Ocean Adventures with Hawaiian Style Surfing & Kauai Zodiak Tourz

When you dream of a vacation by the ocean, what images come to your mind? The rhythmic ocean waves? The salty ocean sea breeze in your hair? The sunsets over that crystal blue water? …All of these images are AMAZING! But, when we vacation by the ocean, we dream of all of these things & much, much more! More adventure, more fun & certainly more than just the sand between our toes! If you’re like us, and desire a side of adventure with your ocean vacation, read on to see why visiting Kauai and taking a surf lesson with Hawaiian Style Surfing and snorkeling with Kauai Zodiak Tourz should be the very next on your list!

Surf Lesson with Hawaiian Style Surfing

Surf’s up, dude!

Click the YouTube video below to view the highlights from our surf lesson with Hawaiian Style Surfing! Then…read on to hear all about it!

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the water. Specifically, the ocean and all the water activities it has to offer.

I love swimming, wave jumping, scuba diving, snorkeling…you name it! If it involves that salty ocean water, we are there!

On our recent trip to Kauai, I expressed interest in trying out a NEW ocean activity–SURFING!

Surfing has long been on my “Adventure Bucket List.” I’ve always wanted to try it and I figured we should give it a whirl while vacationing in Kauai. After all, isn’t Hawaii synonymous with surfing-sized ocean waves?!

Before heading to Kauai, I did some research to find out the different types of surf lessons available. One can pick from several options: private lesson, group instruction, instruction with land + sea education and more.

I wanted to make sure my family went with a company who had safety at the top of their list. We wanted knowledgeable, helpful and patient instructors, a small instructor to student ratio and that the lesson be in close proximity to where we were staying on the island!

The Perfect Surf Lesson Partnership

I found the perfect match—>Hawaiian Style Surfing!

Hawaiian Style Surfing holds lessons at the beach in front of the Sheraton Hotel Complex next to Poipu Beach Park, on the South Shore of Kauai.

This location is PERFECT for the beginning surfer! It’s a cove-style beach area with crystal blue waters, great ocean waves that are a good size but not overwhelming, and a perfect lawn area adjacent to it where you’ll be educated on the proper techniques PRIOR to entering the water. This is ESSENTIAL!

As soon as we arrived, we were introduced to Billy, the Surf Manager & Noa, our surf lesson instructors with Hawaiian Style Surfing! These great guys have been surfing for years and clearly know how to educate others on this very challenging sport!

Hawaiian Style Surfing provides each student with booties to shield your feet from the ocean reef shall your feet hit the bottom of the ocean when you are off your board. They also provide you with a rash guard swim shirt to protect your upper body from surf board abrasion.

As soon as we were all set up with the proper protective clothing, we were sized for our surf boards. Billy & Noa took the time to set each of us up with a surf board that would fit our body size. This is important as my 10 year old son needs a slightly smaller board than me. And, my husband needed a little larger board that myself. This step ensured that we were all set up for the best possible opportunity to catch some waves!

Land Lesson

If it sounds a little goofy that the first 30 minutes of your lesson with Hawaiian Style Surfing will begin on land, stay with me! I’ll explain how vital this is to the success of your first surfing adventure!

Billy & Noa set us all up on the lawn next in front of the beach area.

Since I practice yoga, watching Billy move through the proper sequence of body placement, laying on the surf board and moving through the motions of standing up made total sense to me. In my head, it was a slight adaptation of Half Cobra, Downward Dog, Warrior 1 and Warrior 2. HA! We practiced the movement a bunch of times until we all had the sequencing down.

Billy explained how important it is that we understand the proper sequencing and timing of the moves needed to stand up on our boards. Performing those moves on land is one thing. Being put in the ocean with waves lapping over your board, watching out for other surfers and being controlled by the momentum of the waves and surf board beneath you in another thing!

After our land instruction, Billy determined we were all ready to hit the waves! He even commented that he may have some future surfers in his group!

Hitting The Waves!

We were ready & super excited to get out in the water on our boards!

Billy & Noa sent each of us, one at a time, out to the water where they were standing. They stood there (or rather waded there) in the water for 60+ minutes while each of us tried relentlessly to get up on the waves!

There were many flops in the initial attempts but that’s to be expected at first. But each time, they’d set us up and push us off on the waves…then it was up to us to perform the sequence they taught us on land & ride that wave into shore!

My 10-year old was a machine on the surf board! He took those waves down like a boss! He has a good center of gravity and is just naturally good at movement (non-stop movement since he was born!). I also think it’s easier to learn sports like this when you’re young!

I had a few flops initially, but by the end, I was riding some waves all the way into shore, too!

I learned that I probably did not need to do my Ply-O workout the morning of the surf lesson as surfing is a super physical activity all by itself! Oh well…I know for next time to rest up prior to surfing!

I told my husband when we finished up the lesson that I cannot wait to come to Kauai and surf again! Without a doubt, I would take another lesson from Hawaiian Style Surfing in a heartbeat! I would love to have the opportunity to continue to improve on my technique and ride some more waves! It was the most fun new ocean adventure I had done in a really long time! Click HERE for online reservations for your next surf lesson with Hawaiian Style Surfing OR contact them HERE!

Snorkel Tour With Kauai Zodiak Tourz

We typically try to engage in as many ocean excursions as possible when on a warm-weather water front vacation. This usually involves some level of underwater ocean creature viewing: scuba diving if it’s just Erick & I, or snorkeling if the whole family is involved.

