Mokolii Island Self Guided Kayak Tour

Chinamans hat was a wonderful experience. Just have to prepare to hike the island when you get there.

Rental process was a breeze. Mario help load up the kayak on my vehicle and our adventure began smoothly.

The gentleman working when we picked up and dropped off the kayaks was fantastic! He was informative, helped load and unload, and when we asked if our 4 hour time slot would be enough to enjoy Chinamans Hat he told us to take our time and enjoy. We didn’t need much more than the 4 hours, but we were thankful for his kindness and flexibility! The equipment was great, and we all enjoyed the day out on the water.

Chinamans Hat looked awesome but with the weather we were unable to make it across. Waves were 5 plus feet tall and waves were strong blowing in strong. I think putting three adults on a "3-man" kayak was probably too much weight... our kayaking have much buoyancy. We flip twice and called it not even halfway there. Completely disappointed as we were really looking forward to the hike up the Hat. Can't blame Active Oahu for the weather but I feel like they should have known about the weather and advised us otherwise. In retrospect, I'm upset for not checking the tide schedule before going out. Based on today's tide schedule we should have gone out at 9:00 a.m. and let the high tide bring us in on our way back. Leaving at noon put us going out against high tide with the waves coming in. Certainly a memory for the books but not the one we were hoping for.

We had such an amazing experience renting a tandem kayak from Active Oahu! The rental process was incredibly easy and seamless, which made it so nice to just focus on enjoying the adventure. We kayaked out to Mokoliʻi (only a 30 minute drive from the shop) and it was absolutely unforgettable. Michael went out of his way to make sure we had the best experience possible and that we were fully set up for a great day on the water. We’ll definitely be renting from Active Oahu again next time we’re back on the island!

I made a reservation for a kayak rental that I picked up/dropped off with my rental Jeep for a self-guided paddle out to Mokoli'i Island/Chinaman's Hat. I had an absolute blast that day! The people at Active Oahu are great, booking over the phone was smooth and Michael would answer any questions I had about the rental patiently. We did talk about the weather and wind/surf conditions a lot since Oahu experienced higher winds while I was there due to trade winds hitting the island. Picking up and returning the kayak was also great. Very helpful staff and all I needed was provided and included in the price. Roof pads for the Jeep, strap-downs, a kayak seat and a life vest. The solo paddle out to Mokoli'i Island was a bit strenuous due to really high winds, but overall I was fine and made it to the little beach-like landing on the island. I did the hike to the top of the island as well. It was a very special feeling, since I had the island completely for myself while I was there! Mahalo Active Oahu for making this a special experience for me! I will be back for more!

We were 2 women with a rental car and the set up was so well explained and easy to do. We Kayaked around Lanikai, with no pressure on time. Loved the freedom and ease offered.

We enjoyed our kayaking experience, it was windy but very enjoyable. We did unfortunately capsize our kayak on the way back from Moloki'i Island 🏝 but we eventually made it back safely to Kaiula state park

Renting our kayak was very simple from start to finish. When we got there to pick it up, we got a little crash course on how to load it onto our vehicle and how to unload it. That was easier than we thought it would be. We also got a crash course on kayaking, since we’d never done it before. It took a minute to get the hang of it, but it was a blast. We had so much fun.

My brother and I recently took a trip to Oahu in June. One of the top things on our list was to kayak out to China man hat island. We rented two kayaks from “Active Oahu Tours”. The lady that rented them to us was very nice. However we got to the beach where you depart for China man hat. The waves were so rough this day. Our friend owns a shaved ice truck and she sets up on the street right by the beach there. The waves were so rough that day she had to close up her truck because the waves were crashing into the street. The locals advised us not to go to the island that it wasn’t safe with the conditions. I later emailed “Active Oahu Tours” to see if there was anything they could do since we never got to use the kayaks. It has been going on two months and I have not heard back from them. If you rent anything from them I would say to check the conditions of the water before you decide to do so.

