Hope this isn't too broad a question - but we're thinking of going to one of the Hawaiian islands in June or July and we've just started doing the research. It doesn't matter what kind of snorkeling: near-shore/beach or offshore/reef snorkeling. Just wanted to hear if anyone had any highly recommended places/guides, etc.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

My wife and I've only been to Maui and Oahu so we have very limited experience. I thought the snorkling in Maui was outstanding, especially around Black Rock in Kaanapali. Actually, if you go just north of Black Rock, there's a public beach with minimal crowds and the sealife can be great there if you go early. We went snorkling daily and loved it.

Have a wonderful trip.

Have visited (and snorkeled) the six major islands of Hawaii. Although Maui is my overall favorite, I think the Big Island offers the best snorkeling. Here are some of my favorite sites: Anaehoomalu Bay - Nice sandy beach with loads of turtles north of the beach, between the Hilton & Marriott hotels (near the Anchialine Ponds); Kahalu'u Beach Park (a few miles south of Kona) - Large, reef-protected & shallow cove that's great for beginners; Honaunau Bay (about 20 miles south of Kona, next to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Park) - Lots of fish & turtles but not a real easy entry off of the rocks; Manini'owali (AKA Kua Bay) - 4 miles north of the airport - a small but gorgeous beach with fairly good snorkeling just to the north and south of the main beach. Spend your money on something other than a snorkeling excursion; IMO, there are many great sites on all the islands which can be accessed from the shore.

Jon
Here is an informative site. Also has insider knowledge on all the snorkeling tour boat operators in the state.
Not yet posted, but will answer any snorkelig questions via the site.
Kauai is still pending.

www.snorkeling-hawaii-insiders-guide.com






www.snorkeling-hawaii-insiders-guide.com

While I believe Maui has the most easily accessible beach sites, and the variety of fish is good, I agree with the previous poster that the best snorkeling we've had was on the BI. The clarity of the water was better there than I've seen elsewhere. We snorkeled at Kahaluu Beach (lots of fish and turtles), and at Honaunau, which also had a good variety. We took a snorkeling trip with SeaQuest, which was great fun and went to two different snorkeling spots; one near Place of Refuge and the other at Kealakekua Bay. Along the way, we saw dolphins and went into sea caves. Their website usually has a coupon for $ off.

I agree with sceneisle. You don't need to pay for a snorkeling excursion. We went to Big Island preparing to do the excursions, but found it was not necessary to get some wonderful snorkeling experiences. We rented our equipment from Snorkle Bob's - picked it up on Big Island and returned it a week later on Maui. You'll love it!

Thank you very much for the feedback (siege, sceneisle, Malk1, rjscott, and dkaymarie)!

Glad to see the Big Island was mentioned favorably by several of you - which fits nicely with our plans (splitting our trip between the Big Island and Kauai).

Thanks again for taking the time to share your information.