Just got back from HI. We booked 2 tours with Shaka Kayaks at Turtle Bay Resort. Both tours were absolutely 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. read more

Another fun outing while staying at Turtle Bay. Would highly recommend it. They took us from the hotel 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. read more

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My wife and I have never, ever been Kayaking before and that didn't seem to matter. Our guides gave us the basics and let us hit the water. I must say, I wasn't doing very well, but that didn't stop me from having a wonderful time. My wife was absolutely killing it out there!! Typically I am the super competitive type and she's more laid back. It was rather nice to wear her shoes on this go around. We found ourselves on a secluded beach and b/c we purchased the 8 a.m. tour, the beach was empty. Although I wouldn't suggest bringing the kids on this tour, kids are welcomed. In fact, there was a youngster on our tour and the gals set up a message in a bottle treasure hunt. Good thing they told me about it cause when I saw the message inside a wine bottle, I was ready to dive on it and keep it for myself. Alas, it was fun for the little guy. The two young ladies who guided this tour were absolutely awesome!! Funny, energetic and knowledgeable. They both knew their stuff and made the group feel welcomed and allowed us to have fun. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in a new adventure. read more

Shaka Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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Our guide Scott is very knowledgeable about the sealife, plants, and birds around Turtle Bay Resort. He knew where to go to find the turtles on our hour-long kayak trip and was nice enough to send us pictures for free. I recommend prior kayak experience so you can easily navigate the bay and follow the guide. read more

Great day. Calm water, blue sky and sea turtles swimming all around us. It was a great day. We decided to do their KUKAKUKA Bird Watching also. We saw about 17 species of birds. My favorite was the STILT bird, with his long red legs. read more

Beautiful experience. We enjoyed our time with the guides and even got some good local recommendations. It was a really calm bay to kayak in. The guides clearly love the area and what they do and it showed. My husband can't wait to come back for another tour next year. read more

Awesome Kayaking trip with plenty of sea turtles, awesome guides,... Wheelchair Accessibility: Upon pick up at the hotel, the guide brought us to a van. The van is fairly high, thus one needs to be fairly mobile to get up there. But the guide was extremely helpful and helped as well to get the chair mounted. Upon arrival, there is no solid walkway thus it's a bit tough for the wheelchair. But again, with the awesome help of the guides we managed to get through it. There is about a 10m way from the forest to the sea through sandy beach. The guides brought the Kayak as close to the wheelchair as possible and then pushed it down the sand into the water once I sat dow in the Kayak. So, getting in to the water was no big deal. Once the tour was done, we brought the Kayak to the beach. The guides then pushed the Kayak (with me on it) as much up the beach as possible. It was pretty heavy and they did a great job to make it as easy as possible to get off the Kayak. Once in my chair, they helped push the wheelchair through the sand up to the forest where there is a better surface. It was real teamwork :-) All in all, this trip is accessible for someone that is fairly mobile. A huge shoutout to the guides who were so extremely helpful! It was an unforgettable morning! (Oh, and the tour itself is a must-do as well, but the other reviewers already covered that ) read more

Shaka Kayaks - Photo taken from the forest to the sea. The guides brought the kayaks up to the forest and then pushed it down into the sea. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

Such a great experience! The guides were so fun and informative. This is a great way to see honu while learning about their significance and why they need to be protected. Great tour for people of all ages! Mahalo! read more

Absolutely wonderful experience. Our guides Mike and Scott were phenomenal, providing a perfect mix of information and humor. We saw about 20 sea turtles during our tour. Mike was kind enough to take and send along a number of great pictures from our visit which was an unexpected and much appreciated bonus. I can not recommend Shaka Kayaks highly enough. A+++ read more

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Excellent morning trip 7:20-8:40. Parents with 10&13 year old. We all did single kayaks and were totally fine. Awesome Bay Area great experience and lots of knowledge and fun. Jim and Scott were excellent. Turtle and train wrecks who duh thunk . Highly recommended read more

Our guides were knowledgeable and SOOOO friendly. We did the double kayak and had so much fun. We saw 22 turtles total on our tour today, saw 2 in like the first 5 minutes. Beautiful bay with clear waters. Worth the money! read more

This place deserves more reviews. So I'll do my part! Friend treated me to a late b-day gift to go kayaking at Kawela Bay. I've been wanting to go kayaking since coming to the Islands, so I was pretty excited. Arrived late due to some slow drivers on the 83 (I'm from CA, I have no patience), but they were totally cool about it and said to take your time. Once out in the Bay, they were cracking (corny) jokes and seemed to enjoy themselves despite the other tourists looking nervous about starting their kayaking experience. Started out with a simple explanation about how to kayak, and went over some rules and safety info. They took us around the Bay, taking us to turtle hotspots, as they really wanted to make sure we saw some along the way. After about an hour, we took a break and was treated to some drink and snacks. After that we took a short nature walk around the Bay. Our leader (forgot his name, unfortunately) was WAY WAY WAY knowledgeable about the flora and Hawaiian culture, teaching us really cool tidbits about the history of the land and why it's important to everyone in Hawaii. You could tell he takes pride in his work, and it definitely showed. After that, we spend about 45 min or so around the Bay and then it was time to come in. Shorter than I though, but def enjoyed myself. But here's what made it 5-stars: They were taking pictures the whole time, and I just assumed it was going to be one of those things where you can buy a 4x6 "souvenir" picture for $15 or something. Not so. I get home about an hour later and in my email box was SEVEN pictures of myself, and even some underwater shots of the turtles swimming underneath us. In-freaking-credible!! Definitely beyond the call of duty!! Nothing but praise all around to the kayak guides. Go with them, you'll be in good hands!! read more

