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Prosise©2001
The Island of MAUI
Escapee from a Luau
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The Island of OAHU
& Waikiki Beach
The Big Island HAWAII
The Island of KAUA'I
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All Photos Copyright 2001 by Paul Prosise; can be used for educational, not-for-profit use, if you credit.
I've found renting a kayak expensive on a daily basis. Plus I had trouble getting them early in the morning when it's usually calmer so decided to take my own along with me. I purchased a Sevylor Tahiti Vista inflatable kayak that breaks down to fit in one suitcase. I've found that I can blow it up with a foot pump in less than five minutes. It takes about that long to deflate it and fold it away. You can even throw it in the trunk of your rental car and go anywhere!
Snorkeling from a kayak gives you even more freedom. I tie a line onto the kayak and just pull it along with me while I snorkel. Getting in and out of the boat is fairly simple and a good way to practice self rescue especially since you're going to get wet snorkeling anyway. This way you can get into interesting spots to snorkel and not have to swim so far.
I found that inflatable kayaks handle rather poorly because they have a flat bottom and don't come with a rudder so I added my own. It breaks down to fit in the same suitcase as the kayak. One of these days, I would like to get an inflatable Aire Sea Tiger kayak that has a V-shaped hull and full rudder assembly for better tracking and, as an added bonus, is self-bailing.
Note: As in most things, there are potential hazards involved in sea kayaking: wind, surf, rip currents, sea current, hypothermia, and the sun. Kayaking and snorkeling off Hawaii can be both fun and dangerous. The wind can blow you out to sea with gusts that can come up without warning. So, hug the coast and come in if the winds pick up. Also, surf and inflatables don't mix. Use a bay or channel to enter the sea, and remember, coming in to shore is harder than going out. Playing in the surf may look like a lot of fun -- and it is -- but there is more to it than it looks. In an inflatable kayak you have very little control in the surf which will turn the kayak sidewise to the wave. If you don't know how to lean into the wave and brace, over you will go. I highly recommend taking sea kayak lessons; I took mine in California at Southwind Kayak Center . Also, a good book is "Paddling HAWAII" by Audrey Sutherland, published by The Mountaineers, 306 Second Avenue West, Seattle, Washington 98119.