Is it warm enough to swim in the water all year in Maui / Oahu?

How about the hotel pool year round?

Yes, and yes. However, seas can sometimes be too rough to swim during winter months, especially on north facing and unprotected shorelines. Always follow posted flags/signs on Hawaii's beaches.

yes

fdecarlo and suze, I was on Kauai and the Big Island one year in late January/early February, and you could use a light jacket in Kona one night; then on Kauai, I remember it being so rainy and CHILLY a couple of days that we didn't want to go in the water at Lydgate. That was quite a few years ago, but I'm thinking that must have been a freak thing? (And I'm not *wussy* about the water temp.) I hear people say it's warm enough all year, but it wasn't for about a week that year ...

It is warm enough to swim all year, but I find it is too chilly in December/January to make me want to swim very much. It's not like the Carribean.

I have been in Feb and it was lovely.. (Oahu) - Have been to Maui in Oct and it was lovely and have been to Kaui in March and it was great..

I wish I was there now ;-)

I've been to Hawaii about every season at least once, and I think the chilliness we experienced that one Jan/Feb was very unusual for Hawaii, like the winter we had 2 feet of snow in Raleigh. Will probably not happen again for a very long tine ...

and I think the chilliness we experienced that one Jan/Feb was very unusual for Hawaii

However, even if the temps are not lower, I do think it is often (usually?) windier in Jan/Feb that in other months.

We normally visit Hawaii/Kauai during Christmas/New Year holiday season and the water is wonderful. As anywhere else, it takes a moment to get used to the temperature, which is probably around 80 degrees, and then it is Heaven.

However, they do not heat the swimming pools at the condo project we stay at, and one has to wait until late afternoon to dip in. Otherwise it is not pleasant.

Anna Roz

Well, it depends on what people are used to, e.g. I have friends from Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and as soon as temps reach 50F their shirts come flying off. A 72F ocean temp is like a heated spa to most of them.

fdecarlo -

that's funny and so true. I live in Hawaii and you won't catch me swimming at the beach (voluntarily) in the winter. Too cold for me.

I see all the tourists frolicking in the water and just shiver.

How can you really feel the difference between a low of 77 F and a high of 81 (numbers from a U.S. government water temperature site)?

A 'real' Princess felt the pea placed under a dozen matresses... .

Does anyone in America know this fable?

Anyway, I would not feel the minimal temp difference but, apparently, some do.

Anna

i'm no princess and there's a big difference, even for my lau lau feet. factor in winds and clouds. brrrr

The water temperature is warmer than 81 degrees in the summer. I dive year round and make a habit of recording the water temps in my dive log.

And kauai_aka is correct in factoring the wind and clouds.