Kamanu Sail & Snorkel

Had a fabulous snorkel trip with great crew! Came across a large pod of dolphins on way to snorkel spot and crew stopped to allow us more than enough time to get pictures and to enjoy seeing the dolphins. Boat and equipment could use some upgrades as swim noodles are due to be replaced.

Went out on the Manta Ray night snorkel and had a much different experience than the Dolphin swim.
First, the crew: I guess T&A rules the day at Kamanu. I got yelled at on the way out for doing something that the female passengers were allowed to do all day long. Not cool. Then, when we were in the water, I noticed that the male passengers (young and older alike) were spoken to with a much harsher tone than the females — and the females were the ones screwing up the most!
Second, the gear: the floats are falling apart and are almost done in the water. I looked around and saw other charters with much better equipment being used. It seems Kamanu is in it for the money… period.
Third, the mantas: We saw a few, but our group was allowed to drift off away from the main groups and so the mantas gathered where the most light was. Needless to say, it wasn’t us. As I heard people having a good time behind us with the mantas, we were off by our selves with maybe 1 or two every 5 minutes — probably curious why we weren’t with the rest of the lights.
Fourth, the check-​in: The lady behind the counter obviously wanted to be somewhere else… and not doing what she was doing. She answered in one word phrases and gestures instead of actually speaking to us.
My conclusion: The manta ray snorkel (while it has the most passengers) is not the focus of Kamanu. They half-​assed the entire trip. I know its too much to ask for a refund (like I said they need the money), but if they wanted to keep customers, that’s exactly what I would get.

We did the manta ray tour and the dolphin tour. Chris was the captain, Mike and Elizabeth were great. I can’t remember the other guys name, but they did amazing! We went on the sail boat and also the fast boat. They made sure we got to do what we wanted! We almost didn’t pick it because it was cheaper than another tour and we thought it might not have been as good, but we ended up choosing it in the end and are very happy with our choice. Make sure you wear your swim suit, bring a towel and sweatshirt, and sun screen!

Took this adventure to swim with dolphins and snorkel. I loved the air boat ride vs a regular boat because you get to sit outdid and it very comfortable. The captains has storied to tell about Hawaii so you got some history to boot. Highly recommend!

We did the swimming with the Rays at night and it was awesome. Swimming with the Rays was an experience I would always remember. I would recommend them and book again with them. My friend got sea sick and they were very attentive to her.

Wasn’t our first experience with these guys and it wont be the last! Ive done their Dolphin swim and kealakekua bay excursion and recently went out on the catamaran for the sunset manta snorkel. What a life changing experience! The crew and service was top notch and the boat ride a breeze. We even saw a pod of DOLPHINS!

We did the sunset manta ray snorkel on their fast zodiac boat. This boat only seats 11 or 12 so take the whole family like we did or try to get on it– it’s way faster and a fun jet-​boat ride compared to their catamaran. Captain Cooper was really hospitable and our water guide O’Ryan was great! We saw about 6 big rays– not a great night comparatively but a cool experience. Know you’ll be sharing this cook experience with about 10 other boats full of people though.

Loved the morning snorkel with dolphins. Saw dozens. Got pretty tired and nauseous so couldn’t do the manta night snorkel. Sucks because there’s no refund. And the front desk even said a lot of people don’t join for the second trip so they don’t discount the first only. That’s where the money is made :) open spots for last minute add ons. Little fishy, no pun intended, but hey how often are you in Hawaii.
We booked the catamaran bc of my nausea, but keep in mind it doubles your time on the water to get to, and return from, the destination. Should have stuck to speed boat maybe.

For me, 3 stars is good and everything that you would expect, but there’s nothing that stands out. I went on the Dolphin swim, and we totally swam with dolphins, it was amazing. There were several other boats in the same area experiencing the exact same awesomeness of swimming with dolphins.
The reason I say nothing stood out is for me is the captain and crew. There was nothing wrong with them, but there was no sweet factoids, history, jokes, or personality, really. I learned spinner dolphins jump out of the water and spin for no reason that we know of… How many other cool things could they learn about dolphins, and then share with everybody. Help us look for something as we swim alongside these awesome creatures.
Still, totally worth the money.

First class with capt Chandler and hot first mate Merideth. Great snorkel and sail. Dolphins, sea turtle and a seal to cap off a great day. If you are on the cruise ship book them directly to save some money.

Went out today on the Kamanu Zodiac dolphin& snorkeling trip today. I’ve been on their other whale watching trip and loved those too. Great experience, gracious hosts (boat captains) and decent lunch too.

Super friendly staff from the moment one walks in the door to check in. Kamanu truly is the best company to chose for snorkeling and personally my husband and I loved the enthusiasm and how passionate our captains were throughout the whole journey. Keep in mind this was our first time snorkeling ever. Manta Ray snorkeling is truly a breath taking experience and I’m sure we wouldn’t of had such great experience without the staff so I really recommend this company to anyone visiting Kona. I wish I had the name of the boys that guided us through the Journey to thank them once again, Josh I believe was one and Chandler was another (maybe) I’m bad with names. Anyway Go for it and book your manta snorkeling I guarantee you won’t regret it.

