Active Pursuits

The not-for-profit group Friends for Fitness, P.O. Box 1671, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 (tel: 808/322-0033), offers a free brochure on physical activities (from aerobics to yoga) in West Hawaii; they will gladly mail it to you upon request.

If you want to rent beach toys, like snorkel gear or boogie boards, the beach concessions at all the big resorts, as well as tour desks and dive shops, offer equipment rentals and sometimes lessons for beginners. The cheapest place to get great rental equipment is Snorkel Bob's, 73-4976 Kamanu Street #101 (Hale Kui Plaza) behind Home Depot, (tel: 808/329-0771 www.snorkelbob.com).

Body Boarding (Boogie Boarding) & Bodysurfing

On the Kona side of the island, the best beaches for body boarding and bodysurfing are Hapuna Beach, White Sands Beach, and Kekaha Kai State Park. On the east side, try Leleiwi Beach.

Kayaking

Ocean Kayaking -- Imagine sitting at sea level, eye to eye with a turtle, a dolphin, even a whale -- it's possible in an oceangoing kayak. Anyone can kayak in calm waters: Just get in, find your balance, and paddle. After a few minutes of instruction and a little practice in a calm area (like the lagoon in front of the King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel), you'll be ready to explore. Beginners can practice their skills in Kailua and Kealakekua bays; intermediates might try paddling from Honokohau Harbor to Kekaha Kai Beach Park; the Hamakua Coast is a challenge for experienced kayakers.

You can rent one- and two-person kayaks (and other ocean toys) from Aloha Kayak (tel. 877/322-1441 or 808/322-2868; www.alohakayak.com) for $20 for a half-day single and $30 double ($25 for a full-day single and $40 for a full-day double). They also have a unique tour from Keauhou Bay and the Captain Cook Monument, with Hawaiian guides showing you sea caves and snorkeling areas full of fish and turtles. The tours are either 4 hours ($65 adults, $33 for children ages 12 and under) or 2 1/2 hours ($50 adults, $25 children 12 and under) and include all equipment, beverages, snorkeling gear, and snacks.

Parasailing

Get a bird's-eye view of Hawaii's pristine waters with UFO Parasail (tel. 800/FLY-4UFO or 808/325-5836; www.ufoparasail.net). UFO offers parasail rides daily from 8am to 2pm from Kailua Pier. The cost is $56 for the standard flight of 7 minutes of air time at 400 feet, and $65 for a deluxe 10-minute ride at 800 feet. You can go up alone or with a friend; no experience is necessary. Tip: Take the early-bird special (when the light is fantastic and the price is right) at 8am for just $51 (for 400 ft.) and $61 (for 800 ft.).

Snuba

If you're not quite ready to make the commitment to scuba but you want more time underwater than snorkeling allows, Big Island Snuba Tours (tel. 808/326-7446; www.snubabigisland.com) may be the answer. Just like in scuba, the diver wears a regulator and mask; however, the tank floats on the surface on a raft and is connected to the diver's regulator by a hose that allows the diver to go 20 to 25 feet down. You need only 15 minutes of instruction before you're ready to go. Snuba can actually be easier than snorkeling, as the water is calmer beneath the surface. It costs $79 for a 1 1/2-hour dive from the beach, $125 for one dive from a boat, and $150 for two dives from a boat; children must be at least 8 years old.

Submarine Dives

This is the stuff movies are made of: venturing 100 feet below the sea in a high-tech, 65-foot submarine. On a 1-hour trip, you'll be able to explore a 25-acre coral reef that's teeming with schools of colorful tropical fish. Look closely and you might catch glimpses of moray eels -- or even a shark -- in and around the reef. On selected trips, you'll watch as divers swim among these aquatic creatures, luring them to the view ports for face-to-face observation. Call Atlantis Submarines, 75-5669 Alii Dr. (across the street from Kailua Pier), Kailua-Kona (tel. 800/548-6262; www.atlantisadventures.com). Trips leave daily between 10am and 3pm. The cost is $84 for adults and $42 for children under 12, or book on the website for $76 adults and $38 kids. Note: The ride is safe for everyone, but skip it if you suffer from claustrophobia.

