Bay Side Adventures

Bay Side Adventures is wonderful! They are one (of 2?) outfits licensed to rent kayaks for Kealakekua Bay/​Captain Cook Monument, and they are right on the bay so you don’t have to carry the kayak at all.
All my phone calls to them were met by the warmest, kindest folks, including the morning of when we were a little lost and late.
We were beginners, and Rocky was super helpful giving us an orientation, safety tips, and getting us into and out of the water. We had 1 double and 1 single kayak, and they even have some triple kayaks as well.
As we were kayaking across the bay to the monument, we saw a whale come up numerous times — one time just 10′ in front of my teenage daughter’s kayak.
When we got closer to the monument there were also spinner dolphins circling around us and leaping in the air.
When we got near the monument, there was wonderful snorkeling with a large variety of fish. You can’t land your kayak, but holding the rope while snorkeling was easy.
In addition to being with so many different kinds of ocean dwellers, just being in a kayak in the ocean was such a peaceful and expansive experience.
This was a magical and memorable experience all around, with high praise to Bayside Adventures for facilitating it.

Very friendly and helpful. Rented kayak to go to Captain Cook. Best snorkeling on the island! the only problem is parking.

We had a great time. Guys were so professional, knowledgable and friendly with us. They gave us a dry bag which kept everything dry for the trip, and lots of safety pointers. We felt very safe going out, and they directed us coming back in as to navigate the waves. This was my first time kayaking and everything went smoothly. The monument & snorkeling experience was amazing. This was the highlight of our trip! Thank you, Bay Side!

Family run shop. Totally loved it! Down to earth local boys who know their stuff. Aaron put me at ease with the surf coming in and gave us great instructions on how to push straight into the waves and how to get back in through the surf using his hand signals. Great snorkeling experience, will do it again!

All I can say is WOW! If you only do one tour in Hawaii, make it a manta dive! Our group seriously lucked out and had the canoe to ourselves, just 7 of us, and Eko and Rabbit from Anelakai Adventures, the group that Bayside contracts with for manta dives, we’re so awesome! We rowed out into the bay in a canoe, they dropped a big light in the water, and we jumped in and hung on to a bar in the middle to watch the mantas feed on the plankton that are attracted to the light. One 9 ft manta, Amanda, kept somersaulting around us for quite a long time. We’ll never forget it, and we were so glad we got a small private tour like this, rather than going out on a big motor boat with throngs of people all tied together like a floating human city, which we saw on either side of us. This felt way more personal, and I trusted that our guides would know where to go to get a good experience for everyone.
I let Bayside know that my younger son, who is autistic, didn’t like to wear the mask and snorkel and was saying that he was not going to get in the water. Eko and Rabbit were really patient and helpful with him, and eventually he got in with his goggles and saw the mantas, then when he got tired, they brought him back up and Eko caught little needle-​nosed blue bait fish with his bare hands and let my son touch them before throwing them back. He loved it!
After the dive, they served up hot chocolate and cookies for everyone from the back of their truck. As my older son said on the way home, «These little mom and pop operations are killing it with the food service!» In other words, nice touch!

We had a great time exploring the bay, kayaking with the dolphins, etc. They let you stay out as long as you like, give you detailed directions to their launch, and are super friendly and laid-​back. Don’t forget to ask them to tell you some of the best lunch spots on the island!
Suggestions: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen — don’t forget the legs and feet! Bring boat shoes or similar — the sea urchins are SPIKY. Bring a waterproof camera for the dolphins, extra water, and food. Leave plenty of time, don’t schedule something else to do. The drive south from the major hotels can be a while — people just drive slower in Hawaii and the roads are mostly one lane.
Great fun for a day!

This kayak tour was great. Justin was on our tour guy, very personal. There were 8 of us and we all had a great time. Not a swimmer and it was my first time kayaking; ended up enjoying it. Rocky and his family are really nice; they are very professional and easy going. I would highly recommend this tour if you are a beginner.

I chose this excursion as a surprise birthday present for my gift finicky husband. We are in Kona celebrating our 15^th wedding anniversary, his birthday and my son’s 12^th birthday. We arrived at 8 am (which is ideal for not only seeing Dolphins, which we did! But also for having the cove somewhat to yourself before all the boats filled with snorkeled show up.) it’s the best snorkeling around, the price is great, and the service was friendly and very accommodating. I recommend packing a lunch that you can put in your wAterproof bag they provide, and you strap it to your kayak. My only regret is not renting a GoPro for the trip. Mahalo!

This was the best kayaking experience we’ve ever had. The folks in the front office are super friendly and helpful as was Justin who helped us down at the ramp.
The launch site is located in a wonderful rural neighborhood. You launch into a beautiful, calm, protected cove. The paddle to the monument took us just short of 30 minutes.
Highly recommend getting out on the water early to get the best weather and be able to spend some time in the cove before the large boats come with scores of people. Also recommend spending some time snorkeling, it’s a fantastic site!

