Outdoor Activities - Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu - page 211

If you want to rent beach toys (such as a mask, snorkel, and fins; boogie boards; surfboards;
kayaks; and more), check out the following rental shops: Snorkel Bob's, on the way to
Hanauma Bay at 700 Kapahulu Ave. (at Date St.), Honolulu ( & 808/735-7944;
www.snorkelbob.com ); and Aloha Beach Service, in the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel,
2365 Kalakaua Ave. ( & 808/922-3111, ext. 2341), in Waikiki. On Oahu's windward side, try
Kailua Sailboards & Kayaks, 130 Kailua Rd., a block from the Kailua Beach Park ( & 808/
262-2555; www.kailuasailboards.com ). On the North Shore, get equipment from Surf-N-Sea,
62-595 Kamehameha Hwy., Haleiwa ( & 808/637-9887; www.surfnsea.com ) .
Boating
A funny thing happens to people when they come to Hawaii: Maybe it's the salt air, the warm
tropical nights, or the blue Hawaiian moonlight, but otherwise-rational people who have nev-
er set foot on a boat in their life suddenly want to go out to sea. You can opt for a “booze
cruise” with a thousand loud, rum-soaked strangers, or you can sail on one of these special
yachts, all of which will take you out whale-watching in season (roughly Dec-Apr). For fish-
ing charters, see “Sportfishing,” below.
Captain Bob's Adventure Cruises ★ See the majestic Windward Coast the way it should be
seen—from a boat. Captain Bob will take you on a 4-hour, lazy-day sail of Kaneohe Bay aboard
his 42-foot catamaran, which skims across the almost always calm water above the shallow
coral reef, lands at the disappearing sandbar Ahu o Laka, and takes you past two small is-
lands to snorkel spots full of tropical fish and, sometimes, turtles. The color of the water alone
is worth the price. This is an all-day affair, but hey, getting out on the water is part of the reas-
on you came to Hawaii, right? A shuttle will pick you up at your Waikiki hotel between 9 and
9:30am and bring you back at about 4pm—it's a lot quicker than taking TheBus.
Kaneohe Bay. & 808/942-5077. All-day cruise $88 adults, $73 children 3-12. Rates include all-you-can-eat barbecue
lunch and transportation from Waikiki hotels. No cruises Sun and holidays. Bus: 55 or 56.
NavatekI ★★ You've never been on a boat, you don't want to be on a boat, but here you are be-
ing dragged aboard one. Why are you boarding this weird-looking vessel? It guarantees that
you'll be “seasick-free,” that's why. The 140-foot-long Navatek I isn't even called a boat; it's
actually a SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) vessel. That means the ship's super-
structure—the part you ride on—rests on twin torpedolike hulls that cut through the water
so you don't bob like a cork and spill your mai tai. It's the smoothest ride on Mamala Bay. In
fact, Navatek I is the only dinner cruise ship to receive U.S. Coast Guard certification to travel
beyond Diamond Head.
Sunsetdinnercruises leave Pier 6 (across from the Hawaii Maritime Museum) nightly. If
you have your heart set on seeing the city lights, take the Royal Sunset Dinner Cruise, which
runs from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The best deal is the lunchcruise, with full buffet lunch and a great
view of Oahu offshore. During the whale season (roughly Jan-Apr), you can whale-watch,
too. The lunch cruise lasts from noon to 2:30pm. Both cruises include live Hawaiian music.
Check website for Internet deals.