Almost every type of nautical experience is available in the islands. You can go to sea on old-fashioned Polynesian outrigger canoes, high-tech kayaks, fast-moving catamarans, inflatable rubber Zodiac boats, smooth-moving SWATH vessels that promise not to make you seasick, gaff-rigged schooners, America's Cup racing sloops, submarines, and even an interisland cruise ship. You'll find details on all these seafaring experiences in the individual island chapters.

No matter which vessel and type you choose, be sure to see the Hawaiian islands from offshore if you can afford it. It's easy to combine multiple activities into one cruise: Lots of snorkel boats double as sightseeing cruises and, in winter, whale-watching cruises. The main harbors for visitor activities are Kewalo Basin, Oahu; Honokohau, Kailua-Kona, and Kawaihae on the Big Island; Lahaina and Maaalea, Maui; Nawiliwili and Port Allen, Kauai; and Kaunakakai, Molokai.