Look a Humuhumunukunukuapua`a in the eye or maybe a Hawaii turtle when you snorkel Kauai. There is more to see in the beautiful underwater world that surrounds our Kauai vacation rentals. You will meet fish that are unique to Hawaii and also enjoy a Kauai family adventure that is fun for all ages. No experience necessary. Read our Kauai Guide below and enjoy a Kauai vacation highlight!
Kauai Snorkeling – Our Top 6 Tips.
1. Equipment can be rented locally from $9 to $35 a week. An advantage to renting is that your gear can be fitted properly and you have more room in your luggage to bring home Kauai souvenirs. Another suggestion is to buy your own from Wal-Mart, Costco or K-Mart during your Kauai vacation.
2. Find the perfect Kauai beaches from our list below. Best time to snorkel is during the morning when fish are more active. Look for them around coral rather than out in the open sea. Ocean conditions need to be calm for the best visibility with little surface wind. Even on a cloudy day you will need sunscreen that is safe for coral.
3. Snorkeling is more about floating so stay relaxed in the water. Fish prefer that too! Avoid standing on coral to protect the reef.
4. Watch our Ocean Safety video. Never snorkel alone or turn your back to the ocean. If in doubt, check with a lifeguard first.
5. Na Pali Boat tours are another way to enjoy this Kauai activity. Snorkel gear provided. Our guest concierge can help find a tour for you.
6. Do not feed the fish. We highly encourage our guests to enjoy the ocean environment as nature intended. Fish feeding disrupts the natural balance of ocean ecosystems and stimulates algae growth which is harmful to coral as well as disrupts the natural diversity of marine life. Please help keep our reefs healthy by not allowing or promoting this practice.
Top Kauai Beaches for Snorkeling
North Shore Kauai Beaches
Kee Beach: Stay to the right when entering. The reef enclosed lagoon has crystal clear water in summer.
Tunnels Beach: Teeming with tropical fish. Best snorkeling in center area. More parking is available at Haena.
Anini Beach: Featuring the longest and widest reef in the Hawaiian islands and a 3 mile stretch of sand.
South Shore Kauai Beaches
Poipu Beach: Best spot is right of Nukomoi Point. A rock jetty also has a safe snorkeling area.
Lawai Beach: Next to the Beach House restaurant and one of the most popular snorkel places on the South Shore Kauai.
East Shore Kauai Beaches
Anahola Beach: Local favorite with sandy bottom and gentle slope. Ocean side of the reef is for experienced snorkelers.
Lydgate Beach: Large seawater pool has plenty of fish to see and is protected by a stone breakwater.
West Shore Kauai Beaches
Salt Pond Beach: Historic salt beds nearby. Snorkel inside the reef near the rocks for best fish viewing.
If you have favorite Kauai snorkeling places or suggestions, we invite your comments on this topic. Mahalo!
17 Responses
We will be staying at your property in early December. Do you have any recommendations for hiking, kayaking, etc?
Also, can you recommend any fun activities for a young adult with a bad back?
Aloha Leslee, we look forward to hosting you. The Activities section of our website has many suggestions and recommendations, including hiking, kayaking, etc. Just use the map and click on the icons. For your young traveling companion, I would recommend they speak with their doctor to see what low impact activities may be best.
I like what you said about checking with the lifeguard before you snorkel. That way you can be sure that you don’t drown. I’ll have to get some snorkeling gear to practice with beforehand.
I’m visiting in March, we’re staying in Poipu and wondering where I can rent snorkel equipment locally?
Aloha Amanda, Snorkel Bobs in Koloa is a great option. have fun and be safe!
Online, all the snorkeling boat trips read fantastic. My question is which trips would you recommend that spend the most time in the water and not sight seeing? What is more worth the time, a beach snorkel or a boat-based trip? While I appreciate a nice sight seeing tour of the coast, the kids and I love to be in the water with the fish, dolphins and turtles. We are so looking forward to another trip this year.
Hi Todd, The Na Pali coast is amazing and many catamarans include snorkeling for 45-60 minutes (conditions permitting). In the winter months the waves can be large on the North Shore limiting viability. Basically, the boats stagger each other and go to the same location for about the same length of time. The beach landing tours are seasonal (summer) on a Zodiac power raft. It is recommended for the adventurous and is a bouncy 5-6 hour ride.
Unique snorkeling (summer months) can be found on the 7hr Na Pali catamaran tour. This crosses the channel to snorkel off Lehua Rock, adjacent to the island of Niihau.
Although it’s common to see dolphins on a Na Pali tour, they are in the open ocean, not where you can swim with them.
A unique and long excursion is the 3hr snorkeling tour. You can swim with turtles from a 14 passenger Zodiac power raft. This leaves from Poipu. Winter has the best ocean conditions. They anchor for 45min in each of 2 locations and provide a picnic lunch.
We are happy to secure your reservations and can be reached at [email protected].
Have a great stay! Best wishes from Pat at Parrish Kauai
We will be staying at your property in early Decemeber 2020 and are interested in an exciting snorkeling tour for young adults. Would you recommend the zodiac na pali tour? Or catamaran tour which might be less bouncy but also less accessible to the best spots? Also, could you give me more info on th 3 hr zodiac snorkeling tour out of poipu? Lastly, do you recommend snorkeling Hanalei Bay in winter? Are wetsuits recommended for winter snorkeling? Thanks!!!!
Aloha Leslee, since you will be visiting in the winter, South Shore seas activities are going to be your best option and in fact most North Shore are closed. I would recommend snorkeling on the South Shore during the winter as well as waves and surf on the North Shore mostly will be too big. Most likely you will not need wet suit for beach access snorkeling, but that may be a personal preference. We will email you privately on Zodiac tour options.
We are coming in December. Where are the best snorkeling locations for that time of year for beginning snorkelers?
Aloha Rhonda, The good news is you can snorkel n Kauai waters year round, daily weather depending. In December, the water will be cooler, so I suggest a rash guard to keep you warm. For the most part, the North Shore is inaccessible due to large waves, so best to stick to the South Shore and West Side. For beginners, I would suggest Lawai Beach and https://www.parrishkauai.com/blog/poipu-beach-is-one-of-the-best-kauai-beaches/. While note as popular for snorkeling, you should try Salt Pond as well, if not just for practice. It is a wonderful beach to spend the day with the family. Mahalo, Parrish Kauai.
Is there a best time of day or tide to snorkel?
Aloha Margaret, That’s a good question. You’ll see the most color when the sun is directly overhead. That means noon to 1pm for best viewing. We look forward to seeing you soon. Best Wishes from Parrish Kauai
I believe it is generally agreed that the calmest waters occur in the morning. This means less sand stirred up, better visibility, easier for snorkelers to navigate and maintain position. This is especially true in the winter months.
I had never heard that feeding the fish could be a bad thing, glad to know that now.
Also a good tip that snorkeling should just be about relaxing and not disturbing the ecosystem around you!
Hello, We are interested in the Lani Kai cottage next October (6-13th) for our honeymoon. I just spoke with Cynthia. She was so nice. We will book this week if it is still available. We wanted to know if there are any good places to take a boat out for a day trip to snorkel? Would love your recommendation.
Thank you,
Meg
Aloha Meg, It was great speaking to you this morning and we are happy that you chose Lani Kai Cottage. I highly recommend you take HoloHolo Boat Charters. They have fantastic trips and I know you will love them. We will forward into to you with your reservation. We look forward to seeing you in October.
Mahalo, Cynthia