These guys were awesome. By the way they were very awesome. Helpful, calming and cool. Dustin was a great guy and a terrific coach to get me out of the harbor. Only downside is you cannot land on the capt cook site with them which is much needed for the seasick and history buffs. Overall I would recommend to anyone

Very friendly people! We got the first rental kayak of the day, Rocky helped launch us out into the bay, and the adventure began. Clear warm water, amazing visibility, snorkeling with spinner dolphins and along the reef near Captain Cook monument: all amazing. Definitely recommend this company

We’ve gotten so lucky with businesses run by such warm and helpful people! Anela was so sweet, starting with the first phone call to book our tour, then when I called to tell her we were running late, her greeting us, and then hanging out with us after our tour while we waited for our ride. She walked along the shore with our keiki showing her how to feed the sea turtles. She’s just a lovely person.
Our guide Justin was nice and chill. He gave us some guidance, and was helpful when we needed it, but let us go at our own pace.
I’m glad we went with the guided tour for our first time. But I think we have enough confidence to just do a rental next time. I will definitely use Bay Side Adventures when we do a rental, too. They help with getting the kayak in and out of the water, so you’re not completely on your own like you are with some other outfits. I could definitely spend all day floating in the cove admiring the beauty.
Here’s my Useful: Despite the business location shown on Unilocal,the loading area is 30 – 40 minutes south of where we were in Kona, so plan for that. After you book your tour, they’ll send you a text with all the directions, which was really useful. Pack water, snacks, and sunscreen… and you’ll have a lovely day!

I would give 10 starts if I could! We used bay side for our trip the the captain cook monument! We Just drove down to the bottom and someone offered us a rental. The price was the cheapest when compared to kona boys which was 30 an hour and 75 a day. Also tried comparing to aloha rentals but no prices online and no answer when I called. It’s 60 for a two person kayak all day! They give you a wet bag for your stuff which is nice. They are super friendly and let you take your time. Awesome people and rental company! Will come back!

We used Bay Side Adventures based on a tour book review saying it is the best, it was all that was promised.
I was a bit worried driving down residential streets to the bay but we found the company and parked. I suggest hiding your valuables if you plan on leaving them in the car. Our Guide, Anela, had waterproof bags to put out things in.
Anela only book my family on the tour. Thoughtfully she didn’t book anyone into the time slot behind ours so we had lots of time to explore. She is very knowledgeable about the area and Captain Cook legends. Most importantly she is competent in the water.
FYI — if you take this tour you should know how to swim. The kayak trip takes about 30 minutes and the water is calm & gorgeous but very deep.
Snorkeling was great. The water is clear and warm. There is only a bit of freshwater flowing into the reef so the water is warmer than other snorkeling areas. Anela held onto the kayaks for us so we didn’t have to tie them to one of our feet.
Suggestion: 8AM was our tour time. It may seem early bit on the KONA side of the island it is already warm. Plus as the day progresses more snorkelers come to the reef. It can become crowded. 8AM arrival allows for a set up, quick lessons, and paddling to the site, we were in the water by 9 and it was fantastic. Hardly anyone there… maybe 2 couples.
I highly suggest this company. You won’t e disappointed. Mahalo Bay Side Adventures! Thanks for making our experience a highlight of our trip to the Big Island!

Had an awesome morning with Bay Side Adventures. We got a double kayak which we could’ve kept for the whole day, rented snorkel gear for an additional fee, and they provided a dry bag with permit for snorkeling around the Captain Cook Monument. It took some muscle to get out of their cove, but after that the water was super calm and it was an easy 20 min kayak to the snorkel area. At first I thought it would be inconvenient to not be able to dock, but we just tied the kayak to a foot and it was no big deal. Wonderful snorkeling and a relaxing, beautiful kayaking trip. We saw pods of spinner dolphins on the way back, it was awesome!
Highly recommend this company. They are great, down to earth, local guys.

We had such a great experience with Bay Side Adventures. First off, we meet Alex at the boat launch, he helped us park and then helped us load up our kayak. After a few tips, he launched us into the bay and we headed out for a short 30 minute paddle across the bay to the Captain Cook Monument. The snorkeling was great, although it got crowded when the Big boats arrived. We were so happy to have our kayaks to get away from the crowds! On our way back, we were joined by pods of dolphins. We felt like they were checking us out and they even put on a little show for us. It was a fantastic day! Definitely recommend the kayaks and this company especially.

This company seems to be one of the better companies in the area. It is fantastic that you can rent the kayak for the whole day. There is literally no better place to kayak on the island. This bay has the cook monument with the best snorkeling around. It’s protected area which means you can’t land your kayak but it protects the coral for better snorkel sights. You are bound to kayak with dolphins in this area which is seriously the most magically experience. We also saw a huge manta ray pop up to the surface, which was fun.
The only reason for the four stars is when we arrived it was very hectic, no parking, hard to find. It seemed like there were multiple companies going out of the very small cove. No one was labeled with which company and we felt haggled until they found out we had prepaid. The other companies were not family friendly, and it made me uncomfortable and ready to get out of there.
I know these may not be things in Baysides control but it did make the experience uneasy and confusing. If they were more clearly labeled for which company is who it may have given me more peace of mind that I picked the right company. I am still not sure if the other people were part of the same or different company.
Otherwise, another thing checked off the bucket list!

