Highly recommend! We initially found LightSUP on Yelp at the top with all its stellar reviews and with SUP on my check off list, we booked it. I talked to Kelly on the phone and she was amazing ! and very patient answering all my questions, I had a lot lol since this was our first time. Looking at weather and surf conditions, she assured us Tuesday would be a great am for lessons. We drove down to Kona from Waikoloa ~30 min drive. Meet up was near a wharf, where we found free 2 hour parking off of Ali'i drive. Met up with our instructor Mark 830 am - a super friendly and understanding dude and he made us feel at ease. He went over some instructions with us regarding the board, how to, safety, and possible route. He warned us, looking at the windsock, it was a little windy, waters might be rough, but that we could make it work. Life vests were available, I wore one since I'm not the greatest swimmer. The boards were really cool, with the upper half containing a clear glass portion for views of marine life in the ocean. In the evenings, they offer lit up SUP boards. When I got onto the water, the waves were soooooo choppy, I immediately felt seasick- nauseous and dizzy, I was only able paddle for less than a half hour. Hubby was able to stand up a few times, but soon was washed off the board due to the waves. Mark noted that it was definitely advanced waters kinda day. We weren't able to enjoy as much as we had liked to or be out the two hours allotted. But, he made us feel comfortable and was so kind. He shared with us all the videos and pics he took of our am. He called and left a message with Kelly, the owner, of our uneventful morning. I messaged Kelly as well, and she did not charge us. Mahalo! We definitely tipped Mark for his time, kindness, and patience : ) This is a wonderful small owned company that cares about its clients! Check them out! read more

LightSUP Hawaii - The LightSUP cool board! 5/2025 - Paddleboarding Near Me

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My gf booked this tour our trip and I was initially a bit scared as being in the open ocean water is one of my fears. I thought it would be fun though to see the wild life at night however since it's such a unique experience. The tour starts with one of the nicest sunsets I've seen in Hawaii. It was such an amazing view. We then started on the shallow area just to get used to the board and water. It is a lot harder than you think to stand on that board! Our tour guide was AMAZING! He was so funny and told us amazing stories. I loved all of the factoids! He was so enthusiastic and you can really tell he cared for us to have fun even if we didn't see anything. You can also tell how passionate he is about the coral and welfare of the ocean. We began to paddle out before it became completely dark. This is where I tried to stand up and ended up falling into the Ocean! My biggest fear! It was in the deep end also. I suggest not doing it far out where there are still waves but also trying to stand before it gets completely dark. On our tour we saw so many fish. There are a ton of needle fish that jump on your board. You also get super close to the coral and get to see a lot of the amazing fish at night time which is a totally different perspective. We were able to see a small sting ray, a bunch of fish, tons of coral and the most amazing thing was a shark (twice!). I don't know what kind of shark it was but if I had to guess maybe a tiger shark? The tour guide said it is super super rare to see that. The shark was pretty friendly and a bit curious about the board but then quickly swam away. It only appeared for about 5 seconds. About an hour later, a much smaller one appeared and came up to the board and then swam away. Overall, which an amazing (and slightly scary) experience. The water is pretty warm even at night. The tour guide was so nice. I highly recommend this tour! read more

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Definitely recommend checking out LightSUP while visiting the big island! Unfortunately, my partner and I weren't able to join in on one of the SUP tours due to less than ideal weather conditions, but Kelly was super awesome and provided exceptional customer service! She was responsive and provided updates on the weather and was flexible about scheduling. Hopefully I can book a LightSUP tour next time! read more

Incredible experience - the owner and tour guide, Mark, are absolute tops and the experience magical. They helped to make a special birthday for my wife unforgettable. A great mission and organization, as well. I recommend everyone books with this company without hesitation!! read more

Highly reccomend LightSUP! The night paddleboarding in Kona was so cool and incredibly fun. The staff and guide were very kind and accommodating, they help assure you and ease into it if you are nervous. They were very informative when we went out, and they offer filming your experience with their GoPro. We loved every minute of this. Their boards are next level. read more

LightSUP Hawaii - Watching the sunset and paddleboarding over reefs to watch fish. Saw a baby puffer, an eel, and other interesting fish species. - Paddleboarding Near Me

My wife & I had an awesome time doing this! Incredibly special way to watch the sunset with Maui in the background, & a fun meditative experience paddling over coral with the lights. Really cool that the crew takes photos & drone video for you. This is a cool activity & very friendly + nice team! read more

