We returned here for our third time, each time has been great. Kayak across the bay to the spot where Captain Cook met Kamehameha and lost his life. Now it's a nice snorkel spot. Pick up your gear at Honaunau Poke - eat there after your trip. Ask for a discount. read more

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Rented kayaks from here to specifically look for the dolphins in the Kealakelua Bay. Rental is right on the water so it's really simple to get into the bay. Equipment was good so no complaints. Saw a pod of 20 dolphins and the snorkeling was also amazing near cooks monument. read more

Do it you'll love it! Rocky is the man. So friendly and helpful. Everything it there for the beginner to pro. Enjoy an easy trip out to amazing snorkeling. If your lucky the spinner dolphins will join you. You can even check in daily to see if the dolphins are there. If they come in for sunrise they'll hang most of the say. Trust me this is a trip you'll never forget. read more

Bay Side Adventures - Crystal clear beauty! - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

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The place is beautiful but the kids working here are pretty rude. Hardly any eye contact and they just say a few words that's recited and that's it. Not a single smile or friendly conversation. I saw other boats go out to this same area so there are other options to snorkel. I would not recommend this place. read more

We rent kayaks from here every time we visit Kona. We have never been disappointed! Best time is in the morning when the dolphins are in the bay. The snorkeling is great! read more

Had an amazing day snorkeling with tropical fishes and spinner dolphins in Caption Cook! We rented two double kayaks from bay side adventures. They gave us a briefing on safety measures and best areas to snorkel, strapped our life jackets on the kayak and pushed out the kayak onto the water for us. It was about a 20-25 min kayak to the Captain Cook snorkeling area and we settled on an area next to the boats where lots of people were swimming around. Later we found that the best snorkeling spot is not next to where the boats where but at the furthest point of the reef! Quiet chill snorkeling area with not many people swimming around. It was awesome. On our way back, we could see the fins of the spinner dolphins at the surface of the water and some even jumped out of the water. All of us jumped in the water with our snorkels to get a better look and wow... it was the most magnificent sight seeing all the spinner dolphins pods underneath the surface. Best first day on the island!! Would definitely rent kayaks here again with bayside adventures. They told us all the great spots and were relaxed but professional. read more

This was an amazing experience! Everyone was very friendly and they provided everything from kayaks to life vests to snorkels, fins, and dry bags. It's about a mile out to the Captain Cook memorial site from where you launch. Great snorkeling and we saw both dolphins and turtles. Go with this company if you want a solid experience! read more

Love this company! This is the second time we have used it. Best kayak company in the captain cook Bay Area due to the location right in the bay. No hauling your kayaks down yourself. Super turn key. Park, pay, sign waivers an you are on your way with a quick 20 min paddle to the monument. Staff was very fun and friendly and helpful! If you are going to snorkel the monument, want a little workout and not be on the touristy snorkel boats I highly recommend this company! read more

Great first time kayaking thanks to islander kayak. We were able to see dolphins multiple times which made snorkeling the icing on the cake. Thanks for the help Rocky! Good suggestion for food(poke) afterwards as well read more

Bay Side Adventures - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

The perfect place to rent a kayak for exploring Kealakekua Bay! Simple online booking process and they are very flexible on the specific time you book as we were running about 10 mins late. You check in at a white tent and then find parking along the road leading to the dock. The only reason this is not a 5 star review is one of the seats on our kayak was broken. We noticed this and turned back to see if they could fix it. After taking a look, they said it wouldn't be a big deal and sent us on our way. The seat was uncomfortable and made it difficult to paddle. They should have fixed the seat or given us a new kayak. read more

Memories to last a lifetime! We rented 2 double kayaks from Bay Side Adventures. I called last minute (on the drive over from Waikoloa) and they booked our reservation. Had our kayaks and dry bags ready to go, so when we arrived, all we had to do was sign the waivers (all automated on iPads). Great friendly service and staff. Ciela (sp?) was great. She made us feel welcome and put my 2 teens at ease (they were a little nervous about going out without a guide). Before going out, she gave us instructions on where to go, how to get off/on kayaks whilst in water and answered any questions. Went out early at 8:30am. Highly recommend going out in the early morning to get to Kealakekua Bay before the tour boats arrive. It was about a 20 minute paddle out to the bay. Visibility was incredible and it was by far the best snorkeling we experienced on our trip. Saw pods of Spinner Dolphins, Moray Eels, and an incredible amount and variety of fish. We have our own snorkel gear, however they have equipment to rent if you need it. Recommend water shoes. Parking was a little tricky but we were lucky as we were there early so there was an area down the street to park. read more