I LOVE kayaking and dolphins so my boyfriend and I wanted to go out again. Earlier in our vacation we went on one of the paid tours, but we didn’t want to shell out that much money again (even though it was a great experience).
The tour book recommended Bay Side Adventures so we thought we’d try them out. OK, it seemed a little sketchy driving down these side residential streets to the bay then parked on one of them, but it was perfectly fine. Even better than fine. There are local Hawaiian guys who run the place and they’re very nice, helpful, and friendly. We could have kept the kayaks all day if we wanted, which would have been an amazing deal. The guy was so nice that he let me borrow their fins (I had my own snorkel and mask). It was great that we could go wherever we wanted in the Bay so we kept away from the throngs of people who took the tours. (NOTE– go very early like 7 AM so you get there before the crowds and diesel from the boats.)
Oh and we were running late so I called in the AM to let them know. The woman who answered the phone didn’t mind at all and was very friendly.
It’s a relatively easy kayak trip to Captain Cook (about 30 minutes), but it can get windy and wavy. You can’t land your kayak unless you’re with a tour, but you can snorkel by tying the kayak to your leg or arm. It’s not big deal.
I was reluctant to rent from this company because people online kept saying it wasn’t safe. That’s crazy. It’s totally safe and seemed like a true Hawaiian experience, not a touristy thing to do. This was the highlight of a 2-​week magical vacation even though that day we didn’t see any dolphins. Next time we’re in Kona, we will return and rent from these guys.

Manta Ray Night Snorkel — the best night you’ll have on The Big Island!
I am so happy we saw the manta rays by kayak with Anela and her friend Raymond. I had been to the Sheraton a few times to see the manta rays from the shore and every time there would be crowds of boats followed by peace and then crowds of boats again. I really wanted a peaceful experience and the kayak tours seemed to go in between crowds — so I went with a kayak tour.
Why is Anela’s kayak trip great?
— It is personal (Anela only books one group per night)
— You don’t get into the water until she spots a manta
— Less seasickness on a kayak than a boat
— Anela tries to go out during non-​peak times
— Everyone gets their own flashlight and she has a large light you can hang on to
Tips:
— Reef shoes for entry/​exit of kayak to avoid sea urchins
— A bikini is fine, but a rash-​guard or light wet-​suit for those who are easily chilled
— Book early in your trip so you can reschedule if you don’t see anything
— A couple of cheap flashlights (K-​Mart) will help if you are using a GoPro (the person with the brightest light will attract the manta, so trade off)
— Dramamine if it is choppy and you get sick easily
On our first visit the water was choppy and boats leaving the area said they didn’t see anything. We hung out for 45 minutes while Anela swam around with her large light looking for mantas. A couple of small tours arrived — and the patrons floated in the chilly rocky water for an hour without seeing anything. I was so thankful to be on the kayak and not in the water. Anela gave us the option to keep searching or try another night. She guarantees you see a manta or you go again!
The second night was beautiful. We were very surprised not to see any other tours on the water, but it was the night before Thanksgiving and Luau’s were popular that night.
A manta arrived about 5 minutes after Anela turned on her light. I saw two swim underneath me as soon as I jumped in the water. For the next hour we had a huge manta completely to ourselves — barrel roll after barrel roll — he put on a show. It is such an amazing experience. I highly recommend this tour. If you don’t swim well, just wear a life vest, you don’t need to go anywhere, just hang on to the big light.

These guys are running a LEGIT, personal operation!
Everybody was super friendly and it was very easy to contact them, make appointments, and reschedule when we needed.
There is a SUPER PRIVATE little bay that they launch kayaks out of. We pulled up and they helped us unload and showed us where the best place was to park. They had the kayaks all ready and helped us get into the water were we were given the kayaks for as long as we wanted that day!
They directed us where to go and what to look for while paddling around out there. On our half hour paddle to the main snorkeling spot we saw a huge pod of spinner Dolphins! They were spouting and jumping out of the water 10 feet from us. We could also hear them clicking and squeaking under the water once we began snorkeling. We later found out that this is an extremely common experience. I guess there are almost always dolphin sightings here.
The snorkeling was good. There was coral and fish everywhere. It was a very fun time. I’ve been snorkeling all over the world and this was right up there.
When we brought back the kayaks there were 3 turtles swimming around in the bay! We got to see them up close and it was an amazing experience. Apparently turtles frequent the bay and almost everyone sees them!
The guys were super helpful in every way. My buddy cut his foot and they helped us clean it out and brought band aids for him.
This was truly a unique experience and I would absolutely recommend this kayaking/​snorkeling experience over any other.