We did the morning snorkel tour on the Fair Wind II and it was a great time. The dock was just a 5 minute drive from our condo in Kailua-Kona and I was instantly struck by the diversity of the crowd. There were everyone from pregnant mothers and young children to senior citizens in their 80's. The boat was in great condition, but I was glad that we brought our own rented snorkel gear because I heard a few people complaining about the gear. The ride was smooth and there was an ample amount of room to spread out and relax, even though the boat was full.

We were served a light breakfast by the friendly crew and on the way to Kealakekua Bay, we saw a large pod of spinner dolphins, a few migrating whales and a rainbow over the ocean. The water in the bay is incredibly clear and warm. There were a lot of other people snorkeling and in the rush to get off of the boat, my partner and I both got kicked in the head. Once everyone got off the boat, however, it was easy to snorkel and not even feel like anyone else was around.

Before we knew it, lunch was served and it was delicious! Lunch time is a great time to actually be in the water because all of the other Zodiacs and Kayaks are gone. The crew was great! Everyone was friendly, had a great sense of humor, and had a story to tell.

This is a fantastic trip and a super place to snorkel. I highly recommend it.

My husband and I and our two ten year olds went on a morning cruise on the Fair Winds II on the first week of September, 2007. I can't compare it to other boats or snorkel tours because this is our first. The boat 60 foot catamaran looked new or at least well kept. I think that it holds 100 passengers but we were slightly off season so we weren't nearly that full (maybe 60). The crew was friendly and made us feel welcome.

We had learned about the Fair Winds from our condo information session. They use Expedia Travel and that is who we booked the trip through. They highly recommended the Fair Winds crew as the best on the island.

On the way out they served a continental breakfast of pastries, fruit and coffee. We were blessed with good weather and calm seas. We met a people from all over the country and all over the world.

The Fair Winds provides inner tubes, boogie boards with viewing windows, view finders, flotation belts, life jackets, snorkels, fins, masks and even prescription masks and plenty of defog solution so there is everything that you need right there.

When you arrive at Captain Cook's Cove they explain the boundaries and the rules. They drop a water slide down into deep water and there are high dive platforms on either side of the boat. Some of the crew is stationed around the the cove on surf boards serving as life guards and others ar on the boat helping you get into the equipment and enter the water.

Other reviews that I have read complained about the Fair winds chasing off the the marine life. I can't imagine what they could have been talking about. The water visibility was unimaginable, even down to 100 feet. We was an amazing amount of fish. It was like swimming in a salt water aquarium. At times, we were swimming in the middle of a school of fish.

My timid daughter kept screaming and I had to keep coming up to see why. I kept asking what was wrong and she said "nothing, I'm just so excited." (I asked her if she would please come up with another way to express excitement as she was about to give me a heart attack). My son liked the snorkeling, but honestly he liked making friends and diving and sliding into the ocean just as much.

At lunch time they crew grilled out hamburgers and veggie burgers with all "the works". And after all that time out in the bay you were ready for it.

After a little more time snorkeling it was time to head back. The Fair Winds also has a videographer who makes a video as you are sailing out. When you get to the cove he takes an underwater video camera and dives with the passengers and makes a video of you snorkeling and of the fish around you. On the way back he shows a video on the flat screen tv of the marine life in Kealakeuka Bay and some of the interesting things about them. He also shows you on the boat and snorkeling. (Of course, for a mere $70.00 you can purchase this video).

The boat was beautiful. Kealakekua Bay was pristine and even though we snorkeled in several places in Hawaii this was by far the best. But I think it was the friendly, efficient crew that made all the difference. All four of us would count this one of the highlights of our two week trip to Hawaii. For me, I think it is one of the most pleasant 4 hours I've spent ever and If I could rate it higher I would.

Kealakekua Bay, the Fairwind destination, is as good as Hawaii snorkeling gets. We lived there for years and tried it all, and this was right at the top. The Fairwind also happends to be based closer to the bay than other dive boats out of Kailua-Kona, so you get more time in the bay and less on the passage, which can be rough. One note: the bay is so clear because it lies in Mauna Loa's rain shadow, but Kona storms occasionally dump on the mountain's west slopes, clouding the water. So don't book far in advance; check out the weather the day before.

We went out on our third trip on Hula Kai on June 12th. We booked on the Internet and they offered us our choice of a free t-shirt eaach or a 10% discount. This time we took the discount because we got t-shorts in January.

The boat is beautifully designed for its purpose--it really moves under way (20+ knots), so there are comfortable, theatre-type chairs for everyone. Although they seemed to be full, it did not seem crowded on the boat or in the water. The crew is very personable and competent; a class act all around. Food is good and plentiful--hot breakfast (frittatas, pastries, juice, coffee) and lunch (BBQ burgers, teriaki chicken, brownies).

We went to two stops: "Ridges" and "Rob's Reef." Ridges was new to us--lava fingers making ridges underwater, with coral and fish. Rob's Reef is at First Flow, with very new (1953?) lava fingers and boulders. Some of the boulders have new coral just starting; the fingers are deeper but have coral. The distinctive feature here is the caves--including one that you can swim far into (guided by a crew member to time the surge if any) for a "Blue Grotto" effect.

The thing to be aware of about the Hula Kai trips is that the purpose is to take advantage of the boat speed to go far south to places otherwise inaccessible to tourists. The underwater topography there is NOT like that at Two Step or Kealakekua Bay. The places we have been in the 3 trips ands NOT "coral bowls" or shallow spots where the fish are close to the surface (and your face). Theses are deep spots--the fish are large but deeper down. The sea floor tends to be gray, and the fish coloration is to blend with it, so you don't see vividly colorful fish so much as you do at other spots. Hula Kai books this as an "advanced" trip and in truth if you are only going on one trip on the BIg Island, maybe you should take one to a more "conventional" spot...including Pawai or Two Step. If you have seen those and are looking for variety, or want to take a long, fast boat trip with good but more suble topography and fish, then this is a GREAT trip! We'll be back.

The ride from Kohala took about an hour for 9 am checkin, but traffic was very light..