Water Sports

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Several outfitters on Kauai offer not only equipment rentals and tours but also expert information on weather forecasts, sea and trail conditions, and other important matters for hikers, kayakers, sailors, and all backcountry adventurers. For watersports questions and equipment rental, contact Kayak Kauai Outbound, 1 mile past Hanalei Bridge on Highway 560, in Hanalei (tel. 800/437-3507 or 808/826-9844; www.kayakkauai.com), the outfitters' center in Hanalei. They have a private dock (the only one on Kauai) for launching kayaks and canoes. In Kapaa, contact Kauai Water Ski & Surf Co., Kinipopo Shopping Village, 4-356 Kuhio Hwy. (on the ocean side of the highway), Kapaa (tel. 808/822-3574). In Kapaa and Koloa areas, go with Snorkel Bob's Kauai at 4-734 Kuhio Hwy. (just north of Coconut Plantation Marketplace), Kapaa (tel. 800/262-7725 or 808/823-9433; www.snorkelbob.com); in Koloa, Snorkel Bob's is at 3236 Poipu Rd. (just south of Poipu Shopping Village), near Poipu Beach (tel. 808/742-2206).

Boating

One of Hawaii's most spectacular natural attractions is Kauai's Na Pali Coast. Unless you're willing to make an arduous 22-mile hike, there are only two ways to see it: by helicopter or by boat. Picture yourself cruising the rugged Na Pali coastline in a 42-foot ketch-rigged yacht under full sail, watching the sunset as you enjoy a tropical cocktail, or speeding through the aquamarine water in a 40-foot trimaran as porpoises play off the bow.

When the Pacific humpback whales make their annual visit to Hawaii from December to March, they swim right by Kauai. In season, most boats on Kauai -- including sail and powerboats -- combine whale-watching with their regular adventures.

Kauai has many freshwater areas that are accessible only by boat, including the Fern Grotto, Wailua State Park, Huleia and Hanalei national wildlife refuges, Menehune Fishpond, and numerous waterfalls. If you want to strike out on your own, Paradise Outdoor Adventures, 4-1596 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa (tel. 800/66-BOATS or 808/822-0016; www.kayakers.com), has 40 different rental boats to choose from, like the popular Boston whaler (six-person capacity) for $295 for a half a day and $590 for a full day, plus kayaks and sea cycles. Included are all the amenities, such as safety equipment, coolers, dry bags (for cameras, wallets, towels), and a comprehensive orientation on where to go. The staff will even deliver the boat to the Wailua River at no extra charge.

Bodyboarding (Boogie Boarding) & Bodysurfing

The best places for bodysurfing and boogie boarding are Kalapaki Beach (near Lihue) and Poipu Beach. Snorkel Bob's rents boogie boards for just $15 a week.

Fishing

Deep-Sea Fishing -- Kauai's fishing fleet is smaller and less well recognized than others in the islands, but the fish are still out there. All you need to bring are your lunch and your luck. The best way to book a sportfishing charter is through the experts; the best booking desk in the state is Sportfish Hawaii (tel. 877/388-1376 or 808/396-2607; www.sportfishhawaii.com), which books boats not only on Kauai but on all islands. These fishing vessels have been inspected and must meet rigorous criteria to guarantee that you will have a great time. Prices are $1,050 for a full-day exclusive charter (you and five of your closest friends get the entire boat to yourself), $850 for a three-quarter day exclusive, and $650 for a half-day exclusive.

Freshwater Fishing -- Freshwater fishing is big on Kauai, thanks to its dozens of "lakes," which are really man-made reservoirs. Regardless, they're full of large-mouth, small-mouth, and peacock bass (also known as tucunare). The Puu Lua Reservoir, in Kokee State Park, also has rainbow trout and is stocked by the state every year. Fishing for rainbow trout in the reservoir has a limited season: It begins on the first Saturday in August and lasts for 16 days, after which you can only fish on weekends and holidays through the last Sunday in September.

