If you have a car (or rented a car), John at Go Bananas will help you strap kayaks you rent to your car. You can drive around the island and launch where you feel comfortable kayaking. John is most knowledgeable all things about kayaks, including where to kayak and how to be safe. Don't shy away from asking him to help you understand how to be safe and get to where you want to be. John at Go Bananas kayak rental strapped a long kayak with a skeg to my car. I drove off his parking lot, and arrived at the He'eia Kea Boat Harbor. On a windy and rainy day in November I rented a long kayak with a skeg, and John showed me how to strap it to the car I was driving. I drove to He'eia Kea Boat Harbor, and launched off the Kaneohe Canoe Club, towards where I thought the sunken sandbar at Kaneohe Bay would be found. For my entire trip inching forward in that direction I was alone in the foreboding ocean, or rather they bay. But from my low vantage points, it looked as if I were in the middle of the deep ocean with breaking waves under me and dark clouds above me. John told me to aim for Kapapa Island, and he was right. Because as far as I could tell from my kayak it was just dark water all around me, except for that tiny speck of an island. All other boats I saw and thought to be tourist boats anchored at the sandbar all turned out to be decoys - they were docked so closed to shore in retrospect. Many a times I thought I'd reached the sandbar only to find empty boats in dark and deep water. Many more times I thought of turning back - it could be frightening being out there alone, even if I was prepared with all available safety devices. But I kept going. Then I sensed a change in water color. Shortly the sun poked its head out of the cloud. And magic happened. The sea all around me turned turquoise as soon as sunrays touched them, revealing that I was mere inches above sand now. I soon found a lone stand-up paddler lying supine on his board, drinking beer. I also ran into a birthday party dinning around a table half-submerged in water. Then Captain Bruce's boat showed up, dumping lots of merrymakers onto the sandbar. Now that I know the place, I would have no issues coming back again and finding it, next time. In some of the videos you will find dark clouds raining on entire towns, while I filmed the shore from the sandbar. That gives you a sense of how far the sandbar is from shore. read more

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I've been meaning to start exploring Oahu again so I figure, why not start with kayaking at the beach? I've rented kayaks from other places on the island but wanted to check out Go Banana since they've been around for so long- plus they were 10 minutes away from me. After renting a tandem kayak, John helped walk me through the install on my car, as well as how to attach all the gear- paddles, seats, etc. Extremely knowledgeable and helpful, he answered all the questions one could have- I hadn't kayaked in 10 years! The equipment was good quality and held up through the storm we ended up going through (whoops) and we were able to return it that afternoon. Great hours, great prices (really, reasonably priced rental I've seen) and great service. I'd call ahead if you're renting on a long weekend. read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Go Bananas! These guys have been in business for a long time. I remember going to the Aiea location 20 years ago when I first needed roof racks on my car. Now I've move to town side and I've again needed racks for a minivan. I actually have a set of racks, but lost the key when storing them. I looked at google and the recommendation was go to REI since they are a Thule distributor. We don't have one here, so I looked who else is a distributor and sure enough Go Bananas. I called them and asked if they could help with a key. They were a little reluctant initially since my racks were 10 years old, but told me to swing by. I google mapped them and found they a dozen or so parking spots in a lot. It was early, so there was no one there. I walked in and was greeted by a lady. She wasn't too sure what I needed because the guy had helped me on the phone and he was busy. She was able to figure it out, I tried the new keys and viola! Racks locks were open and I was able to go surf that day. Price was excellent same as getting a key copied at City Mill or Home Depot. Overall they were there when I needed them the most and accommodating. Highly recommend them for anything water sports related. Even rentals of boards, kayaks and anything else you can think of. read more

This is the worst place to get your racks! I've had Thule racks on my trucks since 2000. My last set had corrosion and I wanted to get them replaced with their life time warranty. I've given the run around by the owner for over two years!! He keeps telling me Thule is ignoring his requests to replace my racks. I lost my original receipt so can't go right to Thule to get them replaced. Do not get your racks from these guys, you will go bananas!! read more

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Rented a kayak from this shop to the sand bar. John assisted with getting the kayak on top of the rental car and he was extremely helpful! Price was very reasonable as well. Would no doubt return next time I'm in town! read more

