Frequently Asked Questions

Snorkeling is basically swimming on the surface of the water. A fun activity with friends and family of all ages. In order to do this correctly, you will first need a snorkel set that consists of a snorkeling mask and fins. Now you can explore the underwater wildlife by swimming on the surface of the ocean, looking down and breathing through your snorkel.

Yes, snorkeling is safe as long as you respect a few basic snorkeling guidelines and rules. We ask that you please reference the “Top 15 Snorkeling Tips” webpage and always take caution when entering the ocean.  Make sure you are aware of the beach forecast, tides and surf conditions.  Your safety is always your own personal responsibility.

All you need to do is be able to swim and feel comfortable in water. If you are not comfortable with your swimming skills, you can always ask for a float tube or snorkeling vest that can be inflated to help you stay at the surface of the water.

You need a snorkel set that usually consists of 3 pieces of equipment – the mask, the snorkel and fins.
The snorkel mask is your underwater window. It allows you to see underwater. It is very important that the mask you choose is a perfect fit and won’t let any water leak inside.  Make sure it fits comfortably on your face and the straps are not too tight around your head.  Masks and Mustaches do not go well together!  The snorkel is a hollow tube that allows you to breathe underwater. One end of the snorkel is the mouth piece, which needs to be tightly secured between your lips while the other ends sticks out of the water for breathing. If you have a strong gag reflex, then you will not be good friends with any standard snorkel. In this situation, the best option is for you to purchase or rent a full-face snorkel mask.  The full-face masks are much more comfortable and easier to use.  To have a complete snorkel set you will also need fins that will provide extra propulsion and help you swim better.

Yes, you can. There are snorkel masks specifically designed for snorkelers who wear glasses. You can also purchase a snorkel mask (online or here on the islands) that has prescription Rx lenses.

In order to keep your snorkel mask and fins in the best possible shape, there are just a few things that you need to do before and after starting your adventure. 1) Always rinse your snorkel mask and fins with fresh water, so you will wash away all the salt and residue that might damage the gear in time. 2) Never keep you snorkeling set directly in the sunlight  3) pay attention where you set the gear down or store it.

Gear rentals on the Islands are usually based upon a 24-hour period. That applies for weekly, as well as daily rentals. So, if you rent at noon on Monday for a week, its due back at noon the following Monday. Or if you rent by the day on Monday at noon, then the snorkeling gear would be due back the following day (Tuesday) at noon. Snorkeling equipment that is returned after the return date/time, will usually incur some type of late fees from the rental provider.

Prescription Goggles are also available.  For those of you who wear eye glasses for nearsightednes (this means that you can see things near, but struggle or cannot see into the distance), we recommend Rx Masks with Rx lenses, as these work great and have positive feedback from consumers. For those of you with a strong stigmatism, you may want to consider getting customized lenses for your snorkel mask in advance to arriving on the Hawaiian islands. However, unless your stigmatism is severe, the stock lenses provided to you should work fine. Custom Lenses for Rx Masks are available online by special order. 

Yes and no. Yes, if your mask doesn’t fit well.  No, if you get a good fitting mask, then you should not have a problem. As you can imagine, there are lots of people snorkeling with contacts in.  You usually will always have the option to consider an Rx mask with Rx lenses. With an Rx Mask and Rx Lenses, you will have your eyesight and be able to see the underwater wildlife!

We book all types of adventure trips and ocean tours on the islands, so you will find vessels that include Boats, Catamarans, Sail Boats, Hard Bottom Rafts and Kayaks.  Here on our website you can search for your activity, apply different filters to find what you are looking for, and then when the results display you can clearly see the “Vessel Type Images” in the listings informing you of the service type.  

Yes, almost all of the vessels will have a “Shaded” area or galley for you to take cover from the sun.   Many of the smaller vessels, especially the Hard Bottom Rafts, will have a canopy that can be erected or extended when requested.  

Almost all of the boats will have a portable step up ladder that hooks on the side of the boat, when needed.  From the water, a tourist customer can then step up into the boat from the water.  The tour operator or guide will be there to help you if assistance is needed.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The guides and tour operators are at your service and want you to enjoy yourself.

We have all of the Hawaiian Islands Best Snorkeling Beaches and Reefs information available on our website.  We encourage you to check out our Best Beaches pages, where you can filter the results for the Best Snorkeling Locations on each of the islands.

It’s definitely recommended to reserve in advance for all of your snorkel gear, however there is plenty of available gear throughout the islands. If one vendor happens to be sold out, you can almost certainly locate another vendor who has inventory. The only issue is that your searching, phone calls and driving around is taking away from your vacation time.

