We went whale watching & we saw whales! Capt Kiliko & Morgan were super chill & made the experience memorable. We were kindly greeted at the pier with a quick safety briefing. Our highlight was seeing two whale tails next to each other at the same time. Really enjoyed our trip with them. read more

Feb 2026 - Based on my experience, I urge you to consider not doing business with this company. They appear to value revenue over the safety and comfort of their customers. Due to hazardous weather conditions, the tour we were on should never have left the harbor. Not only were the ocean wave conditions reported by the coast guard to be clearly dangerous, the driving hard rain made the conditions completely unacceptable not only for safety reasons but for customer comfort. Despite my several attempts to point this out to the staff answering the phone one day prior to the tour as well as the captain of the boat prior to departure, they blocked my attempts to reschedule or refund the trip in spite of coast guard and national weather service small craft warnings, beach closures and other tour operators canceling their tours under the same conditions. After waves broke over the bow of this small craft, the captain aborted the tour and turned around. After an unusually leisurely return to the dock, I called and asked for a refund. Later we were told based on our return time, we had received the full tour and a refund would not be issued. After escalating our concern, a senior member of the company emailed us and said we would be issued a full refund. Over six weeks later they have still not issued us a refund. We had to file a dispute with our credit card company. read more

Hilo Ocean Adventures - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Hilo Ocean Adventures is awesome! My wife and I are recent PADI Open Water certified divers, and booked a dive through the shop. The staff were super-friendly and helpful, and our guide Gabby was fantastic. They put us at ease during the safety briefing and checked in with us regularly during the dive itself to ensure we were comfortable. Saw an amazing variety of undersea life and learned a ton. Would absolutely come back, thanks again! read more

Although a typical grey Hilo morning for this time of year, the crew made a very enjoyable tour in the water. They played music, told jokes, offered refreshments and shared local history. It was a mild to occasionally moderate rough sea day but the captain very skillfully maneuvered the waves for the smoothest ride possible. We had 3 whale sightings, a double rainbow and a pod of dolphins. A lovely start to Valentine's Day for us! read more

Hilo Ocean Adventures - Double rainbow over Hilo Town - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We had an awesome experience with Devin on a whale watching tour in Hilo. I was surprised to find that whales were on this side of the island as well since everyone talks about Kona. The waters were very rough, probably 8-10ft swells but we said heck yeah we will go. So we were the only ones on the boat and we saw several whales and a couple breaches. We also surfed the waves on the boat. It was a great trip! Saw a sweet sea turtle by where the boat was docked. read more

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AWESOME!! Such a great experience! Saw a mother and baby humpback - the baby breached at least 5 times and kept slapping its tail around! Capt Kiliko and Morgan are the BEST!! The water was choppy going out but they did a terrific job driving and kept checking in on us. I would HIGHLY recommend them! read more

Unbelievable experience morning fishing with these guys. Professional, kind, easygoing. Couldn't recommend them more. Went out for a couple hours and came back with a haul, some good laughs, great story's and memories! Will definitely be back! read more

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My boyfriend and I got to have a private dive sesh w Gaby and he was GREAT!!! So sweet and calm, my boyfriend was a little nervous at first and later had to use the Octo but gaby was awesome and helped him. Great service, super nice, totally lit experience. read more

I went on the black sand beach snorkel adventure. It was amazing! Our guide, Chad, made the whole trip so fun and safe. I'm 68 and needed my hand held a bit. He was just perfect. The other snorklers were very experienced, and they had a great time, too. I can't recommend Hilo ocean adventures and all the staff there highly enough. And Hilo's black sand beaches are not to be missed. read more

Hilo Ocean Adventures - The beach where we snorkeled. - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

As an old fart that lives here and spent the bulk of his life on the oceans around the world, I have had the opportunity to experience good and horrible tour operators. Hilo Ocean Adventures is 1st class from top to bottom. I had an 87-year-old woman from San Francisco visiting me, accompanied by her 65-year-old daughter. There was another couple on the vessel with us from Florida as well. It was an awesome trip. We all chatted, laughed, and made fun of each other. Between the occasional sprinkles and the ocean spray, I FINALLY started getting a tan! Until yesterday, my legs looked like white pipe cleaners that belonged on Phyllis Diller! Our Skipper for the day was Nanook of the North, and the mate was a beautiful, friendly woman named Emily! In short, it was a perfect adventure with a perfect crew on a beautiful island. Who could ask for more?! read more

We had a very nice and competent captain. Comfortable boat. Exactly what we were looking for!