LightSUP Hawaii - Paddleboarding Near Me

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LightSUP Hawaii is a great activity for the whole family. Their paddle boards allow you to view the underwater life of the ocean while also experiencing the technique of paddle boarding. It doesn't matter if you are an expert or a first timer. The crew will be there for you and make the experience one you will always remember. Thank you LightSUP! read more

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Whether you're experienced with stand up paddling or completely new to it, I highly recommend booking a tour with LightSUP. My partner and I signed up for the Morning Tour (8:30-10:30am). Neither of us had any experience with SUP but we had an amazing morning learning from Kelly. Before we even started the tour, Kelly made sure we knew exactly when/where to meet and met us at the parking area to lead us to the water. She knew neither of us had ever done stand up paddling before, so she made sure to prep us before we got on the paddle. If you're new to SUP, you're in great hands. We were able to stand up on our first try and had a great time observing the coral reefs/fish/turtles all morning. Kelly took fantastic pictures and videos of us and shared the files with us later that day. After paddling, Kelly set up a delicious breakfast of fruits, pastries, and juice. We chatted about marine life, coral reef conservation, life in Hawaii...you name it. My only regret is not having enough time during our trip to book a second tour with LightSUP. read more

LightSUP Hawaii - Morning SUP tour - Paddleboarding Near Me

This was an incredible adventure! Fantastic family run operation from the people who invented and created these amazing see-through light up boards. Peaceful, incredible, and gorgeous don't begin to describe the experience. Thank you! read more

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Excellent experience with Mark as our guide at Puaku beach! Have gone with them twice and both times it was just our group of three. The boards have a "glass" bottom to see fish beneath you. Learned a bit about the area, reef erosion and other facts during the most recent tour. And, they are honest about conditions for the day and will suggest an alternate meeting spot, or even cancel if there's too much chop or haze...they are not all about making money but rather showing you a great time. Highly recommend. read more

Great morning paddle with Kelly on these amazing SUP boards with a clear window to see to the bottom of the bay- it's their own design. I'm sure the night paddle would be amazing too- next time! read more

We did the sunset paddle board tour and it was absolutely incredible. Mark and Kelly were extremely friendly and helpful. 2 people in our group had never been on a stand up paddle board before so they made sure to spend some time going over everything with us before we got out on the water. To ensure you really get to enjoy and focus on the experience, they take pictures and videos for you! We saw a bunch of fish, some eels, and even a turtle! I can't stress enough how amazing this experience was. This is definitely a must do if you're on the big island! read more

LightSUP Hawaii - Paddleboarding Near Me

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Unique and unforgettable SUP experience in Puako. They do a great job of communicating and providing details and directions before you arrive. The sunrise tour was spectacular and could easily be customized for any experience level. The SUP with view pane was such a fun way to view the reef. I love their passion for the area and learned a ton. Finally, they took tons of photos and videos of my tour and turned them around the same afternoon. Definitely a fantastic way to remember this trip. Highly recommend! read more

Fantastic experience! The tour ended up just being Kelly (the guide) and me so I had a really personalized experience. We had wonderful conditions and saw turtles and tons of fish. Kelly was a super knowledgable guide and gave me really easy to follow instructions- didn't fall over once! As an added perk, she took a ton of photos and even got drone footage that she sent to me later! Would absolutely go again- loved it! read more

LightSUP Hawaii - Paddleboarding Near Me

Wow. What an amazing experience. My wife and I booked the sunset tour, and the view as we paddled towards the setting sun was breathtaking. We were very happy with the detailed communication (emails, phone calls with the weather outlook) and the fine touches like the dinner on the beach, the personalized guided tour from our knowledgeable guide, and the photos and drone video that they sent us the next day. My wife and I have only paddle boarded a couple of times before, and LightSup was very patient and accommodating. A tip: if possible, try to find a day and time when the winds are calm. read more

LightSUP Hawaii - Paddleboarding Near Me

What a fabulous time we had! We actually had so much fun that we booked a second outing! These stand up paddle boards are the best - very stable and easy to maneuver plus you can see so much more sea life with the window in the front of the board! Kelly and Ray are lovely and the location is gorgeous. The sunrise paddle was the best - the water was so warm and calm and we got to use the lights. We started out under the starlight, then watched stars fade as the sun rose, painting the sky glorious pinks and gold. Definitely worth the effort and since we were still on Seattle time, it was easy to get up early. The delicious coffee, organic fruits and baked goods at the end of the paddle were heaven. It's an experience not to be missed. read more