It's a shame this store has no Aloha in their hearts. One man in particular who I didn't get the name of. I was pushed away from a $1000+ sale because the man talking to me was in a stressed out state and wanted to jab at my personal life instead of help me. I was in no rush and would have come back another day when they were less busy. He went on to insult my partner and his experiences in installing roof racks, my abilities as a laborer, and my knowledge on the sport. Installing roof racks isn't too difficult for me. I understand it takes time though, and I was fine with installing myself. I'd like to support small businesses that have the Aloha spirit, and partner with fellow lovers of ocean sports. Instead I got the job done at Aloha Toppers in Aiea. It was super easy, the lady was knowledgeable and nice, and she had a great helpful attitude. read more

I needed some help with my roof rack being transferred from my old car to my new car, and John was so helpful over the phone providing the info needed. I went down to see him unannounced, and he stopped what he was doing, helped me remove the rack. I came back with the new car, and he again helped me install the rack right away. John I appreciate you, mahalo for the help. If you need anything for water sports, please go see John at Go Bananas, you are in 100% great hands. read more

Absolutely recommend Go Bananas Watersports! We rented a two person kayak for a day to kayak to the Kanehoe Sandbar. For $50, we rented a kayak, sizeable wet bag, two life jackets, two paddles, foam blocks for the car, and all the straps we needed to strap the kayak to the far. John was the BEST and walked us through how to assemble the kayak: how to put the seats on, how to attach the paddles, how to open the compartment, and even a short demo on how to paddle efficiently. He also carefully strapped the kayak to the top of the car and showed us how to do it. He didn't rush through any part of it and made sure we understood each step of the process completely. We took a video of the setup and mount on the car; it was a little tricky figuring out how to strap the kayak on the car ourselves at the waterfront but thanks to John's detailed instructions, we were able to watch the video I took and figure it out. We had a wonderful time kayaking to the Sandbar, all the gear they gave us was fantastic and kept our stuff dry. The straps attaching the paddles to the kayak came in handy. The return process was very fast. We will definitely come back again next time we are in town! read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Kayak on the Sandbar - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Amazing and reliable customer service, john helped modify racks that I had bought second hand to fit on my car roof. Awesome spot, give them a visit! read more

Been coming here for over 20 years with great results. Just purchased a 2024 Toyota Tacoma and there's very few bespoke aftermarket racks and installation services. Thought I'd call Go Bananas and they totally hooked me up! John figured out a solution to install Yakima aero racks in the factory mounting points. No drilling, very reasonable installation fee. read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Rack on mounting points for 2024 Toyota Tacoma - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A business with over the top Aloha service. I had them do some work on my Kayak and they did it on time in a professional manner. They even, a no extra cost, corrected a couple of item they just thought needed attention. The owner, his daughter and staff were a breath of fresh air. read more

I was bored and decided to stop by and check some roof racks and accessories out... nonetheless... I ended getting my Mini Cooper all suited up. I got most of the bell and whistles and everyone working here is super helpful! They may seem a bit rough, but being in the business industry for more than a decade... I can understand. I've had many positive interactions with everyone working here. I highly recommend shopping here for your adventure needs! read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I paid for two sIngle kayaks for November 2019. I was looking forward to kayaking in Lanikai, Kailua and Kaneohe at the Sand Bars. The disappointing part is weather in Hawaii when we arrived was unpredictable. Major raining early morning and then clear. It was on and off. My boyfriend was concerned for my safety and he was paranoid with transporting the kayaks on our rental car. So if you decide to go with Go Bananas, they give you soft racks to transport the kayaks. To me I thought that was awesome. The thought of having the kayaks all day and taking them to multiple places. I loved that idea. My boyfriend was paranoid with our rental car company. I guess it made him worry about what will happen if things get scratched and all that stuff. So I ended up going in person to cancel my reservation. The woman that works there helped me and just refunded me with cash since I reserved with a debit card. Overall they were great! Next time we do this, I'd ask my relatives that live in Oahu to let us borrow their car for a day so we can transport the kayaks. read more

Service! Products! Customer service! They have everything!!! John the owner is such a great guy, along with Jade. They both give their time, advice for all your questions. It feels like you're talking to a good friend. Can't say it enough, they are your one stop for many things with water and more. Their prices are comparable to even Amazon, so support local businesses and take the drive! read more

