I need some advice from people familiar with Kealakekua Bay.

We've read so much about the snorkeling by Capt Cook's Monument and the dolphins in Kealakekua Bay. Would prefer not to join a tour with its time constraints.

From past experiences, early morning is best w/o all the crowds. What's the best way to get to the monument - hiking or kayaking ?

If by kayak, how early do the kayak rental company open or should we rent it the night before ? Any particular kayak rental company you would recommend ?

We will be in Kona for the Halloween weekend, so hopefully the bay won't be that rough yet.

thanks in advance,
joe

We rented kayaks from Kona Boys and were very happy with their service. Don't know what time they open. I've not done the hike, but I've seen the trail from below and I wouldn't like to hike back up there, especially carrying snorkel gear! The kayaking was fun, but we didn't see any dolphins when we did it in February.

We have kayaked to the monument for snorkling and rented also from Kona Boys. I personally would not want to do the hike. Morning is usually best because the water is calmer. You will launch the kayak at the bay from an old cement pier - which can be tricky, but there are usually some local guys there that will assist you in and out for a small tip. We have seen dolphins during our kayak trips. Have a great time!

We're planning to rent a kayak as well and I have to ask this question: Can they load the kayak onto a regular full size car (Sedan)? Do we need a roof rack or anything extra for the sedan car? Or do we need an SUV?

And I understand that they load the kayak for you but how difficult will it be to load the kayak back onto the car when we're done?

Sorry if this seems like a silly question to ask but we've never rented a kayak before! Thanks for your answers!

I remember that Kona Boys opens up at either 7 or 7:30 (I'm sure the others are probably the same or similar times). It's good to reserve at least a day ahead, then you know you're set ahead of time.

No car rack is needed... they place a couple of wide rubber "strips" on top of the car and place the kayaks on them. Then they use harnesses that go over the kayaks and through the windows. We had an SUV and so did others that I saw... but I'm sure a sedan would work OK too (but I would call the kayak rental place to verify).

It is a little difficult to get everything back on the car when you're done... the day we went locals were there to help us get the kayaks off the car and into the water, but were not there when we were finished. We had 2 kayaks so they had to be stacked on top of each other the car (more difficult with an SUV due to the height). Even hoisting the boats from the water up to the dock area is a little cumbersome as the water is quite a few feet lower than the dock area. But as long as there are 2 adults there, you should be fine. I remember thinking thank goodness my husband was there! I wouldn't want to go back there with just myself and my school age kids and try to do all of that by ourselves.

travelcraze, we rented a kayak last year on the Big Island. The company you rent from provides equipment to carry the kayak on your car. It was easy to load and unload with a little help. We had a compact car and it worked out just fine. Take a little cash along so you can pay the locals to help you.

Thank you for all your responses.

I just checked the website of Kona Boys. They
open at 7:30A. Here's an excerpt from http://konaboy.com/kayak.html

Kayak Rentals

Single Kayak $27
Dive Single $32
Double Kayak $47
Dive Double $52
Clear Bottom $79
* all rentals are 24 hrs

All kayak rentals include; dry bag, soft cooler, backrests, lifejackets, and paddles as well as the racks and straps to transport the boat(s).

Hi, We just kayaked the bay for the second time this past June (first time in 1999) and kayaking is the way to go! On our first trip we rented from Kona Boys..great company, but this time we rented fro Kealekekua Kayak and Dive...also great. Kona Boys wasn't open at 9am, so we went on down the road. Both companies are great though. The dolphins in the bay are amazing. We saw them both times, but only got to swim with them this June...AWESOME!!! Check out our travel journal for some photos (all of the underwater dolphin shots are from the bay) Here is our link http://www.nbhtravel.com Have agreat time on your trip and I hope the dolphins decide to pay you a visit too. Happy travels.

velodurt - LOVED your website of great photos. So a question for you... of all the places you've been (as shown on your website) where would you say is the absolute BEST snorkeling you've seen? We're trying to decide if we should go back to Hawaii (been there several times) or try the Caribbean (never been there) for our next vacation... this is for a family of 4 (kids are 13 and 9).

Thanks!

Carole

There are only two hotels near the airport:
Honolulu Airport Hotel www.Honoluluairporthotel.com
or Best Western- The Plaza Hotel www.bestwesternhonolulu.com

Neither is very nice, but they are decent.