Kamakahonu Beach, right next to Kailua Pier in downtown Kailua-Kona, is the best place to paddle board in Kona, especially for beginners: it’s a small, sheltered cove with a rental shack on the sand. For the most scenic paddle on the Big Island’s west side, go to Kealakekua Bay, but only with a permit or a permitted rental or tour. Up the coast in Waikoloa, ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (A-Bay) is the easy calm-water choice.
The Kona side works for paddling because it sits in the lee of the island’s huge volcanoes. They block the trade winds, so mornings on this coast are often glassy, and the water is warm year-round and famously clear. The catch is that it’s all open ocean: there are no lakes or lagoons here, just bays and coves, and conditions can change with the swell and the afternoon wind.
Quick answer
- First time on a board: Kamakahonu Beach in Kailua-Kona, with a lesson or rental from Kona Boys.
- Most scenic: Kealakekua Bay, with a rental or tour from a permitted outfitter, or your own board and a State Parks permit.
- Calm water up the coast: ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (A-Bay) in Waikoloa, with board rentals on the beach.
- A local harbor: Keauhou Bay, a small, sheltered bay with a boat ramp south of town.
- Hard rule: you can’t land at the Captain Cook Monument (Kaʻawaloa) from a paddle board or private kayak.
The best places to paddle board on the Kona side
Kamakahonu Beach (Kailua Bay)
Directions
Best for: beginners, lessons and kids. Sheltered ocean water.
Kamakahonu is a small white-sand beach tucked between Kailua Pier and Ahuʻena Heiau, a restored temple on the point. This was Kamakahonu, where King Kamehameha I lived in his last years. The pier on one side and rocks on the other keep the cove calm, so it’s one of the easiest places on the island to stand up for the first time.
Where to launch: From the sand in the cove, in front of the hotel. The beach is in the middle of Kailua-Kona, so you can walk from Aliʻi Drive.
What to avoid: Kailua Pier is busy with tour boats, so stay out of the boat lanes around it. Beyond the heiau, the water gets choppier. Admire Ahuʻena Heiau from the water; it’s a sacred site, so don’t land on it or climb the rocks.
Rentals and lessons: Kona Boys runs its Beach Shack right here, renting paddle boards, kayaks and snorkel gear daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It also runs 1.5-hour SUP lessons (about $129 for a group lesson, or $179 private, at the time of writing) and outrigger canoe rides from the beach.
Keauhou Bay
Directions
Best for: a short, sheltered paddle south of town. Calm ocean water inside the bay.
Keauhou Bay is a small bay south of Kailua-Kona, ringed by lava rock, with a small public boat ramp, the Keauhou Canoe Club, and the marked birthplace of King Kamehameha III. Its water is usually calmer than the open coast on either side, and green sea turtles are often seen along the edges.
Where to launch: The public boat ramp area on the bay. Launch to the side of the ramp, not on it, and be quick: boats and trailers need it.
What to avoid: Commercial tour boats use the bay, along with outrigger canoes, so watch for traffic in the channel. Paddle out of the bay only on a calm day.
Good to know: Give turtles at least 10 feet, as NOAA recommends, and don’t paddle over them in the shallows.
Kealakekua Bay (permit required)
Directions
Best for: clear water, history and wildlife, for confident paddlers. Open ocean, sheltered by cliffs.
Kealakekua Bay is about 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona, below steep cliffs that drop straight into deep blue water. It’s both a state historical park and a marine life conservation district, and the reef off Kaʻawaloa, by the white Captain Cook Monument across the bay, is one of the best snorkel spots in Hawaii. Spinner dolphins often rest in the bay during the day.
Permits: Hawaii State Parks requires a permit for every vessel on the water in the bay, paddle boards included. If you rent from a permitted outfitter, the board already has its permit, so you don’t need your own; check that the board has its permit decal. If you bring your own board, apply to State Parks for a free non-commercial vessel permit by email ([email protected]). Apply well ahead of your trip, because applications are processed in the order they arrive.
Where to launch: You can’t launch from Nāpōʻopoʻo wharf. When you apply for your permit, ask State Parks where you can legally put in, or rent from an outfitter that handles the launch.
Landing rules: Permitted paddle boards and kayaks may not land at Kaʻawaloa Flat, where the monument is. You can paddle across and snorkel there, but you can’t go ashore. The only ways onto Kaʻawaloa are hiking the Kaʻawaloa Trail or joining an authorized commercial kayak tour.
