Ocean Activities in Hawaii
Immerse yourself in tranquility and solitude aboard a catamaran cruise – as the fragrant scent of your plumeria lei lingers, conjuring vivid images of Hawaii’s sun-kissed beaches, seductively swaying palm trees, warm, balmy trade winds – and the warmth of the aloha spirit.
In Hawaii, visitors can easily engage in a variety of water sports activities, including surfing, snorkeling, diving, sailing, kayaking, canoe paddling and whale watching (from December to April) – primarily through vendors working closely with resort destinations in the Islands.
Resorts along the Kona and Kohala coasts of the Big Island of Hawaii enjoy a vigorous dose of competition. However, they also subscribe to a singular mission – to ensure visitors to resort destinations on the Big Island enjoy world-class amenities, activities and service second to none.
THE RESORTS
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Located just down Kohala’s lava coast, the hotel was built by Laurence Rockefeller more than 35 years ago as the ultimate family retreat. It has been restored to its original splendor and offers guests a signature golf course, snorkeling, scuba diving, tennis courts, a world-class spa and many other amenities. You can find information about the resort at http://www.princeresortshawaii.com or call 1-800-882-6060.
Outrigger Waikoloa Beach
Located on the Kohala coast, the hotel offers guests 545 furnished guest rooms, cabanas and suites, Pacific/Asian cuisine, the Hawaiian Rainforest Salon & Spa, 36 holes of golf and other amenities. You can find information about the resort at http://www.outrigger.com or call 1-808-886-6789.
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel
Nestled in the bluffs above Hapuna Beach, the hotel is built in a flowing, contemporary Hawaiian style, with an open-air lobby that provides a sweeping view of the Kohala coastline. With natural artesian springs, the site has hosted travelers since ancient times. Amenities include 18 holes of golf, elegant cuisine and a state-of-the-art spa. You can find information about the resort at http://www.princeresortshawaii.com or call 1-800-882-6060.
Hilton Waikoloa Village
Like no place on earth, Hilton Waikoloa Village combines tropical gardens, salt water lagoons, exotic wildlife, two golf courses, a full-service spa, eight tennis courts, ocean activities, and a lagoon where dolphins play and children learn the nature of paradise. You can find information about the resort at http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com or call 1-800-886-1234.
The Orchid at Mauna Lani
This hotel joined The Luxury Collection in March 1996. It is located on 32 acres of ocean front property on the Kohala coast. The resort’s 485 rooms offer views of the ocean, mountain or lush tropical garden. Amenities include a fitness center, a spa, a lagoon, regional cuisine specialties and a variety of water sports. You can find information about the resort at http://www.orchid-maunalani.com or call 1-808-885-2000.
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows
The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows offers guests mystical fishponds and petroglyphs, breathtaking sunsets, lush gardens and beautiful beaches. Amenities include guestrooms and villas. You can find information about the resort at http://www.maunalani.com or call 1-800-367-2323/1-800-323-7500.
Kona Village Resort
A few feet from the beach, a natural spring pours into the ocean. There are no telephones in the rooms – nor are there televisions or radios. You can find more information about the resort at http://www.konavillage.com or call 1-800-367-5290.
Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai
The Four Seasons offers guests 243 expansive bungalow-style guest rooms, including 31 suites, elegant cuisine, a signature golf course, King’s Pond for snorkeling, a sports club and spa and eight tennis courts. You can find more information about the resort at http://www.fourseasons.com or call 1-808-325-8000.
Sheraton Moana Surfrider (in Waikiki on the island of Oahu)
The historic ocean front resort features 793 luxurious rooms, including 46 suites. Amenities include a swimming pool, three restaurants and a poolside snack bar. It was the first resort built on Waikiki Beach in 1901. Guest activities include the Keiki Aloha Children’s Program 2001 and the Hookipa Fitness Center. You can find more information about the resort at http://www.moana-surfrider.com or call 1-808-922-3111/1-800-782-9488.
THE VENDORS
Ocean Sports, Big Island of Hawaii
Ocean Sports provides a variety of water sports activities for guests at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Resort. They educate guests about environmental awareness and respect for the marine ecosystem.
They like to make it a fun for guests. The company provides a range of services from beach activities (including sailboard lessons and kayak rentals). At the bay where they’re located, the ecosystem is blessed with tons of fish.
Ocean Sports also offers a glass bottom boat ride. Their snorkel cruises are the most popular, especially during whale watching season. The whale watching cruises are also the most profitable. There are always new and innovative things happening with water sports equipment, such as motorized kayaks. Kite surfing has taken off.
The Kohala coast is a mega-resort destination for conventions and groups such as Fortune 500 companies, so Ocean Sports wants to see more of these markets continue to pump much needed revenues into the economy on the Big Island.
A primary focus of the company’s servicing component is safety. Liability is always an issue. The company practices preventive safety, and it was taught to them years ago by a lifeguard at the beach. Ocean Sports has rescue services as well as man overboard procedures. The staff is CRP certified within the first 30 days of employment, so they can effectively address accidents.
For example, Ocean Sports doesn’t rent water sports equipment during offshore winds. When one of their boats comes in, a beach attendant goes down to meet it, and ensures that the boat has a straight shot in. They take head counts of guests every 20 minutes. Most of the staff has been with the company for 14 years.
Safety, service and education, are integral components of the company’s mission statement. They participated in the installation of moorings along the coast to protect the reefs, so their boats would not drip anchor, but instead come to a nice spot and pull up a mooring and secure the boat without touching the reefs.
Snorkel cruises have marine life lectures and the crew educates guests about endangered turtles. The company’s employees are environmentally conscious and responsible. None of its water sports equipment is propelled.
You can find more information at http://www.hawaiioceansports.com or call 1-888-724-5234/1-808-886-6666.
Red Sail Sports, Big Island of Hawaii
Red Sail Sports, which services the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and the Hilton Waikoloa Village, offers a variety of water sports activities – an introductory scuba dive package, one and two tank dives (day and night), diver’s companion, a complete scuba equipment package rental, scuba school, exclusive scuba diving charters, snorkel sails, whale watching cruises, sunset sails and water sports equipment at the beach.
They also have a program for children, which is like scuba diving, and it’s done in the safe and protective surroundings in the bay. The two most popular water sports activities are scuba diving and snorkeling. During the winter, the whale watching cruises are popular. The sail cruises are also popular.
You can find more information at http://www.redsail.com/hawaii.html or call 1-808-886-2876.
Aloha Beach Services, Island of Oahu
Guests at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki may engage in a variety of water sports activities through Aloha Beach Services. Everything offered is rented. The company offers catamaran rides, canoe rides, surf lessons, surfboard and boogie board rentals, beach umbrellas and beach chairs. The canoes and catamarans can be chartered for special engagements.
The most popular with the rentals are the surfboards and boogie boards. The canoe rides a popular too. With the beach, it’s dependent on the weather. For example, if there is no surf, nothing goes out. If the waves are too large, the canoes can’t go out, but the surfboards can go out.
Aloha Beach Services stresses safety and awareness of the ocean. For example, during surf lessons, guests are specifically warned not to dive into the water. Nothing the company does harms the environment, because Aloha Beach Services uses is self-propelled. Aloha Beach Services builds their own canoes, and maintains their own equipment.