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If you find yourself on the Big Island, you must take yourself to Kealakekua Bay. The Bay is the site of Captain Cook's arrival and departure (death). His monument at the Bay is a historical marker in Kealakekua. It's only reachable via boat/kayak or long swim. We booked our kayaks on Yelp. Drove down the winding road to The Bay. Seani met us at the dock, and with a short intro sent us on our way. 20 minutes in a school of dolphins (10-15) showed up. Kayaked for few more minutes and snorkeled near the monument, probably the best spot on the bay. I recommend going early for this trip. At about 10 am the tourist charters start showing up with boat loads of ppl. Get to the bay at least by 8 am. Bring water and snacks to carry on kayak too. read more

Bay Side Adventures - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

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Loved this experience. The people at Bay Side Adventures are great on the phone when booking and in person. The place is beautiful and the paddle is very enjoyable. I will say this, I highly recommend getting there early. The only part I did not like was the number of party boats docked at the monument (There was a cruise ship in port the day we went). So the water was full of people making it more difficult to navigate while pulling a kayak. Do yourself a favor, go early, and enjoy. read more

Great service for getting kayaks to explore the bay and snorkel by the Cook Monument. ALL the staff were friendly and helpful. And because they are right on the water, there's no having to haul the boats on top of your rental car. Tips: parking is tough however, the staff can guide you where to go. Also be aware that the triple kayak is NOT designed for all adults! We learned the hard way when that kayak kept sinking and tipping over. We ended up having to put the 3 lightest members so they could get back safely. In hindsight we should have gotten another tandem and a single. read more

Very efficient and friendly service. We rented 2 SUP to head over to Capt Cook Monument for snorkeling. They had good quality equipment and had us out on the water within 10 min of arriving. Highly recommend!! read more

If you want to do Captain Cook on your own without the tour boat and/or don't want to do the strenuous hike, renting a kayak from Bay Side Adventures is the way to go! We had a little trouble finding the launch point thanks to Google Maps. However, Bay Side pointed me in the right direction after a quick phone call. We were only a couple blocks away, and their staff was there waiting for us. They help you load up your boat and give you a dry bag with your permit and life vests, and answer any questions. They tell you where to go and help you get in your kayak and you basically have the rental for the day. We were lucky and were only one of three boats in the whole bay that morning. A pod of dolphins was swimming around, and I got to swim with them. There was even a baby! I kept my distance, but they weren't shy and a few swam up close to check us out. It was my second time swimming with wild dolphins, but that didn't my make it any less exciting! After the dolphins left, I was just hanging out in the water when my eyes caught something large moving toward me. I thought maybe it was a lone dolphin. Nope! No such luck! It had big sharp teeth and was huge and shiny and coming towards me. I immediately got back in the kayak as fast as I could. I knew it wasn't a shark, but something that large and fast moving with teeth is never good. When we arrived back on land, I described it and was asked if it was a giant barracuda. A quick google search showed that was definitely what I saw. Yikes! So just be careful since those things will take fingers off. Snorkeling was pretty good over by the monument, but I was still panicked from the barracuda so we didn't stay too long. It was only the second time we've ever kayaked (last time was in a tour on Oahu), and we felt perfectly comfortable with it. The waters in the bay are calm and it's easy to figure out where to go. Coming back was no problem, other than we were tired from all the swimming. Towing the kayak while snorkeling wasn't a big deal either (you can't dock at Captain Cook). The staff was so nice and helpful with the whole process from booking to returning the rental. I will definitely rent from them again if I return to big island. read more

Bay Side Adventures - Launching spot for Kayaks to Captain Cook - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