Highly, highly recommend this activity for everyone visiting the Big Island! The business owners and staff were all super friendly, helpful, and passionate about what they do. The see-through paddle boards are amazing! We saw so many fish and turtles and were able to get out further in the bay than we would have if we'd been snorkeling - plus we had the added fun of paddleboarding. And at the end of the tour we got an amazing set of still photos and a high quality drone video to keep the memories vivid; a huge added bonus we were not expecting. Do it, book your adventure with LightSUP Hawaii - you won't regret it. Thank you Kelly, Ray, and Mark. Aloha! read more

I totally recommend this experience. From the moment we were greeted by Kelly and Ray on the beach it was a pleasure to the end. Kelly gave us a brief introduction, Ray got us going on the water, and off we went. I was a bit slow getting out with the group, and Kelly hung back to give me some pointers. I so appreciated that!! Ray stayed back to take awesome footage from a drone. Robin joined us on the water and helped guide our group. We were so impressed by the innovative boards making it a unique activity. Watching the sunset was a huge bonus and then paddling back in the dark with lit boards, and a few flying minnows made it all the more special. The whole team were super kind and I would like to thank them for their thoughtful work to help us feel welcome and provide a fun time. read more

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary by going on a tour with Kelly, and LOVED it! We got to experience the beautiful reef and marine life of Puako from a new perspective, and will definitely make this a staple of our trips in the future. Kelly and Ray are both awesome - they're fun and hilarious yet extremely informative and knowledgeable about local species and reef health. Neither of us are particularly experienced on the SUP front, but Kelly showed us the ropes and we were up and enjoying the sights in no time. We would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone, and look forward to doing it again! - Matt and Braidy read more

We absolutely recommend this activity, we had an amazing time being guided through the ocean by Kelly and Ray. We love to paddle board but have never experienced it at night. Being able to see the corals, fishes and lucky enough to watch 2 manta rays and turtles swim right next to us made our evening so special. It was for us a family of three the best activity on the island read more

My friend and I had such a great time on the nighttime tour (with Mark!) that I went back for a daytime rental on my way to the airport! A very cool company with great people. read more

So glad we did this! First-time SUP-er here. So the thought of trying it in the ocean was a bit scary for me at first. But after reading all the reviews, and seeing pictures posted I decided to do it. I booked the sunset tour for me and my 13-year-old son. From the beginning, Ray was very communicative. He reached out to let us know that our chosen date would potentially be very windy and asked if we would prefer to move it to a calmer date since we were both novices. I said yes, and rescheduled for the recommended date. Ray emailed instructions and alerted me that they would send a text with a pin of their exact location the day of the adventure. On the day of the paddle, it was literally pouring rain so I called to find out how the weather was where we were paddling out from. Kelly assured me that it was calm and no rain in sight. So we left to meet Kelly and Ray and sure enough, it was not raining there. Kelly met us on the road and introduced herself with an Aloha and a hug. Both Ray and Kelly are such nice/genuine people. We loved how Ray sat us down to discuss safety, conservation, what potential ocean life we might see, and what their mission is for this business. All the while little Noa just chatted away making us laugh. Ray gave us a brief intro to paddling and showed us how to hold the paddles correctly, what to do if you fall off, or if a fish jumps out of the water at you. Then it was time to paddle out. We left right before sundown and even though it was a bit overcast, the Hawaiian sunset was still beautiful. Kelly was our guide on the water and gave us options of where we could go and let us make the decision as to how adventurous we wanted to be. She could tell I was a bit uneasy when it started to rain lightly and we could hear thunder not too far away. She made me relax by distracting me with cool things we should be looking for and letting me know that at any time if I felt like we needed to go back in, we could. You can tell that both Ray and Kelly have a true love of the ocean and a passion for what they do. They treated us like family, and we had an amazing time. They do all of the photography, and even send up a drone for an aerial view. After we were done, we paddled back in and Ray had a great little meal set up for us with some yummy snacks. We will definitely be doing this again next time in Hawaii! The boards are truly one of a kind, and when the lights go down into the board, even on a somewhat gloomy night, you can see the ocean come to life under you...or in my case, I had a few ocean friends that wanted to join me on the board. This was truly a one of kind experience with great people! You will not be disappointed. read more

We had a lovely experience with LightSUP.  From the start, they communicated well with timely reminders and directions to their location.  Kelly is such a warm guide and the entire team was professional and made sure our safety and experience were top-notch.  We thoroughly enjoyed spending time on the water, the fresh breakfast, fun videos/photos, and their commitment to preserving our local treasures. read more

