Body Glove Snorkel & BBQ Cruise Review: The Easiest Great Snorkel Day in Kona
We took Body Glove’s Kona Coast Snorkel Cruise from Kailua Pier in Kona. Here is our honest review of the boat, the Red Hill snorkel spot, the BBQ lunch, and whether it’s worth $180! Come with us on our Body Glove snorkel cruise as we have a video too. You will know exactly what to expect.
A quick note: we’ve included a few affiliate links below. Booking through them costs you nothing extra and sends a small commission our way, which helps us keep writing free Hawaii guides. We only ever link to things we’d recommend to a friend. Mahalo! Read about our affiliate policies here.
Activity Overview
Most Big Island snorkel tours ask you to make a trade-off. Drive 45 minutes south to Kealakekua Bay for the famous reef, or paddle a mile across open water, or take a power rafting tour.
Body Glove asks for none of that. You walk onto a 65-foot catamaran at Kailua Pier in downtown Kona, and four and a half hours later you walk off having snorkeled a reef most people never see, eaten two meals, and probably watched spinner dolphins ride the wake.
We went out on the Body Glove snorkel cruise in August 2026, and it’s the tour we now recommend first to anyone traveling with kids, anyone nervous in the water, or anyone who just doesn’t want their snorkel day to be a project.
This is an excellent Kona catamaran snorkel tour! Click the button above to check availability for your group.
Quick Verdict: Body Glove Snorkel Cruise Table
| Decision Point | Body Glove Snorkel Cruise |
|---|---|
| Price | $180 adults (18+), $120 kids (6–17), $50 ages 5 & under, $120 ride-along |
| Departs | Kailua Pier, downtown Kona at 8:00 AM |
| Duration | 4.5 hours |
| Snorkel site | Red Hill (not Kealakekua Bay) |
| Water time | ~2 hours |
| Boat | 65′ two-story catamaran, wheelchair accessible |
| Food | Continental breakfast + BBQ lunch grilled onboard, both included |
| Best for | Families, first-time snorkelers, non-swimmers, cruise ship passengers |
| Skip if | You specifically want the Captain Cook Monument, or you want a small-group trip |
Note on Kailua Pier Tours!
We recommend two very different Kona snorkeling tours that depart from Kailua Pier. Choose the one that’s best for your group!
KonaStyle – smaller (39 max, 22 on the Ali’i), sailing catamaran, Native Hawaiian-owned, morning tour goes to Kealakekua Bay, requires swimming ability.
Body Glove – 65-foot catamaran boat, waterslides, non-swimmers welcome, wheelchair accessible, snorkels Red Hill instead of Kealakekua Bay.
Where This Tour Actually Goes (and why that matters)
Body Glove does not snorkel at Kealakekua Bay. They cruise about 10 miles down the Kona Coast to Red Hill, a spot near Puʻu Ohau — the big red volcanic cinder cone you can see from the water — between Nenue Point and Keawakaheka Bay.
Red Hill is a private marine life reserve, and here’s what makes it good: there’s no land access.
You can’t hike to it, drive to it, or launch a kayak to it. The only way in is by boat, and on most trips, Body Glove is the only boat there. We didn’t see another boat anywhere near us when we went out with them!
Compare that to Kealakekua Bay on a Tuesday in July, with a dozen commercial operators, a fleet of rental kayaks, and a steady stream of hikers coming down the trail.
The reef itself has underwater lava archways and lava tubes, which are genuinely different from the coral gardens at the monument. Not better, different, and considerably less crowded.
Does that mean you should skip Kealakekua? No. If seeing the Captain Cook Monument is on your list, go do that — we compare all the Kealakekua Bay snorkel tours here, and you can also kayak there yourself. These are different days out. This one is about ease and comfort; that one is about a specific historic place.
What to Expect with Body Glove Snorkel Cruise
Erica and I enjoy sharing our experiences when on the Big Island. Watch our video below which shares our time on the snorkel cruise. See the food, see all the floaties and toys in the water, and feel that waterslide.
What We Liked: Kona Catamaran Snorkel Tour
Leaving from Kailua Pier changes the whole day. You’re in downtown Kona. There’s free parking at the Body Glove office, a five-minute walk to Kailua Pier, and you’re back on land by early afternoon with your whole day still ahead of you. Compare that with driving to Kealakekua and back.
