Where to snorkel in Hawaii, Mexico, or bahamas

[RSD]

So, I am asking for help here.
I cannot Dive, or go deeper than 10' without extreme pain.
So... We are looking for either Mexico, bahamas, or hawaii. I want to be able to walk down to the beach, stick my face in the water and be amazed. 2 years ago we stayed at the fairmont Kihea. It was that way. 3 years ago was Playa Del Carmen in Mexico... had to rent a boat to see good snorkeling. Too much of a pain.

haven't been to the Bahama's yet. Not sure where to go.

Kihea in Maui was amazing... but I'd like to go to the Big Island this time around. Anyone stay there? Recommendations?

If you can recommend a place to stay where we can walk out and snorkel without a charter... please let me know. I'd appreciate it. Otherwise it's back to Kihea... I'll play it safe rather than have another trip with bad snorkeling (Florida).

Thanks again for your suggestions.

 

[dailydriven911]

If you go to the big Island you will have plenty of good snorkeling opportunities. Check out the Kapoho tidepools this is one of my favorite snorkel spots. Its a hundred lava tide pools that all interconnect and are filled with fish and corals. You just literally jump in. Another good spot is kealakekua bay. This is probably the best spot on the big island. It's a calm bay that is teeming with schools of all different types of fish and eels and coral. It's a shallow reef that drops off over 100-200 ft so you can see larger fish as well. I believe you will need to go with a guided snorkel boat in order to get there though. Another good spot to see turtles is the place of refuge It's also very calm but is a bit deeper 20-30ft. There are quite a number of other spots and almost every beach has decent snorkeling. Hopefully this helps. If you plan to go to the big Island I recommend the book "Hawaii the Big Island Revealed" It's a great book the best I have come across. When are you planning on going? I'll be back April 5th of this year! I can't wait

 

[jamiehill]

If you go to the big Island you will have plenty of good snorkeling opportunities. Check out the Kapoho tidepools this is one of my favorite snorkel spots. Its a hundred lava tide pools that all interconnect and are filled with fish and corals. You just literally jump in. Another good spot is kealakekua bay. This is probably the best spot on the big island. It's a calm bay that is teeming with schools of all different types of fish and eels and coral. It's a shallow reef that drops off over 100-200 ft so you can see larger fish as well. I believe you will need to go with a guided snorkel boat in order to get there though. Another good spot to see turtles is the place of refuge It's also very calm but is a bit deeper 20-30ft. There are quite a number of other spots and almost every beach has decent snorkeling. Hopefully this helps. If you plan to go to the big Island I recommend the book "Hawaii the Big Island Revealed" It's a great book the best I have come across. When are you planning on going? I'll be back April 5th of this year! I can't wait

My wife and I are going to be there at the same time. We leave on the 4th and come home on the 12th. We haven't been to the big island before, but I also purchased the book you are talking about. It is really good. We bought the one for Kauai when we went a couple years ago and it also had really good info.

From what I hear, the capt. Cooks monument area is one of the best.

 

[Krish]

There are a few places here in the Bahamas that you can snorkle. Also, you don't even have to get wet to see quite a bit of marine life in the Atlantis hotel. I have a thread linked in my signature that will give you quite a few pics if you want to check them out.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I have dived and snorkled most islands in Hawaii, plus a lot of mexico and recently Jamaica. For scuba, many cool spots, but for easy snorkling, Absolutely go to Lawaii beach on poipu region of Kauai (south end). Huge reef that is rarely over 10' deep, much of it 3'
Turtles, rays, 1000s of fish, etc. Sandy entrance, public showers, etc. My wife loved it!!!!

 

[jjmloper]

I use to live in Kona on the big island so I know of a few good spots that tourist dont know of. Theres a spot called Pine Trees its out by the old airport. Its amazing. PM me if you want directions or names of more spots.