FAQ's

Private tour means that when you book your tour it will be just you and whoever is joining you and one of our guides on your private Maui tour. No other parties will be with you. Also, we keep our guide to guest ratio pretty tight, at 3-5 guests: 2 guides, 6-8 guests: 3-4 guides etc. When there are young children on tour, we bring more guides to ensure that someone is watching over the kids while the adults are playing too!  That way you can relax knowing everyone is safe. ; )  We got your back, mom and dad!

When you book a private tour with us, you become part of our Ohana (family).  We genuinely want you to have an amazing time so we take the same care with you that we would a close friend or family member.

You will receive personal instruction and coaching with your individual needs in mind and we’ll be there every “paddle” of the way. We hope that by taking a private paddleboard or kayak tour, will feel free to be yourself so you can relax and enjoy the ocean without feeling self-conscious with other people that you don’t know.

So relax, let your hair down… you are “Family” now … Welcome to to the Paddle On! Maui Ohana… Where we do it Maui Style!

We generally do not wear life vests when we are stand up paddle boarding, because we are attached to our floatation device by a leash that is around our ankle. If you feel like you would like a life vest, please let us know and we will happily provide one for you. If you are on a kayak tour, you are required to wear a life vest. If you are on a snorkel/kayak tour, we take them off if you are comfortable when we get in to snorkel.

We will take young children with us on our tours! They must wear a life vest and they will be sitting on the front of a guide’s board. ; ) The whole family can join in and have fun with Paddle On! Maui!

Yes! If you want to try it, we are here to help. If it turns out for some reason you decide not to stand once you are out on the water, no worries; you can sit on the board. Most people don’t realize that they don’t HAVE to stand. However, if that is your goal, we will do our best to get you there!

Of course! We don’t discriminate against the awesome lone traveler! We’re actually just jealous… Many companies charge more if you are alone on a tour and we DO NOT believe you should be punished for traveling alone and being awesome. The tour price is the same and we cannot wait to meet you, celebrate your awesomeness, and hear about your travels!

We do not discount our tours as we are very hands-on and personal with our guests. Our guest to guide ratio is very high to ensure your safety as well as ensuring an epic ocean adventure every time. We do this so that EVERYONE on the tour gets personalized individual attention and coaching for your success in paddling.

Our guest to guide ratio: 1-2 guests: 1 guide, 3-5 guests: 2 guides, 6-8 guests: 3-4 guides etc. When there are young children, we bring more guides to ensure that someone is watching over the kids while the adults are playing too!  That way you can relax knowing everyone is safe. ; )  There is no upcharge for this service… That’s just how we roll!  If you’re havin’ fun, we’re havin’ fun!

Well, lucky for you as we specialize in “nervous Nellies” and “scaredy cats!” That is what we do! We love taking someone who wasn’t sure about getting out there and turning them into a ocean loving paddler!  We have many guests who come out with us several times during their visit so that they can get their groove on, and look like an expert when they go home to the mainland to paddle on their local lake or inlet. We can definitely help you get there!

A bikini/bathing suit and a smile, that’s it! We have everything else. We have fresh cut fruit and water for an on-ocean picnic, fluffy towels waiting for you after the tour, and a guide who will greet you with a smile. Every time.

Helpful hint: You might want to lotion up before you come to see us. Best to put lotion on dry skin in your hotel room before you come while in your “birthday suit” so the lotion doesn’t rub off. Let it dry and then put on your suit.

Yes.  However, remember that your paddle floats and your glasses don’t! Your hat might float at least until you can grab it.  So, if you want to bring/wear your glasses, go grab a croaky before your tour.  They have croakies with “floaters” on them that I have seen around town that work well.

Yes, but please let us know so that we can take care of you quickly if a situation arises on the ocean.

Here is what I recommend: Go to the ABC/General Store or pharmacy and get a box of Bonine for motion sickness. It doesn’t make you tired like dramamine. Take one the night before your tour and one the morning of your tour before you come to meet us. This is an over the counter drug (and I am not a doctor), but it works for the people that I know who do it.  You can also get a seasick arm band (also sold at the pharmacy). Ginger drops help too. But it’s best to head it off at the pass… Mo Betta for you!

Yes. I will ALWAYS tell you the truth, and the truth is: This is an ocean and this is where they live. On that note, I have been doing guided tours in this amazing stretch of Wailea’s oceanfront in the heart of Turtle Town for seven years now, sometimes on the water for seven hours a day, and in that amount of time I have personally seen three sharks. I would not take you on a tour if I thought you were not safe. We would not GO on a tour if I didn’t think we were safe either!  We will be with you every paddle of the way. You are safe.

We have a 24-hour cancellation policy. If you need to cancel or reschedule your tour, please call us at least 24 hours in advance or the fee is 100%.  We are a small company so please let us know as quickly as possible so that we can offer the space to someone else who is waiting for a tour spot. If we have to cancel due to weather, we will reschedule your tour or give a full refund if an alternative tour date cannot be made.

Make your reservation as soon as you can choose a date. We are a small, specialized company, so we fill up pretty quickly, especially during whale season and the holidays. We want to accommodate everyone that we can, so book early!

We offer three tour times: Sunrise (which varies throughout the year), 7:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. We only do our tours in the early morning because the trade winds come in usually around noon in the Wailea-Makena area. Usually, the earlier the tour the better conditions… Usually. Our favorite Tour time is Sunrise as you can watch the sunrise over Haleakala Crater from the ocean and during whale season it is the easiest time to spot whales!

Remember: The early bird gets the “glass”… glassy ocean conditions that is.  AND the early bird gets the WHALE!

“Paddleboard 101 Excel” is the best tour for beginners and was designed for just that. Although, all of our Tours INCLUDE a Beginner Lthe esson… so feel free to choose the Private Tour that you want and we will go at YOUR pace.  This is the beauty of a Private Tour!

Our tours go out of Makena Landing Park.

This tour is customizable to meet your needs for any celebration.
If you can think it up we can probably make it happen!

What we do:

• Vow renewals
• Birthday parties
• Bridal parties
• Vision quests
• Bachelorette parties
• Bachelor parties
• Anniversaries
• Any reason to celebrate!

Yes! Our lead guides are professional photographers and we love capturing the moment for you. We usually take 30 to 50 photos on your Maui tour. We professionally edit the photos, meaning we will edit, color, crop, and then digitally send them to you via Dropbox or give them to you on a CD. Many a holiday card, thank you card, and wedding invitations have come from these wild paddle adventures! The photos are $50.00 for the set, one-time for the tour group. All Photos are taken in photo quality resolution for reproduction.

Yes… You may have heard, “Tipping is not a City in China,”but, yes, anywhere that you go here on Maui, whether it is a restaurant, a guided tour, or on a boat excursion, it is customary to tip. The customary tip is the same as when you are in a restaurant. If your crew is working hard and has provided you with an outstanding experience, feel free to show them some love. Most workers here “live on tips,” so if you had an awesome time, share the love.