Urgent help with Hawaii snorkeling trip

Hi,

My wife came across a good deal on a 5 day Hawaii vacation package, so we are going with 3 days notice.  I'm scrambling to understanding what diving gear to take with me.

I want to devote 2 days to snorkeling.  I am a northern cal free diver and occasional scuba diver, so I probably have most gears already, but I am only beginning to understand the snorkeling condition in Hawaii.

Here are some of my immediate questions; any help on these and any other tips are welcomed.

1. Do I need to bring my 7mm wetuit?  I think I know the answer but want to confirm.

2. Do snorkeling folks in Hawaii wear wetsuits at all, if not for thermo purpose at least for buoyancy purpose?

3. If they don't wear wetsuit, do they use other flotation device when snorkeling?

4. Do snorkelers somehow adjust their buoyancy (weight belts?) so they can dive down if desired to do so?

5. Do you have any favorite snorkeling locatio on the Big Island?

Thanks a lot.

You don't need a wet suit to snorkel in Hawaii. 

I snorkeled in Kona the last time I was there...

http://www.hawaiidiscount.com/activities/bigisland/snorkeling.htm?gclid=CJyt0KfGmrwCFSZBQgodzFcAlw

I've only been once, 7 days, in the water for 6 of those days, in Sept on Maui, 

I generally get cold easy but was able to spend about 2 hrs a day snorkling without getting too cold with no suit.  No suit = no need for weights.

On the recommendation of friends (so as not to pack too much stuff) the only gear I took was my mask and snorkel, and got fins at "Snorkel Bob's" . The whole group got outfitted there, no complaints. It's a big chain store and overall they have a pretty good rep.

Water's probably a little cooler this time of year.

Find the one closest to where your staying  and give em a call for up to date info and advice, the people in our shop were really down to earth and helpful.

We always stop at Costco in Maui and buy the fin, snorkel and mask sets and leave them there when we leave.  They aren't what the pros would use but we find them more than adequate and I prefer new stuff to rented.  I don't think we pay any more to buy them than we would pay for a week's rental.  I just don't like the idea of putting a snorkel in mouth that has been used by others.  We like to pack light for Hawaii since you don't need a lot of clothing and the snorkel gear is just added bulk.

No wetsuits, the saltwater will float you just fine. Swim trunks, fins and a snorkel and mask are all you need.

My recommendations:

- Bring a long sleeve rash guard.  It isn't for warmth, it is for sun protection.  In essence free sunscreen!  Target sells Champion gear non turtle necks that are perfect and cheap.

- Definitely buy a nice snorkel set and try it out BEFORE you go.  You will need to adjust it, figure some stuff out.  Sucks to do that while everyone else is in the water!

- Bring water shoes.  Not sandals.  Not river sandals.  Full coverage water shoes that fit snug enough to not fall off when moving rapidly in water.  Trust me!!!

- Bring a small back pack.  Like the kind you get from a running shoes store.  I also stuff about 3-4 Target Large Plastic bags in it.  Awesome for hiking and the bags are great for wet suits.

- I like to buy and bring the industrial sized sunscreen no less than spf 30, prefer 40-50.Being burnt sucks.  Use it religiously every day except the last and get your tan on the last day.  Don't forget spf 15+ lip balm.

- Bring a hat and 2 pairs of sunglasses.  I also like to throw in a set of regular swimming goggles in case you just want something to stick in your pocket not tote around a full snorkel set.

OK I'll stop acting like a Mom now!

- Two things must do on Big Island assuming somewhere near Kona:
1 - Walk through Thurston Lava Tubes.  Bring your own headlamp for the non-lighted side.
2 - Capt Dan Zodiac Captain Cook Memorial and Snorkel excursion.  Awesome and the fav of our trip.

Have fun!  Hopefully something helpful in the wall of text above!

I am in Kawai right now. It's been kind of cool, 60 at night hi 70s during the day. Very windy all day today.

I highly recommend a longsleeve rash guard to protect from the sun. Sunscreen with zinc to protect your legs. The water is a little cold when you first get in but I snorkeled for about an hour yesterday without getting chilled.

We are going to  kayak fish for Papio out of one of the harbors in the next couple of days. I hear pelagic's are hard to catch from shore.

Have a great time, Don.

I wear 5 mil for scuba there and rash guard and sunscreen everywhere else for snorkel trips

Definitely a rash guard for sun protection.  I should have said that initially.  Good catch guys.

Hello from beautiful Waikoloa, HI.  Thank you for all your advice.  Weather is definitely warm this afternoon by my taste, but I don't know how cold that water is just by looking at it.  Will see tomorrow.... =)

Yep, rash guard for sure.  When I'm out there, I wear a full 3mm, but we usually dive at least 3-4 hours, and I wear it for the solar protection and guard against reef rash as much as for the thermal protection....maybe even more-so.  I was just on Oahu a couple weeks ago, weather was nice. I'm sure you guys will have an awesome time out there!

