Body Glove dolphin cruise or Captain Zodiac?

[Cruising Aussie Mum]

We will be cruising on POH in March 2008. I have read that Kona is the place to snorkel. We have a group of 10 - all healthy and fit, ranging in age from 7 to 55. We are tossing up between the Body Glove dolphin snorkel or the Captain Zodiac raft snorkel. I think the Captain Zodiac would be a more "thrilling" ride, but Body Glove's boat has a water slide which the kids would also enjoy. Any thoughts on which one is better, more fun, more memorable? Does the Body Glove one actually allow you to really snorkel with the dolphins - or is it just that you are likely to see them from the boat? Would we actually see pretty much the same things while snorkelling with either of these excursions? Thanks!:)

[Lorabelle]

I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to add a question in with yours. We are looking at the same tours. My question is that we are two middle aged women, one with a bad shoulder and one with a bad knee. We were a little leary of the zodiac raft thinking it may be hard for us to exit the water and get back into the raft after snorkeling. Can anyone who has done either of these address the ease of re-entering the boat. We both really want to snorkel, but are afraid of further injuring ourselves.

 

Lori

[Cruising Aussie Mum]

Hello Lori. I do remember reading something about the Captain Zodiac one being more rough and a bit of an adventure, but I think that was referring to the ride itself - not to getting in and out of the raft.

Hopefully someone can answer both of our questions.

[jame_g]

Exiting the Zodiac is not difficult. You're already sitting on the side of the raft. The crew will help you if need be.

 

Getting back on is a little more difficult. You do have to climb a ladder, but they will also help pull you up. I wouldn't worry too much.

 

I think most people will enjoy this tour, unless they are someone who already gets to spend a lot of time in the water or on boats. The ride can be a bit bumpy, but it's a lot of fun.

 

I haven't done the body glove, so I can't compare the two for you.

[bleuseas]

We did Captain Zodiac in Kona last week. I was a little apprehensive at first, but once I showed my husband and sons their website I really didn'[t have a choice.

 

The ride was actually pretty smooth. My youngest son and I both get pretty motion sick and that was not a problem. It's not really not that rough at all. We sat in the back of the raft, where it is supposed to be calmer. There wasn't any problem getting on or off the raft. We had people of all ages and sizes and nobody had any difficulty that I witnessed.

 

We were at the pier getting on the Zodiacs when my kids spotted the Body Glove with the slide and of course wanted to know why we didn't go on that one. I can't imagine they would be sliding into the snorkeling area as it is very shallow and they are very concerned about anybody touching or damaging the reef. The reef is in Kealakekua Bay, where the landslide was on Sunday. Hopefully it made it through OK.

 

The advantage the Zodiac has over the Bodyglove is the ability to pull into sea caves and such. The seas were a bit rough when we went so the captain didn't chance it.

 

I don't think you'd regret choosing either tour. The reef is amazing.

[edwinaw]

We did the Body Glove last week and loved it. I too saw the Zodiac and though it sounded great but my husband has a "bad back" and I didn't want to risk it. The crew on the BG were fantastic, one passenger trawled a line behind the boat on the way out and caught a huge fish. The crew were as excited as the fisherman. We snorkled happily for a couple of hours in around 12m of water. Having experienced the Great Barrier Reef we have been spoilt, but this reef, although not as spectacular was nevertheless worth the effort. The slide was fun - even my husband had a go at that and diving from the roof of the boat. The food was good and the attention of the crew exceptional. They had noodles, those boards with a viewer built in and vests if needed. They have inner tubes floating around as well, and the best thing I saw was one of the crew swim out carrying two drinks for a couple in the inner tubes, now that was service!

 

On the way back in we saw dolphins swimming alongside the boat a couple of times they danced around but mostly just swam along side. The Zodiac raft zoomed past us a one stage going back in and I remember thinking that I was pleased we went the way we did as it looked rough to me. We had shelter & shade, food drink and toilets. You could be in the water the whole time or part of the time. I would highly recommend it.

[kat9661]

edwinaw-

I too have a "bad back" having had disc surgery in 2000 and recurrent pain from herinated discs on and off since so was leary of the Captain Zodiac tours. The Body Glove sounds perfect. Did you book the tour through the ship or independently? Curious about the fisherman on board. He brought his own pole and reel? That would be something my husband would love to do! We are on the Diamond Princess October 2007. Thanks!

[edwinaw]

We did book it as a ship excusion but they have a web site as well. The fisherman ( Frank) did not have a fishing rod when he got on so I guess that he spoke to the crew who organised it. Perhaps you can email them. It was a Dolphin fish that he caught (not like a real dolphin) and he gave it to the captain as he couldn't take it back onto the ship. They cheered him on and the captain slowed the boat so he could land it. Bigggg fish too.

[Cruising Aussie Mum]

Thanks everyone for the replies and the information - you have been very helpful and both of the tours sound great.:)