honeymoon on BI- never been snorkeling before...questions

hi!

ive posted a few times and ive gotten such helpful responses i thought i would ask here.

My fiance and i are staying at the Mauna Lani for 6 nights in mid july for our honeymoon. We will be in Kauai for 3 days before that and at Glacier national park for 10 days before that!

Anyway, while we will do a lot of lounging while we are there, I would like to try to go snorkeling while im there since neither of us have ever been and i know hawaii is famous for this.

Can anyone give suggestions as to where to do this? I';m really clueless. Do you go with a group and they give you the equipment and you go on a boat? or do you rent your own stuff and just do it from the shore? Given taht we are staying at the Mauna Lani...somethign relatively close would be great. Neither of us are really huge into rough seas...but i guess you typically go some place calm anyway?

lastly- when you rent...what do they give you, how long do you go out for? (more importantly...as a beginner..how long would i want to go out for)..and last but not least...how much could this cost?

huge thanks for anyone who has tips.

-claudia

honeymoon on BI- never been snorkeling before...questions

I haven%26#39;t actually been to the Big Island yet - but have snorkeled in Maui and the Caribbean. There are plenty of places in Hawaii where you can go right off the shore so you don%26#39;t need a tour. You could find specific locations through tour books or online (or more helpful posters!) And the cool thing about the ocean is that you float so well you don%26#39;t have to be a great swimmer to do it.

Of course stick to calm waters and as a beginner probably stick to areas where there are others also snorkeling just in case.

There are plenty of places to rent gear on the islands - fins, snorkel, and mask usually come in packages that are very reasonable, like $15 for the week. This is my favorite activity to do while on islands so it seems like a very small price to pay.

I don%26#39;t know how long you%26#39;ll want to be out - until you are tired I suppose. Just remember to wear sunscreen and have fun!!

honeymoon on BI- never been snorkeling before...questions

With Due respect... Becky.. the last poster was in serious error. Because there are few beaches and fewer still safe ocean entry spots the snorkeling from shore is only good at Kahaluluu Bay and Thr Mauni Lani boat house beach( which is NOT a beginner site). SHore snorkeling is poorer in every respect than boat snorkeling.. less life, less coral. pooret visability.

I strongly suggest you use the search of '; Snorkeling'; on the insider pages.. as there all the sties, tours, cautions and considerations you need to know. And I strongly suggest you drive to Kona 45 min south and experience the best of the best

Snorkeling on the Big island is the finest in the entire state.....We have 57% of all the fish life and coral in the entire state....However to view it ALL the better or best sites require a boat tour to get to as they are state reserves. If you think Molikini, Lanai and Maui are good snorkeling... the Kona caost will totaly wow you... its better than Tahiti....and the Cooks, Marquesas ...

Out of Keauhou are 2 outstanding tours DOlphin Discoveries and Sea quest... both take no more than 12....usually less on a 4 hour morning tour, with the 2 best sites in the state, plus a coastal tour that included historical to dolphin watching for

anout $85 per person In the afternoon a 3 hour tour for $60...only one site visited

Mornings are better 8-12

Yes both tours provide all your gear, snacks, guides and talks....Try it with professional... not with rental gear you have never used, doing something you have never done. Rentals at the Mauni Lani are resort price... I think $5 an hour.

Ok...I%26#39;ve always gone off shore but maybe the BI is different. We%26#39;re on a budget and just getting to Hawaii is quite the challenge so we haven%26#39;t tried the tours before but have been impressed with what we%26#39;ve seen from shore. Our first attempt at snorkeling was at La Perouse bay in Maui without a tour.

So the off shore snorkeling in Kona area is not as good as the off shore in maui?

The shore snorkeling on the Big Island exceeds even the boat tours on Maui and Molikini.... there are no walk out the sandy bay and be in coral and fish. Its all over rocks and lava cliffs.

However, the entrys are few and can be very tricky since there are no ';sand entries'; and all are rocky even Kahaluluu. Plus there are currnets and a lot of deep water, no life guards or help etc.

This is a very rugged and non developed island compared to Maui. If you dont know what you are doing you can get hurt and hurt bad here. Aint no disney land here.... But inversely, the experiences are fantastic...in what you see in terms of beauty.

10 to 1 daily, at Kahaluluu Lagoon. 5 miles south of Kona, you will find %26#39; Reef Teach'; a local volunteer group that has a ton of free information and knowlwdge to share....

In fact I frequently spend time there as a teacher. We are there to share our knowlwdge and help all learn how to protect the reef and themselves. ( no one will try to sell you a cell phone, insurance or a timeshare)

It should be every snorkler and divers first stop whrn then come here....

I agree. It%26#39;s tough for a first time snorkeler to deal with a new way to breathe, putting on fins in the water, and surge, and rocks. Maui is way easier, no comparison. Did my own first snorkeling on Maui after a disappointing trip to the Big Island.

Easiest for a beginner is off of a boat and wearing a snorkel vest. But you want to practice floating with mask and snorkel on and breathing before you pay for a tour. This you can do at any sandy calm entry; there won%26#39;t be much to see but the point is to play around with using the equipment and get comfortable.

If you have access to a pool at home, I recommend you practice before you come.

Dan is correct. By far, most good snorkeling on BI is difficult, if not impossible, to get to off the beach. I also agree with beginners taking a tour. The crews are used to teaching and helping newbies. It%26#39;s best have a pro fit your equipment properly and teach you the basics. There%26#39;s nothing more miserable than a poorly-fitted mask. You should also be aware that most of the good snorkeling is in deep water. You need to be comfortable floating and moving about in water over your head. A tour boat crew can help you with this, too, providing flotation devices as needed. Take a morning tour for the calmest water. With a boat tour you%26#39;ll be able to stay out as much or as little as you want.

Please view this informative, 7-minute video. It provides good information for all snorkelers and divers.

http://www.kohalacenter.org/video.html

My very first time to snorkeling was on the BI of Hawaii. I was absolutely in awe. We snorkeled at the Mauna Kea resort (need to get there early as the parking is first come first serve.) If you walk to the far end of the beach and snorkel by the lava wall there. It is very sandy with some coral and for a first timer I thought the fish was great and it had me hooked! We also snorkeled another area south of Kona - can%26#39;t remember the name of the beach park. It was more rocky but also alot of fish and also saw a turtle there too.

The only ';tour'; I took was the Na Pali Coast on Kauai and it happened to be too rough to snorkel. Maybe other tours that specify in snorkeling would go to locations that are calmer.

One tip that helped us - if you can....(we bought our own snorkel equip. to take) We practiced in the swimming pool at home before we left. That way we got a feel of breathing more comfortably. I think I would have panicked more if the first time was in the ocean. Also my DH found out he had to shave his mustache before he could snorkel.

hope this helped.

ok well you convinced me, i will definitely book with a professional. do you suggest that we do this well in advance of our trip or is it one of those things that you just show up to? (im guessing that we shoudl book).

thanks again all!

The area ho%26#39;opona describes south of Kona is no doubt Kahalu%26#39;u, the same one Dan recommended. Good choice, but an hour drive from your hotel.

Every Tuesday and Wednsday you can talk to me in person on snorkeling rather than by computor...at REEF Teach at Kahaluluu bay.... Everything you wanted to know about turtles, coral, fish, culture .

AND how... most importantly YOU can have the best experience without harm to yourself or the ocean world. ....its free.... but a priceless way to start an adventure in Hawaii

Take nothing but pictures...Leave nothing but good will ...kill nothing but time...