Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [173]
There are three ways to get to Ka′awaloa Cove: rent a kayak (below), take a snorkeling cruise (Click here), or hike the Captain Cook Monument Trail (Click here). Morning is best, when the winds are calm and sunny skies the most reliable.
KAYAKING
The calm waters of Kealakekua Bay make for a great paddle, even for novices. Outfitters along Hwy 11 rent kayaks and snorkeling kits, as do a few free agents around the parking lot. All outfitters should include paddles, life jackets, backrests, and scratch-free pads for strapping the kayak to your car; make sure to get a dry bag (unless you want mongoose to steal your lunch). It’S forbidden to launch kayaks around Hiki′au Heiau – the Napo′opo′o Wharf provides a launching point for independent kayakers. Locals may offer to help lift your kayak in and out of the water (a boon for solo kayakers); if you accept, it’S the expected courtesy to tip a buck or two.
The paddle to the cove, typically into the wind, takes about half an hour, less returning. Arrive before 9:30am to beat the snorkel cruises, when the cove can become a zoo of bobbing bright-colored noodle-assisted swimmers. Pull your kayak up on the lava rocks to the left of the monument (and tie it to a tree limb). Note that it is illegal for guided kayak tours (but not individuals) to launch from Napo′opo′o Wharf. Kayak tours must launch from private land or through other waters.
The following outfitters all have good reputations:
Adventures in Paradise (323-3005, 866-824-2337; www.bigislandkayak.com; 81-6367 Hwy 11, Kealakekua; single/double/triple kayak rental $37/64/90, tours $80-110; 8am-4pm) Friendly and professional, this outfitter makes sure beginners know what they’re doing. It runs both kayak snorkel and boat snorkel tours to Kealakekua Bay. At the intersection of Hwy 11 and Keopuka Rd.
Aloha Kayak Company (322-2868, 877-322-1444; www.alohakayak.com; Hwy 11, Honalo; single/double kayak rental full day $35/60, half-day $25/45, tours $65-160; 8am-5pm) This popular, Hawaiian-owned outfit knows local waters, has half-day rentals (from noon) and rents glass-bottomed kayaks. Kayak tours to Kealakekua Bay, Keauhou Bay and other destinations, seeking out sea caves and cliff jumping.
Kona Boys (328-1234; www.konaboys.com; 79-7539 Hwy 11, Kealakekua; single/double kayak rental $47/67, tours $125-350; 7:30am-5pm) This laid-back yet professional outfit is the area’S largest. Its kayak tours include private and group paddles to Kealakekua Bay, sunset paddles and overnight camping.
DIVING
Between the Napo′opo′o landing and the southern tip of Manini Beach, marine life abounds amid coral, caves, crevices and ledges in waters up to 30ft deep. But the bay’S best diving spot is Ka′awaloa Cove, where depths range from about 5ft to 120ft – the diversity of coral and fish is exceptional.
The aptly named Long Lava Tube, just north of Kealakekua Bay, is an intermediate dive site. Lava ‘skylights’ allow light to penetrate through the ceiling, yet nocturnal species are often active during the day, and you may see crustaceans, morays and even Spanish dancers. Outside are countless lava formations sheltering critters such as conger eels, triton’S trumpet shells and schooling squirrelfish.
For dive shops, Click here. Also check out South Kona Scuba (322-5012; www.southkonascuba.net; 79-7539 Hwy 11, Kealakekua; 2-tank dive $100, intro dive $125), where dive master Tim Folden does only individual (never group) dives.
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OF LONO, NAILS & CAPTAIN COOK’S BONES
On January 17, 1779, Captain Cook sailed into Kealakekua Bay, on his second visit to