Before you rush out and get a fishing pole, you have to have a Hawaii Freshwater Fishing License, available through the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources, P.O. Box 1671, Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/241-3400). The license is also available through any fishing-supply store, like Lihue Fishing Supply, 2985 Kalena St., Lihue (tel. 808/245-4930); Rainbow Paint and Fishing Supplies, Hanapepe (tel. 808/335-6412); or Waipouli Variety, 4-901 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa (tel. 808/822-1014). A 1-month license costs $3.75; a 1-year license is $7.50. When you get your license, pick up a copy of the booklet State of Hawaii Freshwater Fishing Regulations. Another great little book to get is The Kauai Guide to Freshwater Sport Fishing by Glenn Ikemoto, available for $2.50 plus postage from Magic Fishes Press, P.O. Box 3243, Lihue, HI 96766. If you would like a guide, Sportfish Hawaii (tel. 877/388-1376 or 808/396-2607; www.sportfishhawaii.com) has guided bass fishing trips starting at $265 per person for a half day and $375 for a full day.

Kayaking

Kauai is made for kayaking. You can take the Huleia River into Huleia National Wildlife Refuge (located along the eastern portion of Huleia Stream, where it flows into Nawiliwili Bay). It's the last stand for Kauai's endangered birds, and the only way to see it is by kayak. The adventurous can head to the Na Pali Coast, featuring majestic cliffs, empty beaches, open-ocean conditions, and monster waves. Or you can just paddle around Hanalei Bay.

Kayak Kauai Outbound, a mile past Hanalei Bridge on Highway 560, in Hanalei (tel. 800/437-3507 or 808/826-9844; www.kayakkauai.com), has a range of tours for independent souls. The shop's experts will be happy to take you on a guided kayaking trip or to tell you where to go on your own. Equipment rental starts at $28 for a one-person kayak and $52 for a two-person ocean kayak per day. Kayak lessons are $50 per person per hour. Tours (some including snacks) start at $115 per person and include transportation and lunch for the all-day excursion. Kayak Kauai also has its own private dock (the only one on Kauai) for launching kayaks and canoes.

Rick Haviland, who gained fame after he was mentioned in Paul Theroux's book The Happy Isles of Oceania, is the owner of Outfitters Kauai, 2827A Poipu Rd. (at Poipu Plaza, a small five-shop mall before the road forks to Poipu/Spouting Horn), Poipu (tel. 888/742-9887 or 808/742-9667; www.outfitterskauai.com), which offers several kayaking tours. A full-day trip along the entire Na Pali Coast (summer only) costs $185 per person and includes a guide, lunch, drinks, and equipment. Another kayak tour takes you up a jungle stream and involves a short hike to waterfalls and a swimming hole; it's $94 (children ages 5-14, $72) including lunch, snacks, and drinks. Outfitters Kauai also rents river kayaks by the day ($40).

In the winter, mid-September to mid-May, Outfitters Kauai has launched a new South Shore Sea Kayak Tour. This 8-mile tour, from Poipu to Port Allen, lets you explore secluded bays and beaches that you can only get to by the sea. Along the way, the guided tour stops for coffee and snacks and later for lunch. This fabulous tour is not for everyone; if you get seasick, you might want to reconsider. Also, the paddling is moderately strenuous and not appropriate for kids under 12. But those adventurous souls, who are somewhat fit and love exploring, will be talking about this tour for a long time. Cost is $129 for adults and $105 for kids ages 12 to 14.

You can also rent from Kauai Water Ski & Surf Co., Kinipopo Shopping Village, 4-356 Kuhio Hwy. (on the ocean side), Kapaa (tel. 808/822-3574); or Pedal 'n Paddle, Ching Young Village Shopping Center, Hanalei (tel. 808/826-9069; www.pedalnpaddle.com).

Paddling into Huleia National Wildlife Refugee -- Ride the Huleia River through Kauai's 240-acre Huleia National Wildlife Refuge, the last stand of Kauai's endangered birds, with True Blue, Nawiliwili Harbor (tel. 888/245-1707 or 808/245-9662; www.kauaifun.com). You paddle up the picturesque Huleia (which appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark and the remake of King Kong) under sheer pinnacles that open into valleys full of lush tropical plants, bright flowers, and hanging vines. Look for great blue herons and Hawaiian gallinules taking wing. The 4 1/2-hour voyage, which starts at Nawiliwili Harbor, is a great trip for all -- but especially for movie buffs, birders, and great adventurers under 12. It's even safe for nonswimmers. Wear a swimsuit, T-shirt, and boat shoes. The cost is $89 for adults, $36 for children 8 to 12. The prices include a picnic snack, juice, kayak, life vest, and guide services.

