![]() ![]() One-tank scuba dives are also available on all Hula Kai excursions ($31 without gear $45 with) the manta night trip also charges $45 per “ride-along” (no snorkeling) passenger. It’s fairly balmy at night, but you’ll be tempted to stay in the water with the magnificent rays as long as you can, so wetsuits, warm soup, and hot drinks are provided to ward off chills. ![]() Like other tour companies, Fair Wind uses dive lights to attract even more plankton on the off chance you don’t get to see a manta ray, you’re welcome back another evening or on afternoon snorkel tour. Although you can see these gentle giants (no stingers!) during the day, at night they’re lured closer to the ocean’s surface by the plankton that also rise there. The Hula Kai also offers a fascinating night snorkel/dive with manta rays, a 1 1/2-hour tour that doesn’t have to voyage far from Keauhou Bay to find them. The manta ray night snorkel (6:30pm-8:30pm) includes all gear and a. Gentle Giants visit us nightly to feed on the plankton that is attracted by Hula Kais bright lighting. ![]() Guests have the option to try stand-up paddleboarding, SNUBA, or the propulsive “Sea Rocket” ($25 per half-hour) to cover even more ground underwater. The boat, the Hula Kai, is comfortable, and staff is there to meet your every need. The boat provides a plusher experience (such as comfy seating with headrests) and, on its 5-hour morning snorkel cruise, a faster, smoother ride to two uncrowded Kona Coast snorkeling sites, which vary according to conditions (but not usually Kealakekua Bay). Hula Kai: When traveling with teens or adults, I prefer the Hula Kai, the Fair Wind’s 55-foot foil-assist catamaran, open only to ages 7 and up. Swimmers age 8 and up can also try SNUBA-kind of a beginner’s version of scuba-for an optional $69, with an in-water guide. Year-round, the Fair Wind II offers a 4 1/2-hour morning snorkel cruise that includes breakfast and a barbecue lunch most of the year it also sails a 3 1/2-hour afternoon snorkel cruise that provides snacks, which in summer becomes a deluxe 4 1/2-hour excursion with barbecue dinner. The Hula Kai also operates a nightly manta ray snorkel, cited by the Travel Channel as being “One of the Top-Ten Things To Do In Your Lifetime.” Guests are treated to the majestic beauty of these “underwater ballerinas” and afterward get to warm up on the boat with homemade soups, dinner rolls and hot chocolate.I love Fair Wind, for several reasons, starting with its home in Keauhou Bay, 8 miles south of Kailua Pier and so that much closer to Kealakekua Bay, where its two very different but impressively equipped boats head for snorkel/dive tours:įair Wind II: When traveling with kids, I book a cruise on the Fair Wind II, a 60-foot catamaran that includes two 15-foot water slides, a high-dive jump, playpens, and child-friendly flotation devices with viewfinders, so even toddlers can take a peek at Kealakekua’s glorious sea life. This high speed catamaran is filled with first class amenities and serves delicious gourmet meals. The company added another additional family member to its fleet, the luxurious Hula Kai. ![]() However, this didn’t keep them down for long, as the family began construction on a new vessel, the Fair Wind II, that was completed in 1994. They purchased a second boat called the Hoʻokele, which was unfortunately destroyed in hurricane Iniki in 1992. Longer answer: It is impossible for manta ray tour operators to guarantee manta rays sightings every night of the year and it is possible that you’ll be unlucky and join a manta ray night dive/snorkel without seeing a single manta ray. In the early 80s, Michael and Janet sold the business to their son, Puhi and his wife Mendy, who continue to offer first class snorkel excursions. Short answer: You most likely can re-book your tour. They also upgraded the lunch menu from sandwiches to a delicious barbecue meal that can be smelled with envy by occupants of the other boats in the bay. Some of these additions included their famous rainbow colored sails and waterslides. By 1975, the Dant’s were ready to take their adventure tours to a new level, which required some upgrades and changes. ![]()
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