This was my first time ever in the ocean and my husband is also a novice. Our guides were David and Dylan, and they were both great. David was funny and Dylan was super personable; I loved talking with her. They took us to a small, but nice, black sand beach. They walked us through, step by step, and didn't even act bored or impatient with our lack of experience lol. We snokeled around for a while before grabbing some snacks and drinks. Afterwards, we took a short walk to the "turtle hot tub," where we got to see about 5 turtles just chillin'. Overall, it was a good experience. One thing to note: use LOTS of sunscreen on the back of your legs!
When we first arrived though, we felt very rushed. The email said to check in 10 minutes early, so we got there about 15 minutes early, just to be safe. We arrived around 9:15 to check in for our 9:30 tour. David was rushing around, saying we're running late. Once we got all settled in, things started to calm down a bit. After learning the basics in the water, we were supposed to go beyond the little cove to the main part of the reef. However, the surf was pretty high and the guides didn't want to risk our safety (understandably). The entire tour was supposed to last 3 hours until 12:30. I checked my watch as we left the shop, and it was only 11:30. So, for a total of about an hour of actual snorkeling in pretty shallow water without going to the "main attraction" area, we paid about $220 (for 2 adults before taxes)... Would we pay that much again for the same thing? No... Were we disappointed? A little, yes... Did we still have a good time? Yes.
Réponse de l'hôte
Sep 2019
Aloha and thank you for taking time to express your experience with us. First let me apologize for not meeting your expectations. Hilo Ocean Adventures prides itself on excellent customer service and it appears in this particular situation we could have done better. I did review your booking and contacted our guides to review the situation. I learned the conditions were questionable and our guides make a judgement call on site to err on the side of safety. This is a practice that is strictly enforced. Even though tour was cut short due to the conditions, I hope you enjoyed the beauty of Hilo and our visiting our amazing giant sea turtles. That being said, I want our guests to leave the Big Island with a positive and memorable experience, so I have made a note in your booking for a complimentary tour for one on your next visit to Hilo. We look forward to seeing you again on another of your future trips.
Mahalo,
Natalie Sampaio, owner