Great crew, great experience! The fruit, hot cocoa and cookies were a particularly nice touch. I'd definitely recommend Kamanu to family and friends. My only recommendation is to have the dry/semi-dry snorkels that prevent water seeping in the tube when submerged. read more

To those who are thinking about the Kamanu Sunset Cruise. They have a 48hr cancellation clause and a 4% fee to cancel....reasonable.I called and left a 3 voice messages, 3 Text messages, and even 3 Emails 72 hrs before knowing we couldn't make the cruise. Absolutely no response or acknowledgement from this business.Ended up calling Chase to refute charges of $265. Obviously, not a way to run a business. Bottom line..if there's even a possibility you may need to cancel..good luck. read more

This place deserves a 2 star because we had to cancel due to sudden illness just 15 minutes before sailing. I was onsite and ready to sail so I asked for a can of POG and some ginger ale to go. The staff did not seem to be generous as I got my own SINGLE can of POG. I paid over $200 for 2 people to snorkel and sail. No other refreshments were offered to me. And then I waited another 30 minutes for a very small cup of Ginger Ale. I never expected a refund or any portion to be refunded as is the cancellation policy, but I think it would have been nice if they were more concerned with my friend's illness and offered the refreshments to me that they would have served if I had sailed. Needless to say, when I return to the Big Island, I will choose a different company for the Manta Ray snorkel. read more

Party of six went out on the sunset tour on Tuesday. Everyone enjoyed it and the crew was great. Would highly recommend for a fun two hours on the water. The food and drink are average but but plentiful . read more

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We had a great time with Bill and Danny on the sunset cruise. This was our first time doing this excursion. The weather, sailing, and snacks/beverages all exceeded expectations. Thanks for making our last evening on the island a memorable one! read more

Kamanu charters - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Loved this sunset sail. Just a fun evening, chilling on the boat and enjoying the beauty around me. Capt. Jay was the best. I will come back here! read more

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We booked a private sunset sail for our family and friends as part of our wedding events and it was great! There is a 24 person limit but it was the perfect amount for all of us and it was easy to book in advance. My family and friends loved it! We had Captain Jay and I believe Daniel? and they were both awesome. They did a great job of making us all feel comfortable and allowing us to have fun on the boat. It was an amazing day out on the water and they provided delicious food and drinks and music, and it was such a great way to close out the day. Thank you to our Captain and the Kamanu team for making this such a great event for us! read more

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Safety issues with the catamaran! We booked the Manta ray snorkel tour. The surface of the boat is very slippery and 3 people in total from all parties fell on the boat. I fell and had to go to the ER, get stitches since I got a huge cut. The captain was not helpful, didn't seemed to care and had an apathetic attitude. Apparently they know about the slippery surfaces but haven't done anything about it (a simple placement of a towel would had saved 3 slips). For the Manta Ray tour itself, there were other boats around us with much brighter lights and the mantas would get attracted towards them and not us The crew members on the other hand were nice and trying their best to be helpful! read more

I highly recommend Kamanu Charters. We were lucky to find this company. The boat was clean and in good order, the snorkeling was great and the lunch was very tasty. I never felt rushed and we were well taken care of from our master diver to our 81 year old grandmother. Fun was had by all, I hope to be back soon and I would love to do it all again read more

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First Time on a sailing sunset cruise. With only 11 of the 24 passengers allowed on this excursion you really have a personalized trip. With Captain John & Patrick & Brad we really had the best service. The pupus and music were great. A must do if you are on Kona! read more

