Question – Difficulty in Kayaking Kona
We received the following question by email: We are looking at doing the “Kayak the Sea Caves Near Honaunau” as that looks like loads of fun, and we will be doing the Captain Cook trip as well…based off your recommendation of that as well. Anyways we just want to make sure that a trip like this doesn’t warrant a large amount of “open water” type kayaking experience. We have kayaked in Florida, but not on the ocean, are pretty fit (our past-time is spent climbing mountains in land-locked Colorado) and we just want to make sure that we don’t head out and find ourselves in large, crashing waves and having a sphincter-puckering time. I figure that obviously conditions can change, but in general is this an overly difficult kayak trip requiring quite a bit of experience?
Categories: Kayaking, Questions Tags: Captain Cook, Honaunau, Kayak Big Island
Question – Renting Kayaks at Captain Cook
We received this question by email:
We’d like to rent a double kayak to see the Cook monument and to snorkle. Can we do this on the spot, or should we reserve in advance? What is the cost of the kayak rental and permit? –Tom O.
——–
Answer:
There are no kayak rentals at Kealakeua Bay itself (the launch point where you start your paddle to Captain Cook). However, in the nearby town of Honalo, there are numerous kayak rental stores. We recommend renting from the Aloha Kayak Company (native Hawaiian owned) where a tandem kayak will cost you $60 per day. I would definitely call ahead of time and reserve your kayak in advance, especially if you are planning your Captain Cook adventure in the busy tourist season. Keep in mind, because of recent regulations, more and more visitors are opting to pay for the chartered tour to Captian Cook via boat or zodiac instead of kayaking.
As far as permitting goes, check out the details on how to obtain a Captain Cook Kayak Permit. Permits from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) are free, but there is a considerable amount of headache involved in trying to submit and receive your permit (fax the form ahead of time, etc.) Even if you choose not to apply for the Captain Cook Kayak Permit, you can still kayak within Kealakekua Bay, you just cannot beach your kayak on the opposing shore (near the Captain Cook monument). This should not inhibit you from still snorekling above the wonderful reef (you can simply pull the kayak behind you by holding the bow line as you snorkel).
Categories: Kayaking, Ocean, Questions Tags: Captain Cook, DLNR, Kayak Big Island, Kealakekua Bay
Permits Now Required for Captain Cook Kayakers
A free permit to land vessels along the Kaawaloa shoreline or moor at the wharf adjacent to the Captain Cook Monument is now required by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is flexing its muscles by only limiting the non-commercial kayakers and doing nothing to contain or limit the number of commercial ventures (charter boats, tour boats, etc.) Ultimately, the Charter commercial operations will make a lot more money and recreational kayakers will lose yet another place to kayak to. DLNR Starting Feb. 23, people must apply for a (noncommercial general public permit at the Division of State Parks' Hawaii District Office, located at 75 Aupuni St. Room 204 in Hilo, or online at hawaiistateparks.org, under "announcements."
Categories: Kayaking, Ocean Tags: Captain Cook, DLNR
Big Island Adventures with Kids (Part 3 – Captain Cook)
On this day, we decided to kayak across Kealakekua Bay to the marine sanctuary known as Captain Cook (named after the monument on the far side of the bay where Captain Cook was killed by the native Hawaiians). We started off with breakfast at one of my favorites - the "Buns in the Sun" bakery and deli. They have a full breakfast menu and also offer great sandwiches for lunch. This particular morning I had the Kalua Pig with eggs and hash browns along with a POG (passiong fruit/orange juice/guava juice mixture). DE-LISH! We also grabbed some sandwiches to go (2 x Kalua Pig sandwiches!) and put them in our soft-cooler filled with ice. The cooler was also jam-packed with snacks for the kids. I've starved out there at Captain Cook before and did not want to take the chance again today (especially with kids).
Categories: Kayaking, Ocean, Snorkeling Tags: Captain Cook, Kealakekua Bay, kids adventures
Question: Car Roof Rack for a Kayak
Here is a question we received by email: We are coming to the Big Island in Feb. We are renting from an ohana that has a tandem kayak that we may use. We will be having a rental car that will not have racks on it. The homeowner has straps for the kayak but their rack is a permanent fixture. Is it possible to protect the roof with a tarp and strap the kayak on securely. If not where can we rent a rack for a couple of days. We will be staying in Kealakekua area. Thanks for your help, Diane C.
Categories: Kayaking, Questions Tags: Kayak Big Island
Video – Kayaking to Makalawena
Here is a video clip of us kayaking onto Makalawena Beach – there were a few minor swells and rollers, luckily the arrival area was an empty sandy beach with no obstacles… Also, I forgot to mention that we kayaked next to a pod of Spinner Dolphoins on the way back to Kua Bay – it was quite memorable.
Categories: Kayaking, Ocean Tags: Kohala Coast Hawaii, Makalawena Beach
Kayak to Makalawena Beach
This morning we put in our Kayaks at Kua Bay (Maniniowali Beach) right as the park opened up at 9:00 AM. On board we had our snorkeling gear, our waterproof cameras and a cooler with kalua pig sandwiches inside. Our goal was to kayak to Makalawena Beach – a secluded and austere beach that is difficult to access. We talked about attempting this a while ago in a previous blog post but were unsuccessful – today we were determined to do it! Luckily, the weather smiled upon us with calm seas and sunshine. So, we loaded our kayak and carried it down over the rocks from the pavement to the bleached-white sandy beach below and started paddling.
