Originally Posted by
bocastephen
If it's the one I'm thinking off (kayak all the way), VERY HARD. So hard, in fact, that if the guide even senses you won't be able to handle the trip, they leave you behind on shore without so much as a hint of dismay.
Hogwash!!!
Did you HEAR this or did you actually WITNESS it?!?!
To ask people to respect the ocean and not get in over their heads is one thing. But to spread conjectures to dissuade others...
I actually DID the trip with Kayak Kauai back in June 2006. If you saw me now and even back then, you'd probably be able to come up with a good antonym for physical fitness. 5'11" 200+ lbs and no visible evidence of muscles
. But I have an adventurous spirit underneath while still valuing my life--not a daredevil. I would also venture that a good portion of our group looked as physically unfit as me.
One of the young male honeymooners got seasick en-route, and he was not left stranded on the shore (not many shorelines anyway). As I was in a double kayak with one of the guides, they switched me out, so that I had to paddle his new wife for the majority of the trip. Not much of a paddler but she was a good conversationalist at least. Her poor guy sat motionless like a miserable sack of potatoes in the front of the other kayak while the guide did all the paddling. The guides may be tough but they're not heartless moneygrabbers.
With all that said, the Napali Coast Kayak was one of the greatest experiences in my lifetime...to soak in the majestic cliffs all day long, to rest at the mouths of the incredible valleys, to venture into the darkness of the sea caves, and to glide under waterfalls for the best natural showers. Here's a link to a video of my trip I made over 3 years ago:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...t+kayak&hl=en#
Details:
Napali kayaking is a long (16-mile) trip stretched over approx 10 hours (incl 1 hr lunch) from Haena State Park to Polihale Beach, so endurance is the biggest challenge...fatigue really kicks in at about 10 miles, where you begin to wonder if the idea of a lunch break is merely a dangling carrot. We went out on a day that the ocean was as flat as glass (no white caps) but that also meant a long, physically exerting day as there were no waves to help us along. I slept like rock during the lunch break as well as on the entire van trip back.
My only wish was that they spent more time in the beginning re proper paddling techniques to maximize efficiency instead of promoting a mostly-arm stroke; i gradually learned to make better use of my torso since my shoulders and arms were gassed.
If you're worried about sea sickness (like i was), take a bonine/dramamine the night before and the morning of the trip.
It's also important to reapply sunscreen during each break time; several of us including myself got burnt due to such a long sun exposure, and i put on 30-proof at least twice.
And I'll also repeat that ocean conditions vary daily so your experience will never mirror mine and could encounter significant white caps, so be prepared and be aware.
A few vendor links to provide greater insight:
http://www.kayakkauai.com/seakayak.html
http://napalikayak.com/
http://www.outfitterskauai.com/na-pa...sea-kayak.html