Na Pali Cruises in late Oct

Hi,

I know that many questions are asked with regards to Na Pali cruises. My husband and I will be in Kauai the last week in Oct.

Is this too late to go on a snorkeling cruise (catamaran). I%26#39;ve heard that the morning cruise can be less rough. I know ocean conditions vary from day to day and we%26#39;ll have no way of knowing what the seas will be like then.

Essentially, has anyone been on a Na Pali cruise at this time of year? Will we really be ';missing out'; if we don%26#39;t do a Na Pali cruise (this will be our first time to Kauai - not Hawaii - and hopefully not our last). I realize that we would miss the view from the sea.

Thanks in advance!

Heidi

Na Pali Cruises in late Oct

I%26#39;m glad you asked this question because I am wondering the same thing for February...

Na Pali Cruises in late Oct

I%26#39;ve been on Na Pali cruises in November so they will be running in October BUT they will not be running out of the North Shore. So you will need to pick an outfit that goes out of Port Allen or Kikialo Small Boat Harbor on the west part of Kauai.

Start checking the weather and dialing the info line for the US Coast Guard outer coastal waters a week or so in advance (the phone number is in the Ultimate Kauai Guide). We did this one year and booked for a Thursday with Holo Holo (weather was crummy when we got in on Saturday) and managed to get over to Niihau, first time in over a month that Holo Holo had been able to cross the channel.

Thank you - I did know we wouldn%26#39;t be able to go out of the north shore. . .am I reading that it is not wise to book a month out then? I certainly do not want to waste $260 that I won%26#39;t get back if the water conditions are questionable enough that I have to call the coast guard.

You should still be OK in late October.

Here is a part of Captain Sundown%26#39;s website (sails out of North Shore)

MORNING SNORKEL SAIL

~ 6 HOUR TOTAL NA PALI SNORKEL SAIL ~

NEW 2008 Fall Schedule

**Mondays through Saturdays through September**

Mondays through Fridays from October

(Aug. 25th to late Dec. subject to change)

Special Note: We are precluded from running on Sundays and State/Federal holidays..

We are arriving in mid-October and plan on taking this boat tour. Of course, the sailings depend on that day%26#39;s ocean conditions, per usual.

so is February a bad time to go on one of the cruises from the west side?

OP,

I know lots of folks like to plan really detailed itineraries, but for stuff like Na Pali boat tours and helicopter tours, it really is better to wait (with the possible exception of Na Pali Catamaran who will probably not be going in late October) until you get there to book those things as they are so weather-dependent. We never had a problem booking a Na Pali boat trip (have been on four and booked a fifth last year that we could not make).

The reason I mentioned calling Coast Guard (husband and I are have background with sailboats) is to get the ocean equivalent of the weather report. If you know how to interpret it, you can schedule your trip for the best day to maximize chances of good snorkeling vs. no snorkeling due to rough surf, etc.

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