Hi NCKA Bruddah,

I grew up on the Big Island, 16 miles north of Hilo on the Hamakua Coast. As kids we used to run around barefoot and swim in the rivers. I am partial to he Big Island, growing up there, but I think that the Big Island is the most beautiful with vast parts that are untouched and still like it was many years ago. There are 8 different ecosystems on the Big Island.
On the Kona side there are some great snorkeing places from Hapuna Beach to Puako. A good start is Beach 69 between Hapuna Beach and Puako. It used to be a locals only beach and now is a County Park. There are beautifl coral formations in that area. In the Kona area there are many good snorkeling places from Kealekekua Bay to Keahou Bay and the City of Refuge State Park.
My favorite place to swim an snorkel in Hilo is Richardson Bay, home to many giant sea turtles (Honu)  and pretty good snorkeling. On a clear day at Richarson's Bay you see all the way to the summitt of Maunakea (the tallest mountain in all of Hawaii and up the Hamakua Coast-North). Richardson Bay is a favorite place for locals and the sea turtles are treasured. It is very easy get very close to them as they seem very nonchalant about people in the water. I once bumped in to a large sea turtle that was feeding on limu (seaweed) near the shore.
My family in Hilo owns Big Island Delights. My younger sister Carla Takamine, her husband Jeff and my nieces make a huge variey of original recipe cookies and snacks and have a retail store in Hilo near the Hilo Airport. Most of the businesses in Hilo are locally owned and has a very different vibe than the Kona side and Hilo still has a very local feeling that I really miss. For a one of a kind dinner go to The Seaside Restaurant in Hilo on the way to Richardson Bay. The Nakagawa family runs Seaside (It is located on some old brackish water fishponds) and their son Collin is a 4 Star chef. They raise some of the fish (mullet, HoleHole and maybe Moi)  for the restaurant in the ponds. It is like no other restaurant on the Big Island.
My favorite parts of the Big Island is not the Kona side, but the Puna District in the Southeast part of Hawaii where the active volcanoes are still pumping lava in the ocean. In Kalapana where the road ends lives Uncle Robert Kealii Hoomalu. Uncle Robert is one of the last of the true blood Hawaiians and is family has lived in the Kalapana area from the beginning. If you want to see the active volcanoes entering the ocean, Uncle Robert's family will take you on a 2 hour hike over lava fields along the ocean as you have to have someone Hawaiian take you across Hawaiian land. You can also check out Uncle Roberts AWA BAR. Awa is favorite natural high drink made from the awa root and is part of many polynesian cultures. It tastes kind of bitter, but mellows you out and in legal. From Kalapana take the Red Road along the coast to Pohoiki and Kapoho. In Kapoho Beachlots there is naturally heated brackish water pond called Champange Pond, it's kind of hard to find and if you talk to the locals they will tell you how to get there.
On the way back take the road from Pohoiki to Pahoa. It is my most favorite and most beautiful road in Hawaii.
Other to do's if you have time: Akaka Falls in Honomu, hike down Waipio Valley in Honokaa, drive down the Saddle Road that goes between the 2 highest mountains in Hawaii, Maunakea nd Maunaloa. If you are adventurers, rent a 4 wheel drive vehicle and drive to the summitt of Maunakea and watch the sunset.
If you get in the spirit, you will meet the right people  and that will guide your way. It's too bad that most of the tourist who come to Hawaii never really meet the best part of Hawaii, the local people and what I call the sacred lands of Hawaii like the Kalapana area and the big Valleys like Waipio, where locals still grow taro and has been untouched since the ancient Hawaiians lived there. In the ancient Hawaiian spirtual traditions the word ALOHA is a sacred greeting meaning "I Bless You With the Spirit of the Creator". Most people think that ALOHA is just like a casual hello.
Hawaii is ALOHA, the people and the land.
Please call me if you need more info or would like to talk to me in person.
Attacjed is a picture of Uncle Robert and myself taken in Kalapana
ALOHA,

Michael (Da Bruddah) Yamagata
510-282-4831

By the way, make sure that you wear something to protect your feet when snorkeling, like fins with bottoms. Lava rocks, coral and sea urchins can tear your feet apart. Also, if you are not a local, you can be very susceptilble to staph infections if you cut yourself and don't take care of it. If you cut yourself, make sure you clean the wound very thoroughly and use anti-biotic cream. We never used any wetsuit when snorkeling or spearfishing. The ocean on the Kona side is very warm and the best time to snorkel is in the morning when most of the fish are out feeding and the water very clear. I forgot to tell you that you can dive with the giant manta rays at night in Keahou Bay. They turn on underwater lights and every night the giant manta rays have been coming in for many years. On the Kona side the sun can get pretty strong and it is very easy to get sunburned if you don't protect your skin, even when you are snorkeing.

On the Kona side there are some great snorkeing places from Hapuna Beach to Puako. A good start is Beach 69 between Hapuna Beach and Puako. It used to be a locals only beach and now is a County Park. There are beautifl coral formations in that area. In the Kona area there are many good snorkeling places from Kealekekua Bay to Keahou Bay and the City of Refuge State Park.

+1 on Beach 69.  We spend the most time at that beach when on Big Island.  The trees go relatively close to shore, you have a lot of good shade access, with good swimming and decent/ok snorkelling (not the greatest, but not bad either) right out front.


-Allen

Diving without having to wear a wetsuit is amazing!  Visibility is very good.

But I just say, I would still prefer to wear a wetsuit.  Water is a bit cool, and I got 20 small cuts from first day of diving....