Ocean Sports

My kids and I had a blast on the Ocean Sports snorkel boat cruise today! Every single employee showed such wonderful Aloha spirit and made the trip awesome. It’s so easy to park and get to the launch beach at A Bay. The glass bottom boat ride that we took to get to the Sea Smoke (big catamaran that took us on the snorkel trip) was an extra bonus! Kids loved every bit of it and so did I! Thank you for an amazing experience!

Did the glass bottom boat ride. Super nice people. Super fun ride with great visuals. Saw coral, sea turtles and lots of different fish. Boat crew had great info and wefe very pleasant. Will go back and do more stuff with them.

Super snorkel cruise today. Shane and his crew were friendly, supportive and took us to a great location. The vessel is safe and fun. Lunch was a really nice sandwich spread in a relaxing environment. Highly recommended for a day snorkel trip out of Kona.

The agenda for every person at Ocean Sports is simple – to provide the best experience possible for you.
We had the pleasure of taking advantage of a snorkel tour as well as an «Aloha Day» where we used several different types of ocean equipment. The Aloha Day was great; the weather didn’t cooperate to allow for snorkeling that day, but it was great to be out on the paddle boards and kayaks. My husband and I each took a kid and either paddled, boogie boarded, or kayaked for 3 hours. The beach was nice, and more senior friends rented a nice cabana and enjoyed relaxing while we played. The staff was great, everyone was friendly and knowledgeable, and we never had to worry about safety.
Two days later, the weather had settled a bit but still made snorkeling a challenge. Nonetheless, the crew of the Seasmoke took us out for a great adventure. The crew were all knowledgeable, competent, and wonderfully personable and accommodating. I watched Adam help a little boy who was afraid of the water go out in 20 feet of water. Adam dove down to bring up an urchin for the young man to hold and play with, and by the time the dive was over, the little one was transformed from a shy and nervous youngster to an outgoing and boisterous kid who was playing a game of catch with Schultz on the deck. The funniest part was the kid missing the catch, and Schultz having to strip down to his swim trunks and dive in after the nerf ball. THAT is priceless.
Two other women on the cruise told me they tour exclusively with Ocean Sports, often 3 – 4 cruises per week when they visit, purely due to the amazing crew and wonderful experience they always have with Ocean Sports. Captain Jeff at the helm had great stories on the history of the boat and the bay, and was easy to chat with and fun to listen to. Micah was an excellent host and gave a very educational talk about the sea life we’d be seeking, and swam as a sentry with his lifeguard float while we drifted on some pretty big swells, trying not to kick the turtles that kept randomly surfacing near our party.
For 2 days where the sea wasn’t friendly, when the whales were nowhere to be seen, and visibility was basically zero, my family and I still enjoyed an wonderful experience. Not many companies can offer that. I’m a fan, can’t wait to go back.

Hello,
We had an amazing time. The staff was polite, knowledgeable, and friendly. My only complaint is the hours spent actually snorkeling. I don’t think there was enough time spent snorkeling. Pick up time should be ~8 am and the trip should last until 4pm. Further, there should be 2 areas for snorkeling not just one.
Thanks,
Norma

I wish I could give it more than five stars. The team was amazingly nice. They exceeded all expectations. There were some unexpected pleasant surprises that were in their control and we saw whales, flying fish, and a large pod of dolphins. They take time to connect with everyone. Bring Dramamine and take it the minute you feel off. Bring Dramamine chewables for kids if you have little ones. Enjoy!

Whale watch tour was great. We had the best tour guides who were constantly on the look out for whales. We actually spotted four! Even if you don’t get to see any whales, the sailboat ride is fun in itself.

My wife and I took the whale watching tour on Thursday morning, March 17, 2016. We were taken by mini tour bus to the harbor at Kawaihae where the catamaran was docked. Our worries about big waves (it was so windy that day) were soon alleviated. The catamaran cruised near the shore, probably less than a mile out, so we were protected from the winds by the bay.
The crew was very friendly and professional. Our tour guide, Angelica, was very knowledgeable. As we were looking for «spouts» she kept us engaged with tidbits about humpback whales. Never annoying though. She did an excellent job. As we were heading back to the harbor she walked around and asked if anyone had extra questions. You could see that she really liked her job!
30 minutes into the cruise we saw our first whales, a mother and her calf. The first siting was somewhat far away. But the captain positioned the boat as close as what was allowed and stopped the motor. We got several more views of the mother and her baby, probably 100 – 150 yards away.
This was an excellent cruise. I would recommend it to anyone. I believe they said the whale season runs from December to April.

After taking a number of boat trips out of A-​Bay over the last five years I have been remiss to not to give Ocean Sports a stellar review. We have taken eight or nine snorkel /​whale watch trips when in season with OS and they have yet to disappoint. We have sailed with so many crews and captains over the years and it is impressive after so many trips that you can feel the love they all have for providing an exceptional experience from the moment you step on board. I highly recommend taking a trip with them when you are fortunate enough to be on the big island.

