10 best and worst deals in Hawaii

Warm trade winds, swaying palms, crystal blue waters: There are several reasons why more than 8.5 million people visited Hawaii in 2015, spending a record $15.2 billion. As of December 2015, visitors spent an average of $197 per day, per person. For a family of four on holiday, the average can really add up.

Paradise might not come cheap, but it doesn’t have to break your budget, either. Consider checking out 10 of the best deals before booking your next vacation in Hawaii. And think twice about the following 10 deals that don’t exactly scream “Aloha.”

10 Best Deals in Hawaii

Here are 10 reasons to call Hawaii paradise. Click through to find the best deals in Hawaii for your next vacation.

1. Kailua Kayak or SUP Rental

The large, vibrant bay off the beach town of Kailua, on Oahu’s east side, is an ideal spot to kayak or stand up paddle (SUP) when the weather is right. Check Groupon or Living Social, and most of the time you can score a kayak or SUP four-hour rental for $25 from Windward Watersports. Sometimes you can find them priced as low as $22.50.

One word of advice: The east side is the windward side. That means the wind blows onshore. So unless you enjoy battling a 25-knot stiff trade wind, choose a day when the winds are light to moderate.

2. Atlantis Submarines

Atlantis Submarine tickets rarely, if ever, turn up on Groupon or Living Social, and there’s probably a good reason why. Even at $105 to $115, this is an awesome deal. The company has subs operating out of Oahu (Waikiki), Maui and the Big Island. If you have kids, this is a super-fun time.

One suggestion: If you go out of Waikiki, pay the extra $10 for the premium tour, which takes place on the 64-passenger Atlantis XIV, the world’s largest hi-tech passenger sub. But don’t worry if you can’t book the premium package. Both it and the other 48-passenger subs in the fleet dive to 100 feet — some over plane wrecks — and last longer than an hour, so you won’t be disappointed.

3. Surf Lessons

It’s almost mandatory to try surfing when visiting Hawaii, since it’s the birthplace of the sport. The uninitiated who are tempted to rent a longboard at Waikiki to paddle out solo might ask: How hard could this be? Answer: Very. There’s a good likelihood you won’t even catch a wave.

Do yourself and the dozens of innocent targets around you a favor, and pay the $80 for a surf lesson. On the famed North Shore, you can’t do better than Uncle Bryan’s Sunset Suratt Surf Academy, which has SUP lessons, too.

Uncle Bryan Suratt is a legend in the sport, and his staff members are all accomplished and full of aloha — the reason you came. In Waikiki, try Hans Hedemann Surf School. With their help, you will get on your feet your first day.

4. Kauai Marriott Resort

If you’re looking for a $500-a-night resort for half that price, the Kauai Marriott Resort is a good call, according to hotel rating site, Oyster.com, which sends professional investigators to hotels to check them out. It named Kauai Marriott Resort the No. 1 best value in all the Hawaiian Islands.

The site noted that this family-oriented resort was renovated in 2009, has five reasonably-priced restaurants, flat-screen TVs in every room and the largest single-level pool in Hawaii. It also has a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and is situated on a beach-fronted bay with both surfing and kayaking options. Special bonus: Dolphins frequent the bay, too. Apparently, locals know a good deal.

5. Scuba Certification

With 120-foot visibility, warm water and tropical fish, Hawaii is a beautiful place to get scuba certified. If you play your Groupon cards right, you could score an excellent deal with Hawaiian full open water PADI scuba certification courses for as low as $151. That includes all books, instruction, equipment and two days of diving in paradise.

6. Swap Meet Souvenirs

If you plan on buying any Hawaiian souvenirs or goods for yourself, or to bring back to friends and family, avoid high-priced hotel souvenir shops and the ubiquitous ABC stores.

Instead, make a day of it and visit the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and Marketplace, about 20 minutes outside of Waikiki. Open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., this is the spot to save big on everything from ukuleles to Hawaiian doll clothes to food items and leather sandals.