We had the best time on our adventure with LightSUP! Kelly and Ray were so courteous and professional. They really helped us feel comfortable getting into and out of the water on he boards. We had a gorgeous sunset and even a rainbow too! They gave us AMAZING video footage of our time on the water and even fed us afterwards! This was unlike any SUP I had done before and truly a unique and fun experience. I highly recommend it. read more

LightSUP Hawaii - Paddleboarding Near Me

We have never written an online review before, but we were so blown away by our experience with Kelly and Ray that we had to share it. We first did the evening lighted tour first and it was terrific. We had paddled before, but it was a completely different experience at night and with the lit boards with views. The team knew exactly where to take us and how to leverage the light to see all sorts of sea life in the evening (despite sub-optimal conditions from the tsunami the night before). They made it both adventurous and fun. Ray told us about a great place to go during daylight hours and Kelly met us there in AM to get us Boards and made sure we knew exactly where to go to see them -- she even made sure we knew exactly how to navigate the surf to get out where we needed to be. We paddle on mainland, but did not have much ocean experience. We had such a good experience we did a whole morning tour with Kelly later in the trip. She was the best guide -- not only taking us to the best spots, but also giving us local history and where to go for the ret of the trip. The whales were out, so we were both able to hear them underwater and then saw them breaching ~500 yards away. It was terrific. They then had a fantastic set of food from the farmers market. We'd say that they are great guides for either brand new or experienced paddlers. The best summary I'd give is that they are both the best guides we've had for any type of vacation experience but are also just good people -- the kind of people you enjoy having spent your day with. read more

This was a great adventure. My boyfriend and I booked the sunset tour. Highly recommend it! So unique. Such friendly and knowledge guides, Kelly and Raymond were great. I'm so glad I supported them and their goals of reef restoration. We hope to visit them again! read more

We did the sunrise tour this morning and it was awesome. We got to our meeting place at 5:45a, in the total dark, and we were met by Kelly and Raymond who got there earlier and had our boards all set up and ready to go. WIth lights on we ventured into the black water and was immediately engaged with the corals and fish just below our boards with the downward lights and clear window on the Board. What a great an innovative technology. We spent almost 2 hours hunting for marine life and along with 100's of multi-colored fish, the highlights were the turtles and blowfish. After our 'tour' and once back onshore, they had prepared a fantastic breakfast with a local affair of coffee, juices, fruits and breakfast bars. But maybe the best part of this experience was watching the sunrise from the water looking back at the island. Be adventurous and do this! read more

My fiancé and I went out with Kelly and Ray for a sunset LightSUP a few days ago, and though it was windy and the surf stirred the water up, Kelly was amazing in navigating us and we still had an incredible experience. We went out to a small bay where we spotted a turtle and were able to see some of the reef below us through the window in the board when the lights were put in. The sunset was beautiful...it was an incredible experience in nature! And the snacks and conversation afterword with Kelly and Ray and their adorable son Noah was the cherry on top. We hope to come back again soon! read more

I'll start this off by saying I've never tried stand up paddle boarding before but I am so glad I went for my first time with LightSUP Hawaii. The experience was great from the moment I booked with them. Jelly was wonderful and even called beforehand to try and find the best time for myself and my girlfriend to make it with weather and experience circumstances and rebooked me for a day with calmer waters than the one I had chosen. The experience, the people, the food, I couldn't have chosen a better place to book a trip with. Not only was the paddle boarding an amazing experience for me but the fact that they have see through boarding with lights to be able to see the beauty of Hawaii's reef and wildlife from is incredible. I had a 10/10 time with them and I would really recommend to anybody visiting the island to try this while you're there. read more

Had an amazing experience going out privately with Kelly. I did a morning tour and we went out to quite a spectacular reef near the northwest side of the island. I felt totally comfortable with her as my guide and it was so very cool to be able to see what was right under my feet!! I am not new to stand up... I wasn't sure if this was going to really get me all that jazzed, but it totally did! It's way different when you have a window right beneath you and can see everything so clearly.... it's the fun of stand up with the visibility of snorkeling. Truly a different experience. I wish I could have one of these boards, actually, but Southern California waters aren't quite the same. I could not believe the marine life I got see and how beautiful the ocean is. Sweet experience! read more