Surfing

Most surfing off the Big Island is for the experienced only. As a general rule, the beaches on the north and west shores of the island get northern swells in winter, while those on the south and east shores get southern swells in summer. Experienced surfers should check out the waves at Pine Trees (north of Kailua-Kona), Lyman's (off Alii Dr. in Kailua-Kona), and Banyan's (also off Alii Dr.); reliable spots on the east side of the island include Honolii Point (outside Hilo), Hilo Bay Front Park, and Keaukaha Beach Park. But there are a few sites where beginners can catch a wave, too: You might want to try Kahuluu Beach, where the waves are manageable most of the year, other surfers are around to give you pointers, and there's a lifeguard on shore.

Ocean Eco Tours (tel. 808/324-SURF; www.oceanecotours.com), owned and operated by veteran surfers, is one of the few companies on the Big Island that teaches surfing. Private lessons cost $150 per person (including all equipment) and usually last a minimum of 2 hours; 2- to 3-hour group lessons go for $95 (also including all equipment), with a maximum of four students. Both teachers love this ancient Hawaiian sport, and their enthusiasm is contagious. The minimum age is 8, and you must be a fairly good swimmer.

Your only Big Island choice for surfboard rentals is Pacific Vibrations, 75-5702 Likana Lane (just off Alii Dr., across from the pier), Kailua-Kona (tel. 808/329-4140; www.laguerdobros.com/pacvib/pacificv.html), where they rent short boards for $10 for 24 hours and long boards for $10 to $20.

Windsurfing

The constant 5- to 25-knot winds blowing toward the beach make Anaehoomalu Bay (A-Bay), on the Kohala Coast, one of the best beaches for windsurfing. If you get into trouble, the wind brings you back to shore instead of taking you out to sea. Ocean Sports, at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort (tel. 808/885-5555; www.hawaiioceansports.com), starts beginners on a land simulator to teach them how to handle the sail and "come about" (turn around and come back). Instruction is $60 an hour; after a half-hour or so of instruction on land, you're ready to hit the water. If you already know how to windsurf, equipment rental is $30 an hour. Advanced windsurfers should head to Puako and Hilo Bay.

Bicycling & Mountain Biking

For mountain-bike and cross-training bike rentals in Kona, go to Dave's Bike and Triathlon Shop, 75-5669 Alii Dr., across from the Kailua Pier, behind Atlantis Submarine (tel. 808/329-4522). Dave rents brand-name mountain bikes (with full suspension) for $15 a day or $60 a week (including helmet and water bottle). Feel free to ask Dave for route advice and local weather reports. You can also rent a bike rack for your car ($10 a week).

Hawaiian Pedals, Kona Inn Shopping Village, Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona (tel. 808/329-2294), and Hawaiian Pedals Bike Works, Hale Hana Centre, 74-5583 Luhia St., Kailua-Kona (tel. 808/326-2453; www.hawaiianpedals.com), have a huge selection of bikes: cruisers ($20 a day), mountain bikes and hybrids ($35 a day), and racing bikes and front-suspension mountain bikes ($45 a day). Bike racks go for $5 a day, and you pay only for the days you actually use it (the honor system): If you have the rack for a week but use it for only 2 days, you'll be charged just $10. The folks at the shops are friendly and knowledgeable about cycling routes all over the Big Island.

Guided Tours -- Kona Coast Cycling (tel. 877/592-BIKE or 808/327-1133; www.cyclekona.com) offers half-day (3-4 hr.) and full-day (4-6 hr.) bicycling tours, ranging from a casual ride to intense mountain biking at its best. The locations are diverse, from the rolling hills of a Kona coffee farm to awesome views of the Waipio Valley Lookout. Most tours include round-trip transportation from hotels, van support, tour guide, helmets, gloves, water, snacks, and lunch on the full-day trips. Prices range from $70 to $230 for adults and $60 to $100 for children (ages 6-15).

Contact the Big Island Mountain Bike Association, P.O. Box 6819, Hilo, HI 96720 (tel. 808/961-4452; www.interpac.net/~mtbike), for its free brochure, Big Island Mountain Biking, which has useful safety tips on biking as well as great off-road trails for both beginner and advanced riders.

Tennis

You can play for free at any Hawaii County tennis court; for a detailed list of all courts on the island, contact Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation, 25 Aupuni St., Hilo, HI 96720 (tel. 808/961-8720; www.hawaii-county.com/parks/parks.htm). The best courts in Hilo are at the Hoolulu Tennis Stadium, located next to the Civic Auditorium on Manono Street. Most resorts in the Kona-Kohala area do not allow nonguests to use their tennis facilities.