Na Pali Catamaran

Excellent and worth every dime. Best boat trip I’ve ever taken and I would highly recommend it. I agree with all the other reports that I’ve read, morning is the best time to go. Captain Nick handled the boat flawlessly, the weather was perfect and the swell was minimal. Beautiful, exciting, intense, fun and memorable don’t even do it justice. Don’t miss it.

If you love snorkeling, if you love boat rides with some decent chop to it, and love breath taking views of some of the most amazing sights of Kauai, than this is for you! I enjoyed the small group of 18 of us and it made it much more enjoyable. All the crew was super friendly and fun and safe! The views are indescribable and worth it on its own! Even if you don’t snorkel, the trip is as good as the destination.

I don’t know what was better — seeing the Na Pali Coast by air (Jack Harter Helicopters) or by sea with Na Pali Catamaran. Na Pali Catamaran was a blast– the day we had was absolutely beautiful and calm to begin, which made that 7AM start time a little more swallowable. We were shuttled down to Hanalei Bay where we met the crew, Captain Nick and Miguel– who were both laid back, funny, and informative.
There were 14 people total on the boat which was perfect– so many boat tours cram way too many people on board so that they are hanging off the sides, in the seats, on the bow, and basically hanging from the ceilings– but this was a great sized group– everyone had a chair if they wanted it and there were plenty of extra chairs and space to move around.
The tour was gorgeous– coasting along Na Pali Coastline is unlike any other experience in the world — it is simply breathtaking — Jurassic Park meets LOST meets South Pacific and that’s just the beginning. Captain Nick was able to actually back us into amazing sea caves (terrifying but awesome) more than once, which most groups don’t get to do because of how rough the sea gets. At one point a couple dolphins came up to play, and suddenly the entire area was surrounded by a pod of hundreds of dolphins– over 200! It was simply fantastic. They leapt and spun out of the water playing around the boat, which, lucky for us, they LOVED and hung out with us for about 20 minutes before we moved further down the coastline. Turtles bobbed up and said hello as we gazed up at the amazing green mountains.
The snorkeling place we were going to visit was a little too rough so we ended up snorkeling on the way back at one of the other spots — Tunnels Beach — and guess who joined us for the snorkeling adventure? The dolphins! Unbelievable.
Lunch was sandwiches which you order when you make your reservations– nothing too crazy just a deli sandwich but lots of chips and cookies and n/​a bevis to accompany it. Solid fuel.
I can’t really speak highly enough about the crew and the service they provided– they knew their stuff — had all sorts of interesting facts about the Coastline, were experts at maneuvering the boat, and were really funny to boot — Miguel had my hubs and I cracking up the whole tour. Additionally, one of the other tour boats got stuck as their anchor was caught in the reef and our amazing crew were the ones to unhook their anchor and free them– ballers!
Would go again on this tour in a second! Bring cash to tip your captain and first mate– especially if they are Nick and Miguel! And definitely do the morning tour– the afternoon trip ended up being cancelled because the waters got too rough, which they said happens often, and you don’t want to miss this.

Really enjoyed the trip. Got to see whales and tons of turtles. They took us into multiple sea caves. Snorkeling was fine as was the lunch they served.

The owner refused to refund our purchase after I suffered an injury and could not participate.
I sprained and fractured my ankle while hiking the day before our scheduled catamaran trip. The injury occurred about 21 hours before the trip. We were in an isolated area with no cell phone reception so we could not call to cancel right away. We hiked another 2.5 miles on the injured ankle to get back to our car where we called staff.
After explaining our situation, we were told there were no refunds unless they could fill our two spots on the boat. They were only open another hour or so at that point. We still wanted to go on the trip but told them we would call after hearing what the doctor said.
It was a couple mores hours before we could make it around the island to an emergency room. That’s when we learned about the fracture. I received a cast, crutches, and prescription pain killers. The doctor said no activity on the ankle and I was unable to climb a ladder like the one required to get on the boat.
We called the business to provide the results, but they were closed by that time. We left a message. The next morning We contacted staff again who said we could not get a refund. We asked to speak to the owner and were told he would call us back.
Several hours later, a man called us claiming to be one of the three owners. He spoke very nicely and explained his small profit margin and how their standard business procedures would not allow for a refund with less than a 24 cancelation notice. He said he wanted to help, but blamed his two other partners for being inflexible and sticking to the policy.
End result: the owner refunded us $ 20 (of the original $ 400) for the two turkey sandwiches, and offered to give us two t-​shirts.
I hate writing poor reviews and they are a well-​rated business, but… beware of any illness or injury the day prior. I guess I should have just stayed locked safely away in my room all day. It was our honeymoon after all.