Affordable kayak rentals, lovely team that told us what we needed to know and helped us in and out, dry bags, etc. I am 47 and not fit but was able to get back in after snorkeling at cook. (Snorkeling is good here, nothing has beat Kahaluu) we saw a reef shark but no dolphins...still kayaking on the ocean wasn't on my bucket list but should have been! We did two in each kayak which made paddling easier and more fun. read more

Rented a double kayak for a 730 launch. Super nice family running the show, good advice and tips on where to spot dolphins. Dead on about dolphins and snorkeling. Get there early to beat the giant commercial boats full of snorkelers. Needed a clip for our broken snorkel, no problem. Easy to find, good instructions on location. read more

1. There was no bathroom provided. 2. Parking is only on neighborhood narrow streets. 3. No safety instructions whatsoever. 4. We got some scratches by the rocks near the shore, when we returned, they only cared about our lost snorkeling equipment, and no first aid provided. And they did not even care to ask our condition. 5. Extra fees when using credit card. And just watch out for the amount they charge, because you might got overcharged without noticing. For the lost snorkeling equipment, they said $20 but charged $34, and pretend that it was a mistake. The only good thing is that they provided a waterproof bag that we can put our stuff inside, and it can float on the water. When our boat tipped over, we were able to rescue it from the water. Just try not to take too many things to the water. Keep most of your items in the car if possible. read more

Bay Side Adventures should be the only company that you need for your adventure needs. You can book on Yelp, by phone, by website or by text message. They are a full service, local, family-run business. There is no doubt they are some of the nicest people on the island. The two that have been present each time we've booked through them has been a Dad and his daughter. Can you get any cuter than that? Parking for this can be tricky. Just look for all the other cars parked along side the road, and you're golden. On our most recent trip, we took out a triple and a double kayak. The kayaks were down by the entry by the time we got there. When you call, they'll ask when you're arriving, and they will have the kayak ready for you. They have EVERYTHING you could possibly need. They give you dry bags for your stuff and offer snorkels if you need it. We brought all of our own things. You should also pack food for your trip. They will strap everything you need into your kayak for you. Before you know it, you'll be on your way to one of the best days of your trip. After about 20-30 (wind pending) minutes, you'll be out to the Captain Cook monument. You can't dock, but just hang onto your bow line, and you can snorkel around with your kayak. It's actually easier than it sounds. Imagine this--a peaceful kayak trip, snorkel with amazingly beautiful fish, see some dolphins on the way, lunch on your own time, no power boat needed, and unlimited time to do what you want? It's a no brainer! There is no time limit. You can return your kayak whenever you are ready. Don't forget to bring a waterproof camera! read more

Bay Side Adventures - The same view the locals get. - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

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The nicest people ever!! Super convenient.. they explain everything and they have NO TIME LIMIT. Loved coming here and I'm so glad I read all their reviews. I called the day prior to when we wanted to rent kayaks and snorkels and it was totally no problem. The cost was $40 a kayak and $10 for snorkel gear. It's super easy to get in and out of the kayak in the water as long as you have a partner with you. It's about a 30 min paddle to Captain Cook area and I would highly suggest trying to get there prior to 9 if you want the area to yourself. However.. the back wall of the bay has very little traffic and has plenty to see! read more

So glad we found this outfit! Totally professional and friendly. Need to come back next time!

Very happy with our visit to this place. Was a little worried with how small it was and having a tough time to find but the customer service was great and the kayaks were clean and well maintained. read more

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So glad we found this spot. It worked out really well. We weren't sure how well we could handle the logistics of snorkeling from our kayaks without being able to beach them at Captain Cook monument, but we got good advice from Chrissy and had a wonderful time here. It took about 20 minutes to kayak across the bay. Leaving Bay Side at 7:30am, we had the snorkeling area to ourselves for quite awhile. For us this was a great alternative to a guided tour. read more

We rented a couple tandems. So much better from a cost and convenience perspective than a tour. Had a blast kayaking across the bay and snorkeling by the monument. read more