The boat is genuinely comfortable. At 65 feet with a 30-foot beam, it’s the largest boat of its kind on the Kona Coast, and it’s stable. Two decks, three restrooms including a family one, two fresh-water showers, changing rooms, real shade, and cushioned seating. If anyone in your group is worried about seasickness, boat size is the single biggest factor, and this is the big one.
They’re unusually good with nervous swimmers. They run a “Snorkeling 101” session for beginners. Life jackets, noodles, inner tubes, sea-view boards, and boogie boards are all free.
Our kids loved the sea-view boards as they helped with snorkeling!
The captain and crew are first-aid, CPR, and lifeguard certified, and at least three designated lifeguards watch whenever people are in the water. Book this tour if someone in your party has been quietly dreading the snorkeling.
The kids never got bored. A 20-foot water slide off the top deck and a 15-foot high-dive platform. I went down the slide roughly twenty times. Our kids also loved the large flotation pads.
Kids and adults snorkeled, had lunch, and all got back in the water to enjoy all the water games and flotation pads. The SUPs were a big hit!
Two real meals. Continental breakfast on the way out — fruit, yogurt, granola, pastries, banana bread.
BBQ burgers grilled onboard for lunch, with a vegan taro burger option, plus Hawaiian-style chips and chocolate chip cookies. Juices and sodas are included, plus a premium cash bar if you want a Mai Tai at anytime during your trip.
They will even bring you a drink while you’re floating around the boat on all of their toys!
The dolphins. Spinner dolphins regularly ride the boat wake. Body Glove follows the federal 50-yard rule and doesn’t chase them, which is both the law and the right call. Swimming with dolphins in the open ocean has been banned since 2021, so watching a pod of Hawaiian Spinner dolphins play around the boat for 15 minutes was captivating for all of us. It never gets old, even for seasoned Hawaii travelers like us.
Prescription masks at no extra charge, from -1.5 to -7.0. If you wear glasses, this is a bigger deal than it sounds.
More Kona Tours with Body Glove
What to Know Before You Book
It’s not a small-group tour. This is a big boat with a lot of people. That’s the trade for the amenities, the stability, and the lifeguards. If you want an intimate six-person trip, this isn’t it.
It’s not a whale watch. Humpbacks are around mid-December through mid-April, and you may well see some, but the boat has a schedule to keep. Treat whales as a bonus! On the way back to Kona, the captain took us far from shore for the chance to see whales outside of the humpback whale season. We didn’t have any luck, but they also cast two fishing lines in to see if we could catch a marlin.
Price adds up for a family. Two adults and two kids run about $600 before the ~8.1% tax. It’s not the cheap option. You’re paying for two meals, gear, two hours of water time, and a day that requires nothing from you.
Book early. Cruises sell out, especially in summer and around holidays.
Practical Details for Body Glove
Getting there: Kailua Pier, in the heart of downtown Kona. You will check in at the Body Glove office in Kailua-Kona. The office has free parking and is in a strip mall. It is a five-minute, downhill walk to Kailua Pier. They have maps to help you. You can’t get lost!
Click here for Google Maps directions: Body Glove Snorkel Cruise Parking
Two handicapped stalls sit in the cul-de-sac in front of the Kailua Pier; note it at checkout if you need one.
Drive times: about 45 minutes from Waikoloa, about 1.5 hours from Hilo.
Coming off a cruise ship? The tender drops at the same pier. Catch an early tender — they generally start around 7:00 AM — and check in directly at the boat before the 8:00 AM departure.
See our FREE Hawaii Cruise Guide and Hawaii Cruise Ports for details.
Accessibility: a specialized boarding ramp makes the boat fully wheelchair accessible, and the entire lower deck is accessible bow to stern, including the tables and restroom.
Cancellation: refundable up to 48 hours before departure. Longer windows for groups of 10 or more.
What to Bring
Genuinely, almost nothing.
- A towel. This is the one thing they don’t provide. We forgot ours so we bought two in the Body Glove office. See our Travel Gear so you don’t make that mistake.
