Aloha Kayaks Maui

We did the 4h whale watch from Makena. We were lucky enough to see a whale… He was actually swimming directly under our kayaks, which apparently is somewhat rare. The snorkeling was a bit of a disappointment though. Based on my conversation with someone from Aloha prior to booking, I thought we would go to a more remote reef since we were on the kayaks. But we paddled to the reef directly outside of the Fairmount Hotel. It was fine, but I would’ve expected something more remote. Or even better, to spend that time paddling with the whales (something you can NOT do from the shore of the Fairmont Hotel). Our guide, Peter, was very knowledgeable. He was also fantastic about getting us in and out of the surf of the shore without tipping the kayaks. Finally the 4h adventure starts from the time of checkin– we were back even before 4h from when we entered the water– which just felt a touch cheap– you pay extra for the extra hour «with the whales» but then 1) part of it is spent with shore snorkeling & 2) you arrive back before the extra hour is done? Overall great experience (thanks to the whale) but don’t bother with the snorkel portion. Also what does Aloha do with clients who do not see whales…

Great trip with Jason! We were in Maui end of Jan and what a great adventure!
Me, my boyfriend and our parents were a small group — 3 kayaks, our parents were the first time do kayaking and I’m also first time kayaking on an open ocean which makes me a little bit nervous. But it’s really fun and even easier than do kayaking on river/​lakes. The waves will help!
So we start at 7:15AM and Jason pulled our kayaks to help us to get out. Which helps a lot cuz it;s not that bumping by the wave a lot. Then we paddled for half an hour toward the direction of Malokini, see few whales far away. But yes, it is whale season! So it;s easy to see whales, just depends on how lucky on how close you can be =P
Then we paddled to costal direction and did a snorkeling. I have to say it is amazing! The day prior to this kayak trip, we were sailing to the Molokini for snorkeling tour which was good as well. But we didn;t get a chance to see a turtle and it was crowded. This is very private and flexible, Jason is good at finding wild animals and we were able to see the turtles! It was huge, like a tank. lol. I think I may also see s little shark, I’m not pretty sure cuz it;s far in the bottom and its hiding in the rocks. But it is really good experience! You will leave with no regrets!

Aloha Kayaks was organized, professional and, most of all, FUN. We were very close to the whales and sea turtles, which was spectacular. I will definitely go on trips with them next time I visit Maui. Great equipment, timely and everything was smooth. I highly recommend them.

A group of four, two couples, went kayaking and snorkeling with Jason this past week and had a wonderful time! We saw a number of whales, and the snorkeling with sea turtles was fantastic. Jason took tons of wonderful pictures and was very informative about the island’s culture and history in addition to his knowledge about the wildlife.
We would recommend him highly, for his friendly and helpful attitude as well as his making for a really fun experience.

My wife and I booked a kayak and snorkel trip with Aloha Kayaks. Jason was a fantastic and experienced guide. We had a great time and were fortunate enough to see whales (up close), turtles, and all sorts of fish. This trip was very personal with a small group. I’d defiantly recommend as Aloha Kayaks provided a professsonal, fun, and safe time!

Aloha Kayaks saved our day! We had booked a trip with a different company that never showed up, and when Peter saw us wandering around looking lost, he let my boyfriend and I tag along with their group! I really think it worked out for the best, because the whole experience was wonderful. The guides were friendly and informative, telling us history of the island, the Hawaiian language, and information on different types of sea life. We even got to see dolphins!
The area we snorkeled at was BEAUTIFUL! The water was clear as could be; we got to see so many colorful fish, eels, and even turtles. The fresh pineapple after we got out of the water was the perfect treat to get the taste of salt out of our mouths.
We highly recommend this company to anyone looking for an awesome morning adventure! Thanks again guys for the awesome experience!

We booked the Olowalu Ocean Experience and it was awesome! This is still a small company and my husband and I were the only reservation for the day. We thought the guide would cancel or not be as invested but he treated us amazingly!
We went around and saw tons of turtles and some humpbacks far off in the distance. There were other companies around but our guide kept us far enough away and we felt alone most the time which was nice. Also, our guide brought us chilled pineapple chunks for when we finished snorkeling!

Wow haven’t been kayaking in a while forgot how it felt to be in open water, our tour guide was Jason his stories were great well not stories more like history of the island it was great that he taught us things about Hawaii that we didn’t know, we were in makena beach if you want to see turtles defiantly the place to go and I would also recommend you go to Jason you will defiantly have a good time

Great tour! Patric was a great guide who told great stories and created a friendly fun environment. Highly recommended!

Great tour of Olowalu Beach. I took my wife and kids and had a blast. The guide was very informative and had great stories about the island and its history. Definitely would do this tour again.

Our family took the trip out of Makena and had a great time with our guide Patrick. Will use them again on our return to Maui. Highest recommendation.

We took the Deluxe Makena Turtle Snorkel Tour and we were the only two that booked that day, so we had the tour guide, Griff, all to ourselves. In a word, it was amazing! Griff was way cool, very knowledgeable about the history of Hawaii, the sea life and the ocean itself. We saw some amazing things — an 8-​foot Manta Ray, breaching the water just about 25 yards away! We joined a pod of about a dozen dolphins and paddled with them for about 45 minutes. Then, we went snorkeling and saw many sea turtles. The trip was stunningly beautiful and quite spiritual. I would DEFINITELY use this company again. I can’t say enough about it — one of my favorite memories of Maui.

