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Best Hawaii Island for Snorkeling with Children

by Rachel
(Chandler AZ USA)

We are hopefully planning a trip to Hawaii in October (we also are desert dwellers up in Chandler) and have a 6 year old and 3 year old. We are wondering which island and spot is best for beach snorkeling? One of us will have to stay on the beach with our 3 year old. We snorkeled in Punta Cana last year and fell in love...so we are beginners. Also where can we find a kick board with a mask? Thanks so much....I have really been enjoying your site.

P.S. I work for the airline so have been talking to my friends at work and they are saying Napili Shores Outrigger for a place to stay or on Kauai. We have no idea but we really want to snorkel. Thanks.

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Best Hawaii Island for Snorkeling with Children

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Jul 26, 2010
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Best Hawaiin Island For Snorkeling Beginners
by: Galen & Nicole

Hi Rachel. Good question. Right away I would suggest you don't go to Kauai. It is a bit more on the wild side for snorkeling, and is much less safe, particularly for beginners in October.

For what you want, I would probably recommend Maui. There are lots of nice beaches that offer good snorkeling. But many of those are on the northern end of the island, and in October you may start to get more wind and waves, so it may not be the best option either. But if you do go, go ahead and check out Kapalua Beach, and Napili Beach. They are not great snorkeling spots, but are fairly protected and offer wonderful beaches (so long as the wind and waves are not up, because they are both fairly steep beaches). The best snorkeling in the north end of Maui with a wonderful beach is Ali'i Kahekili Beach Park. And there are many other spots on Maui in the Kihei area that have nice beaches and good snorkeling (although they all tend to be a bit more exposed).

But for a beach snorkeling spot that is excellent for beginners, with a wonderful beach, then you may want to head to Oahu and visit Hanauma Bay. It is in a very protected bay, and there are life guards. And when on Oahu a good beginners spot is also Ko Olina Lagoons.

Hopefully that helped you more than confused you.

P.S. Those kickboards that have a glass viewing window are not that easy to find for sale. But I believe the snorkel rental companies in Hawaii do rent them (check out Snorkel Bob's).

Jul 26, 2010
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Snorkeling/lodging
by: Susan

I have to put in my 2 cents when Maui comes up. I absolutely love Maui and we've been there 3 times and hope to retire there. Anyway, I like calm waters to snorkel also and the last time we went, we stayed at a place named Hale Napilli. It has 18 units and the managers are Patti and Jackie and they are the sweetest people you could ever meet. We've stayed at the Westin Kaanapali and the Royal Lahaina Resort which were higher end places but fell in love with Hale. They have a laundry on site with complimentary detergent, a shuffleboard court, noodles and coolers, a little convenience store across the way and the only complaint from people was the ocean was too loud. 8-) It's on Napili bay (right on the beach)and Kapalua is within walking distance. We had bad luck last time because the surf was rough there even though that's the first place I ever snorkeled the time before because it was so calm. However Patti told us to go to Hwy. milemarker 14 (I'm sure there's a name for it) but it was very protected and a great place to snorkel. I got some of my best pics about 4 feet out seriously. You just never know which beach will be calmest from day to day. We stayed at an Outrigger on the Big Island and it was nice too, but even though the Hale is not uptown luxury, it's very clean and the people there are very helpful and so nice. It is hard to get a reservation sometime though because people make reservations a year in advance.

Also the town of Lahaina is wonderful. It's the largest town and closest to Napili. I walked around there by myself at night all the time and never felt the least bit nervous. It felt like the safest place I'd ever been. Anyway, that's my feelings about Maui. Also, check out the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Bubba Gump" restaurants. I think the kids would love it. Have fun and look at a fish for me.

Jul 27, 2010
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Snorkeling With Kids In Hawaii
by: Paul Frenzy

Hanauma Bay is great snorkeling for kids but, it is too crowded and the corals are already destroyed from the hordes of tourist that step on them. Aside from the crowds, you have to deal with the long lines to get to the video presentation that you have to endure before you are allowed to go down to the beach. Be there before 8:30am to beat the crowds otherwise it will be quite a long wait before you see any fishes. In my opinion, the best snorkeling spot to take kids is Kahaluu Beach Park in the Big Island. Easy entry (reef shoes recommended), protected waters, lots of fishes and turtles, lifeguards, and lots of picnic tables and 2 covered pavilions. The parking lot does get full quickly.

