Just west of Michigan, the island of Kauai has what has to be some of the greatest paddling in the world. Large rivers, secluded beaches, and the legendary Na Pali coastline (17 miles of cliffs, secluded beaches, dolphins, sea turtles). The folks at Kayak Kauai are great for guided tours. They use nice fiberglass two person kayaks and fiberglass Werner paddles for the trip.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the only opportunity to paddle a real boat on Kauai, Maui, or the Big Island - all the rentals and other outfitters' guided trips use sit-on-top type boats. They work well for the renters from a liability standpoint since they're practically unsinkable, but they're extremely wide and don't provide much control. Still, you can't beat the scenery!

Kayaking the NaPali Coastline, Kauai, Hawaii

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