My kids and I had an awesome time with Kelly, Ray, and Noa. My son, who typically likes things on screens these days, kept saying "oh wow" and loved getting out on the water and seeing the fish and the coral. The boats are amazing, and the tour is well organized and relaxed. A great way to see the fish while being out on the boards. The food at the end was a lovely touch as was the video and photos. Really unique experience. read more

My wife and I went on the sunrise paddle tour with Kelly, and I highly recommend LightSUP Hawaii to anyone visiting the Big Island. This is not your average SUP rental/tour - Kelly has created a boutique tour experience and really catered to all of our needs. She puts an emphasis on client safety and took the time to give us a good overview before leaving the shore and tips while paddling. The board design is awesome - very stable, suitable even for beginners, and so enjoyable with the large window and effective lighting, which illuminated the reef even before the sun came up. The breakfast picnic on the beach was a great way to unwind after the paddle, and Kelly's hot coffee lived up to my wife's high expectations :) It was a wonderful way to start our day, and I expect that the sunset tour would be similarly spectacular. read more

LightSUP Hawaii - SUP with window and lights! - Paddleboarding Near Me

The sunrise paddle was definitely one of highLIGHTS of our trip to Kona. I paddle often on the SF Bay, but the LightSUP window and lights took it to another level. We started our adventure before sunrise, and Kelly made it very easy to hop on and go, even bringing a dry bag and water bottles for each of us. Even in the dark, the reef was visible thanks to the lights. After a short paddle, we rested on our boards to welcome the sun coming up from behind the mountains - such a beautiful scene! We then paddled around the reef and spotted countless fish through our SUP windows. We were able to live in the moment while still documenting the memories as Kelly was nice enough to take photos for us. Kelly, along with her mother, is an amazing host who made us feel like family giving us the local scoop and setting up a post-paddle breakfast with hot coffee, juice and fruit from the farmers market including some yummy persimmons and pineapple. I highly recommend the tour to couples, groups, families and really any who loves the water!! We hope to come back again when whales are passing through! read more

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MUST DO ON THE BIG ISLAND!! The LED paddle is such a unique experience and perfect thing to do as a couple. Kelly and Ray the owners made us feel like family and a part of their story the way they took care of us and even had some food and drinks waiting on the shore for us and took photos for us. The reef and sunset were incredible. We did a lot of island excursions, but this was our favorite hands down. read more

Just completed this amazing experience during their sunset paddle board cruise. The instructors where very skilled and demonstrated unique marine life knowledge which made our experience the event of our vacation. Trust me when I say this experience can not be found anywhere else as these boards are unique to this company. How you ask, the company is the inventor of the boards. Be sure to take advantage of this experience when on the Big Island. You won't be disappointed. read more

Rented from the Kona location. Paddle boarded with the dolphins this morning. Kids were so excited to see the dolphins through the window of the boards as the dolphins swam under. read more

Amazing experience! I planned this event/activity for my wife's 40th birthday and Kelly's outstanding kindness and customer service made it worthwhile. Will definitely return to do another one at sunset if we visit the big island again. I definitely recommend Lightsup Hawaii. family owned business with passion and love for customers and highest service standards. You don't see that often in this day & age. Mahalo Kelly & Team, hope to see you again! Ellie & Amin read more

Love, love, love our Lightsup experience! We were first-time paddle boarders and Kelly was fantastic as to her instruction, patience and encouragement. We saw some amazing sights on our morning tour....a manta ray, sea turtles being cleaned by yellow tang and much more. The location was easy to find thanks to a pin drop texted to us in advance and the delicious fruit, treats and video emailed to us were added bonuses to an already amazing activity. It was a fantastic experience that we cannot recommend highly enough. This is a must do if you are on the Big Island. read more

I was intrigued about a viewing window on an SUP so I booked a tour with LightSUP. Since I'm fairly new to paddle boarding, I was hoping the water in Puako wouldn't be too difficult for me. With patience and expertise, I was taught the proper stance and paddle strokes to optimize my time on the water. Being able to see the reef while you're paddling is so innovative. It's better than snorkeling as you're able to travel further distances which gives you the opportunity to see more. The reef in Puako is teeming with colorful fish, coral and turtles. I can't wait to return in February when the humpbacks are there. It would be amazing to have the opportunity to see them while on the board. read more

Best way to view a sunrise or see the reef at night. Their boards have a large viewing area with lights, so you're able to do a stand up paddle board experience with the ability to view what's right under you. Good people sharing the beauty of Hawaii! read more