7. Stargazing on Mauna Kea

This is the Big Island’s idea of dinner and a show. It’s big,and a great deal at a little over $200 per person. The eight-hour Mauna Kea Summit Adventures package includes pickup from sea level, then a drive to the summit, stopping at the visitor’s center along the way to learn about the volcano and the giant telescopes on top.

The last half-hour, to the top, is by four-wheel drive. They also provide Arctic-style parkas and gloves, a lasagna dinner and tea and coffee during the nighttime stargazing portion of the tour, when guides use lasers to point out constellations.

8. Byodo-In Temple

A vacation to Hawaii is supposed to be relaxing. So consider visiting the Byodo-In Temple, a regal Buddhist retreat located in a lush landscape named Valley of the Temples, after its towering mountain arena.

Located on the island’s east side, this is a serene few hours among zen gardens, koi ponds and beautiful architecture. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and $1 per child, cash only. Make a day of it, and visit the east side’s Kailua Bay or a North Shore food truck for lunch.

9. The Pipeline Masters

Kelly Slater and the world’s best surfer threading the barrel at the world’s most dangerous wave, mere yards from the shore. The pro surfing world title on the line. A wide, white sand beach. All absolutely free.

If you’re visiting the island of Oahu in the month of December, make your way to Pipeline at Ehukai Beach Park, and take in what might be the greatest show on water. The contest runs about four days, depending on waves, between Dec. 8 and Dec. 20, 2016.

10. Waikiki Banyan Parking

With some Waikiki hotels charging $37 plus tax per day for parking, your parking bill could be more expensive than your rental car fee. That hurts. But there might be better alternatives.

The centrally located Waikiki Banyan is within short walking distance of many hotels and has 24-hour parking — including in and out access — for $20. Or, if you are visiting a hotel, the beach or shops, try the meters at Marina Parking near the west end of Waikiki or Kalakaua Avenue at the east end past the zoo. Both are $1 per hour and the best deal you’ll find.

10 Worst Deals in Hawaii

Not everything in Hawaii is as wonderful as its weather. Here are 10 of the worst deals in Hawaii that don’t live up to the Aloha State’s welcoming reputation.

1. Jet Ski Rental

When you picture tearing around the crystal-clear blue waters of Hawaii on a jet ski, and stopping for a snorkel and maybe lunch, the $50 to $80 per 45-minute rental fee might not sound so bad.

Unfortunately, Hawaii has such restrictive jet ski rules and regulations, renting a jet ski is far from a dream scenario. The state has set up very small areas for jet ski rental companies. So you’ll be buzzing around in circles, ad nauseam. You might want to save the money for the luau instead.

2. Snorkel Rentals

Say you’re from Kansas, New York or one of the other dozens of states where you probably won’t need snorkeling gear for — well, forever. But you are planning to use it a lot in Hawaii, so you figure you’ll rent the gear. That might not be wisest call.

Renting a mask, snorkel and fins will cost around $9 a day, or $35 or more per week. Instead, you can get brand new equipment for as little as $30 at Walmart.

3. 1,000-Foot Parasailing

Some parasailers love to get really high — especially in the waters right off Waikiki, with Diamond Head as a backdrop and, in season, whales cruising by below. But do yourself a favor, and save some bucks for the post-parasail party.

Instead of choosing the 1,000-foot rope for $90 a head from places such as X-treme Parasail, visit Groupon and buy the $75 parasail package for two from the same company. This is for a 500-foot line, but because of the slack and angle, you probably won’t notice the difference in height. You’ll get the same Diamond Head view, same whales, at less than half the cost.

4. Full-Day Bus Tours

Whether you are stuck behind them or riding on them, these all-day bus tours are no fun in Hawaii. They might sound great, with descriptions of a full day of enjoying ocean views and visits of historic sites like the North Shore, Diamond Head, blowholes and more.

