Another fun outing while staying at Turtle Bay. Would highly recommend it. They took us from the…read morehotel to the surfing spot nearby on a golf cart. The instructor was awesome, very friendly and helpful, and definitely had the island spirit. His dog was super cool too. Note that the water can be a little choppy and you should be ready just in case.

Just got back from HI. We booked 2 tours with Shaka Kayaks at Turtle Bay Resort. Both tours were…read moreabsolutely wonderful. The first tour was kayaking with sea turtles and it was the absolute best. The guides knew just where to take us to get up close an personal with the turtles. My wife loves sea turtles so much, she was so excited to be just feet away from them in real life. The guides were super helpful and friendly and went the extra mile to ensure everyone on the tour got to have see the turtles. Told us lots of interesting facts about the local flora and fauna and the history of the area. We would absolutely do this tour again. The second tour we took was a birdwatching tour and it was AMAZING! Our guide was so knowledgeable and we saw so many different species of birds. The whole tour was conducted from a golf cart so my 80 year old grandmother could go with us! She was so thrilled to get up a close view of Albatross in their nest with hatchlings! It was fantastic. I highly recommend booking a tour with Shaka Kayaks if you have the opportunity. You absolutely won't be disappointed.

The.tour guide/owner Uncle Haiku is awesome. The best way to describe him is an Hawiian Bear…read moreGerylls. He knows all the natural and cultural history of Hawaii. He takes you on hike that will blow your mind. You go places few people see and expirence. There are alot hidden treasures along the hike too. I guarantee you will have a whole you appreciation for the Hawiian Islands after this hike.

If you want something you'll remember for the rest of your life, this off-road, private back trail…read morethrough Waimea Valley is the hike to take and this is the man who will take you on that journey. The Hike - I'm not an experienced hiker by any means but most of the trail is shaded and cool. Kindly note, depending on the weather, you may pass through some muddy spots, so don't wear new sneakers or anything. There were also a few sunnier spots, but that was once you were closer to the top of the ridge. Also, the entire hike moves pretty fast because Hoku will lead you through safely (pointing out all the low branches, rocks, etc.) and he gives you so much interesting facts along the hike, that you don't even notice how time flies. You pass through several historical sites, ancient burial grounds, and he even feeds you some special snacks using the natural resources you hike through. There are a few narrow pathways so I wouldn't recommend younger children. Also keep in mind that none of this trail is available to the general public and is essentially the kind of hike that will reward you both physically and spiritually. The Hoku - Hawaii, and the North Shore and Waimea Valley, in particular, are beautiful locales. The views alone that you will experience on this hike are breath-taking and one of a kind. But Hoku is also extremely knowledgeable having grown up in Hawaii. He possesses an infinite amount of unique information passed down from his family and many years of absorbing all types of learning like a sponge. He will inform you and guide you through the hike and more importantly, you'll leave with a sense of accomplishment and an enlightened soul as a result of your dynamic experience.

We placed a reservation off season. It was just me and my five year old. They still happily offered…read morethe tour for just us. Our guide, Toa was great with my kid, which was appreciated because I did the tour primarily for him. Cool history offered and shading he tailored the talks for fit my kid. Was great. Highly recommend.

What an amazing experience!…read more We booked for the 9:30 glow paddle and got a call around 5pm asking if we would switch to the 7:30. No big deal, we were happy to switch. We are a family of three, and I guess that's the cut off from other reviews. We showed up to the meeting spot at the time we were told and were met by our guide. Come to find out, the other people booked for the tour had cancelled, so it was just us! We got on our boards and got going. We learned so much! And being it was only our little family, we got to ask so many questions and go at our pace. We paddled around and got to go under water falls. Our guide was so kind and so knowledgeable. After we were done we were super hungry and headed to L&L for some plates. I wish we would have gotten to the PCC just a little earlier so we could have enjoyed the food trucks or other dinner options on site. We will definitely recommend to anyone who comes to visit us!

We rent from these guys all the time. Always friendly and helpful. So relaxing to paddle op the…read moreriver and see the scenery and turtles.

Staff is amazing, parking is not too bad depending on the day, facilities have been upgraded and…read morecleaned up a lot. They have paddle boards Kayaking Life jackets Shower Change room and Clean bathrooms Additionally a nice seating area on the dock. The river is fun have seen at least one turtle each time we have gone which is about 10 times. The river has a rope swing (kind of) attached to a very strong tree which is fun to jump off. This is our go too when family comes in or a random weekend family day. We did go today June 30. The staff keeps getting better and better and works very well with the customers. Hope you enjoy

Highlight of our trip! Hugo was so informative, super friendly and helpful booking us in without…read moreany reservation. We did a private lesson and it was worth every penny; we wanted to sign up again the next day. Samson, our instructor was so chill and an amazing teacher, as we both got up and rode several waves during our session. We even saw turtles swimming around us and catching their own waves - such an awesome experience all around. So. Much. Fun!! Will be back again!

Haven our instructor did great! We have never surfed before and we all got up…read more Very beginner friendly location

Great experience! Our guides were both friendly and knowledgeable. Seeing the sharks up close like…read morethat was amazing and was everyone's favorite part of our trip!

I started out saying I was just going to go on the boat for a ride, but my friend booked me the…read morefull experience. I'm so glad she did. It's a little intimidating at first - as you hook onto the cage and it's the open ocean...and there are waves..I crawled into the cage and was just going to hang out and not put my head under - because you know, waves and sharks and all the fears. I'm so glad I did - it was epic and something I will remember the rest of my life! Highly recommend it. If you get sea sick though, be sure to get Dramamine in before getting on the boat.