- Reef-safe sunscreen is provided free at pump stations onboard, so you can leave yours behind unless you need a specific brand. We share our favorite brands here: Hawaii Reef-Safe Sunscreen Guide.
- Seasickness meds if you’re prone. Take them the night before and again a few hours ahead. They have Bonine onboard, plus complimentary ginger pills and a ginger drink, but it works better if it’s already in your system.
- Cash or card for the bar, if you want a drink.
- Wetsuits rent for $10 onboard. Water runs 78–82°F, so most people don’t need one.
How It Compares to Your Other Kona Snorkel Options
vs. a Kealakekua Bay boat tour: Kealakekua gets you the Captain Cook Monument and its history. Body Glove gets you an uncrowded reef, a shorter drive, and better onboard amenities. Full Kealakekua comparison here.
vs. kayaking to the monument: Kayaking is cheaper and more of an adventure, but it’s a mile of open-water paddling each way, and you’ll need a permitted guide to actually land. Our kayak guide covers that.
vs. a raft tour: Rafts get into sea caves and move fast, but there’s no shade, no restroom, and a rough ride. Not the pick for young kids or anyone with a bad back. See our Captain Zodiac Raft Tour Experience for details.
vs. snorkeling from shore: Free, and Kahaluʻu or Two Step are excellent. But you’re limited to what’s reachable from land, which by definition means the crowded spots. See our Kona Beaches article or video below for snorkeling details from shore.
Frequently Asked Questions: Kona Catamaran Snorkeling
Does Body Glove go to Kealakekua Bay?
Not on this cruise. The snorkel stop is Red Hill, roughly 10 miles down the Kona Coast, which is accessible only by boat. Body Glove does run a separate historical dinner cruise that visits Kealakekua Bay, but you don’t snorkel on it.
Will we see dolphins?
Very likely. Spinner dolphins are in these waters year-round and regularly ride the boat’s wake. Federal law prohibits boats from approaching within 50 yards, and swim-with-dolphin tours have been banned since 2021 — the dolphins have to choose to come closer, and they often do.
Is this good for kids?
It’s one of the best family snorkel tours in Kona. The water slide and high-dive platform keep kids busy, there are lifeguards on watch, and flotation toys are free. Ages 5 and under are $49.99.
What if I can’t swim?
This cruise is built for that. There’s a beginner snorkeling lesson, free life jackets and flotation toys, and at least three certified lifeguards watching the water at all times.
How long is the cruise?
4.5 hours, departing Kailua Pier at 8:00 AM, with roughly 2 hours of that in the water.
Will I get seasick?
Less likely than on most Kona tours. At 65 feet with a 30-foot beam, it’s the largest boat of its type on this coast, and bigger boats are more stable. The lower deck pitches less if you’re sensitive.
Are prescription masks available?
Yes, from -1.5 to -7.0, at no extra charge. They keep them easily accessible on the bar when they size your snorkel gear.
Is there parking at Kailua Pier?
Free parking at the Body Glove office, about a five-minute walk. The Courtyard Marriott next to the pier charges by the hour.
Can cruise ship passengers do this tour?
Yes. The tender arrives at the same pier. Catch an early tender and check in directly at the boat before the 8:00 AM departure. Wednesdays fill up fastest because that’s when the big ships are in.
Is the Body Glove Snorkel Cruise Worth It?
For families, first-time snorkelers, and anyone who wants a great day in the water without it becoming an expedition, yes.
You’re paying about $180 for two meals, all your gear, two hours at a reef almost nobody else reaches, and a boat comfortable enough that the people in your group who don’t love boats will still have a good time.
If you’re a confident snorkeler chasing the best possible reef, or the Captain Cook Monument is specifically what you came for, book a Kealakekua Bay tour instead.
But if you want one snorkel day on the Big Island and you want it to go smoothly, this is the one we’d book again.
We are affiliate partners with Body Glove and Tyler at TravelShack, which means we receive a small commission for each completed booking made through this site. This comes at no additional cost to you. You can read more about our affiliate policies here.
We only recommend tour operators we know and trust. Your positive experience and your trust in us mean more than any affiliate commission. By booking tours through our website, you help us provide free information and videos to help you and other readers plan their perfect Hawaii vacation. Thank you so much for your support — you are amazing!
