I climbed in and out of zodiac. Part of the shoreline is rocky and people who had walked in were climbing in and out of the water.

If a beginner I would definitely use one of the tour groups and not try it alone

You should be able to go out there. A know some cruise lines offer excursions there. I would look at the cruise line site and see what is offered.

Yes. Kayak there, park and enjoy.

Yes, you can snorkel on your own. I would recommend renting a kayak at Bay Side Adventures and kayaking across the bay. We were able to watch and snorkel with spinner dolphins on our way over to the Captain Cook Monument.

Yes, the older gentleman’s name is Derrick, he owns Kona Kayaks and can set you up for a kayaking trip at the bottom of Napo’opo Rd. It’s a fun adventure to kayak across the bay. Don’t forget to bring your snorkel gear, as there is excellent snorkeling by Cooks Monument and you may get lucky enough to see spinner dolphins that frequent the bay.

The Vog level is dependent on Tradewinds. Even prior to recent volcanic events, Kona has the reputation for the most voggy days - especially during summer. It does make for very lovely sunsets ;-) Kealakekua Bay is still very lovely when close to the ocean; especially in the mornings.

All Trails calls it at 3.6 miles, with a 2-4 hour roundtrip time. Also describes it as a moderate hike - there is a 1256 foot elevation change. We kayaked to the monument area so can't comment on parking availability or the difficulty of the trail.

If you take one of the larger snorkeling boats they have proper bathrooms. Nothing on land as far as I could see.