Bring
A swimsuit, already on under your clothes. There is a bathroom on board but changing on a moving boat is nobody’s favourite part of a holiday. Arrive ready.
Sandals you can slip on and off. Boarding is off the sand and you will wade a short distance. Slides or flip-flops; not laced shoes.
A towel. Not provided. Hotel towel is fine.
Sunglasses and a hat. Glare off the water is genuinely strong, and there is more of it than you expect on the sail legs. A strap for the sunglasses is not a silly idea.
A long-sleeve layer, weather depending. Wind plus wet skin gets cool, especially on the sunset trips once the light goes.
Photo ID if you are 21 or over and you intend to use the open bar. The crew checks.
A camera, if you want one. Phone in a waterproof pouch works. Dry storage is available on board for anything you do not take in the water.
Already provided — leave it
Fins, dive mask, snorkel and snorkel vest, on the Turtle Canyon trip. Do not buy gear in Waikiki for this.
Reef-safe sunscreen. Also motion sickness aid, if you want it — ask the crew before you depart rather than once you feel it, because most of it works far better taken in advance.
Drinking water. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are complimentary on the snorkel trip; the Afternoon Sail and Sunset Cruise carry a full open bar.
Dry storage and a bathroom on board.
Leave at the hotel
Anything valuable you would be upset to lose. Dry storage is dry, not a safe, and the boat is an open deck.
Your own sunscreen, unless you have checked it. Hawai‘i banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate from January 1, 2021 because of the damage they do to coral, and mainland bottles often still contain them. Ours is provided and reef-safe.
Any expectation of a changing room, a gangway or a pier. See beach boarding vs. harbor tours if that is a surprise.
Before you leave the hotel
Complete the online waiver. Every guest needs one, and no waiver means no boarding — this is the single most common reason people miss a boat. Guests 17 and under need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian and must be accompanied on board.
Note your check-in time, which is not your departure time. There is a 5 to 10 minute walk from check-in at the Outrigger Reef down to the boarding point. Boats leave on time.
Eat something, but not enormously. An empty stomach and a full one are both worse than a moderate one if the water is moving.