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We booked a snorkel trip with this rig while on a cruise with pride of america. We were told that it was the manta/turtle/whale/dolphin snorkel, so that appealed to us, and we took the bait. Unfortunately that was not what we did end up experiencing. The crew met us at the pier after the mini boat shuttles dropped us off, and we took off to the boat in two vans. We were told that this trip would be particularly special because they would have not one, not two, not three, but four captains riding to get the feel of the vessel. I was taken aback at one of the captains riding shotgun to the main captain who was driving the van, talking about texting the lady captain and how to best talk to her to not tick her off. I thought it was super unprofessional to talk about the crew like that in front of the customers, and although she did seem temperamental, that was probably a conversation best left to private. At the snorkel boat we were given the short tour, given a hurried safety demo, and made our way out. The weather was terrible, super cold for hawaii, rainy, overcast, and windy which made the trip not very fun. We didn't see any of the rays, whales or dolphins on this trip, and I was so cold that I ended up sitting in the main cabin and huddled in a towel. Hubby however enjoyed himself, getting to talk nautical stuff with the crew's many captains and dazzle them with his insight about the ocean's many wonders. We both managed to use the on-board toilet which was an adventure all in itself, and did take advantage of the unlimited free beers while out to sea which was the one limited benefit of this overpriced tour. Once back to the pier we had a line that wrapped down the block in the pouring rain to get back on the cruise tender. Definitely not my favorite snorkel trip, and would not re-book again if I had the chance in the future. read more

My son and mines first vacation together so we had to go snorkeling with the mantas. Kamanu's staff was very easy going, polite, and very knowledgeable. The catamaran ride to our snorkeling site was fun wet ride being my son insisted on sitting at the front of the catamaran on the net. Still a fun experience. Also the sunset was one of the most beautiful. Although the actual snorkeling for mantas proved humans don't control Anything in the sea... nor do mantas showing up to amuse us on command. We only seen one or two from a distance just being out there was a great experience. I should note that the captain and office offered all on the trip a free second opportunity go out a different night. Great customer service. I would highly recommend this companies Chartres. read more

Kamanu charters - Sunset. - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Scheduling with them is very difficult, as they canceled our trip and tried to push us to a trip we didn't want. In the end we went on a manta trip without mantas. They are quick to comment "these are wild animals and don't always show up". Of course that is true, but I'm not convinced their methods are optimized for success and they offer no return option like several others do. Go with another boat that offers a return policy and has a better track record for actually seeing mantas. read more

Highly recommend this company/tour! We experienced the team as very hospitable, extremely safe and they take great care of you from beginning to end. While other choices exist, this one by far appeared to have the best vessel, highest safety protocols, and they limit the amount of folks onboard as compared to other charters. This is great if you prefer a smaller, more personalized experience. Captain Brad and Danny were a super knowledgeable team, very funny and friendly. We've been all over the world and this one ranks amongst one of our best tours. You won't be disappointed! read more

Do not book this company for the night manta ray snorkel. I was more than disappointed with this company and the charter. We signed up for the manta night snorkel and the lights on our float were dim so we did not have mantas coming up to us. The groups around us had stronger lights and had the full experience. Our guide on the boat seemed to not care at all and was on the rude side. Also, I was quoted a price over the phone by the owner, but then charged more than what he quoted me. I have reached out to them, but they have not replied. read more

James and Bradley were great! They were both very knowledgeable and friendly. They made sure each passenger was comfortable and taken care of. The sail was great! We saw dolphins during the sail and we were able to use Bradley's sea scooter during our snorkel! Highly recommend this sail and snorkel excursion! read more

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So much fun! Great crew Bronson Tyler and Brad ! They were all great. We got to see manta ray and beautiful fish of Hawaii. The crew were very welcoming and adapted to our needs. Can't recommend enough. read more

If you have ever wanted to fully experience the ocean with people who really love what they do in a low key environment, then you need to book Kamanu.. We did two trips.. the Manta night swim which was a mind blowing experience, one I shall never forget and will come back again to do another trip; and today we swam with wild dolphins with Cindy and James. These guys just took it to the limit customizing the trip so that everyone was happy. James actually did a free dive to save a bottle nosed dolphin who had nets caught around its mouth area. He was our hero. You have an overwhelming sense of great energy and harmony with the ocean. I can not recommend these guys enough. Wish I could do it all again. Just amazing. Do not procrastinate. Do it. read more

Kamanu charters - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Super disappointed in the sunset cruise. The crew had trouble with the main sail. We never "sailed" only puttered around the harbor. Had to ask the crew to serve the food. Didn't have a working lavatory on board. Never reviewed safety or told anyone where the life preserves were located. It's one thing to be island relaxed and another to have poor service..... high price to pay for a sputtering around a harbor for with a few drinks and snacks.... read more

Company cancelled the morning of because they said they didn't have enough passengers. Very disappointing.