Scuba Diving

Diving on Kauai is dictated by the weather. In winter, when heavy swells and high winds hit the island, diving is generally limited to the more protected south shore. Probably the best-known site along the south shore is Caverns, located off the Poipu Beach Resort area. This site consists of a series of lava tubes interconnected by a chain of archways. A constant parade of fish streams by (even shy lionfish are spotted lurking in crevices), brightly hued Hawaiian lobsters hide in the lava's tiny holes, and turtles swim past.

In summer, when the north Pacific storms subside, the magnificent North Shore opens up. You can take a boat dive locally known as the Oceanarium, northwest of Hanalei Bay, where you'll find a kaleidoscopic marine world in a horseshoe-shaped cove. From the rare (long-handed spiny lobsters) to the more common (taape, conger eels, and nudibranches), the resident population is one of the more diverse on the island. The topography, which features pinnacles, ridges, and archways, is covered with cup corals, black-coral trees, and nooks and crannies enough for a dozen dives.

Because the best dives on Kauai are offshore, we recommend booking a two-tank dive off a dive boat. Bubbles Below Scuba Charters, 6251 Hauaala Rd., Kapaa (tel. 808/822-3483; www.aloha.net/~kaimanu), specializes in highly personalized, small-group dives, with an emphasis on marine biology. The 35-foot dive boat, Kaimanu, is a custom-built Radon that comes complete with a hot shower. Two-tank boat dives cost $110 ($25 more if you need gear); nondivers can come along for the ride for $50. In summer (May-Sept), Bubbles Below offers a three-tank trip for experienced divers only to the "forbidden" island of Niihau, 90 minutes by boat from Kauai. You should be comfortable with vertical drop-offs, huge underwater caverns, possibly choppy surface conditions, and significant currents. You should also be willing to share water space with the resident sharks. The all-day, three-tank trip costs $260, including tanks, weights, dive computer, lunch, drinks, and marine guide (if you need gear, it's $25 more).

On the south side, call Fathom Five Adventures, 3450 Poipu Rd. (next to the Chevron), Koloa (tel. 808/742-6991).

Great Shore Dives from Kauai -- If you want to rent your own equipment for shore dives, it will probably cost around $25 to $40 a day. Try Dive Kauai, 4-976 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa (tel. 808/822-0452); or Fathom Five Adventures, 3450 Poipu Rd. (next to the Chevron), Koloa (tel. 808/742-6991).

Spectacular shoreline dive sites on the North Shore include Kee Beach/Haena Beach Park (where the road ends), one of the most picturesque beaches on the island. On a calm summer day, the drop-off near the reef begs for underwater exploration. Another good bet is Tunnels Beach, also known as Makua Beach. It's off Highway 560, just past mile marker 8; look for the short dirt road (less than a half mile) to the beach. The wide reef here makes for some fabulous snorkeling and diving, but again, only during the calm summer months. Cannons Beach, east of Haena Beach Park (use the parking area for Haena, located across the street from the Dry Cave near mile marker 9 on Hwy. 560), has lots of vibrant marine life in its sloping offshore reef.

On the south shore, if you want to catch a glimpse of sea turtles, head to Tortugas (located directly in front of Poipu Beach Park). Koloa Landing has a horseshoe-shaped reef teeming with tropical fish. Sheraton Caverns (located off the Sheraton Kauai) is also popular, due to its three large underwater lava tubes, which are usually filled with marine life.

Snorkeling

For rental equipment, see locations of Snorkel Bob's.

For great shoreline snorkeling, try the reef off Kee Beach/Haena Beach Park, located at the end of Highway 560. Tunnels Beach, about a mile before the end of Highway 560 in Haena, has a wide reef that's great for poking around in search of tropical fish. Be sure to check ocean conditions -- don't go if the surf is up or if there's a strong current. Anini Beach, located off the northern end of Kalihiwai Road (between mile markers 25 and 26 on Kuhio Hwy., or Hwy. 56), just before the Princeville Airport, has a safe, shallow area with excellent snorkeling. Poipu Beach Park has some good snorkeling to the right side of Nukumoi Point -- the tombolo area, where the narrow strip of sand divides the ocean, is best. If this spot is too crowded, wander down the beach in front of the old Waiohai resort; if there are no waves, this place is also hopping with marine life. Salt Pond Beach Park, off Highway 50 near Hanapepe, has good snorkeling around the two rocky points, home to hundreds of tropical fish.

