Outfitters Kaua‘i prepares to move
KIPU — Outfitters Kaua‘i, a local adventure-tour company, is celebrating 32 years in business and preparing to switch locations by hosting an online auction before moving to their new headquarters in Kipu.
The company provides great adventures for both residents and tourists, such as their innovative Flyline, which at 4,000 feet long is the longest zipline in Hawai‘i. Besides the Flyline, they also have fun adventures like their Kipu Zipline Safari and the Hidden Falls Kayak Adventure, according to Outfitters Kauai’s founder Rick Haviland.
Haviland said the last two programs both include motorized canoe service on the Hule‘ia River and are the only kayak tours in the state that allow participants to paddle downwind and, rather than paddling back into headwinds, return under power.
The online auction has started, and consists of bikes, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks, because Outfitters Kaua‘i needs to downsize before they move to their new location.
“We are hearing from island people that think we are closing and having a liquidation auction, but that isn’t the case,” said Haviland.
“This is downsizing and rightsizing, not a liquidation. Going forward, we want people to know that we’ll be coming back when Hawai‘i re-opens, focused on our Kipu Ranch Ziplines and our Hule‘ia and Wailua River Kayak Adventures.”
Haviland said Outfitters Kaua‘i, like most tour operators, have been closed since the start of the pandemic, and eagerly awaits the development of safe-travel protocols by state leadership.
Haviland said Outfitters Kaua‘i will be relocated on Kipu Ranch ready to roll the Kipu Zipline and River Kayak Adventures back out when the time is right.
“We look forward to getting back to providing jobs and good times to islanders and visitors,” said Haviland.
The auction online can be found at islandbid.com, and closes Sunday, July 19, at 6 p.m.
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Stephanie Shinno, features and community reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.