This was the best experience I have had with a charter. The crew was super accommodating and attentive to everyone. What’s more? They know exactly where to go and what to do to have a manta experience. We were the only ones last night to have a show. Other operations had bigger boats and fancier equipment, but they saw nothing. I brought my 7 year old son and he got an experience he will never forget! Bring cash for beer or wine after the dive and be sure to tip the hard working crew. Totally incredible experience.

Had a great time overall. Manta ray at night
It was hard to find but someone there from another company told us where to walk and check in. They are in the back section.
We arrived early and waited ²⁰⁄₃₀ minutes. Then we had a stack of flippers to go through and find which fit us best. Then we given wet suits that only go to the thigh.
There were 9 customers and 2 workers on a zodiac boat. We headed to the location while the sun was going down and it looked nice.
They were very nice, funny and informative. There was one person not comfortable with swimming and they were very helpful with making her feel comfortable.
Once we arrived to the spot there a bunch of other boats there, scuba divers and snorkel. We were in the water as the sun went down and within 20 minutes… BOOM there was a manta ray. We all floated on the water while holding onto a type of surf board/​pvc with light setup and the manta ray was eating right in front of us. It even brushed against my girlfriend as it flipped over to go back to eating. Next thing I know all of the groups were in one area and there were 5 or 6 manta rays right there!!!
We broke off and had to head back to the boat. Just before we got back to the boat there were 2 more manta rays.
I would recommend it! One of the instructors was from Chicago too. He said he missed the Chicago accent.

Would recommend these guys any day. I was coming from another event far away and couldn’t make it there by the official time of 5:00pm. I called and they were able to hold off on launch until 5:30. Walked off the shuttle and onto the boat at 5:27, perfect timing. They are very experienced and make you feel comfortable on the boat and in the water. I guess there are always a few mantas in the area around the airport, but the day we went out was apparently the best day of the year and we saw upwards of 40 or more. Supposedly there are about 200 that frequent the area and to see this many at once was really unusual. Beer and other appetizers on board. A very nice couple gave me a ride back to town instead of having to hop a cab (thank you!). A very memorable experience.

Super fun! Saw dolphins within 10 minutes on the boat. Spinners in the harbor then Bottlenose out on the ride. Chandler and Meredith were not only knowledgeable but super sweet. We had an amazing day swimming with beautiful creatures!

The crew (Dave, Chris, and Orion) was great, they handled a full boat (approx. 24 guests) well and with our safety and satisfaction in mind. We were divided into two lightboards and our board saw more Mantas than the other, but that was because everyone on our board followed directions and laid flat. Amazing, incredible experience !!

The office is not easy to find/​spot as the sign is not obvious so ask for directions when you call. You have to walk through another store to get there. FYI only.
All staff were very friendly. Nice trip out to the site. One other customer we saw was v nervous on entry to the water and could have been given a bit more attention but that’s my only gripe.
We got lucky and saw loads of mantas, a few got really close and almost touched us. At the end there were 5 twirling under the boards by the boat.
It might be a little intimidating to someone who is not a diver or a snorkeler as it’s dark and there is a lot of activity both on top and under the water but there is nothing to worry about.
Loved it. Do it and you will never forget it!

Swimming with Manta Rays is nothing that I ever thought I would do. Thankfully Kamanu Charters came into my life!
The experience was incredible! Jumping into the Pacific at night time to look at Manta Rays, in which some were bigger than me, was a mind blowing experience.
The guys were friendly and outgoing and they made the trip that much better.
Never thought I’d say this but Manta Rays are beautiful creatures
The End.
P. s. The reason for 4 and not 5 stars is because when the trip was over they asked us to go to trip advisor to rate our experience. Sorry, I only Unilocal :)

We did two outings with Kamanu. We initially went out with the boat for the wild dolphin swim. Guess it must be hit or miss with the dolphins as we had an incredible day. Found two different groups one right outside of the harbor and another right off of Kona. My wife and I swam with the dolphins for about 40 – 60 minutes. I managed to get in front of a pod and then swam with them and above them when they dove for about 20 minutes straight. I was right in the middle of a group of 12 or so and was actually smacked by one of their fins at one point. Great experience for us. The crew were great… believe it was Paul as the captain… nice guy who also skis part of the year and we discussed some of the same areas we have skied.
Had such a great experience went back for the night snorkel with Manta Rays. That was also incredible and totally different from the dolphins. The mantas are pretty large and they come with two feet or even closer of you when we were out there.
Think the dolphins were the my favorite however the mantas were also great and would recommend both. Bring a sweatshirt as even though its Hawaii after you get out of the water your going to want something warm at night.
After you can eat at Bite Me for decent fish which is right on the pier.