Adventurous Paddle Boarding Couples Session on Mokoli'i Island, HI

Lindsey Roman had been building up to this adventurous session for a while. She envisioned journeying across Kāneʻohe Bay, either by kayak or paddle board, to the tiny island of Mokoli’i, just off the coast of Oahu. All she needed was the perfect couple. When Kylie contacted her to book a session, Lindsey presented her idea and to her delight, Kylie immediately agreed! Lindsey and her husband met the couple on the east side of Oahu with paddle boards in hand, and the four of them set out for Mokoli’i. It was not long before they realized they were in for quite the adventure…

Though the island appeared to be relatively close, it was almost a full hour of paddling before the group reached its shores. They encountered Portuguese man-o-wars along the way, and the little blue jellyfish, often referred to as “floating terrors”, certainly made an impression. By the time the party arrived at Mokoli’i, each member’s legs displayed evidence of where the terrors had stung them, unique tokens of their journey across the bay. Undeterred, Nate and Kylie proceeded to hike around the island, sharing sweet, playful moments that were documented beautifully by their photographer.

Lindsey kept her camera in SPL water housing for the duration of the session, prepared for whatever adventures might come their way. She particularly loved capturing Oahu at a distance and shooting Nate and Kylie during water play at dusk, just before they returned to Oahu. “This session was by far the craziest thing I’ve ever done to ‘get the shot,’ and I’ve done a lot of things for the sake of a photo,” Lindsey says. She does not recommend following her example and paddle boarding across the bay in the dark, however. She advises fellow photographers to learn from her experience and invest in a kayak to both shorten the journey and avoid the jellyfish!

Needless to say, Lindsey was thrilled to bring her vision to life and is pleased with how everything came together. “These goofballs were up for getting wet and dirty, getting stung by jellyfish, and paddle boarding for two hours there and back, all for the sake of adventure… well adventure and rad photos,” she exclaims! If you are starting to plan your Hawaii Elopement, check out our Hawaii Elopement Packages. We give insight on all the things needs to make your Hawaii elopement come true.

Photography by Lindsey Noel Photography