Canadians Paddling Kealakekua Bay - Big Island

by R Smith
(Victoria, BC Canada)

My wife and I rented kayaks and paddled to the captain cook monument in April of 2010. We are back again with our teenagers (boys 13 and 15) in March 2011. We were met by two locals who rented us kayaks (both needing some dental work) but we found them to be friendly and helpful.

One, a female was stationed at the public park entrance, and the other was at the large concrete pier. At first we thought it might have been a scam, but it was perfectly fine. They provided us with a kayak, lifejackets, and a waterproof pack. I carefully placed our brand new $1000 Canon camera in the waterproof pack, noting that it really was not entirely waterproof. It was a challenge getting into the kayak as it was quite a drop to sea level. Having got myself situated in the kayak with my wife still standing on the pier above me, the local yelled to look out for a rouge wave. I looked up just in time to see a huge wave crash into the pier. I was flipped upside down in the kayak and got a thorough dowsing, then took a few minutes to regain my orientation, thinking I was fortunate to have spent many years underwater scuba diving! This is when I remembered the camera and the not so waterproof pack. I then removed the pack and slung it up to my wife who returned the camera to our car. Fortunately, only a little water got in the bag and the camera was OK (only to be destroyed by a friends dog on a camping trip to Oregon a few months later).

We eventually got into the kayak and paddled across the bay, and managed to see some spinner dolphins on the way. Once there, we did the best snorkeling that we have ever done. We have snorkeled and gone diving around the world, including the Red Sea, and I can attest that the snorkeling in front of the Captain Cook Monument is the best that I have done. This was one of the highlights of our trip and we plan to take our teenagers back and do the same on this trip. I would list this as a "must do" part of visiting Big Island.

R & S....... Victoria, British Columbia