Went to get a recommendation for truck racks - these guys were great... the didn't try to upsell me, they down sold me! Advised me better alternative for less money. Owner John installed my racks too. Need racks? STRONGLY recommend this place! read more

I really appreciate when a business takes a moment to patiently and thoroughly explain what they have and what they can do for you OVER THE PHONE, before you drive out there. That's exactly the kind is customer service I got from Go Bananas Kapahulu. Now I've been here many times and bought multiple different items from roof racks to having my Scupper Pro kayak rugged for diving. But on this particular day I needed to re-do my Thule roof racks for my Tacoma. They've been really abused over the years, but I didn't need the whole setup, I just wanted to replace certain parts. So I called them first and I think it was Andrea ( sorry if I'm wrong, but I know it's close), took the time to explain to me that they did have in stock the parts I needed and what parts they could re-use from what I already have, she even took the time to pull up my original receipt to double check what I did purchase years ago to be sure this re-do will work. I told her I'll be there in 20 minutes, she said she'll start pulling out the parts. Sure enough when I got there she was ready with the parts standing by. Awesome, friendly, SMOOTH and prompt service! They totally made my day! Excellent! The only place I'll go for vehicle racks and accessories. BTW, when they rigged my kayak for me it was years ago before we had Yelp, Go Bananas did an awesome job on that too!.... FYI. read more

Go Bananas Watersports - My Thule rack re-do, new Fit Kit and load bars. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This is my third purchase with them and always a great experience. This time I got surf racks for my husband's truck as a birthday present. The owner and his daughter were very helpful answering aaaaallll my questions. For a very small charge they can also install them for you. It's just in/out Thank you again guys! We'll be back read more

Wow! Talk about customer service. This father - daughter team was extraordinary in helping both putting on the racks and showing me how to lock them on but also how to put on my surfboard properly to protect it, use the straps and then added I shouldn't take my car through a car wash ever, unless I removed the racks. I appreciated their kindness. It wasn't a cheap purchase and they provided value that was unexpected. They cared for my best interest overall. I could not have asked for more! read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Kapahulu Ave. Go Banana's - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

John is the man. He took the time, over several visits, to really talk to me about kayaking in Hawaii. I bought some sandals, a cooler, and a roof rack for my truck from him. I was gonna buy a kayak too, but I found one on craigslist. I showed it to him, he said it looked like a good deal and said I should go check it out. I ended up picking it up and he helped me make some adjustments to the leash and some of the other attachments free of charge. You just can't put a price on that sort of honesty and service. If you need a kayak, or are interested in getting in to kayaking, there is no better place to go than go bananas. read more

This store is awesome! It literally has everything you could possibly need for various outdoor activities. They had kayaks, hammocks, trail running shoes, bags, and etc. The staff were all super friendly and were very happy to assist us with all of our questions. Thank you! We'll definitely be back! read more

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If you like to kayak, this is the place to go. John and his staff are friendly, very knowledgeable and patiently answered all the questions I had. I know kayaking is a complicated sport and I'm just an amateur. It was great to have the experience and guidance of John and his team. Mahalo for providing a safe and positive experience! read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Awesome pedal kayak! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Rented kayaks from super helpful Owner and staff. Helped us find an appropriate spot for our skill level. Loaded all the gear for us with lots of instructions. Highly recommend!! read more

I love this family owned business and this family! First time kayaking last week and I was given rockstar treatment. The whole family is extremely knowledgeable about their equipment. Some members of our party kayaked while others used the paddle boards. Great experience, hope to do it again soon! read more

Do not go here. Ever since Covid began last year, The staff does not wear masks. & they also do not adhere to social distancing protocol. Also the owner is extremely rude. read more

Awesome! They kept me on a call back list so that when products that are hard to get in Hawaii finally came in from the mainland, they called me. My kayak rack looks great and was professionally installed while I had lunch (btw, lots of places to eat by the Kapahulu store). Thanks so much John! Huge variety of kayaking/camping gear! read more