Now that I'm coming down from the week-long high that was my Hawaiian vacation, I thought I'd take the time to give some Yelp lovin' to the places that made my trip so swell. Imagine my surprise to find no reviews for Shaka Kayaks and their amazing tours! My boyfriend and I booked an eco-friendly kayak tour through Turtle Bay, where we were staying, and opted for the 8am tour. The employee on the phone said that the early morning weather allowed for better turtle viewing. I'm so glad we did! Our guides, Ryan and Drew, led us on a gorgeous tour of Kawela Bay, and helped us safely and carefully observe the turtles and learn about them while not disrupting their natural activities. The glass-bottomed kayaks were a really great touch, though the morning's murky water didn't allow for as much viewing as we'd have liked. We didn't have kids, but for those who do, the rugrats can look forward to a treasure hunt while on land and climbing around a WWII bunker. And for fellow "Lost"ies, there's some great sites to behold as well. I can't recommend Shaka Kayaks enough. Thanks, guys! read more

It's been said - first class experience, great mellow but thorough and safety conscious guides. You can cruise or surf the waves, both so much fun I never wanted to stop. The water is so clear in this bay just a short walk (they drive you if you wish but, take the walk !) from Turtle Bay resort where you can book it. Very private, you have it all to yourself. Turtles were beautiful and not real shy, they will definitely check you out. So fun. Do it, it will be one of your best memories of your North Shore experience. read more

That was a great experience. John and Kaeisha (I hope I didn't bungled that one up too badly) are great guides! I am a little afraid of water sometime......a few years ago our raft was tipped over on a class four rapids in California. They call it white-water rafting because the water is white...the bubbles. Everyone was thrown off the raft, and I was under all that bubbles for a bit....in reality it was probably less than 10 seconds before I was pulled out, but boy....it felt like a LOONG time for me! The left an impression on me.... Today, I was on the south side of the bay when I look up and see white waters coming at me...not fun. I was anxious. John was great. He towed me a few feet away, and ask Kaeisha to row back to the beach with me. I could have gotten myself back to the beach, but really do appreciate her making sure I was okay. I had to just walk the nervousness away. They were both very gentle and reassuring. Very calming. I saw a handful of turtles in the water. They really are everywhere out in that bay. The beach scene in Catching Fire was filmed on the same beach....so you can meet the movie star tree and beach while you are at it. Definitely a recommended thing to do on Oahu North Shore! Mahalo Scott, John and Kaiesha! Azlina read more

We decided to go kayaking at Turtle Bay and then do some horse riding. I would recommend Shaka Kayaks 100% to everyone whether its your fist time or if your are experienced it was a great time. Scott, John and Kaiesha took their time and treated everyone with a smile and made our experience a great one. Once we took a break my oldest son went back out with the guides and they had him riding the waves (even backwards). You can tell that they all love their jobs!!!!!! Once we left they sent photographs to my email address of my family and a great photo of my son. Thanks to the whole staff for making this a great vacation. 8-4-2014 to 8-14-2014 read more

My husband and I had a wonderful time kayaking with Shaka Kayaks. We booked the 7:45am tour through our hotel, Turtle Bay, and returned at about 9:55am. We were prepared with rash guards, hats, and sunglasses (with straps), but some people in our group were casually dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. The van takes you to a secluded, beautiful bay about 5-10 minutes from the resort, and you are fitted for life vests and given reusable souvenir water bottles. The two of us opted for a double kayak, but the default is a single person kayak with a glass bottom. Ours did not have a glass bottom, but we wanted to kayak together. The weather conditions that morning featured mild wind, and the waves were only rougher if you paddled toward them seeking a more exciting experience. John took the group in a large circle around the bay, pointing out turtles, looking for baby hammerheads, and providing fun facts about the island and the bay. Near the end, Bryan took volunteers who wanted to to go kayaking surfing out further while John stayed back with the rest of the group. This was the most fun part of the trip as we got to "surf" up and down the waves, even though we ended up flipping over once. A couple over people flipped over too, but a lot of it had to do with being aware of your surroundings, the incoming waves, and the position of your kayak in relation to the waves. If you stayed near the shore with John and paid attention to the waves, the chances of you flipping over were fairly slim. We ended the tour with water and snacks by the van before heading back. Also, John had a water proof camera and took some pictures of us on the kayaks. Overall, I highly recommend this tour, even if you have never been kayaking before. If you have some experience (like we did), it was still fun because we were able to paddle into the waves and try standing up. Thanks again for a fun experience! read more