Rentals and tours: Kona Boys (79-7539 Mamalahoa Highway, Kealakekua, above the bay) is one of the vendors that can supply permitted kayaks and paddle boards for Kealakekua Bay. Its shop is open Monday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Good to know: Federal rules ban approaching spinner dolphins within 50 yards, and that includes paddling toward them. If they come to you, keep paddling on your way rather than following them. The bay is a no-take reserve, so leave the reef and fish alone.
ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay (A-Bay)
Directions
Best for: calm-water paddling and families on the Kohala Coast. Sheltered ocean water.
ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay, known as A-Bay, is a palm-lined bay on the Kohala Coast, north of Kailua-Kona, in front of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott. It’s a sheltered, usually gentle bay with ancient Hawaiian fishponds behind the beach and petroglyphs nearby, and the clearest water is often near its northern edge.
Where to launch: From the beach. There’s public parking, restrooms and picnic areas.
Rentals: Ocean Sports (69-275 Waikōloa Beach Drive, on the ocean side of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott) rents stand-up paddle boards in several sizes, plus kayaks, snorkel gear and life jackets, from its beach kiosk.
Good to know: Snorkelers and swimmers use the same bay, so keep an eye out for heads in the water, and stay inshore if the afternoon wind picks up.
When to go
You can paddle Kona year-round. NOAA’s Kawaihae station, on the Kohala Coast, averages about 78°F from January to March and about 82°F from August to October, so most people paddle in a rash guard or swimsuit.
- Time of day: go early. The Kona side is usually glassy in the morning, and onshore breezes build through the afternoon.
- Swell: big swells can wrap into even the sheltered bays. Check the forecast and the state’s ocean safety site, hioceansafety.com, before you go.
- Sun: the sun is strong all year. Wear a hat and a long-sleeve top, and use reef-safe sunscreen. Our wetsuit check confirms you won’t need one here.
Planning a paddle across Kealakekua Bay and back? Our Trip time calculator estimates how long it will take at your pace.
Rules and safety in Kona
The US Coast Guard counts a paddle board as a vessel once you’re outside a swimming, surfing or bathing area. Hawaii’s boating rules then require:
- Life jacket: a US Coast Guard–approved life jacket for each person on board. Children 12 and under must wear one. See our pick of the best PFDs for SUP.
- Sound device: carry a whistle, easily attached to your life jacket.
- After dark: carry a white light, though you shouldn’t be paddling the open coast at night.
Marine life rules matter just as much:
- Spinner dolphins: federal rules ban approaching within 50 yards.
- Humpback whales: in winter, federal law bans approaching within 100 yards, including by paddle board.
- Green sea turtles: at least 10 feet.
- Hawaiian monk seals: NOAA recommends at least 50 feet, or 150 feet from a mother and pup.
- Reef: don’t stand on or drag your fin over coral.
And a few local habits:
- Wear a leash in the ocean, so the wind can’t take your board.
- Respect cultural sites. Don’t land at Ahuʻena Heiau or at Kaʻawaloa in Kealakekua Bay.
- Tell someone your plan and carry your phone in a dry bag. Read how to paddle board in the ocean if you’re new to open water.
FAQ
Where can beginners paddle board in Kona?
Kamakahonu Beach, next to Kailua Pier. The cove is sheltered, the water is warm, and Kona Boys rents boards and runs lessons right on the beach. ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay in Waikoloa is a good second choice.
Do I need a permit to paddle board in Kealakekua Bay?
Yes. Every vessel in the bay needs a State Parks permit. Rental boards from permitted vendors already have one; if you bring your own board, apply for a free non-commercial permit by email well before your trip.
Can I paddle board to the Captain Cook Monument?
You can paddle across the bay and snorkel off Kaʻawaloa with a permitted board, but you can’t land there. Only hikers on the Kaʻawaloa Trail and people on authorized commercial kayak tours can go ashore at the monument.
Can I paddle with the dolphins in Kealakekua Bay?
No. Spinner dolphins rest in the bay during the day, and federal rules ban approaching them within 50 yards, by board, kayak or swimming. Enjoy them from a distance.
Is there anywhere similar nearby?
For more Hawaii paddling, see our guides to where to paddle board in Maui and where to paddle board in Oahu. Choosing a board for warm, open water? The Board Fitter can help.