I've been very pleased with the very friendly, competent, professional, and helpful service provided by Go Bananas. I highly recommend them if you're looking for anything kayak related (sales or rentals). They have two locations - one in Honolulu, and one over in Aiea not far from the Pearl Ridge Mall. The Aiea location is sort of a satellite store and doesn't have ALL the stuff that the main store has. However, I've been to both locations and was equally pleased with the friendly and professional service I received. As an active duty service member, I could opt to go rent kayaks from the outdoor recreation place on base. I would RATHER go to Go Bananas though. The prices were comparable, but the service was 100 times better at Go Bananas. Going on base didn't save me enough money to give up the good service. Before we moved to Hawaii, I was not an experienced kayaker. I had only gone a couple of times in my life. I wanted to try it with my six year old son, but I wasn't sure if I could handle the boat by myself with him just as a passenger. The staff at Go Bananas were very supportive, encouraging, and helpful in telling me that I could do it and giving me pointers how to get started. The first time I took my son kayaking, we just rented a kayak from the Navy and paddled around Pearl Harbor for an hour to see how my son like it. He and I both enjoyed it, so we decided to try a longer trip. The second time we went kayaking, we rented a kayak from the Go Bananas in Aiea. They were super helpful in getting the kayak on top of the car and strapped down and explaining the gear and giving pointers on how to use it. My son and I drove over to the windward side to the Kualoa Regional Park and paddled out around Chinaman's Hat and back again. We had a blast. We subsequently went to the Honolulu location because they had a wider variety of kayaks available there, and the owner allowed us to rent different kayaks to try them out and then apply our rental fees toward buying a new kayak. If you're interested in trying out a kayak, then I highly recommend Go Bananas. read more

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I went here to get a rack for my truck bed for my paddleboards today. They come in a set but they are nice enough to split it and just sell you half at half the price too which was all I needed too. $25.00 extra for them to install it too beacuse I'm lazy like that. Customer service was excellent on the phone and in the shop. I could be wrong but I think his name was glenn that installed it and did an awesome job too. The rack is cherry. Nice and wide but not too wide. I wouldn't doubt I could fit my boards and my one man canoe on It too. Something I couldn't do with the other ones that got stolen. These Thule 500 racks come with a lifetime warranty too which makes this rack worth every penny. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for racks, new or used kayaks, paddles leashes. read more

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Go Bananas is simply awesme!! My boyfriend was visiting me in October, and although he has visited Oahu numerous times in the past he had never gone kayaking before and neither have I. One of my best friends had told me she kayaked to Chinaman's hat and hiked up the small mountain. I immediately knew that would be something my boyfriend would enjoy, she suggested I check out Go Bananas and that I did. We learned that they were pretty affordable, at $45 for a double hull from the hours 9-6pm. At first I thought that wouldn't be enough time, but we made it work. When we went to pick up the kayak the guy there was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. He answered all of our questions, gave us great tis, and suggest other places we can kayak. The fee comes with every thing you need to store the kayak on your vehicle, a dry bag for your stuff, and life vests. My boyfriend and I had a really great time kayaking, we are actually planning to kayak again on our upcoming trip back home. We hope to spend more time kayaking and enjoying the ocean. We would highly recommend Go Bananas for any water sport activity and kayaking! Yelp 365 CHallenge: 90/365 read more

We came in to buy foam roof racks and straps for our SUP. From the moment we came into the store, we were treated like family, by an extremely friendly and knowledgeable team. I was actually taken back by how helpful, genuine and friendly the two young ladies and gentlemen were in the shop. This is my new go to spot for purchases, they gained a loyal customer! Definitely give this place a try! read more

if you are a kayaker on island or looking to rent a boat for a few days, this is the place to go. A funky little shop in North? Waikiki, it has pretty much everything you would need, from shoes to yaks. Also, lots of affordable options for roof racks etc. Also, great people that are focused on service. Very helpful and willing to chat if they aren't busy. read more

Great friendly local staff and fair prices. Bought my Thule racks here and had them do the install... they were knowledgeable on how to fit the rack on my truck and did the install quickly and efficiently. Would definitely recommend. read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Love my thule racks... thanks go bananas - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The customer service I received here was excellent. I bought a set of Thule roof racks and had questions on future purchases of kayaks. The owners and staff were very helpful and knowledgeable about their products and was able to answer all questions. I had them install the racks I bought, and they were able to install everything without any issue quickly. Thank you again to the team! read more

