Kaneohe Bay Sandbar Ocean Sports Adventure with Snorkel, Kayak, SUP & Live Music
Overall Rating
4.87
Great experience for beginners
Reviewed by: C&D, 2024/03/19This was a great experience for those who aren’t very active. The staff and crew were super friendly and the live music was awesome and they were super engaging.
However, if you’re looking for more of an adventure this is not the trip for you. Mind you, this is not a criticism at all. At the sand bar, the water is knee high, and they make you wear a life jacket for snorkeling in water where you can literally touch the ground. All other activities also require life jackets in knee deep water.
We personally would not do this trip again, but we would definitely recommend it for those who want to be in the water but don’t want to take any risks.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2024/03/16 |
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Need to see while in Hawaii
Reviewed by: Jason R, 2024/03/15Must see when in Hawaii it’s about a 20 minute boat ride out to the sandbar and there’s few companies have monopoly on it. However, they do make it enjoyable and relaxing. They have stand up paddle boards and kayaks for use but it’s only a small area you can go. This is just for relaxing and viewing Hawaii from a really beautiful location. Snorkeling isn’t the best because you’re only able to see a few fish. So what they could do better… selling or including drinks onboard. You have to bring everything with you although if you pay the fee you receive a bag of chips, a sandwich and juice/water. I didn’t like that we had to wear a life vest to snorkel, but maybe it’s to protect the coral so you don’t stand on it. Other than that the live music was awesome and everyone had fun.
Mahalo for your review and pictures! Sorry for the life jackets, but Coast Guard requires each customer to wear life jackets during activities. - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2024/03/13 |
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Good morning
Reviewed by: Mark, 2024/01/27The staff were fantastic. The location was fantastic. Glad we only had about 35 people along. 100… their max is 100. It got a little crowded in the area they confine you too. I also did not like wearing the life preserver while snorkeling. I could have spent the whole morning on the reef, but they only let you visit half.
Mahalo for the review & sharing your picture! - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2024/01/25 |
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Sandbar trip
Reviewed by: Sam, 2024/01/19Not enough space to go kayaking. The banana boat cost was quite expensive so we de used not to do that.
Mahalo for joining our tour and your review. We're sorry to hear that you are not satisfied kayaking and felt expensive the cost for banana boat. We hope you enjoyed your time at the sandbar. -Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2024/01/17 |
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Overall good but injuries were not fun
Reviewed by: Peach, 2023/11/11I really enjoyed the friendly people whoever was leading the tour and also the live music, it was fabulous! But I would have to say , they didn’t do good for the safety part… I got injured from the snorkeling because it was my first time ever, I definitely lacked of knowledge about how to snorkel safely, and no one was giving instructions about how to stay safe in the ocean. I got injured from accidentally hitting the coral, I never know the coral can be that close to people (I never had ocean experience). I also was not the only person that was injured, another strong man, he was attacked by jellyfish. Hopefully they can do better for the safety instructions.
We are very sorry to hear that you got injured from coral. Your feedback has been shared with our crews and we will make effort to keep everyone safe. Mahlo! - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/10/20 |
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Want to try it again
Reviewed by: Lena, 2023/08/27The crew and experience was great. The organization of the trip was well done. My child often gets motion sickness and the ship was so smooth they didn't even feel a thing. The activities were fun, first time paddleboarding and we had a blast.
The musicians were wonderful and entertaining. Loved the hawaiian music along with contemporary songs.
The only thing that made it less of a 5 star, was something the crew could not control. We should have checked the timing of the tides. We were expecting to be walking on sand in the middle of the ocean, but I suspect we picked a day where it was hightide, so we never "walked" on the sand, we were swimming the entire time.
Mahalo for sharing your experience with us. Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2023/08/24 |
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Fun experience
Reviewed by: Tritia , 2023/08/12I enjoyed having options to kayak, snorkel, and use SUP. The best part was riding the banana boat, it was so fun. I loved the staff and musicians and the fact that they were so welcoming. Only thing I wish they had was an underwater camera to rent and buy pictures like other snorkeling tours in Maui. Other than that, my family and I would definitely use this tour again
Mahalo for your review and picture! - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/08/09 |
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Sand Bar
Reviewed by: Tee Rith, 2023/07/15A great place for small kids and adults due to shallow water. Good side excursions included with the price such as canoeing, paddle boarding, and snorkeling, but there's some waiting time for canoeing and paddle boarding due to limited availability.
