Over Christmas, our family drove 6 hours round trip to take the Hawaii-approved COVID-19 tests. Gratefully, all 6 of us tested negative and made our way to Oahu for a weeklong vacation.
It was wonderful to be together in such a beautiful place. Even though most of us spent A LOT of 2020 under the same roof, it was so lovely to not be in our separate corners of the house completing school and work tasks. We played card games, watched movies and of course, enjoyed a lot of water time!
I do not know about your family, but ours LOVES water activities. Some of those activities can really add up with a big family. I adore Hawaii, but I must confess that activities there can really put a dent in your bank account. Here are 5 activities that are fun for the whole family and ways to make them affordable.
- Snorkeling. Hawaii boasts some of the most beautiful tropical fish in the world. There are tours aplenty available to take you out on a boat to the best locations.
When traveling with a family, the cost can be restrictive. Our solution. Purchase our own gear and find the spots for FREE.
We found reasonably priced gear here
We love these because they include travel short fins, which are perfect for carrying in a backpack and while traveling. They also include an anti-fog mask and purge valve and splash guard. To top it all off, you can keep these items together in a mesh bag.
We found the quality to be great. For around $35, you can snorkel on this trip and during many others to come.
We recommend Electric Beach for fun snorkeling. Located on the west side of the island, not far from Ko’Olina. The water is warmer thanks to the neighboring electric plant. This attracts beautiful fish and is safe. It was fun to go out and enjoy the same snorkeling that others paid to be boated out to! 
Another we have heard is amazing is Shark’s Cove up on the north shore. Because we could not find a parking spot, we cannot verify this. I am guessing by the lack of parking spots, that this is indeed a gem. Let us know if you make it there and what you think!
- Kayaking. Honestly, I was a little concerned about how much this activity was going to set us back. However, when we reviewed what people wanted to do, kayaking came up universally across the board.
Google proved to be our friend. We located on the west side of the Island a company called Tropical Kayak Rentals that serviced our part of the Island.
We booked a time via email and headed 20 minutes north of our resort to Pokai Bay. The owner met us there and got us hooked up with life vests and 3 Tandem Kayaks.
We spent an hour kayaking these smooth, clear waters. I think we honestly could have enjoyed that activity for another hour. We saw sea turtles and dolphins. I hear there are also harmless reef sharks in this area. 
We stayed another hour or so playing in the area until Thing 2’s blood sugar dropped, and we had no sugar in our swimsuits to give him (he’s type 1 diabetic and these things happen sometimes).
Not only did we discover an area that we would have never found on our own (this was more of a local hang out), but the total cost also came to $60 for 3 tandem kayak rentals for an hour. When you consider that we would spend much more than that at a movie, this excursion was extremely reasonable, not to mention memorable.
I found this company to be reasonable, easy to work with and more affordable than many other companies. Check them out at https://tropical-kayak-rentals.ueniweb.com/?utm_campaign=gmb#header I’m not getting paid for this. Just my legit opinion that they are great!
Sidenote: even if you would rather paddle board or just swim, go check out this beautiful bay. Pokai Bay is on our list to return to on future trips!
- Boogie Boarding. Are you familiar with boogie boarding? I will admit, we have historically used our boogie boards as kickboards in the neighborhood pool.
Boogie boards are a way to enjoy the ocean. You paddle out to the surf and try to catch a wave.
It is a fun activity for young and old alike. It is A LOT tamer activity than surfing. 
Some resorts “rent” out boogie boards for FREE. Check at the rental facilities and inquire.
We opted to purchase a couple at a local grocery store. We paid probably too much, but we had two boogie boards that we used for a week for a total of $30. 
Sadly, I was not able to squeeze them into our luggage. My kids loved them so much that they begged me to photograph them before we left them in the rental car drop off.
You can spend HOURS boogie boarding. Keep them in your rental car during your trip as you will encounter reason after to reason to pull them out. We found ourselves on the east side of the island at sunset and on a whim, made memories at Kahuna bay boogie boarding to our hearts’ contents!
Even if you cannot take them home, these are A best bang for your buck family activity!
- Resort amenities.
This probably seems too obvious to bring up. I am surprised however, how many people neglect to use the water amenities their resort offers!
Aulani even had Rainbow Reef where guest could opt to snorkel!
This probably seems too obvious to bring up. I am surprised however, how many people neglect to use the water amenities their resort offers!
We splurged and spent two nights at Disney’s Aulani resort. In addition to being conveniently located to a lagoon, they had wonderful lazy rivers, pools and slides galore. Not to mention umbrellas and chairs set up along their section of the beach.
I HIGHLY recommend scheduling at least one unplugged day on your trip where you do nothing but use the water fun available at your resort. You are paying for it! Use it!
- Catamaran. Your first reaction may be to say “huh?” when considering this as an affordable family activity. Located largely in Waikiki, these tours are approximately 90 minutes in length. You can sit and enjoy the ride while enjoying the sunshine, blue skies, and crystal-clear waters. The hope is to catch a glimpse of swimming sea turtles, dolphins and, depending upon season, whales.
Your best bet for finding a deal on these sails is GROUPON (No, I am not getting paid to tell you this. It is just a good deal).
My family of 6 was able to secure a catamaran ride for just a little over $100 for all of us on Groupon!
We paired a coupon code with the deal for good savings. Plus, I linked through Rakuten to learn more about this, go here and got 6% of the cost back.
These 5 water activities can turn your trip to Oahu into a memorable and affordable experience!
Heading to Oahu? What plans do you have? Share in the comments below!