Sam and Johnny were our guides, they were fun, humorous and informative. It was the perfect combo of adventure meets comfort. We saw dolphins, whales!, turtles, waterfalls and breathtaking views. My favorite snorkeling trip to date!

I wanted to write a review about our wonderful experience with this company. Sam our captain and Miguel his assistant did a wonderful job of making the trip a grand adventure for our grand daughters and us. We were on the first trip out of Hanalei this Spring and felt so fortunate to be near the sea caves and snorkeling with the sea turtles. We have been on many tours here and I think this has been our favorite experience. Make sure to take a trip with these guys. You will love it.

This was a fun trip and the only ding is not finding an ideal snorkeling spot. Due to the high swells, the water was rougher making for an adventurous ride up the Na Pali coast. The coast line was spectacular and Capt. Sam and Miguel were incredibly informative and helpful during the entire trip. The sandwich lunch, snacks and drinks were excellent. Getting in close to the sea caves was really amazing. Unfortunately we could not go all the way in due to the swells.
We would gladly do this tour again if we came back during calmer times. The boat was the right size, the crew was awesome and the sights were amazing. The only ding on this tour was not finding a good snorkeling spot. We did stop at Tunnels but we did not go in. My wife and I are only beginning snorkelers and things just looked a little too rough. But do this tour! The sights are amazing.

during my trip to Kauai, i knew i wanted to see the Na Pali Coast so we decided to see it by sea by booking an AM Tour with Na Pali Catamaran. we were staying in Princeville so it made more sense to depart out of their Hanalei location. check-​in is early at 6:30am and once everyone is there, you are shuttled down to the Hanalei Bay pier to get on the boat. this is the slowest part of the trip since the shuttle van needs to take 2 trips to get everyone down to the boat. you are provided large dry bags for your belongings so no need to worry about your stuff getting wet from the splashing waves. our tour was full at about 15ish people but there were enough seats for everyone and the boat was pretty new and in good condition complete with a bathroom on-​board haha. our tour itself was really awesome — funny/​useful commentary from our captain, got to see some sea caves and of course the beautiful coastline. we even snorkeled with some turtles and had a great overall morning out on sea and a sandwich, chips, soda/​water lunch was included. i just wish that for the $ 180 i paid per person that more is included with the tour. while doing research on snorkeling tours this seems to be the going rate (at least departing from the north shore) so i guess you really have no choice while in Kauai to pay up for this adventure… but it would have been nice to have something more. maybe a mai tai or something?! haha.

Professional and fun! Both captain and assistant! Wonderful ride, clean boat an awesome lunch! We will do it again if back in Kauai!
I would also recommend doing the early bird.
You can avoid the traffic and get to experience Hanalei without the tourist crowds.

we recently took the 4 hour tour, including lunch and snorkling — Miguel and the other guy (boat driver) were both funny, helpful, educational — we had a great time and would highly recommend this group for a tour of the beautiful Na Pali coast by boat! Thanks guys!

I give four stars instead of five for a few reasons. Mostly this tour was great! The captains were knowledgeable and even though many people got seasick on the ride back, I didn’t think it was that bad. My only complaint is that while snorkeling one of them asked what we had seen, we said turtles, fish… oh, and we saw a shark when we swam out that direction but it swam off. When people started to ask what did she say? He totally threw me under the bus and said oh she’s just joking and laughed off. Real cool dude.
The views were of course exceptional. We did the afternoon tour and they gave us many opportunities to take photos and the sea caves were awesome!
My only other complaint was for the front desk staff. They were rude, unhelpful, and didn’t give out a lot of info as to what was happening. The van ride to the bay was awful. The driver took no care to slow down for speed bumps, I thought I was going to be seasick before we got on the water!
Overall we’d go again, but hopefully they improve their service!