Staff was very helpful and recommended exactly what I needed to transport my gear, given I am a tourist and rented a specific vehicle type. The employee walked me through my options and we came to the most cost effective solution available which worked out perfectly! read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Go Bananna cables and foam rack solution for 6 wakeboards - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Just WOW.... The owner, Uncle John helped my son and I pick out exactly what we needed to easily rack our bike on our car, had it in stock, and installed it, making sure that I knew how to use it and even moved my existing roof racks so that my trunk opened completely to access things. He even had us buy the less expensive one that fit our needs better instead of trying to up sell us. He encouraged us to continue our adventures, held onto a key in case we lost ours at any point, and shared wonderful stories of his own adventures with his three daughters. This family owned local business is a no brainer to go and support! I'm super grateful that small businesses like this are still around and happy to help them continue to thrive. Mahalo nui! read more

Go Bananas Watersports - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We had a great experience here. My husband was looking for some board racks for the SUV. Instantly as soon as we walked in, we were greeted & asked what we were looking for. We were brought over & was offered different choices, given step by step instructional information on how to install it. Our salesperson was awesome. She was so knowledgeable, I forgot to ask for her name. read more

Great customer service. Very knowledgeable staff. I asked lots of questions and they patiently answered everyone. I look forward to purchasing more products from this store. read more

DO NOT TRUST THESE CROOKS. They try to take advantage of customers who come to them for help with their products and will LIE TO YOU and try to RIP YOU OFF. The staff here are slimy. They tried to do it to me not realizing that I'd already done all of my research on the product. Probably assuming because I am a woman I did not know how to put together a roof rack. I'm positive it was the manager, John who was lying to my face. I went to Go Bananas to buy crossbars for my Yakima Q towers that I'd just purchased local from a gentleman who didn't need them anymore. Buying the preowned towers saved a lot of money and I had already researched which pieces I needed to install them on my car. When I went to Go Bananas to purchase those pieces the staff realized I hadn't bought my towers from them. They then tried to tell me that my towers were "no longer compatible with the current Yakima crossbars" only to try to talk me into buying new towers from them. This was a blatant lie of course, and a stupid one. My Q towers and the crossbars are literally made for each other. I let him stand there and act like an idiot and then left the store and bought the exact same crossbars on Amazon for much cheaper. The entire system has been installed on my car for almost a year now, working like a dream. Reading these yelp reviews I see John trying to explain away every customer who has had a bad experience with him. He will probably try to explain away this one. He knows what he did. He blatantly lied to my face about the Yakima products to try to take advantage and con me into buying equipment that I didn't need. He will try to get away with ripping off other customers he thinks he can take advantage of. He's a crook and a liar. read more

Customer service here was awesome! I had originally bought Thule racks 6 years ago from them and needed a new part to fit my racks to a new car. I thought it would be a simple process because my old racks were compatible to my new car, according to the Thule website. However that was not the case. My old rack bar was not filling to my new car and I thought I would have to buy a whole new rack system. John was able to do some minor work and adapt my old rack bar to fit on to my new car. I appreciate his effort and offer to help as that saved me a lot money, even if that costed him an extra sale. They installed my racks and I drove off ready to go surf! I'm stoked to support a local company, especially one with exceptional and caring customer service! read more

I was interested in getting pads for my Thule racks. I also explained that they weren't on my car at the time. They explained they'd have to see it to know which one would fit. (which I entirely understood) I told them my Make and model, and that I had gotten the flat one not the bar. The guy had interrupted the lady and asked if I had bought it from them (go bananas) I said I got it from online. He told me well if you bought it from here, it comes with installation, warranty and great service to help you with whatever else you need. All you had to do was google it!!!! I was even going to google it!!!! As soon as you told me that response, I let the lady finish explaining the sup pad covers. Thanked her and walked out!! The Pads I wanted were $70, I was also interested in getting paddle board Thule SUP taxi ($260) which I never mentioned because you're so rude. All because I didn't originally buy my racks from him he wasn't going to go out of their way to help me spend money on accessories at their store. Seriously I don't care if your the owner, I refuse to spend money at your store. I will take my money elsewhere. By the way I went to Hawaiian water sports and bought my racks there, I wanted to spend money at another local store to help support. Learn some ALOHA!!! read more

Kudos to John for repairing my Thule racks that had detached on the freeway. John repaired the damage and reinstalled for a very nominal fee. Mahalia nui! read more