. A perfect day and I loved every minute of it.
One tip - take a sweatshirt. The weather wasn't great the day we went. Whilst the sea was warm, we were provided with wet suit tops so we were fine during the activity but we were a bit cold when we got out of the water, during the pack up and the boat ride back to shore.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2019/12/16 |
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Had a blast
Reviewed by: Dassh, 2019/12/17I loved every bit of it. If your going to Hawaii u must do this activity.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/11/18 |
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Swimming with the fishies
Reviewed by: Shaun, 2019/12/03I had a great time. I got to see dolphins, turtles and got to feed some colorful fish.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/09/21 |
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Great trip and team
Reviewed by: Darren, 2019/09/05My fiancée and I had a great Oahu experience. The team on board made us very comfortable and explained each step with detail. They chose a great site to go in at and the personal attention when in the water was amazing. Hats off to the crew.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/08/24 |
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Excellent Experience and Super Fun! Crew was fantastic and would do this again!!!
Reviewed by: Myles G., 2019/09/02Pick from driver was prompt and on time. Once we arrived, we were given very clear instructions once on the boat, all the staff and the captain was very friendly and once we were on our way, everything we needed to know was explained clearly.
The actual scooter came on another boat and we were told how to get in and out of it, and I have to say the experience was unlike anything I've ever done before! We were only about 10-12 feet down but it was so wonderful to be in the water and not having to worry about anything.
The divers were very very professional and attentive, very friendly and very knowledgeable, and once we were done with the scuba scooter experience, it was a nice relaxing time on the boat to either go snorkeling or just enjoy the beautiful scenery around us!
Highly recommended, the staff was absolutely great and the captain was "cherry"!
Will definitely do it again next time we are in Honolulu! Highly recommended!!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2019/08/28 |
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The experience was amazing! Great fun!
Reviewed by: Kelsey and Ian , 2019/08/20Me and my husband were on our honey moon and decided to do this! Such a blast! When you wait your turn you can snorkel, which I got to swim with a sea turtle! Then we got to go on the awesome scooters and you get to feed/touch the fish!
Also if you get sea sick or think you might take something before hand!
The staff was excellent! So nice and helpful! They all did an amazing job!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/08/17 |
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One of the best!
Reviewed by: Scuff, 2019/07/27This was one of the best activities I tried in Hawai’i.
The crew were friendly, helpful and always made time for you.
The trip out was fun too.
The Underwater Scooter was easy to navigate and the crew always helped if needed.
The video of the trip was worthwhile purchasing, as there is good clear footage.
The crew gave you bread to feed the fish from the boat and kept you entertained if you choose to not snorkel while waiting for the other people to take their turn on the Underwater Scooter
Highly recommended!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
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Great fun!
Reviewed by: Missy W, 2019/05/31My husband and I did this excursion together. He loves scuba diving, so he enjoyed it, but not as much as he does diving. I, on the other hand, get claustrophobic diving, so I LOVED this because I didn’t have to have anything touching my face/a mouthpiece. While under water, we saw tons of fish and sea turtles. In addition to scuba scootering, we got to snorkeling while we waited our turn for the scooters, so it was like two excursions in one. The staff were all great too!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/05/21 |
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My trip
Reviewed by: Alex N,, 2018/08/13It was Amazing and terrifying at the same time! I'd do it again.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2018/08/10 |
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Amazing adventure
Reviewed by: Kevin, 2018/05/06Would definitely recommend this activity to do it was amazing the crew were fantastic
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/04/09 |
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AWESOME TIME, AWESOME CREW
Reviewed by: Danielle Tattam, 2018/05/06Incredible, awesome, different and the crew are OUTSTANDING!
My 2nd time, and I brought along 23 people with me and again it was GREAT. All our first timers LOVED it. It was rough seas from a severe storm the two previous days, which affected seeing the crater on the sea floor, but lots of fish were out to play. Saw quite a few turtles too.
All my guests said it was TERRIFIC and they had a ball!!
The crew are always smiling, helpful and FUN!!!
Thanks again guys!!!
Danielle Tattam
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2018/04/16 |
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So much fun!
Reviewed by: Tanya H., 2018/04/10The guys on the tour was so nice and made the little group feel connected. They were friendly and informative and the entire group had a great time. I would definitely book again with them!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/04/03 |
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Loved the experience!
Reviewed by: Donna Sue Youngblood, 2018/03/17The boat crew and divers were friendly, patient, and knowledgeable. We definitely want to do again and bring our whole family. Experiencing close encounters with sea turtles, sea stars, and numerous species of fish was thrilling. The crew has 7 scuba scooters with a diver to assist each scooter. The divers make sure each participant is safe, feels comfortable, and points out the aquatic life while also allowing independent discovery. While waiting your turn to scooter, we had a wonderful time snorkeling on our own. The waters are clear and beautiful and allow perfect visibility. For an extra fee you can get pictures and a video of your adventure. The diver captured some of my favorite vacation pictures!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/03/14 |
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Awesome underwater fun.