While at the Kualoa Ranch on an ebike tour with a friend who lives in Oahu, we heard stories of paddleboarding out to Chinaman's Hat. Totally, on a whim, we reached out to Active Oahu Tours & Activities and reserved two paddleboards for the day. First - pricing - reasonable and the equipment was in really good shape. Second - the staff - excellent people, good communication. The whole experience was easy and enjoyable. I wish more businesses in Oahu were straight forward and pleasant like this one.

The whole team were great, from helping us load the kayak to our hire car to providing great advice about the surrounding areas. It's awesome to look back at photos of Mokoli'i Island and be able to say "yep, we did that trek!". Also appreciated the shout out to us Aussies on their Instagram :)

The guys at Active Oahu were amazing. We called the morning we wanted to kayak and they got us right in. They loaded us up and showed us the best route for our kayaking adventure! I highly recommend this business. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and very affordable.

Mario made picking up the kayak super easy, especially traveling with a rental. He was a pleasure to work with. The equipment we rented was in great condition. Maps were included with tips of the best route to paddle to the island and trails to explore. The only downside was the trails are relatively unkept so a little hard to navigate and probably should be attempted by a more experienced person (which I assume isn’t the rentals’ responsibility). Drop off was just as easy and expedient as pick up. They are flexible with exact drop off and pick up times so that takes the stress off enjoying the beauty of the adventure.

Super easy transfer from shop to beach, it was great! Rob was super helpful with getting the kayak strapped to the top of our convertible.

Very friendly staff at the pick up location. Strapping the kayak on was much easier than I thought it would be and it was easy to take down and put back on my own with the help of my wife. I booked for 4 hours but they told me to bring it back whenever I was done with my trip. Excellent experience and the dry bag was very useful too.

Amazing! It was really easy to pick up the kayaks. They set up a rack on the car for transport to the beach. The beach isn't crowded (at least on a Monday) and the kayak around the island is absolutely gorgeous. The hike on the island is rocky, make sure you bring the right shoes for hiking and climbing on rocks.

What a great trip! Gabriel and Brent were so informative and helpful. We followed their directions and it was easy. We had an awesome time kayaking to Chinaman’s Hat!!

What a unique experience in Oahu. We loved the easy kayak to Mokoli'i. I highly recommend water shoes for the hike once you get there. We attempted in sandals and were not successful in getting to the top. Bring a cooler for waters and snacks if you plan to chill for a bit.

Brad and Micheal were super helpful with being flexible and understanding with the whole reservation. Helped set up and made the whole experience as smooth as possible. Although they couldn't deliver the kayak right to the beach due to new regulations, they were great with adapting and making the experience as easy as possible with loading the kayak onto my car and securing it. They even allowed the reservation time to be flexible and not only let me pick up the kayak after the designated time, but let us keep the kayak for the whole day as opposed to the 3 hour window I initially reserved. I understand that the company is undergoing transition and thus have been going though changes so I'm sure that these circumstances wont be permanent but they did a great job with being understanding and agreeable with making the whole experience great even without the direct delivery being available. Would use their services again and would recommend to anyone on the island looking to visit Mokoli'i island (chinaman hat island).

Great way to see Mokoli’i! The three hours was plenty of time to get to the island and hike around (we circumnavigated the island and then climbed up to the top) and then kayak back. The guide communicated well with us for the pickup and was easy to find. The kayak was ready to go when we arrived. Thanks for a great morning!

Michael was super helpful and flexible with our family group when we booked this excursion. He brought out all of the equipment to us at a convenient location. The kayak trip and hike around Mokoli'i was easily a highlight of our vacation.

View was amazing, hiking to top a little tricky in some spots especially descending the hill. Overall worth it.

Fabulous trip!!! Brad kept in touch prior to kayak pickup. He was awesome! Island is gorgeous! Hiked and swam!! A must-do in Oahu!

Great experience - great service and let us at the beach- made our kayak trip to Mololi’i amazing! Weather was perfect - Great day!