We had a terrific snorkel tour today with the friendly crew of Kamanu. They have a great location to moor at in the bay and we saw a huge amount of sealife including a few dolphin pods on the way out and back in, turtles, plus just about every reef fish one can hope to see in the area. The protected bay where we snorkeled had great visibility and an abundant quantity and variety of fish. Everyone in our group was happy and had fun and we were all made comfortable regardless of experience level. Earlier in the week we went on one of the larger tours with another boat but everyone agreed that the smaller boat experience with Kamanu was better and more fun. And, unlike all the other tours, with Kamanu you get the bonus of sailing back to the harbor if Mother Nature cooperates. Snorkeling and sailing in one trip was fantastic. The kids enjoyed riding in the bow of the catamaran on the way back. We hope to be back soon! read more

Kamanu charters - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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My husband and brother and sister-in-law loved this trip! We got to swim with dolphins and snorkel-amazing! Captain Cindy was knowledgeable and has a wicked funny sense of humor-my kind of woman. Mika and Trevor were also funny and helpful. I was a little hesitant to do this because I'm not fond of snorkeling but my daughter and her fiancé went on the manta rays swim tour and she raves about it. It was longer than I expected and they proved some sandwiches and snacks which was a nice surprise! I highly recommend this tour-the dolphins came right up to my brother and the fish we saw snorkeling made me feel like I was in a Finding Nemo movie! read more

Kamanu charters - Our talented captain Cindy! - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Beautiful trip. Bronson, Tyler, and Captain Brad were the chillest of dudes and helped us feel safe and taken care of the whole time. The mantra rays were beautiful and graceful. The knowledge and stories of the crew was apparent and made the trip so much better read more

My friend and I booked a whale watching tour for our last day on the big island. 15 minutes before our arrival for our reservation they called and said we were the only people that booked and they didn't want to "lose money" by taking out just the two of us. If they had let us know sooner we might've had the opportunity to book one somewhere else but the other boats were either full or finished with tours for the day by the time we were notified. The woman who called us was not very apologetic and didn't make any effort to help us find an alternative option. Definitely a disappointing experience (or rather, lack thereof). Giving one star for easy online booking and another for getting a refund. read more

My family took a snorkeling trip for the very first time. We had two non-swimmers in our group. Captain Paul, john and Janine made us feel very comfortable. Paul went the extra mile of getting into the water with us to make us feel safe. He guided us to areas where there was plenty of marine life to enjoy. Lunch was good and the cold beers certainly capped a fun trip. With the experience we had with Kamanu charters, the desire to take a second trip with them is high. We enjoyed their hospitality on the outing. read more

This company and these people just get it. Everything was incredible start to finish. My biggest takeaway was just how thoughtful our three guides were. Landon, Nick, and Trevor truly went above and beyond. Not only were they professional, polite, and took safety seriously, they were very fun to be around. Very outgoing and extremely good at their job. I watched as they managed a large group with different levels of swimmers very well. Helping those who needed help (either getting into the water, out of the water, fixing fogged googles etc.) Truly thoughtful people. Oh and of course I have to mention the Mantas. INCREDIBLE. One of the coolest excursions I have ever done. Well, well worth the price. A+++ must do. Thanks Kamanu! read more

We came as a group of 6. We did the 3 hour Manta Ray snorkel. Loved every minute. The crew were friendly, knowledgeable and fun! The ride out ends with an amazing sunset. The experience was exactly as advertised ! Thrilling! I felt safe out there in the ocean after dark. The M anta Rays were so beautiful and there were so many! Beautiful ride back after dark. Refreshments and snacks were served. I highly recommend Kamanu read more