Do not do business with this company. You'll waste your money. The day of our kayak tour it was raining pretty hard. The weather forecast showed 34% so we thought we may get a little rain. It was more than a little rain all morning, it was a down pour. Our first excursion canceled due to the rain, which is the responsible thing to do. Not one person was out in the water. I called a few hours ahead to see if I could cancel and they said no. I asked if I could get at least half of my money back and the answer was no, they are operating rain or shine. We were a group of 7 and not strong swimmers. Any place willing to put people at risk is not worth giving your money to. Kona kayak is way less expensive, actually half the price and was more accommodating. read more

Whale watching was so much fun. We saw a mother and calf whale as well as a few pods of whales. So magnificent!!! The crew were fun and knowledgeable. I highly recommend going!! read more

I had to do a refresh course. I was lucky enough to have Chad Booth as my Dive Master. Can't say enough. He was thorough, knowledgeable, made me feel welcome & safe. Absolutely the best dude when you don't have a partner & are traveling. Highly recommend. The rest of the staff were helpful & very kind. read more

Nice staff. Very knowledgeable. Good instructors. We got a swim package and it was worth it.

We had the best experience diving with Shayna as our divemaster. she was warm and friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. Since it had been over 5 years since we'd dived so she helped us brush up our skills in their pool before we shore dived. She made the whole process smooth and fun. The dive site was full of life. The gear was good quality. They provided a ride to the dive site and back and even provided us with a snack bag. We're pretty green but felt completely safe and supported the entire time. If you're looking to dive in Hilo, don't miss this place, and definitely ask for Shayna. She made it next-level amazing. read more

My sister was visiting from Arizona and we wanted something different to do while she was in Hilo. From entering the the retail end to our trip we were very happy with the service. We had no problem booking a boat tour. They were willing to take just the three of us out sightseeing. Joss and Devin were wonderful and made the trip entertaining and fun. I highly recommend Hilo Ocean Adventures. read more

Always an interactive and informative experience for all my scuba diving experiences. Natalia provides an always friendly and concerned attitude to ensure I receive top notch service. read more

I had an Amazing time on my two tank dive at Turtle Bay. It was an interesting beach dive entering and exiting via lava boulders and crashing waves. Not for The faint at heart. There were a couple old timers from the cruise ships that had a lot of difficulty exiting and opted out of the second dive. Interesting rock formations, coral and all manner of marine organisms. Saw a few green Hawaiin turtles chillin at a cleaning station, an octopus, squid and white tip reef shark. I was happy with the professionalism and knowledge of the dive masters as well as their assistance. Would definitely use again. Mahalo :) read more

Hilo Ocean Adventures - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I had a first time paddle boarding lesson with Isaiah and it was so fun! Isaiah was patient and encouraging with me, being an older woman trying for the first time. I would highly recommend this for anyone who thinks they can't or is unsure if they are able to do any water sport. It was so relaxing and enjoyable! Highly recommend! Everyone at HOA was so nice and I thought the pricing was reasonable too. read more

Aukai (our guide) was amazing! Took us back to the shop cause my dad was unable to handle the trip. FYI I thought it was a boating trip and he could just get into the water and float at 73 yrs old. The other guests were very understanding and I was able to meet back up with them. Seen like 6 turtles, had an amazing day and Aukai kept us out longer to accommodate for lost time taking care of my dad. The girls at the shop were so nice getting everyone ready with their equipment and my underwater phone case they recommended worked out great!! Highly recommend! Good people and good times. Thank you ocean and Aukai for making it a wonderful day. Highly recommend their ocean friendly sunscreen cause my back is still peeling from the sunburn, but well worth it. 10 star review read more