I never typically right reviews but this experience is worth writing about. The guides were phenomenal! I had a daughter who has never done snorkel before and the guides took their time to help her to ensure her enjoyment. It also made the experience great for my wife and I.
I definitely recommend this company!

Our guide was Griff, as «local» that’s been on the island for over 16 years or so. Griff took excellent care of me and my family. We’ve been on many kayaking trips and the guides have been pleasant, but Griff understood the importance of our trip. He didn’t make it seem like he was just repeating the same lines, he lived on the island from many years and appreciates its beauty and wonder like my family does. He didn’t just point out where the «rich» live, but gave us a wonderful history lesson. He made us feel like we belong and weren’t just visiting.
We’ve been to Maui 8 times and it is a special place for our family. It was wonderful to have a guide that appreciates that too! His passion for the island and its beauty comes across in everything he does. It’s all from the heart. He’s no faker. I would recommend Aloha Kayaks Maui to anyone, especially locally owned and operated. Mahalo Griff-​Silva Family-​Elk Grove, Ca!

Peter had us on whales in late season within 20 minutes. Being 30 feet from mother and calf in kayaks with your family is a once in a lifetime experience. This will be our greatest memory of Hawaii.
The launch point is Makena Landing. We did a deluxe tour and had a private trip. After whales, saw about 30 turtles and snorkeled 2 reefs. It might have been a fortunate day but it was utopic.

We took the kayak+snorkeling tour and it was awesome! Our guide was really interesting and knowledgeable. We saw a couple of gorgeous turtles during our snorkeling session. I highly recommend them!

Peter is smart, funny and really good with people! Great tour with a skilled guide. Peter was great when my husband flipped our kayak and had a tough time with his prescription mask. Calm, cool and so helpful! Very safe and well taken care of. Thanks Peter for a great morning on the water!

My mom found this place in a brochure and booked my dad and I a 7:30 am — 10:30 am kayak/​snorkel session. We arrived on time, off the side of one of the roads and promptly greeted by Peter, our guide. He was super friendly as he introduced himself and got us ready to go. As he set up, he told us the meanings of a few Hawaiian phrases, told us a bit about himself (from Maryland, like me!), and what we would do. My dad and I ended up being the only ones there, so it was like a private tour, which was awesome. This was our first time kayaking, but he said it was no problem.
He put away some of our belongings in his car, then dragged our kayak to the water and helped us get in. We went out a good distance from the shore, with Peter explaining various/​interesting things about Hawaiian culture as we paddled out. He is a great conversationalist beyond just Hawaii though & we were able to talk about a wide range of topics. After a while, Peter told us to start looking for sea turtles, soon enough we saw lots of them chilling out. We anchored our boats and Peter told us more about the turtles and then proceeded to show us a bunch of other ocean life. We got to swim and snorkel around on our own as well, with Peter always nearby to answer any questions.
At this point my dad started feeling seasick, so Peter got us right back to shore (he attached our boat to his, because we weren’t very good, haha). It was only about 9 or so, so he was more than happy to take me back out in search of a reef shark (wasn’t there, but got to see a lot of cool stuff). We finished a little early, around 10 or so, but I was happy with the amount of snorkeling and kayaking we got in. Peter then cleaned up everything & gave us some fresh cut pineapple that taste 1000x time better after being out on sea.
It was a great time with a tour guide who loved what he did, knew a lot (culture, what he was doing), was easy to talk to, and made sure we had a blast. Will be going back if I ever get myself back to Maui!

Griff is excellent! He took my husband and I kayaking and snorkeling with sea turtles. Griff does a great job sharing Hawaiian culture and history, and is very knowledgeable about the area.
We kayaked out to a spot near a reef, Griff anchored us, and then we snorkeled around. We got to see several turtles up close, as well as lots of fish and coral. Griff took some great photos of my husband and me.
I would definitely do this again if we ever come back to Maui!

Snorkeling is now my new favorite water activity because of Aloha Kayaks Maui!
I registered for the Olowalu Beach kayak/​snorkel tour through the AKM website. I was impressed with how organized and easy the process was. We arrived early the day-​of to meet our tour guide. My husband and I were the only people who signed up for the Olowalu Beach 7:15 a.m. tour that day. So our group was just the two of us and the guide — what a pleasant surprise!
All throughout the tour, our tour guide Griff did a great job explaining everything we needed to know — how to maneuver the kayak, what we were seeing in the water, Maui’s history. He was very knowledgeable, and we learned more about Hawaii from him than anyone else we met during our trip!
He knew of a location in which sea turtles frequented, so we kayaked out to that area, anchored the boats, and we snorkeled there. I was a little bummed that the turtles stayed near the ocean floor during our snorkeling, but of course they have a mind of their own. Griff joked that, «I think she’s addicted.» I had a great time snorkeling!
We enjoyed the AKM tour so much that we rented snorkel equipment later during our trip to go snorkeling again near our hotel.
Thanks to AKM for helping me discover my love of snorkeling! This was a big highlight of our trip, and it was such a fun and exciting way to spend the morning. I would recommend AKM to anyone in Maui looking for an unforgettable ocean experience.