Is hanauma bay or queens beach better for snorkeling in hawaii?

staying and waikiki with no rented car…but we have to get back to the hotel by 11 to shower before we check out on the last day. is hanauma bay too rushed? any other recommendations? and if you know, what is the best way to get there?

Tags: Beach, better, hanauma, Hawaii, queens, snorkeling

5 Responses to “Is hanauma bay or queens beach better for snorkeling in hawaii?”

1. LS says:

   October 30, 2011 at 6:36 pm

   It will be rushed!

   Even if the tides, moon phase/box jellyfish cycles, and time of year are in your favor, Hanauma Bay is safer, and a bit closer to the hotel. Since you want to get an early start, that may work out fine. Make sure that the park is open and be there early to get in.

   If you haven’t snorkeled right off Waikiki, in the Waikiki Aquarium area or the War Memorial, it’s an easy way to spend the morning. Not as much sealife, but it’s out there. http://www. kellyboyle. org/ParentsVisitFeb2005/SnorkelingWaikiki/index. html
2. Yeti says:

   October 30, 2011 at 6:48 pm

   Hanauma Bay would have the better snorkeling. However, even entering at 6am when it opens, you’d still be rushed to watch the mandatory video, get down to the beach, snorkel adequately, and leave by some method other than car in time to get back, shower, and presumably get to the airport in time to clear agricultural and security inspection. Not impossible, but I don’t know how much you’d truly enjoy it.
3. Eric Aloha says:

   October 30, 2011 at 7:15 pm

   Hanauma is better for sure. But if you swim far enough out at Queens, all the way to the reef where the waves would break if there’s waves, it’s good out there too. Put a drop of liquid soap or shampoo inside your mask lens and rub it around with water then dunk it quickly in the ocean before putting it on. That keeps it from fogging.
4. Beachgirl says:

   October 30, 2011 at 7:20 pm

   Hanauma Bay has much better snorkeling than Queens Beach BUT trying to get there and back on the morning you leave is a bad idea. Although it’s only 10 miles away from Waikiki, it takes about and hour and a half just to get there by bus. A taxi or friend who wants to act as chauffeur is your only option if you want more than 20 minutes of snorkeling before you have to start heading back. You are required to watch a 10 minute video before you come in and it shows every 15 minutes. Then you hike down or wait and pay for a shuttle to get down to the beach. It’s possible for a couple of adults just trying to check it off your list but with kids it would be a nightmare.

   Depending on the time of year you come, there are other nicer FREE places to snorkel that are also relatively safe as well as reasonably priced boat trips for snorkeling or SNUBA. You should really plan a day (or at least a full afternoon) to enjoy the underwater world. My recommendation for your last day is to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely Hawaiian-style breakfast at a beachside cafe, write a couple of postcards to your friends you left behind, and take a relaxing dip in the ocean before your trip home.
5. beach2cb says:

   October 30, 2011 at 8:00 pm

   Hanauma Bay has way better snorkeling, but you will need many hours because you have to park, watch a mandatory video, walk down to the beach etc. You won’t be able to go there on your last day