Just went with these guys a week ago, think it was Joe & Shawn, Great guys, terriffic experience, not to extreme, suitable for most. Guides were fun, informative, paid some extra attention to my kids, made sure we saw turtles and had a great time !! Thanks guys PS the photos you sent us were great and have taken over my screensaver read more

Parker and Brian are fantastic! We ended up with a private tour since we were the only ones booked for that time. The guys know their stuff and have plenty of cheeseball jokes to keep you entertained. They are not hard on the eyes either One of our best experiences out here! read more

Shaka Kayaks - Kayak your! Parker and Brian are fantastic! Funny with the cheeseball jokes but very knowledgeable! Not hard are on the eyes either - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me

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We were unable to attend the kayaking trip to my wife's untimely illness. We will certainly plan to reschedule a trip next time we're in Oahu based on the great things we heard from other guests during our stay. read more

I think the company and the people who run this business are very friendly. The reason I'm only giving them 2 stars is because, it wasn't very exciting. All we did was make circles around the bay. We also walked over to the bunker area as part of the tour and that can be done on your own time. I recommend going to Haleiwa, renting a kayak by the boats and taking that out into the ocean or go up the stream. read more

You can tell the guides have a love for their job and for the North Shore. You could also tell the guides my wife and I had were knowledgeable about the area and about kayaking in general. At one point we took a small break and took a mini hike of the area. Learning a little about the local flora fauns, as well as some of the history of the area made us appreciate the beautiful North Shore area just that little bit more. And thank you for sending up photos to help remember our visit! Many thanks to Scott and Keneisha!! read more

Kayaking trip was great. Guides seemed knowledgeable about the area, and we saw plenty of sea turtles. They took photos so we didn't have to. Gave us snacks and drinks at the end, and also a full collapsible water bottle during the trip. One of the highlights was they put a treasure map in a bottle, which one of the kids on the trip just happened to find floating in the water. read more

We spent 11 days on Oahu and the Shaka Excursion was the highlight of our trip. Scott and his team made our experience a 10 Star one. He went out of his way to make sure everything was perfect, and ended the trip by giving sending my 4 year old on a treasure hunt in the jungle! She is still talking about it! If you want an experience to remember, do this one! read more

My teenage daughter had a really bad kayaking experience. Winter waves were WAY TOO ROUGH for any beginner who previously only kayaked in calm waters. She was tipped into the water three times! Extremely frightening for her. Also, the group hardly saw any turtles. Guides weren't great. Really disappointing overall. Waste of money. read more

Very fun adventure and a great Christmas memory. Mike was super informative and ensured we all learned something and saw plenty of turtles. The bay was safe and relatively calm too! read more

We had a great time, saw several turtles and were treated very good. I would definitely recommend this activity if your on the north shore.

We really enjoyed our kayak experience with Shaka Kayaks. Our guides, Joe and Aaron, were helpful and knowledgable. Kayaking is so much easier than canoeing or surfing. Great for all ages! Our family really loved it. We highly recommend this tour and company. read more

Just got back from the trip to the North Shore and the kayak trip with Shaka; Kenishi and Aaron were two warm, knowledgeable and fun guides; the equipment was easy to use; the trip was professional and first rate; fresh cut pineapple at the end too! I have no doubts recommending them to anyone who wants to kayak with the turtles of the North Shore; Thanks Shaka Kayaks for making our trip memorable. read more

The people running the kayaks need to take us to a place where there are not so many waves and much less coral heads. Very dangerous, not a place i would recommend. read more

Compliments to Scott and his staff for a wonderful experience. Very well prepared and thought out intro, training and over kayak experience. We had a great time and highly recommend Shaka Kayaks! read more

If you've been kayaking a few times before, I don't recommend this tour. However, if you're new to the whole thing this is a good place to start. As someone who has been kayaking before I found this tour to be a bit lacking, especially for the amount of money you pay. We spent an hour basically going back and forth in the same area. Our tour guide told us about a shipping container that was stuck in the water beneath us. It was hard to see through the window that is in the kayak because the water was a bit murky and the window was dirty. We got to see a few turtles pop their heads up. After the hour we went on a 30 minute walk around the beach. Our tour guide provided interesting information about the area, even telling us that the Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie was filmed in the very waters we were kayaking in. We even saw the construction of a set for the new season of Hawaii 5-0. The military bunker that they mention online is really nothing exciting. It was pretty small and graffitied. In fact there was even a homeless man living in it. After the walk we went back in the water for about thirty minutes and practically did whatever we wanted with no instruction from the tour guide. And just like that the tour was over. It wasn't really anything special. However, the people in my group who had not been kayaking before did enjoy it. read more