How hard core do you have to be to be able to snorkel on the Big Island without a wetsuit in typical Nov. weather? We are beginners, but plan to snorkel every day we're there. Thanks!

You don't need a wetsuit any time of year. Ocean temps vary only a few degrees between seasons.

The water temperatures in Hawaii are not as warm as in the Caribbean. Typically in the summer the water temps are in the low 80s. In the winter they drop to approximately the low to mid 70s.

Weather conditions can play a role - on a cloudy day you're likely to get colder faster than if the sun was out.

If you're planning on snorkeling every day, you will probably get cold faster on the last days of your trip than you did when you first got here.

So I guess it would depend on what your tolerance is. I dive a lot more than I snorkel, but I would still wear my wetsuit while snorkeling. However, I'm a Hawaii resident, so my tolerance for cold is not great.

It depends why you think you might need a wetsuit. Because of the temperature of the water or because of the possibility of sunburn??

Thanks for your responses! BigJim, I am concerned about getting cold, not sunburned (with sunscreen, of course!).

We snorkeled on the BI this January and had no problem with the water temperature while wearing just swimsuits. I little chilly in some places here and though, but no cold blue lips or anything like that. Really pretty much perfect if you ask me.