Snuba & Snorkeling Advice (for my parents)

[christygobar]

I'm a newbie around here, but I have some questions regarding the underwater activities on either the Big Island, Oahu or Maui for my parents' upcoming vacation.

My parents do not dive. (I do.) My mom is deathly afraid of any water, much less the ocean. She can't swim. But, she has decided to give snorkeling the good ole college try this trip, as long as she has a life jacket firmly strapped around her

My dad is pretty confident in the water and has expressed a small interest in going under. But he wouldn't ever get certified just because he says doesn't want another hobby that my mom would never be interested in. I gave him a voucher/certificate for Father's Day for just an intro Scuba class on his vacation. I actually think he would prefer Snuba, just for time's sake and because it's a bit more simplistic.

On one of these 3 islands, is there a good shop that does Snuba? Also, where is some good shore snorkeling? Again, with Mom afraid of water - this means she is not a fan of boats either. Entering from the shore would just be easier for her.

I'm doing a lot of the research and the booking for their underwater fun so it's one less thing they plan

Any advice would be wonderful! And yes, I have tried to beg my way into the suitcase already :blah: :frlol:
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Edited to add....the looking has been narrowed down to the Big Island. What about Big Island Watersports in Kona? Bueller....Bueller?

 

[chepar]

On one of these 3 islands, is there a good shop that does Snuba? Also, where is some good shore snorkeling? Again, with Mom afraid of water - this means she is not a fan of boats either. Entering from the shore would just be easier for her.

As far as Oahu, I would say that Hanauma Bay has some of the best snorkeling on the island. It's a protected bay, so no boat traffic. It's also probably the most popular snorkeling site on the island, so it gets very crowded. Your parents can go on their own, or contact a tour vendor to take them there. If they go on their own, they should get there very early in order to obtain parking. I believe Hanauma is closed on Tuesdays.

I did snuba on Oahu years ago before I got certified - it was with some company out of Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai. I don't recall the name of the company, though - I don't think they're still in business.

I just did a Google search on snuba - there's a website snuba.com - click on "where to snuba" and it lists several operators that offer snuba on the various islands. You can even do a snuba tour at Hanauma.

 

[elenion]

My husband and I did snuba on Kauai and the Big Island before we got into scuba.

You didn't mention Kauai as one of the islands you will visit, but here's the info anyway. On Kauai we went with Snuba tours of Kauai, a first-rate outfit. This was our first experience with snuba, and Kevin, the owner/instructor, was very knowledgable and all-around great guy to dive with. We did the snuba off a beach in Poipu.

On the Big Island we did snuba on the Fair Winds snorkel boat that goes out to Kealakekua Bay. Even if you don't snuba and just snorkel, this is not to be missed... K Bay has some of the best visibility on the island. There is the option to upgrade to a snuba dive, and we took it because we enjoyed it so much on Kauai. It is a gorgeous place to dive. If a boat is not an option for you, Big Island Water Sports does shore snuba.

Snuba is a great introduction to the "feeling" of scuba. It didn't take long for us to want to try scuba after that. I would also imagine it's great for people who can't/don't want to carry scuba equipment.

 

[friscuba]

Also in Kona, very easy and good snorkeling can be had at Kahalu'u Beach Park in Kailua. I't 3-4 feet deep in most parts so even standing and bending over with a mask on is possible and still see lots of critters... Just make sure they know not to stand on coral. There's lots of sand available to stand on for those who can't take full out snorkeling. Once they are comfortable, no needing to stand, the Place of Refuge is easy to get to and tough to beat.

 

[christygobar]

The Big Island Watersports I mentioned came off of that Snuba website. It's funny though - I guess because it's more of a "tourist" activity, it is a lot more expensive than a Discover Scuba class!

They talked about going to Kauai, but aren't going to. Unfortunately, I don't get to go at all. Boo! (Maybe had I not gone to Cozumel last month :54: )

So I think after all was discussed last night, I'm going to book my dad a class through Jack's Diving Locker. They look good, and got back to me pretty quickly on my questions. So if anyone has info about them, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks very much!

 

[elenion]

Well christygobar, it so happens that my husband and I did 6 dives with Jack's Diving Locker last month, and we were very happy with them. They are especially good with newbies. Nice boats, knowledgable DM's and they are very eco-conscious. I think your dad will not be disappointed. Let us know how he fares!

 

[christygobar]

Definitely! I booked him for a Discover Scuba & shore dive on August 2nd