Mahalo for the review. - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/06/20 |
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Fun time!
Reviewed by: Cali , 2023/07/13Went with a few friends & we had a good time! The music was great, crew was friendly & helpful, & we enjoyed the floating lounge. I wish inner tubes would have been provided to float in the water, but not a huge deal. Overall, would recommend!
Mahalo for the review! - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2023/07/11 |
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Fantastic Trip Out for Friends and Families
Reviewed by: Kyle L., 2023/06/16This experience is definitely worth it. The staff and crew are so lovely, fun, and energetic, they brighten up your day as you head out to the sandbar. Their experience and overall "good vibes" makes the trip so enjoyable as you get to experience an amazing time out in the sandbar with music, activities, food, and community. Do it!
Mahalo for your review and kind words! We are very happy that you enjoyed our tour. Hope you will join us again. - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/06/13 |
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Great morning.
Reviewed by: Mel, 2023/05/19Did the morning trip. Entertainment was great. Beautiful spot. Activities were good. Would recommend this activity
Mahalo for your review! - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/05/17 |
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Amazing experience
Reviewed by: Look at mi , 2023/01/19Kaneohe ocean sports at the sandbar was amazing! We started with either glazed or chocolate donuts with lemonade. When we got to the sandbar they had a variety of activities including kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, volleyball and snorkeling. We loved the snorkeling! They took us to an area of the sandbar that was still shallow enough to stand but had plenty of coral to swim around and explore. Staff was friendly and constantly kept watch over the participants, making this a safe and enjoyable environment. Overall would definitely recommend especially for families
Mahalo for your review and sharing experience! - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/01/17 |
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Good experience, with a few limits
Reviewed by: Tony, 2023/01/12Love:
- beverage and donuts onboard
- live music —> huge plus
- lots of equipment and activities
- staff are amazing! Very friendly and helpful
- love how you are almost guaranteed to see the corals and fish — great exp
What can be improved:
- the area is very limiting, so you can’t go too far with the kayak or SUP
Mahalo for your review! - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2023/01/10 |
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Nice afternoon. Wish the snorkeling was better.
Reviewed by: Barbara , 2023/01/12The crew was great! The entertainers were very good. Our family had a very nice time but were disappointed with the snorkeling. Very limited area with not many fish to see. It was a nice afternoon overall.
Mahalo for your review. We are sorry to hear that you had a disappointing experience snorkeling. Hope you will join us again. - Team KBOS
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/01/10 |
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Overall it was a great time!
Reviewed by: Jules , 2022/12/05The activity was fun! Service was great! The views were outstanding! The only reason I didn’t rate this a 5 star is because I thought the experience was going to be longer. I either misread the information online for the itinerary wasn’t clear. But either way I would definitely do it again!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/12/03 |
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Must DO excursion!
Reviewed by: Amanda , 2022/10/13This is a must if you are visiting Oahu. The sandbar is magical place and KBWS makes for a memorable trip. The staff is friendly and the musicians were outstanding. BYOB, snacks and floats! This tour has the perfect mix of activists to choose from or chill on their floating doc / cool water ankle to waist deep pending tide.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2022/10/11 |
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Must Do
Reviewed by: Mike, 2022/10/03Great crew! Love how you can byob! Beautiful water and activities. Only wish it would be a bit longer. If you have booked a activity (tubing or banana boat) expect to lose about 30 mins for a 3-4 minute ride. Other than that all was great
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/10/01 |
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/02 |
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great fun
Reviewed by: Rick, 2022/08/21enjoyed a lot.
place is good, lot of activities, nice people!
