My kids have never been on a sail boat. Their faces lit up when we told them we were going to go out on a Catamaran, just before they asked, “what’s a Catamaran?” A vessel (as a sailboat) with twin hulls and usually a deck or superstructure connecting the hulls is what my husband mustered up for the kids, I continued to say sailboat. With a beach-side boarding, you’ll find the infamous green sails of MaiTa’i Catamaran on Waikiki Beach between the Halekulani Hotel and Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. With seating for 47 passengers, we were eager for this trip our whole family could enjoy!
Boarding barefoot in the sand and water, you are greeted by a fun crew who are full of great information and will keep the 90 minute Tradewind Sail exciting and memorable! My son who gets a tad motion sick was prepared with his Dramamine and we all found some great seats. Drinks are extra and cash only, so if you are inclined don’t forget your money. We took the 11am sail so that we could get off and head straight to lunch and still have out day ahead of us. Plus, it was the coolest time of day, we wanted to avoid getting over heated.
Surprise, the cool breeze, the water spraying you over the edge, you are anything but hot on this Cat! What an adventure, with the speed of the boat picking up after we coasted out past the surfers, the kids eyes widened and the views were phenomenal. We headed south past Diamond Head and got such incredible pictures, we almost felt we visited the crater (which we never got to). The waters turned from aqua to aquamarine to turquoise, to royal then deep blue and still so clear that we saw sea turtles, fish, and even flying fish miles out!
We all could move about the boat, though we could not sit on the trampolines like my husband and I did on another island’s sail. But, at the very front tip, the younger kids and my husband sat and enjoy the breeze and cool water splash them like the best water ride ever! I sat back with my oldest (who now takes Dramamine on boats!) and shot photos.
With my cell phone camera securely packed away, we used our digital Canon and tried to keep it dry. A compartment area between seats could hold items, so when the water sprayed harder I kept my camera in that area. With sliding around and a few huge splashes, the holding area filled with water and soaked my Canon. It has since succumbed to the water, but luckily we rescued the SD card with all our photos! If you can purchase a waterproof camera for this excursion, I’d suggest it!
The sail was amazing and the kids thought it was incredible. For 90 minutes and $28/aduults $14/children (12 & under), and children under 3 are free, it’s a really reasonable excursion your family can enjoy on Oahu!
Tickets were complimentary, all opinions are our own.
One day, I am hoping I can make it to Hawaii. Some place I have always wanted to visit.