Booked this tour based on Trip Advisor, Unilocal and The Ultimate guidebook. SO glad we did! These guys have their trip nailed down.
Nick and Miquel were professional but playful and gave fun details here and there. We were worried as it was raining when we left but Miquel said «No rainbows without rain». We were treated to the most amazing full rainbow just an hour or so later. We were only able to get into ²⁄₃ sea caves but did not feel like we missed out on anything.
Dry bags were provided, plenty of bottled water and bathrooms on board. They just got a new boat a few months ago that seats 24 and we had plenty of room to move around.
The kids and I loved the rough ride back! We stayed up front and spotted turtles in the surf.
We saw people in bigger boats and also in smaller ones. We felt our boat was just right.
They decide where to snorkel based on weather conditions and our spot was nice and sunny. Had we gone to Tunnels we would have had rainy cloudy weather.
Lunch was plentiful and we were really hungry for it! Soda, chips and cookies come with it so you don’t leave needing a meal.
We took the 6:45am tour specifically for the calm morning seas. We would highly recommend this tour!

I’ve been on a few boat snorkeling cruises, and the Na Pali Catamaran experience was okay. Our captains were good — that’s why I think the company deserves three stars instead of two, and the reasons I’m rating the company less than five stars are out of the captain’s control.
Pros —
1) It’s a smaller boat, so you’ll get a smoother ride than the larger tour operations. Therefore, if seasickness runs in your family or if you don’t want to say aloha to an overboard camera, you’re better off on a small boat.
2) Catamaran Na Pali gives snorkelers a lot more liberty in terms of how far they’re able to go from the boats. The reefs themselves are definitely interesting and full of fish. As with all boat tours, you’ll get great photos of the coast line.
3) With a smaller boat, you’re able to enter the caves (picture attached).
4) The captains have good personalities.
Cons —
1) The front office staff wasn’t good. One of them drove us up to the beach and dropped us off away from the boat without instructions. We twiddled out thumbs for 30 minutes until she arrived with the second group and drove past us. I guess that’s their way of communicating follow?
2) The boat itself was overcrowded in my opinion. There weren’t enough seats under the actual boat cover, so the last few people on the boat are guaranteed to get salt in their faces.
3) It’s hard to hear the captains if they’re talking and the boat is moving — especially if you’re in the back. To be fair, though, most of the time they stop the boat when speaking.
4) It’s a little freaky when you have to swim a good 30 meters in the deep, murky water from the boat towards the reef. You snorkel off of tunnels beach, and unfortunately there have been a limited number of shark attacks there before. It is a common snorkeling place regardless.
5) It’s not a big deal to most but I have to include it: no beer or wine.
Overall you’ll have a lot of options in terms of boat tours, so hopefully my comments help either way.