Reviewed by: Trevor, 2018/03/10Great adventure underwater fun. Crew were friendly and efficient . Everything supplied and even if you are not a very competent swimmer you could easily manage this activity as a fully qualified diver is in the water to assist at all times.
Ideal alternative way to get under the water if you are incapable of scuba diving. Would definitely do it again The music on the boat was from the 70's and 80's which made the trip even more enjoyable as it was what I grew up listening too
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2018/03/06 |
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Great alternative to full scuba diving
Reviewed by: Lewis W, 2018/03/01As a qualified PADI, I found this activity to be a great alternative to full on scuba diving. With the submarine scooter you are able to sit back and enjoy the amazing underwater world.
The Bobs team were very organised and made the whole experience enjoyable and welcoming. I would highly recommend this to those afraid of discovery scuba diving. The team also take great pictures and videos for you.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/02/24 |
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Amazing adventure in Hawaii!
Reviewed by: Mitch23, 2017/12/11The best experience ever! The crew were very professional and nice and I don’t swim but they were so kind in helping me and guiding me through this amazing experience! In addition they gave complimentary equipment that you can borrow to snorkel freely! If you want an amazing adventure, this is one of them!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2017/12/08 |
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Amazing Experience
Reviewed by: Sandra McCarthy, 2017/10/21Our group of four "seniors" wanted to experience this unique water activity during our visit to Oahu. The underwater scooter adventure exceeded our expectations. The entire team from Bob's was very helpful to all of us onboard. They did a great job of communicating to not only those of us from the U.S. but were able to converse with the customers who were from Japan and needed communications in their native language.
We had been given appropriate safety briefings before heading out to the dive site. The outdoor temperature in mid October was in the mid 80s so not uncomfortable. The water temperature was a reasonable 75+ but we adapted to it as soon as we got into the water on the scooters.
The divers gave us appropriate underwater instructions to get us going and to set up the underwater photos for each person. We did have unusual trade winds that caused some bouncing and rolling in the boat but once in the water on the scooter or when snorkeling, it was mitigated. The water was clear and we had a variety of fish that swarmed around us as they were feeding on the food that the divers attached to the scooters. A unique feeling to have all of these colorful fish surrounding you in their environment.
We also had the opportunity to see a number of sea turtles both under water and coming to the surface. It would have been great to have had more time actually underwater but we only could accommodate 2 - 3 people underwater at one time. It probably would have been more enjoyable from the customer perspective with a few less onboard the boat.
Our group did take the opportunity to do some snorkeling after we completed our time on the underwater scooters. All in all a great time to remember and yes we did buy the photos especially for the video that was offered as well.
We have not been able to access our photos yet as we are still on vacation and will need to do so when we get home. Hopefully, they will be as delightful to watch as what we experienced
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/10/18 |
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Scooter adventure
Reviewed by: Sherwin, 2017/10/17The crew were so professional and nice. They kept us all feel safe. Our kids had a blast! Definitely recommends.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2017/10/14 |
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Pure Awesomeness!
Reviewed by: John, 2017/08/13The highlight of our trip. The crew was amazing! The scooters and all the fish were amazing. Humming around the ocean with the family... once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks everyone!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2017/08/10 |
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memories!
Reviewed by: Bonnie , 2017/05/21What a GREAT time! Staff was very friendly and helpful. Great way to start my last day of vacation. Highly recommended to do!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2017/04/24 |
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Nice experience
Reviewed by: Lianne & Ron, 2017/05/13Wauw, this was so nice, beautiful "dive" space on scooter, beautiful fish. My husband (non swimmer) even went with me and very proud of him that he did it :)
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/05/11 |
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Awesome
Reviewed by: Gina, 2017/02/06Such an incredible adventure! Definitely worth the money spent!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/01/25 |
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Very fun!
Reviewed by: HI Convert, 2017/01/19Had a great time! As others have said, lots of wait time but you can spend it sunning or snorkeling. We had read the other reviews and knew to take Dramamine. Many others had not and felt sick. We felt great and would recommend this activity. Bought the photo video combo. Great work - only disappointment was we were missing solo wife pics. Still a great value.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/01/18 |
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Awesome!
Reviewed by: Grace & Bethany , 2016/11/13Pick up from hotel was great! Scooter ride was really fun and you get up close to the fish!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2016/11/10 |
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So glad to hear you had a great time on our submarine scooters! We will be sure to let the crew know about your experience. Thank you for coming out with us and we hope to see you again in future!
Mahalo!
-BOB's Hawaii Adventure