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Deven and Aukai are superb! We absolutely loved our experience with them and Hilo Adventures

Great location! Awesome swim instructors! Matt, McKenna, and Mason are all amazing with the little ones. They all have patience for the little ones. read more

Gabe and Devon took us out for an amazing dive. We saw manta rays and a very friendly green sea turtle. Gabe took us out for two awesome dives and Devon was a great captain. read more

Dylan was the best guide we could've asked for. He was professional, knowledgeable but at the same time laid back and accommodating. First time ever trying SUP for the hubby and I. We're both grateful to have been taught by one of the Big Island's finest. Mahalo Dylan and Hilo Ocean Adventures! read more

Hilo Ocean Adventures - SUP aka sitting up paddle boarding :) - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Amazing Lessons for Kids! My son is 6, we have tried swim lessons before and he hasn't really enjoyed them. That all changed when we started lessons at Hilo Ocean Adventure with Catalina! She is incredible! She is patient and kind and really cares about the kids. I can't recommend her enough! read more

We've been here for a while now for the private swim lessons and I really recommend it. It is dependent on the instructor you have - Jake, McKenna, Courtney are all really really good. It's hard to keep a young kid happy and safe in the water while teaching them and they all do an amazing job (waaaaay better that I could) teaching them the right skills to swim. Mahalo and undoubtedly, we'll go again! read more

Spectacular day on a super fun charter boat trip up the Hamakua coast. We were able to see parts of the island never seen by most tourists or locals. Beautiful waterfalls, swimming in crystal clear water, dolphins close enough to touch, turtles, and a super nice crew. So amazing to see the beautiful coastline from the water. More than we ever expected. I wanted to send out a very special thanks to Captain Devin and Josh the first mate who made the whole experience fun, easy and a pleasure to spend the morning with. We highly recommend these guys! read more

Hilo Ocean Adventures - plenty of waterfall viewing from the Hamakua coast! - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The staff are so friendly and helpful! The shop has everything you need to have fun on the water! Great prices on snorkel gear!

My wife and I booked a boat dive for me and a boat snorkeling experience for my wife. Two days before our dive, Hilo Ocean Adventures reported that their boat had been damaged. We still wanted to go so they were able to accommodate us by rebooking our dive and snorkeling from the shore. My dive master, Avi Elpern, was knowledgeable and engaging in a manner that put you at ease. Because my last dives in Hawaii were 46 years ago, I took a refresher course with Avi. The refresher course was fun and not at all intimidating due to Avi's expertise and approach to diving. The dive was fun and I quickly felt at home swimming through coral heads and fish. We highly recommend Hilo Oceans Adventures and Avi Elpern for you Hawaiian dives read more

Hilo Ocean Adventures - Diving off LeLeiwi Beach 2022.0912 with Hilo Ocean Adventures. - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

It was an exciting trip. The waves were very intense. At times was fun, and frightening. But, Captain Matt was excellent at driving the boat and keeping us safe. Sadly did not see a whale or get to go see the waterfall. read more