bring more alcool next time :-)
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/30 |
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Good experience
Reviewed by: Oscar , 2022/08/20Was good, good staff and beautiful beach, fun family time .. please add 1 hour.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/18 |
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Sandbar day trip
Reviewed by: Tammy Gaiter , 2022/08/05The tour guide was wonderful. Our bus driver Jimmy did a fantastic job. They only disappoint was the snorkeling, but then again we are experienced and for beginners it was great.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2022/08/03 |
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Rainy But Good
Reviewed by: Pua , 2022/08/01Booking was very easy and they did a nice job of working with us since not all of our parties made it on the same boat at first. It was not the nicest day but the crew on board did there best to keep up safe and allow us to have fun at the same time. I loved that the had live singing as well as lunch for everyone. Another plus was that there was restrooms. I couldn't complain about all of the different activities that we could do. Book the banana ride ahead of time is my only tip!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/13 |
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Fun time
Reviewed by: Lauren , 2022/07/28The sandbar is absolutely beautiful. The staff is amazing, super helpful and friendly. The water was freezing and unfortunately it was also very cloudy when we went out so getting in the water was very uncomfortable for me. But if you don’t mind cold water you will love this tour!!!! You have gorgeous views and fun activities to do on the sandbar (snorkel, volleyball, kayak). Definitely recommend if you can handle cold water!!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/07/26 |
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Sand bar
Reviewed by: Sabena Nazar, 2022/07/09I was hoping there would be an area where we could jump off the boat. But overall we had a good time and my kids really enjoyed it. The best part was the live music. The singer you had was spectacular and I wish he could have sang the whole time.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2022/06/15 |
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Good, Fun Event with a couple minor negative details
Reviewed by: Fred S, 2022/06/27Let's start with the good. Crew was fabulous. Boat was great. Live music was excellent. Variety of activities was excellent--especially the banana boat and disc events--which I highly recommend you add to your experience. Paddle boarding and kayaks were also a nice option for the family. Food/drinks was good too.
The not so good--the snorkeling was just average because we were not allowed to have much freedom to explore. They should allow a time allotment for the extra perks so more can enjoy the extra activities. The main negative was the music they played traveling back to shore--although fun for young adults and old--not too great for my 7 y/o as there was not the consideration of having music with bad language being played for her to hear and ask questions.
Still a good experience overall and would do again IF the music was at least filtered a bit.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2022/06/24 |
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Chill and relaxing trip
Reviewed by: Nina Gal, 2022/06/26Very friendly crew and overall a good experience. Just a bit too crowded in the boat especially while we are still in a pandemic.
The boat was clean overall and great music played on our way there and way back. Lunch was fresh and nice. Overall a good experience with the ability to choose what you wanna do. Kayaking was fun and other options to paddle board or snorkel. No sea life since the coral reefs are dead unfortunately.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/05/31 |
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Was so amazing definitely want to go back
Reviewed by: Naomi, 2022/06/21Was so amazing I will be bringing my whole family to this
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/05/24 |
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Sunny Fun Afternoon! Rules, Rules, Rules!
Reviewed by: Nickie Cunninghsm, 2022/06/13We went on the afternoon tour. Weather was perfect. It was cool to go to the sandbar. They feed you lunch right as you board, it was fresh and good. Pineapple was great. Music was nice and whole crew were caring and friendly. They let you bring your own masks but do not allow full face masks. I was not 100% comfortable putting my mouth on something so many others used although they do bleach them. I hate drinking salt water using that type of snorkel gear. Even though it’s not regulated by the company it was still disappointing. Also the water was 4-5 feet deep. They also insisted on babes in arms wear a life jacket and our little grandson wouldn’t tolerate the jacket although he loves water. So I would say this is not a very good choice for very little children. My daughter hardly got a chance to do anything or enjoy much of the afternoon. At least the boat was a nice refuge. Feel like I paid a lot for a sandwhich, boat ride, and dip in the ocean. I could’ve snorkeled on the beach using my own gear (which I have ) for less. The floating raft with couches was nice and I saw a few fish snorkeling after I caved and used their gear. I feel like this is kind of a tourist trap for the money. I’m spite of all that we had a fun afternoon.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2022/06/11 |
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Delightful Experience
Reviewed by: Splashdjp, 2022/06/04The tour group that hosts this is top! Everyone on their staff was so friendly and helpful. We had a great time as a family of 6. My girls both wanted to try the paddle board and the staff was great about giving them solid instructions. Snorkeling was delightful and the total water experience was well worth the money spent. Only regret was we did not bring a GoPro or some sort of waterproof camera setup as we got zero picture of this experience :-(
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2022/05/10 |
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A fun time
Reviewed by: Kylie , 2022/05/16Loved the snorkeling. The staff was amazing. Very helpful and friendly. The scenery was incredible. I took off one star because some of the lifejackets had mysterious stains on them. I would say this is mostly for people 18-30. It was a young crowd.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2022/05/14 |
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Mahalo for your review! - Team KBOS