Snorkeling for those who cannot swim?

[schmolke]

Hi all,

About how much does it cost for snorkel gear rental at Hanauma Bay? Is it a far walk from the parking lot down to the beach, or is it worth the $1 each way to pay for the shuttle?

Already bought my first pair of "water shoes" for the bargain price of $4.97 at WalMart. Only 9 months until I get to use them!

Later,
Kewone

[KTE]

for inflatable floatation vests. We were just there in mid-June. The neat thing about SB is renting gear on 1 island and returning it on another; I believe he has outlets on all the islands.
Very reasonably priced weekly rates (cheaper than by the day) and usually has some sort of discount coupon in most of the tourist guides (This Week, Gold, etc.) that you can pick up at the baggage terminal at the airport or at multiple locations along the streets.
Vests were $15 for the week - good quality too!
KTE

[schmolke]

Hey KTE,

Thanks for the insight! I went to "thisweek.com" and looked for Snorkel Bob's ads, and saw the whole deal. Only $9 for all that gear for a week, and the intra-island dropoff points. Cool! Much obliged for the info!

Regards,
Kewone

[schmolke]

Howdy folks,

I almost forgot I started this thread almost a year ago! And, as you probably know, our 3/27 cruise got cancelled by Celebrity a mere 4 days before sail away. However, hubby and I managed to get a cabin on the 4/6 Infinity cruise, so we're still doing Hawaii. Heck, even if they don't get Infinity out of drydock in SF with those darn pod bearings fixed, we're STILL going to Hawaii, if only not to lose the airfare!

Anyway, though my original snorkeling questions dealt with Kahaluu in Kona vs. Hanauma Bay in Oahu, we are more than likely going to try snorkeling in the Ko'Olina lagoons on Oahu. So, any input that any of y'all may have on that area for snorkeling , as well as places near either Ko'Olina or our hotel (Waikiki Beach Marriott) for snorkel gear rental (including my coveted flotation vest!), would be oh-so-appreciated.

Thanks,
Devonne (aka Kewone)

[KCGreg]

We thought Hanauma Bay was great. Shallow water, beautiful scenery, easy snorkeling.

[spleen93]

I'm not sure if I can totally recommend the Ko Olina lagoons for snorkeling. The water tends to be somewhat murky (though I have seen green sea turtles swimming inside the lagoons). It's great for sunning yourself and taking a dip though. Better snorkeling can be found at Electric Beach (Kahe Beach) which is about a mile farther west of Ko Olina.

Spleen

[schmolke]

Hey Spleen,

Well, as fate would have it, Ko Olina has been nixed for snorkeling, after an executive decision by the hubby last night. We'll be going to Hanauma Bay. After all the itinerary changes we were forced to make because of our original cruise cancellation, I'll just be happy to just be GOING to Hawaii!!

KCGreg - Thanks for the input. Hanauma Bay wins out in the end! It's alot closer to our hotel (Waikiki Marriott) than Ko Olina, and there's gear rental places right there as well. After the headache we had in rescheduling EVERYTHING after the 3/27 cancellation, the word of the day is SIMPLICITY. Anyway, I'm glad you had a good time, and I'm looking forward to the experience.

Later,
Devonne

[hiflamingo]

Hi schmolke, you will enjoy Haunama Bay, it is safe. I live just a mile away and my kids grew up swimming with the fish there. If your hubby is into scuba diving one of the best spots is turtle Canyon right near there. Aloha Dive has a great tour, my son is the boat captain there as well as the lead dive instructor. As far as for the lagoons at Ko Olina, there are turtles there as well as fish and its the most beautiful place on Oahu. Although a drive of about 45 minutes to an hour, it is well worth it. From the shore you can see the spinner dolphins and a whale or two. You can also go into the JW Marriott Ihilani and see the stingray and hammer head sharks in the salt ponds there. And if hubby golfs, they have a great course there. It is where Michelle Wie practices.

Hope you enjoy Hawaii!
Aloha

[schmolke]

Flamingo,

Thanks so much for the info! We still planned on going by Ko Olina, just because it looks so darn beautiful in the webcams and pictures we've looked at online. Now that I know there's hammerhead sharks and all that around there, we'll have to spend a bit more time around that area.

Oh, and no diving or golf for the hubby...not into that. We're completely focused on snorkeling! But thanks for the tips!

Mahalo,
Devonne

[dfhnis]

How far is Hanauma Bay, Oahu from the cruise Terminal???

[spleen93]

It's probably about a 30-45 minute drive given traffic.

Spleen