Excellent adventure! We paddled out to the monument, saw some amazing dolphins on the way, snorkeled a bit and saw a good amount of different fish. We then hung out in our kayaks as the dolphins continued to swim the area. Super cool! The people working the kayaks were awesome and friendly, gave us a tour of where to go on the water, a rental dry bag, some life jackets and sent us on our way. Two thumbs up for them! read more

We've gotten so lucky with businesses run by such warm and helpful people! Anela was so sweet, starting with the first phone call to book our tour, then when I called to tell her we were running late, her greeting us, and then hanging out with us after our tour while we waited for our ride. She walked along the shore with our keiki showing her how to feed the sea turtles. She's just a lovely person. Our guide Justin was nice and chill. He gave us some guidance, and was helpful when we needed it, but let us go at our own pace. I'm glad we went with the guided tour for our first time. But I think we have enough confidence to just do a rental next time. I will definitely use Bay Side Adventures when we do a rental, too. They help with getting the kayak in and out of the water, so you're not completely on your own like you are with some other outfits. I could definitely spend all day floating in the cove admiring the beauty. Here's my Useful: Despite the business location shown on Yelp, the loading area is 30-40 minutes south of where we were in Kona, so plan for that. After you book your tour, they'll send you a text with all the directions, which was really useful. Pack water, snacks, and sunscreen... and you'll have a lovely day! read more

We had a great time with Bayside - cruised right up, grabbed two single-seat kayaks ($80 total) and paddled 20 min. or so toward the dolphin cove. The boats were steady and sturdy, the fish plentiful and diverse, and before we left the dolphins showed up for an extended romp - stay still long enough and they might swim right under your boat! For many reasons (parking, heat, clear water, crowds) you should get there early, by 8-830. Crowds from elsewhere show up around 9:30 or so . The only drawback is you have to snorkel from your kayak, including getting back into it, without touching dry land. That said, it's doable for most folks, and we completely, *100* got our money's worth for a once in a lifetime experience! read more

What an amazing morning. Friendly staff helped us into our kayaks. Some of us twice. We saw a large pod of dolphin. One enjoyed jumping out of the water. Snorkeling st the Captain Cook monument was stellar. We felt like we were well cared for. If you are looking for a great way to spend the morning. Check out the kayaks here. read more

Bay Side Adventures - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

We had a wonderful adventure with our 5 year old daughter. Saw two turtles and lots of fish. We went in the AM just 2-3 hrs us w a young child or I would of stayed longer. This is a beautiful area! **Please remember to wear reef safe sunscreen especially here with so much snorkel traffic, thank you. read more

We had a great experience with Bay Side. The kayaks were ready at the bay when we got there. We were given dry bags and told where to parked. Everything was put together for us, and we were helped into the kayaks so we didn't flip them. I used the Groupon and had no issues. My DH and I got sick, so I emailed to ask to switch days and the quick response was No Problem. One person couldn't make it so we didn't use one of them. I was told I could go on Groupon and get a refund. How many businesses would do that? AWESOME customer service IMHO. We snorkeled a bit at the monument. This was great with good visibility and tons of fish and urchins. The highlight was the dolphins though. So incredible! Thanks so much for an awesome experience. It was the highlight of our 2 weeks in Hawaii. read more

Shauna was AMAZING! Super friendly and offered great advice to insure we had a good experience. We called in the morning and gave our eta. They were ready with our kayaks when we arrived. We had 3.5 hours to go at our own pace and explore the cove. I say skip the big boats do the self guided kayak tour. We had an amazing experience snorkeling through Capitan Cooks Cove. The sea life is abundant! Bayside makes it so easy and gets you all set to head out on your adventure. We highly recommend Bayside Adventures. Mahalo read more

