We Paddle Board up Hanalei River, Then Check The Beach

Mouse over a photo to pause the Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii slide show.

We head up to explore Hanalei River by paddle board and kayak.
Then check out the beach: groms surfing, outrigger canoes, volleyball, people just hanging out.

Hanalei River: Paddle Board or Kayak
We check out the beautiful Hanalei River: I choose a paddle board and my husband elects for a kayak. I'll just say this right off the bat - the kayak is much faster. But paddle boarding is really fun and standing up gave me a better view of the entire river and fish swimming around. We saw lots of birds who were singing up a roar, turtles sunning themselves on the logs and beautiful flowers, bamboo forests and lush plants everywhere. The river is muddy but you can still see a lot under the water. We were able to make it up to an area that had a strong current that we couldn't paddle through. And that last spot was gorgeous! A pool surrounded with an abundance of green plants and beautiful plants growing on rocks and logs in the middle of the pool. Sorry - no photos, we didn't have a waterproof camera.

We booked with Kayak Kauai and they were really nice (special thanks to the dude from Wyoming who set us up the first day). The rentals are for 24 hours so we headed out one day at 3:00 pm and returned around 6:00 and the next day we went back for more because we had the board and kayak until 3:00pm. We were gone long past our return time, but it was no problem.

Kayak Kauai is located just as you drive into Hanalei and there is no carrying of any gear to the river. They are located on a large piece of land and have a dock into a stream that you paddle out to the river. So you get a little practice before you hit the river. And if you decide you'd rather switch your board for a kayak or vice versa, that's fine. Just return and they'll set you up. So - friendly people, no carting around of heavy boards or kayaks, and a great calm river to paddle up. Sweet deal for only $45 (paddle board or single kayak).

Hanalei Bay Beach
The day was sunny on the river and afterwards we headed down to the beach to check out the action. The weather was alternately dark and dramatic and sunny and well, still dramatic. The surf was small and parents were getting little ones up on board by the pier, groms were catching waves further down, some paddle boarders were cruising around and the outriggers were training (and going pretty darn fast). Picnics were in progress, beach volleyball games were on, and people were just warming up for a great evening.

Deep Cove BC Travels April 2011

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