Seasickness, Rough Water and Who Can Go on a Kauai Na Pali Sail

The Na Pali Coast faces open ocean, and the operators set firm rules about who can ride out to it. This guide covers the ride, the rules and the refunds, so you book one of the Kauai sunset cruises or a morning boat that suits everyone in your party.

Is the boat ride to Na Pali rough?

It can be. Port Allen sits on the south-west shore, and the boats run up the west coast to Na Pali on the open sea. Both operators warn people with back, neck, hip or knee trouble not to book, because the ride can be rough.

The sea changes with the season. DLNR allows kayaks on the coast only in summer, because the sea is unpredictable the rest of the year, and says large swells rarely last in the summertime. It also advises paddlers to start early, when winds and seas are calmer.

So the calmest Na Pali trip is usually a summer morning, and the roughest a winter afternoon. The weather by month and the best time to sail have the months.

Who will the operators not take?

Both Na Pali operators turn away expectant mothers. Holo Holo adds anyone with back, neck, knee, hip or joint problems, recent surgery or severe motion sickness. Kauai Sea Tours adds back, neck, hip, knee or joint problems, surgery in the past year and mobility issues.

Kauai Sea Tours also says it will not refund anyone turned away for a condition they did not disclose. Read the rules before you pay, not at the harbour. The bay cruise listing sets none of these rules, so ask its operator if any apply to you.

What are the minimum ages, boat by boat?

Holo Holo takes nobody under 5, on the snorkel sail and on Leila's sunset sail. Children aged 5 to 12 pay its child rate.

The Lucky Lady boats take children from age 3, with an adult. The bay cruise listing gives no minimum, and the operator's own site lists ages 6 and up. The post on sailing with children adds what each boat offers a child.

What are the back, joint and mobility rules?

Strict on Holo Holo: canes, walkers, crutches and wheelchairs are not allowed on board. Kauai Sea Tours asks anyone with mobility issues not to book, and asks everyone to go barefoot unless shoes are medically needed.

No Na Pali listing is wheelchair accessible. The bay cruise listing does not say, so call the operator first. The visitors guide lists each operator's phone number.

What do the operators say about seasickness?

That it is yours to manage. No listing refunds for it, and Holo Holo sells motion-sickness remedies at check-in. Take whatever you use before you board, not once you feel it.

A morning boat puts you on the water in the calmer hours, and a snorkel stop gets you off the deck and into the water for a while. On a sunset cruise you stay aboard for the whole trip.

How should you prepare for seasickness?

Holo Holo's advice is plain: if you are prone to motion sickness, or unsure, take preventive medication before the tour. Some remedies need to be taken a few hours ahead, so follow the directions on the pack. Movement is part of the trip, it says, even on calm days.

If you start to feel unwell, tell the crew at once. Holo Holo's crews can move you to a steadier spot on the boat and bring ginger ale, crackers and ginger candy. If you regularly suffer severe seasickness, Holo Holo says its boats may not be the best fit for you.

Can you come back early?

No. Holo Holo says its tours run 3 to 7 hours with no option to return early because of seasickness, and no other listing offers an early return either.

If you doubt you can manage four hours or more, book the 90-minute bay cruise, or a morning boat in summer. The crews look after anyone who is sick on board, but they carry on.

When does the captain reroute or cancel?

For wind and swell, not for rain. Holo Holo says it does not cancel for rain alone unless there are safety concerns. When it expects conditions to change the trip, the captain tells you at check-in, and you may continue, reschedule or take a full refund.

If Holo Holo cancels for weather, you get a full refund. Kauai Sea Tours may send the Lucky Lady along the south coast when the ocean closes the north, and it does not refund a reroute. Keep a spare day late in your trip.

Can non-swimmers go on a snorkel sail?

They can ride, but on Holo Holo's boat they may not get in the water. Holo Holo does not let non-swimmers into the sea at the snorkel stop.

For those who can swim but are not strong in the water, Holo Holo puts flotation devices in the fare with the gear and instruction, and the Lucky Lady gives a safety briefing and instruction before anyone gets in. Tell the crew before the stop, not at the ladder.

A non-swimmer is better served by a sunset cruise, where nobody swims and nobody is left on deck. The Lucky Lady sunset cruise lists no watersports at all.

What about medication and allergies?

Bring whatever you take every day. Holo Holo says that if you arrive without your daily or prescribed medication, such as an inhaler, an EpiPen or diabetic medication, you must reschedule for another day.

Pack it with your towel, sunscreen and a light jacket in a bag that can get wet. The boats are barefoot, and spray and aerosol sunscreens are not allowed on Holo Holo's boats, so bring lotion that is safe for the reef.

Rules compared by operator

Each operator's rules for the Na Pali trips, and the bay cruise alongside.

Is the bay cruise right for everyone?

It is the easiest boat here to board and to sit through. It leaves from slip 100 at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor, closest to the Coast Guard station, and spends 90 minutes on the bay and the Huleia River with drinks and the captain's stories.

Its listing sets no rules on age, pregnancy or mobility, and the operator's own site lists ages 6 and up. That silence is not a promise, so call before you book if anyone in your party uses a wheelchair or is expecting.

What is the calmest option on Kauai?

The bay cruise from Nawiliwili, which stays on the bay and the Huleia River for 90 minutes. It is the shortest time on the water here, at $114 a person, with drinks and no swimming.

It does not go to Na Pali. If the coast is the point, choose a summer morning, take your remedy before you board, and sit where you can see the horizon. Our Na Pali snorkel tours and Kauai sunset cruises set the Na Pali boats side by side.

What should you do the day before?

Three things, and none takes long. Read your confirmation for the check-in time and any change of route. Check you meet the age and health rules, so nobody is turned away at the gangway.

And if you flew in that day on a flight over five hours, move a snorkel trip: Holo Holo asks you not to snorkel within 24 hours of one. Go easy on the bar until you know how the sea feels, and drink water through the trip. The hour-by-hour harbour day fits the boat into the rest of your plans.

Frequently asked questions

Trips for every kind of traveller

Kauai: Deluxe Na Pali Sunset Cruise aboard Lucky Lady

Five hours on a 60-foot catamaran from Port Allen in the afternoon: the Na Pali Coast towards sunset, dinner on board and an open bar with mai tais for over-21s. No swimming on this one; children from age 3.

From $222 per person

Check Availability

Kauai: Leila Na Pali Sunset Dinner Sail

Four to five hours from Port Allen on a 50-foot catamaran that sails when the wind allows: mai tais on the way out, dinner as the sun sets and a champagne toast. Up to 41 aboard.

From $263 per person

Check Availability

Kauai: Catamaran Sunset Cruise

Ninety minutes from Nawiliwili on the bay and up the Huleia River at sunset, with the captain's stories, wine, beer and cocktails. It does not go to the Na Pali Coast.

From $114 per person

Check Availability