About Fair Wind Cruises
Fair Wind Cruises is a family-owned Kona institution that has been sailing guests to Kealakekua Bay since 1971. Departing from Keauhou Bay on Kaleiopapa Street, the company holds a rare mooring permit inside the Kealakekua Bay marine life conservation district, home of the Captain Cook Monument and some of the most vibrant reef in the state.
The flagship Fair Wind II is a 60-foot catamaran built for families, with water slides off the deck, easy stair access into the water, and barbecue meals served on board during morning and afternoon snorkel cruises. For a faster, more adult-oriented trip, the Hula Kai hydrofoil-assisted catamaran runs deluxe snorkel tours to less-visited South Kona sites. All cruises include snorkel gear, flotation, and crew guidance for first-timers, and seasonal whale sightings come free with the commute.
Five decades of daily operation in the same bay have given Fair Wind's crews unmatched familiarity with local conditions, and the company's long-standing conservation practices — from mooring use to reef-safe sunscreen policies — help protect the site they depend on. For families who want a comfortable, all-inclusive introduction to Kona snorkeling, this is the benchmark operation.
