My husband and I had the pleasure of joining Kendra for a 2-hour guided kayaking excursion to Popoi'a. Kendra had a great deal of knowledge of the sanctuary island of the wedge-tailed shearwater seabirds as well as the area sites from the ocean such as the WWII pillboxes and information on the Mokes. We always felt like we were in safe and capable hands with her. She even encouraged and guided us to catch a wave in our kayak - I was nervous, but we did it and it was a lot of fun.
The hardest part about the trip was the kayak transport. They tell you about it in the booking, people complain about it in reviews... it's tough, but worth it. The reason for this practice is because businesses are not allowed to set up shop on the beach, so it keeps Kailua from looking like Waikiki - a place that I can only describe as NYC with palm trees. They give you a lesson on best practices for hauling the kayak to the beach in their carts; the carts make it easier, but it's still tough especially getting it back up the hill out of the canal.
Don't be discouraged by the negative comments regarding the kayak transport, but definitely make sure that you and your intended kayaking partner are capable of carrying a 2-person ocean kayak for 15-20 yards in addition to hauling it on a cart for about 2 blocks. Not sure? Go together to an outdoors shop and pick one up together.