But the $97 reality is that often, “visiting historic Sunset Beach” means stopping, standing for 10 minutes and boarding again. So unless your favorite part of the tour is the hours of air-conditioned bus riding, you might want to skip the tour buses.

5. Airline Surfboard Baggage Fees

If you’re any kind of surfer traveling to Hawaii, you’re probably looking forward to one thing: the world-renowned surf. But with airline baggage fees for surfboards costing between $100 and $200 each way, you might want to leave your board at home and instead opt to rent a board during your trip.

Oahu’s HawaiiSurfboardRentals.com rents a variety of boards — from short to long, even SUPs — starting at $40 for two days or $90 per week. They also deliver for free to anywhere on the island. You might give up a little performance, but the mai tais you can buy with the savings should cheer you up.

6. Not Having Full Rental Car Insurance

The Hawaiian Islands are paradise — especially for thieves. Hawaii ranked No. 6 on the FBI’s 2014 annual report of states with the highest car thefts, according to USA Today. Locals know that thieves often target tourist vehicles.

Unfortunately, determining whether your personal auto insurance, combined with any insurance from a credit card, will cover you in the case of theft or vandalism is difficult, according to Consumer Reports. So this is one state where you might want to pony up the extra dollars for rental car insurance, or call your auto insurance company and credit card company well in advance.

7. Foodland on North Shore

Food is definitely expensive in Hawaii, but this Foodland has taken things to the next level. The market’s position as one of only two grocery stores on the famed North Shore of Oahu allows it to charge some outrageous prices for things that are a fraction of the cost across the island in Honolulu or at Costco.

You’ll pay much more for just about most items. Try $6.99 for a loaf of Oroweat whole grain bread, or $8.89 for a half-gallon of organic milk. Tourists who are staying in places with fridges would do much better to spend an hour at Costco and load up on staples instead.

8. Resort Fees

It used to be that you’d pay hundreds of dollars for a 100-square-foot hotel room — and the bad coffee, newspaper and use of pool towels was included. Not so anymore, at least for many of the resorts in the Hawaiian Islands.

Now it’s common for resorts to charge a mandatory resort fee of up to $40 for things you might not even want. Some hotels even list wake-up call service and local calls as reasons for the fee. Do yourself a favor, and find out if your resort charges this fee. Added to a parking fee and tax, that “discounted” room rate could cost you more than a regular-priced one without those fees.

9. Island Hopping

Years ago, it was financially painless to visit a few of the Hawaiian Islands in one vacation. Spend a few days on Oahu, a few on Maui, then check out the Big Island on your bounce back to the mainland. Unfortunately, those days are long gone, with inter-island flights now priced in the hundreds of dollars, due to deregulation and a lack of competition in recent years.

In fact, with prices anywhere from 71 cents to $1.88 per mile, flights between islands rival the most expensive in the nation. The good news is that there are direct flights from the mainland to all four of the main Hawaiian Islands. So pick your paradise, and fly direct.

10. Guided Snorkel Tours

Like snorkel rentals, guided snorkel tours might sound like a great idea. Unfortunately, most of them are just not worth it. You’ll be stuck in a group of many other beginner snorkelers flailing their arms and kicking up a storm. Translation: Scaring away all the fish you want to see.

The good news is that the islands have some amazing beginner-friendly, fish-filled spots, where you can calmly swim with sea turtles and reef fish for free. On Oahu, check out Shark’s Cove — named for its shape, not its residents — and Hanauma Bay ($7.50 park entry fee, plus $1 parking).

On Maui, try the Ahihi Kinau Reserve, Honolua Bay or the Coral Gardens. On Kauai, try Poipu Beach in the South Shore, and Tunnels or Makua Beach on the North Shore. On the Big Island, you can’t beat the right side of Mauna Kea Beach.

From GoBankingRates.com: 10 best and worst deals in Hawaii