It’s no secret that Hawaii’s a fabulous place for relaxing on the beach and catching up on some sunshine.
But what if you’re in the mood for something more edgy, more risky?
Well, you’re in luck. Hawaii is full of adrenaline-powered things to do. We’ve got the first six right here:
Shark cage diving
The name says it all: you enter a metal cage that’s partially submerged in the ocean. Then you wait for the sharks to come. And they do.
What you might not expect is a shark cage tour is more than a quick thrill — the tour operators are also committed “to educate each one of our guests about the current state of the oceans ecosystem, the sharks’ plight and how their decimation by humans is affecting us all in the long term.”
At the moment, you can take a shark cage tour on the North Shore of Oahu.
Skydiving
Jump out of a plane from 14,000 feet up, then free fall back to land, eventually deploying a parachute (tandem, of course). Tons of people do it, but would you? According to our local sources, Hawaii is one of the most beautiful — and cheapest — places to go skydiving.
Currently, you can skydive on the North Shore of Oahu. Ask for Jo at Pacific Skydiving Honolulu — he’s a great guy with over 30,000 jumps!
Paragliding
How does it feel to fly like a bird? We’ll never know exactly, but paragliding comes close for us mere humans. You simply lay out a wing on a hillside or mountain, inflate it over your head like a kite, run a few steps and before you know it you’re stepping off into the sky!
On Maui? Try ProFlyght Paragliding.
Big wave surfing
If we estimate that .0001% of the world’s population surfs, then we can probably say that .0001% of that .0001% are big wave surfers. That’s less than 100 people on earth!
This means that if you’re not already a surfer, don’t even think about getting into big wave surfing. And if you are surfer, you better know what you’re doing.
In other words: let’s leave big wave surfing a spectator sport.
Spear fishing
The waters surrounding Hawaii are magical, deep and abundant with edible sea life — from fish to ocotopus to lobsters. Anyone is welcome to it, including you. All you need to get started is a mask, fins and a three-prong spear, aka a Hawaiian sling.
Once you get started, link up with your local free diving / spear fishing community. You’ll be pleased to know how many people’s lives in Hawaii are centered around the ocean.
With enough experience, you can work your way up to a wetsuit and speargun, and the gusto to dive deep into the mysterious worlds below the surface of the sea.
Bow hunting
Sure, you can hunt with a gun, but have you considered using a bow? Across Hawaii, bow hunters scour vast stretches of upland forest, arid grasslands and mountainous regions in search of wild boar, sheep and deer.
You’ll need a valid Hawaii hunting license for both public and private land, as well as a Hawaii Hunter Education wallet cards which you can get after a basic hunter education course (or a letter of exemption for Hunter Education from your home state).
The Hawaii DLNR has up-to-date hunting regulations and seasons.
Photo credits: Hawaii Shark Encounters, Yelp, blese, marquesfogo, freedivehi, inter-island_helicopters, 136118408@N04
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Need a hand with your next Maui vacation? Please contact the Sunny Maui Vacations team at info@sunnymauivacations.com or call 808-240-1311, ext. 21. We’ll find you the best vacation rental condo in South Maui and help you with any and all recommendations and activities across Maui (chat with our in-house Concierge at extension 71).
Need a hand with your next Maui vacation? Please contact the Sunny Maui Vacations team at info@sunnymauivacations.com or call 808-240-1311, ext. 21. We’ll find you the best vacation rental condo or rental home in South Maui and help you with any and all recommendations and activities across Maui.