We've made two snorkle tours with this company to see the manta's. First time there were no manta's on the north spot near the airport so we got a free gift certificate. Valid for a life time. No, not exactly. If you want the gift certificate you'll have to phone in yourself the next morning. This service can be made easier. Just email them. You know who is entitled to one. We were lucky to have enough time to take a second trip. And glad we did. The best experience ever. We spotted a lot of manta's on our trip south near the Sheraton. And seeing the manta's is not something the company has much influence on. If you're on the right spot all the clients from all the companies see them, or not. Choosing a company has to do with vacancy, price and preferred service / quality. Kamanu offers a basis service on a catamaran. Both bumpy rides. And we've noticed that the crew really matters. First night it was a young crew with a very sarcastic wrangler Chris who definitly wanted to be somewhere else. Not a good advertisement for the company. And a captain who let people drink alcohol before entering the water. Second time around we sailed out with captain Paul. Definitly older and a better example for his crew. None of them were texting or complaining. Even Chris warmed up. And no alchohol until we were on the way back. read more

Tanya was a pleasure and absolutely great to be around and work with .... Captain John was a huge wealth of knowledge and made the trip excitable .... I would definitely recommend these guys to anyone planning a trip on the water read more

This company ripped us off. We asked before if this was handicapped accessible and was told people in wheel chairs and paraplegics were able to get on. So we booked it for my moms birthday. What a joke. Look at the platform. No railings. and then the walk way was slanted at 30* angle around to a net. My mom has MS and can't move her right leg. We were told we would get a refund but had to come back the next day. The next day they refused. JUSTINE was very rude to all of us. This is disgusting. The first mate even mentioned a lot of people refuse to get on because they physically can't. So this company is taking peoples money. We were also told she get commotions so she won't give shit. Do not book with this company. The boat is a POS that needs updating. And they don't care if you physically can't get on read more

Had the best time! The team was knowledgeable and entertaining. In the sail out of the harbor we had the best sunset and even saw a few dolphins. Nick and Trevor did awesome getting us up close! IWe saw so many Manta Ray. read more

Kamanu charters - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Seeing the dolphins was cool, but dealing with smart remarks from the captain about my mother getting sick on the boat really put a sour taste in my families mouth. The only reason they are getting three stars is because of the sweet girls on the boat who were funny and very caring of my mother. Micah and the other girl on the boat(blanking on name) were absolutely lovely though. read more

Coming from someone who thought she was deathly afraid of the ocean at night, BOOK THE MANTA TOUR! It was a completely different experience than I had imagined. Didn't even notice the sunset or anyone else because once you're in the water, it's magical. Crew was awesome, boat was clean, and the water was perfect. We didn't see too many mantas the night we went, but when we did see them they were spectacular. Definitely a good snorkel for someone who appreciates all of the ocean's life. Born and raised in Hawaii, and I saw so many things I've never experienced before. Thanks Kamanu! read more

We were running late for our tour and were very nervous but we called and they completely reassured us and made us feel calm and good! The whole trip was very relaxing and we saw soooo many dolphins it was absolutely AMAZING. They then took us to a reef so we could swim with fish. They cut fresh fruit and handed out sandwiches and snacks along the way to keep us happy and fed. They also had a different drinks for us. After, our taxi was running very late and so Cindy offered to take us with her into town. She was incredibly hospitable and showed us all the good places to eat and shop. We are so appreciative of her and it was such a great experience. Thank you!!!! - Teagan, Maayan, Sarah, Natalie, Caroline, Dani read more

Started out with some sarcasm from Chris but after that he warmed up to our party...it was his last day working on the-catamaran .....Captain Chandler was awesome! He had great local history stories and gave a great explanation of the mantas and their habits ... but the crew should have explained to the the snorkeles to wait until sun set before getting into the water... everyone got cold faster and wanted to leave... or was that a ploy? We where the first boat to leave...after only seeing 3 mantas so great bang for your buck???? Not! The tourism business is 8.4 billion dollars the fist six months so why not take advantage of the foreigners! Which they do! But I'm not foreigner so I observed all of it first hand... again nothing against the staff and captain chandler was just making wages... the owner aught to be ashamed of himself !!! if I didn't go to the wyndimer time share ( experience) it would have cost me 400$...125$ a manta.... thanks captain bob... I call captain bob... the owner , don't know who the owner is....I guess you can get away with it and actually can live with yourself...I just can't thus the review......the mantas where spectacular... but then again the staff could have done something about the pesky fish that came and ate the manta food that was generated by the lighs...or was that again another ploy...getting into the water early was helpful for captain bob! (Captain BoB is the fictional owner! ) because everyone was cold and wanted out...I actually expected to see more mantas...It was absolutely amazing when one would rolled right in front of you...so I guess bob must think one or two is all you need to see to be satisfied....not quite what you expect ...now to the hospitality...they offers up pretzels and store soft chocolate chips on a tray..no bueno...drinks for the tourist was quick and let's get home...since I had to sit in a time share presentation to save 200 buck...so it still cost 200+...would have been dissatisfied if had to pay full price..400+...still think bob made a killing on the tourism....21 paying people on the boat and that was just this evening....so bob is somewhere drinking a mai tai....you do the math....it's a one time deal...check that box! And I'm sorry to everyone who does pay the entire fee! read more

