Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 135

Moments

Experiencing Jaws: Up Close & Personal

You're 4 miles out from land, which is just a speck on the horizon, with
hundreds of feet of open ocean. Suddenly from out of the blue depths
a shape emerges: the sleek, pale shadow of a 6-foot-long gray reef
shark, followed quickly by a couple of 10-foot-long Galápagos sharks.
Within a couple of heartbeats, you are surrounded by sharks on all
sides. Do you panic? No, you paid $120 to be in the midst of these jaws
of the deep. Of course, there is a 6-foot by 6-foot by 10-foot aluminum
shark cage separating you from all those teeth.
It happens every day on the North Shore Shark Adventure ( & 808/
256-2769; www.hawaiisharkadventures.com). They will take the entire
family on their cruises, but use your judgment on allowing kids to go
into the shark cage. Generally, kids 13 and older are mature enough to
enjoy the experience. The adventure is a dream of Capt. Joe Pavsek,
who decided after some 30 years of surfing and diving to share the
experience of seeing a shark with visitors. To make sure that the pred-
ators of the deep will show up for the viewing, Captain Pavsek heaves
“chum,” a not very appetizing concoction of fish trimmings and
entrails, over the side of his 26-foot boat, Kailolo. It's sort of like ring-
ing the dinner bell—after a few minutes the sharks (generally gray reef,
Galápagos, and sandbars, ranging from 5-15 ft.) show up—sometimes
just a few, sometimes a couple dozen. Depending on the sea condi-
tions and the weather, snorkelers can stay in the cage as long as they
wish, with the sharks just inches away. The shark cage, connected to
the boat with wire line, floats several feet back and holds up to four
snorkelers. (It's comfortable for two but pretty snug at full capacity.)
You can stay on the boat and view the sharks from a more respectable
distance for just $60. The more adventurous, down in the cage with
just thin aluminum separating them from the sharks, are sure to have
an unforgettable experience.

islands off the beach called Mokulua—it's an experience no one in the family
will forget. If the kids are small, rent a double kayak and just let them sit and
enjoy the view; the older kids should get in on the paddling action. Kayak
equipment rental starts at $10 an hour for a single kayak, and $16 an hour for a
double kayak. In Waikiki, try Prime Time Sports, Fort DeRussy Beach ( & 808/
949-8952 ). On the windward side, check out Kailua Sailboards & Kayaks,
130 Kailua Rd., a block from Kailua Beach Park ( & 808/262-2555; www.
kailuasailboards.com), where single kayaks rent for $39 half-day and double
kayaks $49 half-day. On the North Shore, Surf-N-Sea, 62-595 Kamehameha
Hwy., Haleiwa ( & 808/637-9887; www.surfnsea.com), not only rents kayaks
($10 an hour single and $15 an hour double), but has clear kayaks (so you can
see the fish swim underneath you) for $20 an hour.
First-timers should go to Kailua Sailboards & Kayaks, 130 Kailua Rd., in
Kailua ( & 808/262-2555; www.kailuasailboards.com), where the company
offers a guided tour with the novice in mind in a safe, protected environment.
Included in the tour are lunch, all equipment, and transportation from Waikiki