Since we visited Kauai as a family, along with our family babysitter, this trip was no exception. We had heard Kauai was a great location for snorkeling, so naturally I researched this before heading there.

I thought the idea of heading out onto the open ocean in a zodiac boat sounded really fun! What a unique snorkel experience?! And, since Kauai Zodiak Tourz allows children 5 and older to participate, provided a little south shore tour prior to the snorkeling itself and supplied a nice deli lunch afterwards, I thought this would be a great opportunity for all of us to try out snorkeling again!

Pre-Snorkel Equipment Fitting & Meeting

We met at the Kauai Zodiak Tourz office in Old Koloa, Kauai, in the early morning of our excursion. We met Captain Davey, our zodiac boat captain for the day & Bri, our Amazing Snorkel Adventure Guide! They promptly outfitted our group with the proper snorkeling equipment: fins, mask, snorkel and wet suit. I have to say that this is the very first snorkeling trip I’ve been on where the guides take the time to properly fit the participants-we were so happy they did!

The Kauai Zodiak Tourz group ensured that we had equipment with the proper fit, a wet suit if we chose (because they wanted us to stay comfortable in the water), a proper fitting life jacket if we desired, and all of our gear was neatly enclosed in our bags.

I really appreciated this small extra step as I had 2 of my young children with me that day. Ensuring proper fit can greatly enhance the success of a snorkeling adventure! There’s nothing worse than a leaky mask or a fin that falls off because it’s too big. Knowing that wasn’t going to happen made us all feel so comfortable and at ease! We knew this was going to be a SUPER FUN day!

After our quick fitting, we all drove down to the small craft harbor a few minutes away, where Captain Davey launched our zodiac boat.

The Zodiak Boat Tour

Soon, we were off on our awesome zodiac snorkel adventure!

On our way out to our first snorkel site, we boated somewhat closely to shore so our captain could show us a few popular sites where movies and popular television shows have been filmed. As we came close to shore, just West of the harbor, Captain Davey showed us a really cool cove beach area. He asked us if it looked familiar, as in do we recognize it from a television show? I said, “It looks like the opening scene to Gilligan’s Island.”

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! This was the location where the pilot for Gilligan’s Island was filmed! How cool!

First Snorkel Site

We quickly boated out to our first snorkeling location and as we were bouncing along, dolphins started swimming very closely to our boat and chasing us! Captain Davey said these dolphins were actually “sleeping.” During a dolphin’s sleep phase they may follow or chase boats, but they aren’t quite as active as when they’re awake. We did see a few dolphins jump out of the water as they were following right alongside our boat!

I’ve seen dolphins at theme parks before, but never out in their natural habitat right next to a snorkel boat! Definitely a highlight of the tour and we hadn’t even gotten in the water yet!

Once we arrived at the first location, Bri made sure all of us had our fins on and snorkel mask/gear securely placed.

And…Into the big blue ocean we go!

Following Bri’s lead, we swam around her as she pointed out some really unique fish.

Next, within just a few minutes, we came very close to a giant Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle! WOW!

We were all amazed at the beauty of this creature! And, it was so graceful and stoic. It wasn’t startled by us at all as we didn’t go near it, but just allowed it to swim around us before it dove to the bottom to get its baby.

I’m unsure how we could top all of that! But, I’m going to try…

Remember those dolphins I mentioned earlier? Well, when we put our heads underwater, we could hear some “squealing” noises. Kind of what I imagine sonar to sound like.

Bri pointed out the dolphins near us and that these noises were coming from them! The dolphins were trying to communicate with each other and that is what they sounded like underwater! Another WOW moment!!

Second Snorkel Site

Soon after hearing the dolphins, it was time to hop in the boat and head to our next snorkel site. The second site of the day was a more shallow site, a little closer to shore with a reef area. This area is home to very colorful fish–like the ones found on Finding Nemo!

Upon arrival, we hopped off the boat into the water. We took Bri’s lead and in a very short time, we saw brightly colored fish and another GIANT Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle!

Click the YouTube video below to see highlights from our snorkel tour~ swimming next to a large Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle!

What a fun way to see the ocean’s creatures?!

After the second snorkel site, we climbed back aboard the Kauai Zodiak Tourz boat with Captain Davey and Bri. He took us ashore and we enjoyed an awesome deli-style lunch at the park pavilion near the small boat harbor. Our lunches were way more than I expected! We were spoiled with awesome deli sandwiches, chips, drinks and delicious brownies! It was the best ending to a very fun morning! And a great way to re-energize our bodies after all that swimming and ocean-creature viewing. That snorkeling is hard work! Click HERE to check out all of the tours offered through Kauai Zodiak Tourz!

If you’re considering a vacation to Kauai, I’d highly recommend checking out Hawaiian Style Surfing + Kauai Zodiak Snorkel Tourz for excellent-quality, ocean adventures! These two tour operators far exceeded our expectations and I can’t wait for you to have the opportunity to surf and snorkel with the BEST!

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For more family adventure inspiration, check out my other adventure travel blog posts ! Let me guide you through Acadia National Park via Land, Sea AND Air to show you why the Maine coast should be on your bucket list! OR…how about a family adventure to Iceland?! And, remember to sign up for my weekly newsletter so you never miss another recipe or crazy adventure with my family!

Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.