Best Time To Snorkel The Big Island by: Galen & Nicole
Hi Tom,
Our general feeling about the best time to snorkel all the Hawaii islands is summer. You get the warmest waters, and you have a better chance of snorkeling some of the east and north sides of the islands. In winter you have a North swell. In summer there are times of a South swell, so you may have to contend with that, although on the Big Island there are not that many south beaches to snorkel. You do get a bit of afternoon rain in the summers in the Kona area, but not so much up north where more of the snorkeling is.
At all times of the year going early in the morning is important. Winds always pick up as you get towards noon. We try to be done snorkeling by ten or eleven.
As far as when in the summer to go, May to the middle of June is the slower season, so prices are better. Mid June through August is busy season and will cost you more for everything. So we are going to be visiting the Big Island in May this year.