Unprofessional management, lazy front staff. I suggest you read what I was experienced before book a tour with them.
I was so excited about all their positive reviews and the fact that their boat trip was suggested from The ultimate Kauai guidebook, no doubt I picked them from all others ton of boat tours. Worst decision ever!
We woke up at 5:00am, hired a babysitter, drove there for 45 mins and the first thing the staff said to us was «Today the wave is a little bumpy, you can drop out for free». What? No! We booked 2 weeks in advance and were prepare everything for this. The bumpy wave can do nothing to us.
While we were hanging there waiting, three more couple coming I heard the staff keep saying things like «If you tend to get seasick you shouldn’t go or We might not go in to the cave or stop for snorkeling or It’s free if you want to cancel». I feel like she try to persuaded people NOT to go and it worked, some of people dropped out and there were only 7 of us that still going.
And then guess what happen next. The staff said she had to cancel the trip because it needed at least 10 people to go. What the heck! Earlier there were more than ten folks but she encouraged them to cancel. Now she said she didn’t have enough people? 7 people isn’t enough? Is it our fault? They should have go anyway.
They said they will refund the money. But it’s totally not worth it. What about the time that we loss? 90 drove for nothings, 30 mins waiting there, the money we paid for nanny. And all plan had to change. If the bumpy wave can make such a huge effect, they should at least gave us a call ahead but we got nothing. They took our money right away when we booked the tour 2 week in advance. But look at their crappy service.
If you think it was the weather things, they couldn’t do anything about it. You are wrong. The weather were really nice. The wave were calm. Even our local nanny said that she will brought our son to the beach because it such a nice day. I call 2 others boat company (Holoholo and Captain Andy) to see if they cancel their trip due to the weather or not. They said they still going.
It’s the Memorial Day. No one want to work. Staff look lazy. I didn’t get any apologize. I heard she talking on the phone with someone (might be her boss or the captain) and said things like «the guesses didn’t want to go, they don’t want to get seasick, some will go hiking instead. Blah blah blah.» Oh YES. They didn’t go because she discouraged them.
I don’t want you to risk your happy vacation/​honeymoon with them. They can cancel you out of nowhere while others tour were still going, without a phone call ahead. This experience will ruin your day like it’s ruin ours. We didn’t come to Kauai that frequent so we can’t afford to say «Oh its okay, you can do this to us, we can do boat trip next time»
Don’t risk the happiness of your family with them. It’s not worth it when something go wrong.

Great tour, boat, and captains. Took an afternoon tour and had an awesome experience. Definitely recommend taking some Bonine a couple hours before, as I generally get seasick but had zero issues on this trip.

Don’t even hesitate!
They operate out of the north shore, which is convenient if you are staying out that way. We took a 6 person catamaran with Britt. He was really knowledgeable & an expert with the boat. On a moderately rough day, he was able to maneuver the boat into the caves. I have never seen someone with that much control of a boat. We had a great time on the boat & snorkeling at Tunnels. The deli lunch was the icing on the cake (you pick your sandwich ahead of time).
We chose the morning tour before the heat set in. The ocean is supposed to be calmer in the morning as well.

After much research, we opted for these guys because we didn’t want to go on a larger boat tour, or be packed into a zodiac. Instead we went as a group of 6 people — 4 in the back and 2 in the front. In that sense, it was practically a private tour.
Staff at the Hanalei office, our driver Chris and our Captain Britt (sp?) were great — really relaxed, friendly and helpful. They put everyone on board at ease and answered all questions. There was no feeling of being just another tourist crammed onto another daily sailing.
Thanks to previous Unilocal reviews, we took something ahead of the trip to counteract any potential sea-​sickness. This was probably a good idea — the small boat is not an option for those looking for a leisurely cruise — it’s for thrill-​seekers: a fun, wave-​soaked roller-​coaster of a ride. The swell was bigger when we went out, but I can’t imagine it’s completely different at other times.
We were given wet bags for all of our stuff, and I discussed taking a good camera out on the water in advance with their staff — I’m glad I did. I protected the camera most of the time in the bag, and took shots when the boat had paused or slowed in front of the many sea caves, waterfalls or other viewpoints. The view was spectacular throughout! On the way back the camera stayed in the bag as we ploughed through the waves. Although the dolphins didn’t appear for us, we found a giant sea turtle just chillin’ in the water, which Captain Britt spotted when nobody else did.
The lunch was surprisingly delicious — I had expected basic packed food — instead the sandwiches were fresh, made to order and very tasty. You don’t go out on a small boat like this expecting a table and fine dining. I think the sandwich, chips, snacks and water/​sodas were excellent.
Snorkelling was great too — the captain was really patient with those new to it, or slightly apprehensive about getting in. The gear they provided was good too.
All in all, this was a great choice. No regrets about going from Hanalei or not choosing a bigger company. The price is fair for the complete service they offer.
These guys were great.

