Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [434]
Kayak Kauai (826-9844; rental per 24hr $45; 8am-5:30pm, to 8pm summer) Offers an array of athletic equipment and gear, including stand up paddle surfing rentals. Find it across the street from Postcards Café.
Mitchell Alapa (482-0749; private lesson $65 8am-2pm) A long-time Kaua′i surfer.
OUTRIGGER CANOEING
Hawaiian Surfing Adventures (482-0749; www.hawaiiansurfingadventures.com; 2hr tours per person for 1/2/3/4 people $200/100/75/45; 8am-2pm) A great workout and a great glimpse into this inspired Polynesian tradition, chances are you’ll see marine life too.
HAWAIIAN SAILING CANOE
Island Sails (Map;212-6053; http://islandsailskauai.com/home; 1½hr tours, morning snorkel trip; adult/child $85/65; 9-10:30am, 3:30-5pm, 5:30pm-sunset) Snorkeling in the morning, cruising in the afternoon or taking in a sunset on the water, here’s your chance to get a taste of the traditional Polynesian sailing canoe.
SURFING
Hanalei Surf Company (Map;826-9000; www.hanaleisurf.com; Hanalei Center, 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy; 2½hr lesson $65-150, per day/week surfboards $15/65, bodyboards $5/20; 8am-9pm) Surf instructors Russell Lewis and Ian Vernon have an excellent reputation and are especially suited for advanced surfers.
Hanalei Surf Company Backdoor Store (826-9000; www.hanaleisurf.com; Ching Young Village; 2hr lesson per person group/couple $65/75, private $150, surfboards per day $20, bodyboards $6; 8am-9pm, lessons by appointment)
Hawaiian School of Surfing (652-1116; 1½hr lesson $65; lessons 8am, 10am & noon) Stop by or call in advance for a lesson by legendary pro big-wave surfer Titus Kinimaka or, more likely, one of his guys, who line up the boards and red rashguards daily at the pier. No more than three students per instructor.
Hawaiian Surfing Adventures (482-0749; www.hawaiiansurfingadventures.com; 2hr lesson group/private $55/75, surfboards per day/week $30/100; 8am-2pm) Generous lesson includes a half-hour on land, one hour in the water and another hour of solo practice. Look for the yellow rashguards on the beach.
Kayak Kaua′i (Map;826-9844; www.kayakkauai.com; Kuhio Hwy; 1hr lesson $50, per day surfboards/bodyboards $20/6; 10am & 2pm) If you rent gear for four days, you get three more days free.
Need some equipment? The Watersports Swapmeet (9am-12pm, 1st Saturday of the month), at the Hanalei Center, is great for getting some cheaper, used gear.
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DETOUR: THE NA PALI KAYAK TREK
The Na Pali Coast has reasonable claim to offering the most spectacular scenery of all of Kaua′i. Any trip to Kaua′i without experiencing it would be incomplete; and if you’re able, kayaking it arguably offers one of the most unforgettable challenges on the planet.
Kayaking the Na Pali Coast is strenuous and dangerous, and therefore not for everyone. Going with a guide helps manage the dangers, going without means you’re more than just familiar with ocean (not river) kayaking. It also means you know better than to go alone. Always check several days of weather forecasting and ocean conditions before going (245-3564). Hanakapi′ai Beach is about a mile in. About six more miles and you can set up camp at Kalalau. If you started very early, you can aim for setting up camp at Miloli′i, (with a permit) which is at the 11-mile point, two miles past Nu′alolo Kai. From there you have the often surfless, hot, flat stretch of Polihale, for what feels like much longer than 3 miles.
Always start on the North Shore, end on the Westside (due to currents) and never go in winter (potentially deadly swells).
If you want to do the Na Pali Kayak Trek with a guide, try the following operators:
Kayak Kaua′i (Map;826-9844, 800-437-3507; www.kayakkauai.com; Kuhio Hwy; per day/week single kayaks $28/112, double kayaks $52/208; 8am-5pm, to 8pm summer) Tours include a Na Pali Coast thriller for $185 from May to September, Blue Lagoon kayak and snorkel for $60, or an open-ocean paddle on the South Shore winter for $115.
Na Pali Kayak (Map;826-6900, 866-977-6900; www.napalikayak.com; Kuhio Hwy; tours $175) The Na Pali Coast trip is the