Frequently Asked Questions

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Gratuity is not included in the price of your charter. When tipping on a fishing charter, the standard practice is to tip between 15-20% of the total cost of the charter, similar to tipping in a restaurant, with the amount depending on your satisfaction with the service and the crew's effort, regardless of how many fish you catch; always consider the quality of the experience and not just the catch when deciding on the tip amount. 

Reel Escapes Hawaii offers a full refund if you cancel more than 72 hours before your scheduled trip, we will also fully refund your trip if the captain cancels due to unsafe weather conditions.

We will provide you with some cold bottled water but if you’d like something more substantial, we suggest bringing that as well. We will have a cooler for you to use if you like. We also strongly recommend sunglasses, sun shirts and sunscreen (lotion, no spray) and definitely no BANANAS (lol, but seriously it’s a legitimate superstition). All fishing tackle will be provided. 

If you are prone to motion sickness, we highly recommend you taking Dramamine the night prior before bed and again in the AM. I know that's not what the directions say, but it's what we have seen to have the best effect with our guests. 

You’re welcome to bring food, snacks and beverages for the day, coolers are not necessary, we have plenty of cooler space & ice for your food & beverages. (Please NO BANANAS: they’re considered BAD LUCK!) Alcoholic beverages are also permitted but please also bring an adequate supply of bottled water or sodas (for safety, no glass bottles please). Catering is available!

Absolutely! When you catch those great eating fish like ono (wahoo), mahi mahi or short billed spearfish, we think getting to enjoy them over a meal caps off a great experience. We want you to enjoy your catch with friends, family and anyone else that might be here with you on island. If you don’t have a condo or place to cook it, we can always help recommend some of our favorite restaurants that will cook it for you. The only exception being fish over 75 lbs. 

CATCH A SEA MONSTER?

As a reminder all fish over 75 lbs. stay on the boat. 

1.We do not have the tools to properly and respectfully make the most of any fish over 75 lbs. that is harvested. Especially given the time it takes to properly break down a large fish.

2.These fish usually need to be kept on ice for 24-48 hours to ensure proper quality and safety standards are being met. The core temperature must reach 40 F. This is for the protection of your health! If we do not properly care for the meat, it can spoil, and a beautiful animal is killed for nothing. We are hunters on the ocean, but we don’t kill needlessly. 

3.We work with local small business owners who specialize in making the most of any fish that is caught. These locals will quite often buy WHOLE fish from the crew, which is an actual part of their wage along with any tips and trip pay. 

4.If we cut the fish to remove any meat, we can no longer sell these fish, wasting the life of an amazing sea creature.

5.If you’d like to commemorate your catch, be sure to ask the crew about special offers on having the fish mounted.

We want to provide the best possible experience, while remaining respectful to the animals that provide our way of life.