We had a great time overall. We went on the afternoon tour. The water will generally be choppier in the afternoon but apparently it’s been choppy in the morning too. So we opted for afternoon for better light on the cliffs, less chance of rain and not having to wake up at 5am.
We took Bonine about 2 hrs ahead of departure but I think we could have taken it even sooner. I drank some diet coke to counteract any drowsiness. The Bonine helped but even with it the seas made me a tad nauseous in the beginning towards the middle. But I think the Bonine kicked into towards the middle/​end of the trip and I felt okay by the time we were eating lunch and snorkeling. And especially on the way back which was the bumpiest part.
Note: one lady got majorly sick on the way up and I gave her Bonine. It didn’t have time to kick in so by the time we stopped at the lunch spot she was unhappy and barfing in the water. She should have taken some motion sickness meds ahead of time but in my opinion the boat crew should have something like Dramamine on hand for people like her who don’t think to take motion sickness meds. However, To the credit of the operator they did supply us with ginger ale as a beverage option and ginger chews. Those are nothing compared to Bonine.
On the way up we stopped at three caves and had plenty of opportunities to take pics. It started raining part of the way up and we were quickly handed raincoats. We also took a quick detour to hide out from the rain under a cliff.
After a hour or so we reached our lunch/​snorkel spot. Everyone but I was ready to jump in and snorkel. But by now it was 2:30 or 2:45 and I was ready to eat. No problem, I was given my sandwich and allowed to eat before hopping in. I wish they would switch it around because 3pm is too late to eat lunch in my opinion. And I would have rather snorkeled with my herd of ghostly white people.
The lunch is okay. I wasn’t expecting gourmet food but for the price tag they could maybe up the sandwich bread to something less 7 – 11 and more Wholefood-​ish. They could also change the chips from Doritos and corn chips to maybe Taro and natural chips or something more local or at least give guests that aren’t 8 years old that option.
Anyway, the snorkeling spot is not better than Tunnels but then again Tunnels Beach is perhaps the number one snorkeling spot on Kauai. I did however see four or five turtles, two of which were sort of cuddling and one of which let me hover above it for 20 minutes or so.
Note: if you have your own snorkeling gear: Bring it. We brought ours because we already had it with us on the island and wearing rental gear is annoying for fit issues. So the gear on the boat is crap. No big surprise, I wouldn’t use expensive gear if I was the tour operator either. It gets wrecked. Anyway, BYOG If you already own or have rented decent gear for your overall trip.
I should mention again that everyone should take motion sickness medicine. It will make you sleepy but just have a coke or diet coke every couple hours to keep you awake.
Our guides:
There were two guys on the boat to be our guides: Our captain and his second. These were nice guys who had their jokes down and a whole shtick that was funny enough but they also seemed knowledgable regarding flora and fauna. I know every trip like this from zip lines to horseback to kayak to whatever, all over the world, has guides that do a comedy routine and tell the same jokes over and over. I think it’s fine I just get the distinct feeling I’m watching the 50^th thousand performance of a mediocre play every time I hear a guide crack a joke about something like running over a kayaker being the reason for the last big bump we hit on the water. My advice is to just embrace the shtick and laugh along.
The best part of the ride was the way back. We sat on the edge of the boat and enjoyed the rolling coaster like ride as water splashed in our faces. I think the motion sickness medicine I took had kicked in fully by this point and I felt no problem with the bounce of the boat.
The worst part was the entire trip was the drive back when our driver killed the vibe of the three of us honeymooning couples chatting and having fun by making fun of the fact that we were quiet on the drive in and now we were chatting in the van on the way down. We all got quiet and stopped chatting after his awkward mocking of us. The driver also acted like a major dick by laughing at my mangled pronunciation of some Hawaiian trail name. Sorry, I’m not great at the names. My bad but have some courtesy not to shame me in front of everyone. When you come to my town I’ll let it slide when you mispronounce half of the street names in my hood.
The tour loses points on the following three points:
The food is worth losing a ¼ star.
The driver is worth losing a ¼ star.
The no medicine on hand for sick lady loses a ¼ star
The tour operator throwing our lunch scraps in the water for fish to eat loses ¼ point

I want to move to Kauai after this tour and never look back! Absolutely gorgeous! Chris and Sean are wonderful, the views the most exquisite naturescapes I have seen and — I swam with a turtle! I will post some shots when home, but this experience IS NOT TO BE MISSED!
I got in the boat with a migraine, I got off with a huge grin. Do this once a week and you will be cured of all that ails you!
Love you guys! Thanks!!! XO