Hawaii where to go?

[tendar]

I am planning to go to hawaii in a mounth or so and trying to figure out where is the best place to go for snorkeling and such to check out the under water life.
Anyone who has been there I would really like some suggestions.

Thanks

[Kahuna Tuna]

Have you decided what islands you are going to? I have been to kauai, oahu, maui, and lanai. I didn't care for oahu but liked the other three and thought maui was the best for diving/snorkeling. Probably the best advice I can offer on finding good dive spots is to visit a local dive shop, they can steer you to the best areas. In maui, molokini was very cool, its an offshore seamount and wildlife refuge that has to be accessed by boat but its a great dive spot. HTH

[candaya]

Hi,
I was born and raised on the Big Isle of Hawaii. I would suggest the Kohala coast and Kona to be one of the best places to snorkel. Visibility is great as there are few beaches which is also the down side if you are a beach person. I was there in November and got to swim with sea turtles that are now abundant as they are protected. They were in 3 feet of water and I got face to face with them....awesome!
Maui is also a good choice and there are some primo spots. If you love beaches, Maui is the place to go but visibility can vary. Maui is very tourist oriented vs the Big Island which is more laid back and offers much sight seeing. Kealekekua Bay is supposed to have excellent snorkeling at Capt. Cooks monument. You may need to get on a boat snorkeling trip for Capt. Cook. Again, lots of sea turtles in Kealekekua Bay.
Aloha!

[tendar]

This is a spur of the moment thing so I have no plans so far. I am wide open for ideas. I have never dived before so I figured on just snorkling. I am looking for places to check out the marine life with out being buried in with those darn tourists. Planning on going for a week so should be able to go to a few islands.

[Olgranddad]

My girlfriend and I went to Maui last May. Since I am a diver I went diving. While I would be gone, we set up a snorkel trip with her to Molokini and a place they called "turtle bay". She said it was beautiful and that even though it was a tour boat, she didn't have any problems being near other snorkelers. She saw lots of turtles as well. So I guess the "cattle boats" arn't that packed. We also did some beach snorkeling around the city of Kihei. Certain areas had some really nice reefs. Others were kind of barren. The real key is to get up early, watch the sun rise and then go snorkeling. Those who have been there a while will be sleeping as they are over their jetlag. Also the water was like glass in the morning. As soon as 11:00 rolled around it started getting wavy. If you havn't snorkeled alot, waves suck. All in all, I thought it was decent snorkeling, but it doesn't hold anything to diving. Get yourself certified.

[smiller]

I spent ten days in Maui last summer. I also am not a diver, but many of the hotels offer free diving lessons. You can then dive with an experienced diver for $50-$60/hour. Well worth it and easy to learn.

[Flatlander]

Besides all the normal tourist dive spots in on Oahu, I had great snorkling right along the pier/wave break in front of the hotel. I use to go at dawn, before the masses, and there were thousands of fish feeding on the algaes growing on the piers.
Never seen so many tangs and moorish idols in my life.

[tendar]

It looks like Im going to Maui next mounth. So any good place there to check out.

[MrSandman]

I just got back from Hawaii about 3 weeks ago. Stayed 5 days in Oahu and 5 days in Maui. The only place i have ever gone snorkeling on Oahu is Hanauma Bay. Although there aren't really much "Live" reefs in Hanauma, there are lots of fish, and i even got to swim with a pair of sea turtles! I even got pics of it too!! Seems like every time i go to Hanauma, i see turtles, so its definitely an experience. If you go really far out, past the exposed reef, you'll see some SPS.

I also went to Maui and did some snorkeling, and that place is just awesome. We found what we called a "secret spot" south of Lahaina with black sand. It had pretty much no crashing waves, just smooth rolling ones, which made it perfect for snorkeling. The reefs were also very close to the shoreline, about 10 yards out and you'll hit it. If you go south from Lahaina, you'll hit a small town with like a population of 10. I don't think it had a name. This town is small, and i think it's just several of businesses there, and no homes. About 1-2 miles south of that town, is a shoreline that bends to form a large cove. It is there, where i found the best snorkeling in Maui. I hought it was better than Molokini! SPS colonies everywhere and fish were abundant. If you head out about 2-300 yards, you'll see even more! I was so fixated on the reefs that before i knew it, we were like 400 yards out and my girlfriend was a dot on the shore. I had better stop, before i start having withdrawals. I miss it already. :(. Anyways, if you need more info and even some pics of our secret spot, let me know. Oh, one more thing...do you have room in your suitcase for me? :)

[tendar]

Mrsandman
Sounds great, I am staying in Maui so I will definitly have to check it out. Yes I would like some more info and a few pics would be great.
If you fit in my carry on you can come I will have room at the hotel fpr one more.