I felt super uncomfortable during my tour. We were taken up this river and he started moaning and…read morecomplaining about all the 'copy cats' who do similar kayaking tours who have now superceded him in business. I feel sorry for him for having competition but to outrightly complaint in front of a paying client is unacceptable and unprofessional. He also started talking about politics which made us extra uncomfortable. But what could we do, we were literally trapped in a kayak in an unknown part of Hawaii and depended on him to get us back. We were obviously uncomfortable but he didn't relent. It was the worst hour and a half I have ever paid for.

We booked with David and it was a great decision. From the start, he was professional, friendly,…read morekind, and knowledgeable. He is knowledgeable and taught us a lot about Hawaiian history and the island. We were strangers, but David made us feel like we were friends that knew each other for a long time. The tour was great and we saw a lot of turtles. He showed us different trees and gave us some history on them. We live on the island but have family that visit and we will use David as a guide again. I highly recommend him. Oh, his wife is also very sweet and friendly.

I'M SOARING! A long overdue review…read more.. 5.0+ One morning, as we sat in our Waikiki hotel room, I overheard my husband talking on the phone. Most of the conversation was garbled, but I distinctly heard the words "airport" and "reservations." Knowing my daredevil husband all too well, and remembering that he has skydived in the past, I immediately had to put a stop to whatever crazy adventure he was planning. "I AM NOT JUMPING OUT OF A PLANE TODAY!" I exclaimed. Then, for emphasis, I added, as simply and clearly as possible: "NOT today." He assured me that we were not skydiving. But as we drove farther from Waikiki, heading north, and began seeing signs for the airport, I knew something was up. I took a deep breath and walked into the office of Paradise Air Hawaii, where we met Tom and Denise. They were both so warm, friendly and welcoming. They talked about their many years of experience and the thousands of flights they have conducted in powered hang gliders, also known as trikes; an open-air aircraft that offer an entirely different kind of flying experience. Tom has quite the resume. He is an FAA-certified flight instructor and has more than 6,000 hours of experience flying this type of aircraft. He is also an accomplished skydiver, hang-glider pilot, BASE jumper, aerial photographer and Hollywood stunt professional. Tom was inducted into the International Skydiving Hall of Fame in 2019 and has even skydived with former President George H. W. Bush. Needless to say, we felt that we were in very capable hands. After a safety briefing and getting geared up, we were ready to go. Tony flew with Tom, while I flew with Denise. Just as with an airplane, we picked up speed along the runway. As we lifted off, I could feel the excitement building. And then suddenly, we were airborne. The sights we saw as we flew over Oʻahu's North Shore are something that have stayed with me ever since, although they are difficult to put into words. It was the feeling of the air all around me, the sounds and the complete openness of the experience that made it unlike anything I had ever done before. I was soaring. It was AMAZING! We flew over beaches, mountain ranges and fields. At one point, we even saw a 360-degree rainbow, a once-in-a-lifetime sight that I will never forget. There was also a point during the flight when Denise gave me control of the aircraft for a minute or so. Yes, I can officially say that I flew a powered hang glider! Because we were in the air a bit longer than usual, I even accumulated an hour of flight instruction time. I never expected that to happen when I woke up that morning! The landing was just as smooth as the takeoff. But once we were back on the ground, I already missed being up in the sky and feeling that incredible sense of freedom. Sometimes, it's the things we are unsure of, the things that make our hearts pound and send our adrenaline rushing, that make us feel most alive. And sometimes, you just have to trust your daredevil husband.

I've been walking through a pretty unbelievable difficult journey. However, through this painful…read morejourney I've decided to keep living and am focused on checking off my bucket list! Life is a journey. How you choose to live yours is up to you. Do some activities carry risks? Yes. However, in my opinion you risk your life every day if/when you get inside a vehicle and travel anywhere. That's why it's so important to stay close to the Lord! Where ever you are on the island will be a beautiful drive to Durham airfield. There is plenty of room for parking, but still get there early enough you can be relaxed. When you book your reservation, Heidi is pretty thorough on when you need to arrive and what to expect when you get there. I love heights. Always have. As far back as I can remember, I dreamed of being a pilot and also jumping out of a plane. I just didn't realize it would take a dark journey for me to make at least one of these dreams a reality. In 2018 , I discovered North Shore Oahu was one of the top 10 places to skydive in the world. Score ~ booked and jumped! Then in 2021 I discovered hang gliding was also available just a hop skip and a jump down from Skydiving Hawaii on Durham Airfield. It wasn't much of a conversation with myself that morning when I decided to book both hang gliding and my 2nd skydiving jump over the North Shore in the same day. I know, right?! It was epic! Tom and Heidi were amazing. Not only did I enjoy my conversation with each of them, but I enjoyed my 45+ minute flight with Tom. Spectacular views of the island I love. Tom explained how the glider worked. He also allowed me the experience of holding the wings as we flew. Flying free feels like sitting on the back of a motorcycle which I also enjoy doing and still do. The pictures show the beauty below, but they don't share the exhilaration of sitting in the seat flying high! The saddest part was coming back down to reality. Thanks Tom for an amazing memory and one I would and will repeat in a heartbeat!! All rules, and chances of mishaps are reviewed with each and every applicant. This sort of activity is not for everyone, however, each applicant signs a paper indicating their understanding of the risk. It's always incredibly sad to hear when accidents happen. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one who is choosing to experience an activity such as hang gliding. Accidents happen. In the short amount of time I spent with Tom and Heidi never once did I feel they would purposely jeopardize anyone's life while they share their love of hang gliding.