Will be going the last week of October/first of November - will we be able to see the Na Pali coast by boat? Also, do you need to swim to kayak (cannot swim, put do snorkle with life jacket).

Hi Barbara,

I posted this reply on another thread, same question.
Yes, you will be able to see the Na Pali by boat. The last two years we have gone, we have been there in the same time as you are going (last week October and/or first/second week November). Both times we were able to tour the Na Pali by boat.
In 1998 we went with Captain Andy.Good boat, but they crowd too many people on board, gets too crowded.
In 1999 we went with HoloHolo. We did the Na Pali part just fine, our tour also included trip to Niihau. We finished the Na Pali tour and started into the Niihau channel, got too rough and we had to turn back. Good boat, good food, and the operators refunded everyone the difference in price between the NaPali/Niihau tour and the
NaPali only tour.
This year we are going in mid-December, and I have already been in contact with several operators who will continue to run Na Pali tours even that late in the year.

When you book your tour, you will be told (or should be told) a number to call the night before for a weather check. Even so, storms can come up quickly. The late fall and winter is when the West (NaPali) and North coast gets biggest swells. If you are not sure if you get seasick or not, do yourself a favor and take Dramamine or put on the Patch the night before or get some of the accupressure bands. I have seen so many people get sick on these boat trips and feel really sorry for them. The boat WILL NOT turn back for you if you get sick, you and your companion need to know this upfront. Unfortunate, but it is "Majority rules".

If you want to snorkel, that time of year it is probably best at Poipu.

Sorry, I have never kayaked so can't advise on that, maybe Lani can, she seems to know a lot about Hawaii.

Have a great time, Kauai is beautiful.

I can't remember if knowing how to swim was a requirement when I went in September. There is a life jacket in the kayak w/ you that you can always wear.

Maui Heidi would have answered this long ago !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Maui Heidi would have recommended that you get in touch with her if you wanted to get a discount with her favorite company handling the activity too! (Hence, she'd get her commission which is why she was here to begin with!)

But one would have had their question answered and would not have been forced at gunpoint to contact anyones favorite tour company !!