Highly recommend! We initially found LightSUP on Yelp at the top with all its stellar reviews and…read morewith 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!

My gf booked this tour our trip and I was initially a bit scared as being in the open ocean water…read moreis 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!

Our Waikoloa Scouts Troop and families went on our annual whale watch on March 8 aboard Sea Smoke…read morewith Ocean Sports, and after doing this outing for more than 9 years, I can honestly say this was one of the best trips yet. We had about 30 Scouts and family members join us, and the whales absolutely showed up! We saw pods everywhere, tail slaps, and even a full breach. The highlight was when a humpback surfaced about 10 yards from the boat, giving the kids a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The crew also dropped the hydrophone, allowing everyone to hear the whales singing underwater, which was an incredible learning experience for the Scouts. Moments like that truly connect our youth with the ocean and the amazing wildlife here in Hawaiʻi. Ocean Sports continues to impress us every year. Booking was easy, waivers were handled electronically, check-in was smooth, parking simple, and the hospitality from the crew was outstanding. They were knowledgeable, welcoming, and fantastic with the kids. Mahalo to the entire Sea Smoke crew for sharing the ocean with us and helping create such an unforgettable adventure for our Scouts and families. Your aloha spirit and professionalism make this trip something we look forward to every year. Highly recommend Ocean Sports whale watch tours!

The staff were very very nice and helpful. The trip was peaceful and so beautiful! The ocean was…read morevery, very rough! But the staff still kept our drinks coming and with a smile. I was apprehensive about getting on the boats, but it was super easy. You will walk in the water a little bit so I don't recommend long pants or shoes. We wore shorts and flip flops and it was perfect. Loved that they give a Kama'aina discount! We'll go again during whale season! Very enjoyable, relaxing, beautiful experience.

My family and I took a kayak tour from Sian and his wife last winter and it was amazing. They are…read moreknowledgable, safe and patient. We saw whales and had a blast! This year we took advantage of kayaking and trying our hand at stand up paddle boarding and had a fantastic time! I highly recommend this outfit!

We had purchased a kayaking & snorkeling tour for 2 and were looking forward to enjoying this as a…read morehoneymoon activity. We were told to show up for check in at 9, and arrive promptly at 8.30am. 9am came and went with no tour organizers showing up. We called Expedia whom we bought the tickets through. And they responded quickly to our voicemail. The excuse provided by Kohala Kayak was that an emergency came up, which I'm fine with, but the fact we had to do the chasing instead of them calling us left a bad impression. You simply can't run a business with this low service quality. We adapted for the rest of the day, but purposefully had left our camera at the hotel so missed some great photo opportunities. Do yourself a favor and pick another tour or activity that is more assured.

Hana was a great instructor to my daughter. Patient, encouraging, friendly and fun. They provided a…read moresurfboard, shoes and rash guard shirt for the lesson. While my daughter went surfing, my other kids went snorkeling at the same public beach. Good time had by all.

I took a private lesson with Chad an had an absolutely wonderful time. Chad was easy going,…read moreinformative, and encouraging, guiding me on my board in the water and setting me up for success. After standing up a few times, but feeling fatigue from paddling, he encouraged me further and I got up a few more times again! Definitely recommended for newbies and beginner. Thank you Chad!

A very smooth experience! We booked online, it gave meeting area instructions, times, etc. The…read moreteam was punctual, friendly, and knowledgeable about the boat! The views were amazing! Only thing that would make this 5 star is if the music would have been more prominent.

Such a gorgeous, relaxed day on the water. The crew were friendly (did I mention relaxed?) and…read moreknowledgeable about the marine life around us. Captain Damian used the light winds to carry us a few miles offshore, then apparently switched to electric power when the wind ebbed. It was blissfully quiet and peaceful. When we spotted whales surfacing nearby, mate Shaun dropped a microphone over the side and we were treated to the chorus of multiple humpbacks singing all around us - unbelievable! The crew kept us supplied with healthy snacks and hydration and good information about the baby, mother and male escort whales we were seeing. All and all, it was an epic morning experience off the West shore. Love to come back!

Our four kids (two 11-year olds, a 13 year old and a 14 year old) had an absolute blast. Two of the…read morefour kids were looking forward to the surf lesson and two of the four were dreading it. Happy to report that four and the four had a GREAT time! Our instructors (Daniel and I missed the gal's name) were definitely a highlight. They let the kids go at their own speed but didn't treat them like babies. I've taken surf lessons in other cities and these were awesome because they cut right to the chase. Definitely more time spent in the water, which was appreciated. Their instructions they emailed ahead of time were spot on. Couldn't say more great things about our experience. All four kids ended up getting up on a board plenty of times, despite less than ideal Hawai'i conditions (gray, rainy, etc). They could have gone for another two hours!

Julian was my instructor, got me fitted with the right board and within a few runs I was up and…read moregoing. He went over safety and explained the currents of the area we were surfing before getting into the water. Great overall experience.

We went whale watching & we saw whales! Capt Kiliko &…read moreMorgan 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.

Feb 2026 - Based on my experience, I urge you to consider not doing business with this company…read more 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.

Kirston's SUP Yoga classes are great! I've experienced two so far. It was a fun, easy to follow,…read moreand very relaxing journey from start to finish. Kirston helped everyone feel comfortable no matter each person's skill level. She did a great job of leading myself and others in a fun interactive water Yoga adventure. Perfect for beginners in both Yoga and stand up paddle boarding!

Kirston led our group through paddle board basics before taking us out to a super calm spot. We did…read morea mix of meditation, breath work, and yoga. Even though it was gently sprinkling, it was a remarkably beautiful experience together!

Went whale watching first charter of season, 12/22/25, got plenty of action!…read moreSpouts, humpbacks and tails too. Crew dropped a mic in water and listened to singing whales! Gorgeous sunset was a bonus! Kids were enthralled! Capt Ty and Mo & Jessa were the best crew! So much information wrapped up in excitement, and music, mahalo! Can't wait to fish, dive, whale watch, snorkel & hang out with Kohala Divers again!! Da Hess Ohana

Great people! Went out of their way to help my keiki granddaughter with a life jacketread more