lonsmith

Which of the Hawaiian Islands is best for snorkel/scuba/hiking during December?

Thanks,

Lon

crazy4Hawaii

Any of them! But if forced to pick one that would offer a variety within each of those options, I'd say the Big Island...

ggrtist

crazy4Hawaii...we're going to BI in July and staying at Hapuna Beach. What would you say is the 'must do' for those that enjoy snorkeling on the BI?

Thanks!

LOYL

We went on a snorkeling trip a couple Decembers ago with an outfit called Dolphin Discovery, or something like that. It had Dolphin in the title. We actually swam with lots and lots of dolphins. It was wonderful.

andrews98682

If you're on Oahu, don't miss Hanauma Bay.

crazy4Hawaii

We'll be on the Big Island the last week in May! For beginners like me, it looks like Kahalu'u Beach is a must. Hapuna Beach supposedly has a little area to the south that is pretty good. Kealakekua Bay, by kayak or by tour, has the reputation of being the best snorkeling on any of the islands - as well as Two Step near the Place of Refuge. Other more expert snorkelers may have some to add... The thermal Kapoho pools in Puna are reputed to have some pretty colorful coral and fish too.

girlonthego

The big island has great snorkeling. Hapuna beach is a great beach for boogie boarding. We stayed about 10 minutes south at the Hilton. There are many great snorkel spots. The nearby Fairmont has snorkeling. The Hilton has a small private lagoon. There are turtles everywhere!!! We found swimming with the turtles very neat.
We did a Fairwinds tour out of the Kona area. They took us to Captain Cooks Monument. I felt like I was swimming in a fish tank.
We also went to a beach in the Kona-kauilua area. It has a K name. It is known as turtle beach. It has blackish-grey sand, but the turtles were everywhere and the fish were vibrant with color. It had a lifeguard and it was rocky, so wear watershoes. I wish I could remember the name of it. Maybe someone else can chime in. It is a popular beach. Have fun on the BI.

kureiff

Girlonthego is talking about Kahalu'u Beach. It's a great place to snorkel. We also saw a lot of fish and turtles at Two Step near the Place of Refuge.

ggrtist

Thanks everyone for adding this info about the BI snorkeling.

lonsmith: I agree w/ Crazy4Hawaii, no matter which island, you'll have lots of variety for all the activities you want.

LOYL

It was at Place of Refuge that we swam with Dolplhins. If you're standing at the Place of Refuge, off to your left on the coastline are a bunch of houses. There were lots of dolphins there.

kakalena

Remember that the surf can be very rough and swells can be high in winter. Also the islands get a lot of rain and wind at that time of year.

If the weather is good, the answer is all of the islands.