This was an amazing experience for my first trip to Kona. The crew was delightful and helpful. The boat was clean and safe. The view was amazing. I watched the sunset and saw whales. The food an drinks were great too.

The whole experience was great and so user friendly. Walked down to the beach from the Waikoloa Marriot, checked in and got shuttled to the catamaran via the glass bottom boat, bar on the catamaran already had dozens of Mai Tais pre made and ready. They would make other stuff if we wanted. Picked a spot near the bow and just chilled. They had a very knowledgeable crew, including a marine biologist who gave us some great info about the whales. Crew walked around taking empty cups and asking what else we wanted to drink. You could tell the crew was engaged and liked their jobs and wanted to give everyone a good time. 2 hour cruise, friendly atmosphere, sunset, it was whale season so we saw a decent amount of whales, then right back to hotel for dinner. Could not have been a better activity.

This was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. The guys who run the boat are tops and I have no regrets about the money I spent. Do this tour! !!!

We went on the 8:00am wake up with the whales cruise. Our whale sightings started out slow, but we ended up having two whales come right up beside our boat! I still can’t believe how close they were. It was absolutely a dream come true! The crew was so professional, accommodating, and knowledgable. They obviously love their jobs. When the two whales came up to our boat, the crew seemed to be as excited as we were. We would definitely use Ocean Sports again! Very pleased with our experience!

Easy access from Kolea Resort. We walked right from our beach access to the boat at A Bay. Nice boat, drinks, snacks. Great staff ! Learned a lot about whales. Knowledgeable staff. Thanks Adam for entertaining my son, the Seahawks fan from Portland. He really had a great time on the paddleboard after. The whales were not as active as we hoped but we got pretty close to some and got great photos. Would definitely do again.

We took the sunset booze cruise on December 16, 2015. Though we knew we were sailing the very early early whale migration window, we were hopefully optimistic. Turns out that there were more treats in store than whales.
First, the crew was excellent. The were extremely friendly and also candid with their recent weak record of spotting whales so early this season. The bar was more than just fully open. Crew members actually walked around offering refills when your level approached bottom. This is a very nice luxury that allows you to remain in position, scanning the horizon for blows while conversing with fellow passengers.
The warm breezes on the bow of the catamaran were refreshing and the view on Mauna Kea was unique, having the ocean in the foreground. We watched the trades push weather just a few miles upland where we spotted a small but wide and very vivid rainbow.
Sunset was awesome. Not so much for watching the orange ball of fire sink below the ocean, but in seeing how its glow backlit the higher altitude clouds.
We had a very sweet couple on the boat who were celebrating 40 years of marriage by renewing their vows at sunset. Really neat to be a part of it.
So, even though there were no whales this time, it was still well worth it. Hopefully the whale karma will come full circle on our next trip with Ocean Sports.

The crew were professional, the dive master was a great guide and knew the area well so no one got lost. My only disappointment was the distance from the hotel at Kings Land I found myself walking to the dive site and then was told the first shuttle bus would have got me there on time. For the cost of the dive $US177 or in my case $AU244 transport would have been nice. The price is the reason why I only dived once.
Graham Tight

Our company took a trip for our 25^th Anniversary trip. We ended up renting the entire boat out (74 people) and had THE BEST excursion during our trip to Hawaii. The staff picked us up, were super friendly and welcoming! The staff was super knowledgeable on the boat and explained everything very thoroughly to us. Did I mention they were all super cool?
After an amazing time snorkeling, swimming, jumping off the boat — we had a lunch with open bar! :) We had a BLAST!!!
If you’re considering doing this — DO IT! :)

Great crew, equipment, knowledge of the water and reasonable pricing make for an excellent snorkel trip.
Reasons for 5 star rating:
1– Crew was awesome
Helpful, friendly, efficient. Before we got to the reef area crew gave a run down of the Hawaiian marine life that we’re about to see. While we were in the water they helped point out different fishes, and pulled out a sea cucumber for us to observe.
2– Great boat and equipment.
Boat was clean, and the snorkeling equipment was in very good condition. Bonus point: they had a ton of boogie boards and ‘noodles’ so that I can float easily when tired (I’m a bad swimmer)
3– Knowledge of local area
On the way out we stopped at an area where dolphins are known to rest/​hang out, and got lucky as we saw more than a dozen of dolphins. The reef area where they took us is by a black sand beach that wasn’t easily accessible by land, so an additional bonus.
4– Pricing
Ok, so $ 120 per person isn’t cheap, but it is Hawai’i after all, and the boat leaves from a very convenient spot in Waikoloa. Overall I felt it was a good value for money.

Top knotch! The crew was the absolute best. Snorkeling was awesome, and the crew were happy to explain what we saw. Well exceeded expectations.

Everything was spot on the staff was professional, funny, geniune people. The gear was in perfect condition the boat beautiful. Worth every penny.