Jul 27, 2010
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Hawaii snorkeling for young children
by: Dave C

In general, I don't think Hawaii is an especially good place to take young children snorkeling. A possible exception may be in the summer, when conditions are calmest. Hawaii is located in the middle of the Pacific and most times there is a lot of wave and surge action - that's why it is good for surfing. Also, most of the beaches quickly drop off to depths of 6 ft or more just after you step into the water. Hawaiian ocean conditions are not benign, unlike many places in the Caribbean where the ocean can be very calm if you are on the leeward (protected) side of the island.

That being said, there are a few places in Hawaii that are suitable for small children. Kahaluu Beach Park in Kona on Big Island (someone already suggested this) is a great spot with very clear, calm, and shallow water. Just stay close to shore for safety. This is probably the best shallow water snorkeling spot in Hawaii that is easily accessible from a beach. There actually are a couple of places on Kauai that are good for children, although for adults they aren't as interesting. Poipu Beach Park has a small "kiddie pool" with its own breakwater that is very safe for children. Lydgate Beach Park on the eastern side of Kauai has a protected "snorkeling lagoon" that is great for kids, although the visibility may only be about 20 ft.
In the fall and winter months on Maui, the Olowalu area usually has the calmest water and a very gradual dropoff. Many people take young kids there. There are many coral heads, although the visibility is often a little murky and there aren't as many colorful fish as other spots.

Hope this helps.
Dave

Jul 27, 2010
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Another comment
by: Susan

Olowalu is the Milemarker 14 area I was talking about in Maui. I couldn't remember the name.

Also, I agree about Kahaluu park. We stayed in Kona at the Outrigger (Keahou Beach Resort) next to the park. We walked down a path from the hotel and were there. We didn't have to find parking or anything. Also, the Outrigger's deck and oceanfront rooms are right over the water (as in look down into the ocean). There are eels and turtles all over the place there. (I'm scared of eels so I didn't get in the shallow water in front of the hotel)There's a big rock straight out from the hotel where about 8 or more turtles went to sun every day. The kids would love it. I agree about the water shoes too bacause of the rocks. That was the only thing I didn't like about the Big Island. Be sure to get the kids a "virgin" Lava Flow drink there. They are great and there's a place called "Drysdales" that has the best onion rings and burgers around. I think you'll have fun no matter where you go in Hawaii.

Dec 12, 2010
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Maui
by: Susan Sims

I agree with Galen on Maui. That was where I started snorkeling. We stayed at Hale Napilli in March and have a reservation at Napili Bay resort in January. (Probably not the best time for snorkeling but I'm looking for whales too and they like it then) They are not luxury resorts (but nice little condos) and you walk out the door and into the water. Anyway, Napili is steep and was rough when we were there last time but calm as silk the time before at Kapalua (bay next door). We went to Mile Marker 14 when it was too rough and it was great there. I want to stay near Kihei but I'm in love with Lahaina. I also have to say I just got Galen and Nicole's Maui Guide on ebook for my Ipad and it will tell you every beach and details on how to get there, if it seems safe, and even the best way to get into the water and if you are new to snorkeling it will really be a HUGE help. I'm still an amateur so it helped me get my camera and mask ready and lots of other handy tips. Anyway, I think he has a sample of it on this site.

I agree about Oahu also. That park was great and they had a snack shop and nice shower, etc. The children will probably like the pigeons too. The other thing about Oahu is the Polynesian Cultural Center. Kids love it and there's also a luau there. (another love of mine)

However, I still think Maui wins hands down. I've been to Oahu twice and Jan. will be my 4th time in Maui. Between snorkeling, Haleakala, and the road to Hana, not to mention snorkeling 8) - you should have a blast there. Check out their guide too. Good luck and have loads of fun.

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Best Hawaii Island for Snorkeling with Children

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Best Hawaii Island for Snorkeling with Children