The good: The dive itself was pretty good. Absolutely beautiful reef, and I do appreciate they took me out being that there were no other divers that day. The bad: As a scuba shop, if you're going to be extremely strict on safety, etc. that's totally respectable. But then the pre-dive communication needs to improved. A lot. - 3-4 months ago: I booked a boat dive with Hilo Ocean Adventures. - 2 weeks before the dive, they called me and said a private charter had been booked, so their boat was no longer available (not sure that was true). I could still do a shore dive with them. Fine. - 1-2 weeks prior to dive: Email reminders sent to me. I reviewed these emails later (post dive) and it is NOT clear enough that there is a waiver AND a medical form, and it is NOT made clear how important the medical form is. - One day prior to the dive I was texted with: Please sign waiver and medical form. - Day of dive: I arrive at the shop, and the guide says, "If you take any prescription medication whatsoever, you cannot go diving, unless you have a signed note from your doctor." This would have been great to know 1-2-3-4 weeks before my dive. This should be made much more clear in your email / text communications, not 30 minutes before I go diving. At the very least, they should have a process where, if a week before the dive, they don't have the info they need, CALL me. The guide also proceeded to tell us that under no circumstances could we go to the volcano or drive to Kona post-dive that day, due to elevation changes. Again, would have been nice to know weeks/months ago when we were planning our Hawaii trip. As a dive shop on Big Island, I think they need to understand their customers (tourists) better. I imagine most people going to Hawaii are there for 3-6 days. And they have specific plans on most days, so flexibility is not a luxury we have. Lastly, it was a little disappointing that we went to the exact same spot for both dives. read more

Forrest was a great instructor, he walked through every detail of the scuba process thoroughly and everyone that participated on the dive had a smooth, fun experience. Doesn't get any better. read more

Had a wonderful time whale watching with Captain Devon and Isaiah! Would definitely recommend!

We selected snorkeling. A nice small group of 7. Adam, our guide did a fantastic job of assisting all age groups (23, 26, 50, 52, 55, 68 and a 78 yr old). He was very patient and his reassuring and calm personality made us feel confident. The office was very prompt in answering my questions and provided a great assortment of snacks and beverages. Their equipment worked well too. I highly recommend them! read more

Wasn't real impressed with this organization for diving. The company was disorganized and our second dive in a two tank trip, ended after 24 minutes due to impending darkness. A lot of money and not much value. A little better organization would have solved this, and the crew seemed more interested in checking the box vs. customer service. Would recommend diving on the Kona side. read more

Great experience. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. This place has a lot of experienced individuals on their staff. They truly have a passion for the sport and it shows. I did a refresher class with them since it had been a couple of years since I had gone diving, but they made it happen with an online link to refresher training, an exam to determine retention of information and a skills test done in their pool. YES, they have a pool inside their shop. Makes things super convenient. The instructor was willing to work on any additional skills I wanted to do once he completed his portion. I thought that was cool. I appreciate the staff and their flexibility and level of customer service. read more

My great granddaughter enjoys her swimming lessons with Ms Courtney & has developed more confidence in swimming.

I called Hilo Ocean Adventures about scheduling a whale watching trip over the holiday weekend. The very helpful woman I spoke with indicated that they were having a Black Friday sale and I should call back then. I did and was able to get a bit of a discount. The trip was fantastic, we saw breaching whales, snow on the mountain top and incredible rainbows. The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you Hilo Ocean Adventures! read more

I wish I knew this BEFORE I got taken in and ended up booking with this company but mantas aren't on the Hilo side of the island, they are on the Kona side, which was sold out. Despite the description on this site, the story line they pitched when we actually showed up (with only 3 other people to be taken out on a small dinghy because their larger boat was "broken" - a woman even refused to go out when she saw the boat) was that we should remember this was a manta "discovery" tour and the group wouldn't necessarily see any mantas they were going to go out to try and see if they could "discover" any. This was supposed to be funny at $150? We were asked to show up at 5, fitted for a wet suit and left sit boiling on the dock for 90 mins, then taken out on a rickety fishing boat, told to hold on to a small surfboard/raft with a light on it to look at literally nothing in the water for an hour. Maybe a few fish. There was never going to be any mantas, which is disappointing. Do yourself a favor and stick to the Kona side for this. Seems from other reviews that there are experiences this company offers that are great - like snorkeling, seeing dolphins or seeing the shoreline. But they should sell what they've actually got to offer and be honest about what that is. In this instance, they didn't do that. Beware of the manta "discovery" tour. You won't discover anything but an empty wallet and empty water. read more