Generally, fins are made in men’s sizes, so a woman needs to buy down (1 ) full size category. For example, a woman’s size 8 shoe best fits in a size 5 - 7 fins. Men’s size 10 best fits in size 9 - 11 fins. So, you’re probably thinking, what about a women’s size 7 shoe. Its most likely you will be 5 - 7 fins. There is a bit of leeway on fins fitting, however a snug fit is the preferred fit. Here’s a link to our sizing chart for fins.

Click here for complete online snorkel gear information, locations and package deal rates. .

YES!  It recommended that you book your tour in advance (at least 1 or 2 months in advance, if possible), so that you are all set and we know exactly who and how many are coming.  Many of the popular snorkeling & snuba trip providers are booked out a few months in advance, so please secure your activities and tour reservations ASAP. 

Many of the trips we offer can be booked instantly, however for the others the process usually takes just a few minutes to a couple of hours for your response. Depending on where you are located in the world, Hawaii could be 3 – 12 hours difference in time zones.  From time to time we may also have a power failure, slow or no internet connection, etc.  It is also very important that you please be sure to give us your right email address.  If the email address that you provide to us is incorrect, we will be sending you communications, confirmations and vouchers, but you will never receive them.  That has been the case for a couple of guests who made their reservations with us, but they provided an incorrect email address.  So, we ask that you please always double check your provided contact information.  

Please Note: After Friday Evening @ 4PM, our weekend shift customer service representatives may be a little slower in their responses to any email inquiries that are submitted.    

Yes. The snorkeling providers have life vests for all tourist customers on board their vessels.  It is mandated by the US Coast Guard Law.  All tour companies must have enough life vests onboard, at all times, for every person on the vessel.  

Yes you can do a snorkeling tour with us.  Activity providers are quite use to watching non-swimmers and non-snorkelers become very happy first-time swimmers and first time snorkelers.  All tour operators will have a life vest that a weak swimmer/ non snorkeler can put on, and wear around them keeping them sufficient buoyant for an awesome snorkeling experience.  If  you are first time, make sure to inform the tour operator of this, so they can keep an extra eye on you when you are in the water. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance… the tour operators and guides are there to help you.

On a Regular Tour we are offering our service to our customers as a group.  On Private tours you will have privacy from strangers, you can stay at a location longer if you’d like or skip a location.  On a private tour, we will begin when you arrive… so if you’re running a little late or you want to start a bit earlier, we are happy to accommodate this since you are a specific person, family or group.  Regular & Cruise Tourists can schedule their tour either as a Regular Tour or as a Private Tour.  Cruise Tourists must know that cancellation policies will still apply if the cruise ship is delayed or doesn’t come ashore. Such factors as weather, ship’s late arrival, tender problem, missed the water taxi, situation at sea – rescue, illness, etc.  Most activities will have a 24 – 48 hours Cancellation policy, however some may require 72 hours or more.

We refer to a Regular Tourist as a person who is Not travelling on a ship and more than likely would be staying on the island for a full day or two?

A Cruise Tourist is anyone who is travelling to Belize on a cruise ship .e.g Carnival, Norwegian, Aida, Costa, etc. Cruise Ship Tourists are here for only a single day/ couple hours and will be on a limited time frame.

Yes. We usually have underwater cameras for rent, however they are quite popular, so please try to reserve these in advance if possible.

Yes.  However, please know that Captain Cook (Kealakekua Bay) is located on the Big Island of Hawaii, Molokini is a Volcanic Island Crater that is directly off the coast of Maui, and the Napali Coast is located on the Northwest side of Kauai Island.  It’s important that you know “What Island” you are vacationing on!

For all of our online reservations we accept Debit and Credit Cards (Amex, Master, Visa, Discover).  

Swim Suit

Sunscreen

Sunglasses

Hat or Visor

Towel

T-shirt or additional clothing

You may also want to bring some water and/or a snack.

Yes. Our policy has changed and we now require a non-refundable deposit in order for us to secure this tour for you. (few exceptions).  You will be refunded your deposit, minus any credit card processing fees to return it back to you, Only if we cannot provide our services to you – cancellation on our part due to unforseen circumstances or if the weather is so bad that we cannot go on with the tour because of safety reasons.

I would like a Snorkel Hawaii shirt... Do you have any merchandise for Sale?

Yes.  We have white, gray, red, blue & black Snorkel Hawaii shirts for sale.  Visit our Store

White Shirts – $15.00 USD each    

Colored Shirts (Black, Red, Blue, Gray) Shirts – $17.50 USD each. 

Sold only to customers who are here in Hawaii (international shipping cost is too expensive).