Ahead and to the north there was already a dive boat anchored atop the reef nearby and our curiosity almost pulled us in that direction to investigate the diving conditions there – but we were focused on our goal of reaching Makalawena (many say this is the prettiest beach on the island…) We started paddling to the south and the scenery was spectacular. The waters of Kua Bay are many different shades of blue – from emerald to a light and bright blue, to a darker navy blue where the reef is below. We continued and passed the large mound of a hill to our left and noticed for the first time a row of houses near its base – I wonder, more vacation rentals – or perhaps exclusive beach bungalows for the rich and famous?
As we kept paddling beyond this cove, we began to see the strand of trees that borders the northern end of Makalawena and we knew we were not far. As we paddled, the waters were so clear that we could make out glimpses of the vast reef below us. On several occassions, I lowered myself into the water with a mask and snorkel to marvel at the underwater topography and corals – the reef was beautiful. By now, we could make out a glimpse of thegently sloping dunes at Makalawena. The sand there is a special shade of white and could be seen shining in the distance, surrounded by lava rocks and underbriush. As we stared at the beach we were dissappointed by seeing a few people already on the beach – we were hoping to be the only ones there…
As we approached the northen edge of the beach, we notice a very shallow reef shelf below us with vibrant yellow and blue hued colors. We decided to anchor the kayak and snorkel the reef below us. We dropped our anchor on a patch of sand at the bottom and saw a thriving reef below us in about 20 feet of water. We spent a short while snorkeling and free diving above the reef. Then we finally decided it was time to paddle in to shore – at Makalawena!
We navigated the approach avoiding lava rocks and a shallow reef and were pushed by surging waves the final distance onto the immacculate beach – we were finally there! The beach was better than I imagined and better than any piuctures could capture. The sand was perfect – soft, fine, and firm under our bare feet. The azure waters shined and the white sand contrasted starkly next to the dried lava rocks and surrounding green shrubbery. The waves lapped on shore on the beach and pounded the lava rocks sending sea spray into the air. Makalawena is actually three beach crescents located side by side to each other – we had landed on the center crescent. We spent some time exploring and photographing the beach and eventually sat on the lava rocks to enjoy our sandwiches before paddling back to Kua Bay. It was a wonderful day! Right now, my legs ache a bit because I forgot to add sunblock to them and they are a bit sun burnt…
Categories: Beaches, Kayaking, Ocean Tags: Kohala Coast Hawaii, Makalawena Beach
The Big Island Hates Kayakers
Most of my previous posts have been mini travelogues about my adventures on the Big Island. This post I want to talk about something that has puzzled me. As you can tell from this blog and the website I am an avid kayaker. I have been kayaking for many years now, exclusively in the ocean. My main interests include surf kayaking – that is riding the waves on my sit-on-top Ocean Kayak and kayaking to remote locations on the island to snorkel or SCUBA dive. When I lived on the mainland, I used to wait in anticipation for a large coastal storm, then rush to the coast with my kayak, eager to ride the large stormy waves!
As I have traveled throughout the Big Island over the years, I try to find new places to explore, and specifically new places to kayak to. With so many remote coastal areas, the Big Island is a perfect place to explore via kayak. Unfortunately, my recent attempts to kayak the Kona Coast have been thwarted by what I see as anti-kayak laws. What I really love about the Big Island is its raw beauty and wide open spaces. The Big Island is different than most mainland beaches that are crawling with millions of visitors and have so many overwhelming rules and regulations. For some unknown reason, there seems to be a consistent ban on kayaking at so many Big Island locations.
Recently, I had planned an excursion – we wanted to kayak from Kua Bay to Makalawena Beach. I thought it would be a really nice trip with beautiful land scenery as well as prolific reefs to explore. Checking satellite photos, it certainly looked enticing. When I last visited Kua Bay, I saw a dive flag just offshore and that whetted my apetite for exploration. Unfortunately, upon arrival at Kua Bay, we spotted this large garrish sign exclaming: NO KAYAKS ALLOWED. I thought it was very strange considering everything else seems to be acceptible… Not wanting to get fined or arrested, we aborted this mission.
A few days later, we found ourselves coming back from Captain Cook after a fantastic morning of kayaking, snorkeling and SCUBA diving. We decided to take a detour to Kahaluu Beach Park and check out the waves at the north end of this bay. Since it was the winter, the swells were impressive and we thought it would be a great chance to do a little surf kayaking here. So we quickly unloaded our kayak, rigged the seats, threw on our rash guards and slapped sunblock on our faces. We were ready to ride the sets… until we saw another large sign: NO KAYAKS ALLOWED — we were crushed. We were relegate to body surfing at Magic Sands instead that afternoon… not nearly as fun as battling the waves by kayak.
It seems that the law makers seem to have a personal vandetta against us kayakers. There doesn’t seem to be a problem with riding a surf board, body-board, or other flotation device. It is okay for the oppulent resorts limiting the “public beach access” with their condescending guards. But just don’t get caught kayaking! Alas, it seems to be a state park law – so us avid kayakers will be forced to stay away from those locations and continue to partake in our sport as renegades.
I look forward to doing more “legal” kayaking in the future and posting my adventures online.
Categories: Kayaking, Ocean Tags: Kayak Big Island
For
a mere $2 you can download the 30+ page Big Island Vacation Planner
electronic book in easy to read and easy to print PDF format.
Loading ...