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We booked a private charter of the catamaran for 21 people (up to 24) for a snorkel outing and had a great time! We also paid for an extra hour. Captain Mike was a pro, laid back, not campy like some Hawaiian captains we've encountered :) First stop: He took us to a bay to swim with dolphins, which was unexpected & lovely. By far the best experience of the day for most of our party. We literally swam with a loss of dolphins as they meandered & cruised the area. Captain Mike said this time of year was optimal for seeing them (late spring, early summer) so I wouldn't expect to be able to do this all year round. Ask when you book. Second stop: We snorkeled at Pawai beach. I think typically this would be a really outstanding place to snorkel; however, on the day we were there a big swell was coming in, so there were a lot of strong currents which made it difficult to see as many fish. read more

We booked this catamaran sunset Cruise two months prior to our visit and they called the day before the boat trip saying that not enough people had booked and they converted our cruise to a manta Ray snorkel. They offered us a replacement cruise for four days out that we couldn't accept because we were leaving in three days. They didn't even offer us a refund we had to ask. I don't understand this service, why not give us more advanced notice than 24 hours and not screw up our next vacation day. read more

We did the manta snorkel with Kamanu and it was an unforgettable experience. We took a very nice but bumpy ride from the harbour up to the airport site. Once there we donned our provided wetsuits and hopped in the water. It was super easy once in the water. Hang onto the pipes attached to the surf board and be still. The mantas will come up directly under the board within inches of you. We had 12 rays with us that night and a monk seal, truly amazing. The crew was great, we had several people on board that couldn't quite get the idea that you need to be still and keep your fins on the surface, the crew came by and put noodles under their legs to keep them up so the mantas would swim close to us. Soooo glad we did this! read more

Swimming with Manta Rays is nothing that I ever thought I would do. Thankfully Kamanu Charters came into my life! The experience was incredible! Jumping into the Pacific at night time to look at Manta Rays, in which some were bigger than me, was a mind blowing experience. The guys were friendly and outgoing and they made the trip that much better. Never thought I'd say this but Manta Rays are beautiful creatures The End. P.s. The reason for 4 and not 5 stars is because when the trip was over they asked us to go to trip advisor to rate our experience. Sorry, I only yelp :) read more

Had a great time overall. Manta ray at night It was hard to find but someone there from another company told us where to walk and check in. They are in the back section. We arrived early and waited 20/30 minutes. Then we had a stack of flippers to go through and find which fit us best. Then we given wet suits that only go to the thigh. There were 9 customers and 2 workers on a zodiac boat. We headed to the location while the sun was going down and it looked nice. They were very nice, funny and informative. There was one person not comfortable with swimming and they were very helpful with making her feel comfortable. Once we arrived to the spot there a bunch of other boats there, scuba divers and snorkel. We were in the water as the sun went down and within 20 minutes... BOOM there was a manta ray. We all floated on the water while holding onto a type of surf board/pvc with light setup and the manta ray was eating right in front of us. It even brushed against my girlfriend as it flipped over to go back to eating. Next thing I know all of the groups were in one area and there were 5 or 6 manta rays right there!!! We broke off and had to head back to the boat. Just before we got back to the boat there were 2 more manta rays. I would recommend it!! One of the instructors was from Chicago too. He said he missed the Chicago accent. read more