Oahu Snorkeling
Hawaii Guide
We have had some great Oahu snorkeling experiences, and there are many places on Oahu to snorkel, even world famous locations. And almost all the best locations are available from the beach (there are very few boat trips necessary on Oahu).
Oahu offers a very different experience to us than the other islands. We are not really city fans, so looking at shop after shop of tourist stuff for sale is not really our thing. So why not stay elsewhere on Oahu? There really is not much choice. Almost all the island's accommodations are within one mile in Waikiki. Now to be fair, we do enjoy looking at all the people gawking around, and there are some nice beaches to hang out on in the evening in Waikiki. Then again, we don't like paying $10-$25 a day to park our car. Basically Oahu is a little more grown up and worldly than the other islands.
Unfortunately there are no good snorkeling beaches in Waikiki. So, after a nice breakfast, we jump in our rental car each day and seek out the best snorkeling spots around the island. There are three different areas we drive to.
Heading east of Waikiki there are a couple interesting snorkel spots, including the most popular and visited spot in all the islands, Hanauma Bay.
As you keep heading along the coast to the east you come onto the windward side of the island. The trade winds blow pretty consistenly against this shore, and there is more fresh water coming from the mountains into the water here. So the snorkeling is not great on the windward side, but we do mention a few below.
The north shore of oahu is famous for it's surfing, and it also has the lions share of wonderful snorkel spots. We also enjoy the atmosphere of the north shore culture much better than the other areas on the Island.
Finally there is the west shore, or Wai'anae area of the island. There are some good snorkel spots in the west, but the last time we drove along the west shore we were shocked by how many homeless people were camped in multitudes along the shores, in cars, torn up tents and make-shift huts. There are small cities of people living homeless on the beaches, and in the parks. While we have yet to encounter any real trouble, we were just sad to see it, and it made us uncomfortable leaving our car anywhere that was not being watched. It definitely prevented us from exploring as much as we normally would.
We still recommend a couple of great snorkeling spots on this Wai'anae side of things, but be aware that it is one of the poorest parts of the Hawaiian Islands. Seeing as how the richest part (Waikiki) is just around the corner, it feels like some kind of yin/yang balance (or imbalance).
Click on the Oahu snorkeling locations (below the map) to read detailed information about each location and to see our pictures and travel stories.
Pick Your Oahu
Hawaii Snorkeling Spot
OK. Check out our stories, pictures and videos from our Oahu snorkel trips on north shore:
Oahu snorkeling locations East of Waikiki & Windward Shore:
Oahu snorkel locations to the West (Leeward) - Wai'anae Areas:
You may also find this fun website usefull - Hanauam-Bay-Hawaii.com. It is a good resource for Oahu snorkeling.
Return to the Snorkeling Hawaii main page from Oahu Snorkeling.
|