Bay Side Adventures - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

My family of 10 had the best time kayaking and snorkeling at Captain Cook's due to the aloha spirit of the team at Bay Side Adventures/Islander Kayak Rentals! When we got there, I informed our very gracious host that 2 of my family could not make it and before I could finish explaining, she said "no problem" and refunded us on the spot. Getting ready...the team outfitted us with fins and life jackets and gave us a safety chat and we were off. The scenery along the way to Captain Cook's via the kayaks was breathtaking...from the blue of the water to the cliffs and lava tubes along the shore...just spectacular. After about 20 minutes, into the water for some of the best snorkeling on our 12-day trip...the yellow tangs, the butterfly fish, the Hawaiian sergeants and so much more. Kayaking on the way back was a bit tougher due to the trades picking up slightly (not hard but not as easy as going there)...recommendation, go early. Yes, parking is a bit congested but a short hike up the road and you'll find a place to park (c'mon, you are on vacation). They also gave us a recommendation to have lunch at their family eatery, Randy's Huli Huli Chicken and BBQ...seriously, you've got to eat here...some of the best local grindz that we ate on our trip. Mahalo to the Bay Side Adventures/Islander Kayak Rentals team...till next time! read more

Awesome experience. Only $60 for a double kayak for the day. Rocky said there were dolphins out and he was right! We had at least a dozen swim right by us for at least 10 minutes. It was amazing!! You won't be disappointed if you use this company, no hauling the kayak around they launch it for you read more

Bay Side Adventures - Over by bay before monument - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

This was our first time renting from Bay Side Adventures and would definitely use then again. We've done a boat tour the first time we were on the Big Island and this time we decided to rent a double kayak and snorkel Capt Cook on our own. It's much cheaper and very doable. It's about a 25-30 minute kayak across the bay to Captain Cook. The reef here is amazing and by far my favorite...a must do in my opinion. I'm told by the locals to try to stay away on wednesdays as that's when the cruise ship comes in and the area is filled with people. We went on a Thursday and there were very few people and it was so beautiful and peaceful. Cienna, from Bay Side Adventures, was so helpful and sweet! She gave us lots of helpful information and treated us with much Aloha. Thank you! read more

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Excellent!!! Run by a Ma & Pa who are very kind and helpful. They provide the kayak(s) and pass to go out on the bay. You are able to go out without a guide which is a lot of fun! Rocky and Rufus provide you with directions to the Captain Cook Monument and recommend where the best snorkeling is. They were right! They know the waters like the back of their hand. There are so many beautiful fish under the water below the monument. We also got to kayak with dolphins in the bay! Wonderful memories to last us the rest of our lives. Highly recommended. A must for your trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. read more

Bay Side Adventures - Captain Cook!! The water excellent temperature and crystal clear!! - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

Bay Side Adventures was recommended to us by a friend...and I'm so glad we listened! This is a true family operation and they make you feel like part of it. They are so accommodating and take much of the stress of renting kayaks out of the situation. I will recommend them to everyone I know. The experience of kayaking with dolphins was one of the best things we've ever done in the islands. And snorkeling around the Captain Cook monument was incredible. If you do nothing else on the Big Island, be sure you do this...and rent from Bay Side! read more

Renting kayaks here was our best decision! Price is nice and the girl who gave us our kayak was very friendly. She explained where to go to see the most dolphins and helped to attach our snorkeling equipment and other things we were taking with us. Kayaking to the dolphins wasn't too long and we had so much fun swimming with dolphins and kayaking!!! Make sure you have a reservation because they run out of kayaks very quickly. Try to come as early as you can to see more dolphins before all the big boats with yours come. read more

Bay Side Adventures - Tours Near Me - Honaunau, Hawaii

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If you want to explore and/or dive in and around Captain Cook in Kealakekua Bay rent a kayak from Bay Side Kayak. This is our second time and would HIGHLY recommend this company. They are a very friendly and service oriented group, one of them even paddled out across the bay when they found a paddle and thought it was from our party. Dolphins are commonly spotted in the bay, but on this trip we did not see any. We did on our last trip across the bay. If we come to the Big Island again we will absolutely come back to Bay Side. Bay Side Kayak is a place where you get the Aloha Vibe. read more

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Perfect place for kayak rentals by Captain Cook Monument. Very friendly and helpful staff. Rental includes life jacket, dry bag. For beginners they offer paddling instructions and great advice. Even on a cloudy day, the water was blue and crystal clear. A leisurely 30 minute paddle brings you to the monument where you'll find many reef fishes along the shore. Jump in, snorkeling was great! We stayed out about 3 hours would have stayed longer if we packed a lunch. Go early to see the dolphins! read more