Good place to snorkel in Hawaii?

[doodlesinkentucky]

We are going on the Wind to Hawaii on Dec 17. Wondering if anyone had suggestions on where is a good place to snorkel was? Is one island better? Is it easy to find places to rent the equipment? We are thinking of doing this on our own, rather then the ship excursions.

 

Thanks.:)

[cruzegirl]

On Maui, do the Kaanapali Beach Break at the Sheraton Hotel... Awesome snorkeling at Black Rock....And they have equipment avail. though in short supply when busy so you can also bring your own.... Kona had good snorkeling at Turtle Cove too.... But there you have to bring your own equipment....... enjoy

[Hilary]

Black Rock has excellent snorkeling. However, if you want to do a boat ride go out to Molokini crater, which is outstanding for snorkeling. You're in the middle of the ocean in a 1/2 moon crater, with water so calm and clear you feel like you're in a giant swimming pool.

[Gaston]

Since I expected numerous posts to your question about Hawaii, I didn't add my two cents. However, I see limited answers for you so let me give you some info that might be helpful. My 3 sons and I are frequent Hawaii visitors for surfing, bodyboarding, and SCUBA/snorkeling. Your question will depend on many things but three some to mind immediately. First, what are the islands you will be visiting? They are all Hawaiin but they can be very different both on the land and in the water. Second, what time of year you will be visiting? As a general rule, the beaches and ocean in winter will have large surf on the north facing areas. The areas on the south will have wave/swell action in summer. The east and west facing beaches have some surf all year. Third, will you have transportation like a rental car? Transportation on the islands is important simply because these are big islands with far distances between areas. With that in mind, Maui has fantastic snorkeling right off many beaches on the Kanaapali Coast and Wailea. Also, the famous Molokini Crater is just a short boat ride. Oahu has the famous Hanauma Bay. It is crowded and the coral is pretty damaged close to shore but it is perfect for minimal skill snorkelors. The Big Island, Kauai, Lanai, and Molokai all have nice diving/snorkeling but you will probably need some local guidance and/or professional snorkel company help because the snorkel locations are much more difficult to get to by yourself. Have fun, be safe but respect the Hawaiian ocean. As a good rule of thumb for the Hawaiian Islands, "If you don't see other people in an area, stay out of the water. There is a good reason." Hope I wasn't too windy and I hope I have helped you. Have fun......Hawaii is unbeleivable! By the way, Maui has numerous dive shops in Lahaina to rent very good quality stuff for a very reasonable price. Try Maui Diving owned by Bia and John. They are friendly, knowledgable, and they rent nice equipment.

[simonv]

Good advice from Gaston. There's a big snorkeling equipment rental chain all over the Hawaiian islands called Snorkel Bob. I believe you can rent from one for a week and return in another island. They carry good quality equipment. Their snorkeling map is the best and you can get it for free for different islands. They are everywhere.

Kahaluu Beach Park in Kailua-Kona is good for beginners. But the best snorkeling locations depend on your experience level, time of the year and means of transportation. For example don't even think about getting into water in Kee Beach in Kauai in winter, but it's a delightful beach in summer.

[rjscott]

On Maui, agree that the Kaanapali area has good snorkeling and is easy to get to. There is a "shopping shuttle" that will take you from Lahaina (if you dock there) to various hotels along Kaanapali Beach. Snorkeling around Black Rock at the Sheraton is very good. If you are docking at Kahului and will have a car, I also like Kapalua Bay, which is west of Kaanapali.

On the BI, Kahaluu is good for novices and experienced snorkelers, with a good variety of fish and lots of turtles. It is not far from Kona, but you will need some kind of transportation.

If you don't have your own equipment, yes, you can rent at one Snorkel Bob's and return to any other location.

[Hilary]

We dove Kapalua Bay this past August and found it to be extremely disappointing. There was algae covering most of the coral and rocks and we saw a very limited amount of marine life. As a matter of fact, we were so disappointed in the dive site that we returned our tanks with 1500psi in them!

 

On Maui, go to Maui Dive Shop and pick up their free magazine. It has all the good shore dive/snorkeling spots on Maui listed. You can also go to their website and they'll mail one to you.

[LeeW]

Best source for Hawaii info is a series of books by Wizard Publications (wizardpub.com). Local info by locals on everything. Even tells you where to park for beach access and best shops for various items. Also tells you to avoid some beaches in south Maui near the sewer outflow. Anyway, books have names like Maui Revealed and are available both online and from Borders if you can't find them in the library. Amazing how many folks you find at an obscure telephone pole holding a bright blue book.... Nice photos of best beaches.