Surfing

Hanalei Bay's winter surf is the most popular on the island, but it's for experts only. Poipu Beach is an excellent spot at which to learn to surf; the waves are small and -- best of all -- nobody laughs when you wipe out. Check with the local surf shops or call the Weather Service (tel. 808/245-3564) to find out where surf's up.

Surf lessons are available for $60 for a 1 1/2-hour session, including all-day use of equipment (board, wet suit top, and carrying rack for your car), from Windsurf Kauai, in Hanalei (tel. 808/828-6838). Poipu is also the site of numerous surfing schools; the oldest and best is Margo Oberg's School of Surfing, at the Nukumoi Surf Shop, across from Brennecke's Beach (tel. 808/742-8019). Margo charges $50 for 2 hours of group instruction, including surfboard and leash; she guarantees that by the end of the lesson, you'll be standing and catching a wave.

Equipment is available for rent (ranging from $5 an hour or $20 a day for "soft" beginner boards to $7.50 an hour or $30 a day for hard boards) from Nukumoi Surf Shop, across from Brennecke's Beach, Poipu Beach Park (tel. 888/384-8810 or 808/742-8019); Hanalei Surf Co., 5-5161 Kuhio Hwy. (across from Zelo's Beach House Restaurant in Hanalei Center), Hanalei (tel. 808/826-9000); and Pedal 'n Paddle, Ching Young Village Shopping Center, Hanalei (tel. 808/826-9069).

Tubing

Back in the days of the sugar plantations, on really hot days, if no one was looking, local kids would grab inner tubes and jump in the irrigation ditches crisscrossing the cane fields for an exciting ride. Today you can enjoy this (formerly illegal) activity by "tubing" the flumes and ditches of the old Lihue Plantation through Kauai Backcountry Adventures (tel. 888/270-0555 or 808/245-2506; www.kauaibackcountry.com). Passengers are taken in four-wheel-drive vehicles high into the mountains above Lihue and see vistas generally off-limits to the public. At the flumes, you will be outfitted with a giant tube, gloves, and headlamp (for the long passageways through the tunnels). All you do is jump in the water, and the gentle gravity-feed flow will carry you through forests, into tunnels, and finally to a mountain swimming hole, where a picnic lunch is served. The 3-hour tours are $92 and appropriate for anyone ages 5 to 95. Swimming is not necessary, since all you do is relax and drift downstream.

Water-Skiing

Hawaii's only freshwater water-skiing is on the Wailua River. Ski boats launch from the boat ramp in Wailua River State Park, directly across from the marina. Kauai Water Ski & Surf Co., Kinipopo Shopping Village, 4-356 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa (tel. 800/344-7915 or 808/822-3574), rents equipment and offers lessons and guided tours. A half-hour trip costs $55; an hour-long trip costs $110.

Windsurfing & Kitesurfing

Anini Beach is one of the safest beaches for beginners to learn windsurfing. Lessons and equipment rental are available at Anini Beach Windsurfing and Kitesurfing (tel. 808/826-WIND or 808/826-9463). Owner Foster Ducker has been teaching windsurfing for nearly a decade; he has special equipment to help beginners learn the sport. A 1-hour lesson is $50 and includes equipment and instruction. If you fall in love with the sport and want to keep going, he'll rent the equipment for $25 an hour or $50 for the rest of the day. For those experienced windsurfers who don't want to cart their equipment halfway around the globe, he will rent windsurfing equipment for $25 an hour or $75 a day. Serious windsurfers should head to Hanalei Bay or Tunnels Beach on the North Shore.

For the really adventurous, Ducker also is a certified instructor in kitesurfing; he claims he can get people up and on the water in just one lesson. His introduction to kitesurfing is 5 hours long and costs $400 for one person and $600 for two.

Not So Close! They Hardly Know You -- In your excitement at seeing a whale or a school of dolphins, don't get too close -- both are protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act. Swimmers, kayakers, and windsurfers must stay at least 100 yards away from all whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals. And yes, visitors have been prosecuted for swimming with dolphins! If you have any questions, call the National Marine Fisheries Service (tel. 808/541-2727) or the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (tel. 800/831-4888).