Fun paddling, great views, challenging climb to the top. Footwear with good grip would help. The trail to the top is for fit people who aren't afraid of heights.

We had my 72 year old mother down to my 8 year old son. It was windy so the water was choppy and we had to work a little harder paddling there and then we were drifting some on the way back, but we absolutely loved it. My children are 17, 14, 11, and 8 and we all made it up to the peak no problem (72 year old stayed at the bottom). It was slightly challenging at times with a rope at the steepest part near the top, but not extremely long or overly challenging if you're into this type of thing.

Amazing! Being able to relax and not be on a set schedule was the best. Kayak access was easy and Logan was very helpful! Of course there’s a time limit, but once you get to China Man Hat you have the freedom to do what you want. Best part of the trip! Such a beautiful area!

Main reason for poor review is that the kayaks were located 100 yards from the launch and the person working did not help bring the kayak to the shore or back. Heads up, the trail on the island was extremely steep and turned in to a technical rock climb half way up. I did not reach the top.

Guys were very friendly. I made the reservations on the wrong day and they helped reschedule for the correct day.

It was a seamless process in getting the kayaks. We were in the water less than 10 minutes we were provided life jackets which was great! Sweet and short ride and hike highly recommend. Dogs are welcomed!!

Was such a cool experience! Brad was super flexible and helpful during it all! Would highly recommend and would definitely do it again!

We rented a kayak for a few hours to pop out to Mokoli’i island (Chinaman’s Hat) and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Josh from Oahu Tours was super helpful and friendly and the process was really easy. Highly recommend.

We enjoyed our experience. I finally got a chance to see the Chinaman’s Hat in person. The sights were awesome. The time shared with my wife was another memorable experience along our journey together. The only concern was having to carry the kayak from the side of the road to the beach. We’ve kayaked other locations throughout the country and they were staged along the shore. Just more work. Other than that, we enjoyed ourselves.

This was a great experience. One of my top 3 favorite things I did while visiting HI! The staff was so friendly and helpful when picking up my kayak. The pricing was great and well worth the 3 hours of fun, beauty, hilarity, and peace that it brought. I highly recommend it.

Not crowded, nice quiet beach, very enjoyable in the ocean with family in the boats. One of the best things is that water is not deep, you can see the bottom of the ocean.

We booked kayaks for our family to go to Mokoli'i. I was so impressed with the knowledge and responsiveness. Jared contacted me before our self guided tour and was there on time and available at pick-up. He was friendly and helpful as we navigated this most epic journey. I would 100% recommend this company to others.

The experience was great and the view was amazing! I loved how clear the water was and how nice the day was.

There was Great communication, they were very prompt, very friendly, and made our experience so convenient!

Wonderful way to experience the water on Oahu. They arrived on time with all the needed equipment and gave us good pointers for the best way to make it out to the island. He also gave us some advice about hiking on the island. The only thing that could be improved is to give a map or a link to a good map of the trails on the island. Some trails are obvious, but others look like recent additions when people don't know which way to go. This could really damage the experience and beauty with so many people going out to the island. Overall, we had a great time and would highly recommend.

This is a great tour! They were on time with the kayak and other equipment that we rented and gave us a few tips before we go. Everything was in great conditions and they were waiting for us when we got back. 100% Recommend them.

This is an excellent service...a one stop shop that delivers to you! I am a resident without a way to carry a Kayak. Staff member was waiting on us when we got there and returned shortly after we arrived back from our trip. She was super friendly and professional. I will highly recommend to my friends and hiking family

We had a great time. It was quite easy and free and a special experience, highly recommended and thank you so much :)

Very convenient, only service we found that delivers to the location. Jason was a nice informative guy who helped us navigate. Do recommend the dry bags!

Great communication, easy rebooking for the next day. The negative thing is that the kayak has to be picked up and brought back. Unfortunately we didn't know that beforehand. It takes 30 minutes to get to Molokini Beach and back again. Unfortunately that was a pointless waste of time