Frequently Asked Questions

Hanauma Bay is located about 30 minutes east of Waikiki. Take the H1 East which turns into Kalanianaole Highway. You pass Koko Marina and then go up a hill and Hanauma Bay is on your right-hand side. Turn down into the Bay and continue to the parking lot on the left-hand side. ALL GUESTS WILL MEET AT THE FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE LINE NEAR THE GIFT SHOP. Directions and a link to Google Maps can be found in your confirmation email.

Drive times vary according to traffic conditions and time of day.

Standard times are as followed.

From Waikiki: 30+ minutes

From the North Shore: one hour and 15 minutes+

From Koolina: one hour and 15 minutes+

These are, of course, best case scenarios and do not account for Oahu’s well-known traffic problems or road closures. Please account for this when planning your trip. Google Maps times in the evening will be much different than in the morning rush hour traffic.

Post pandemic and with the new reservation rules at Hanauma Bay any time is great but we only do tours in the mornings anyway. Please note the parking lot does not open until 6:45am

The exception to this is if you’re staying in Koolina or North Shore. During morning rush hour it is not unlikely that drive times double or even triple from stated times above. If this is the case, we recommend for you the 10 a.m. time slot. It’s your vacation after all and who wants to wake up before 5 a.m. and sit in traffic on their vacation?

In order to get the most out of your Oahu trip we highly recommend renting a car and getting out of Waikiki at least for a day or two. But if you choose to forgo a rental car you can get to Hanauma Bay by city bus #22 or using an Uber or Lyft taxi. NEW USERS MAY SIGN UP FOR UBER OR LYFT USING THE CODES IN YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL FOR DISCOUNTED RIDES.

Please, please, please arrive early! If the lot is full, you will have to park at the alternative parking location (directions in your confirmation email), and walk up the hill to Hanauma Bay. Please allow 30 minutes for this. PLEASE KEEP CELL PHONES HANDY.

Post pandemic and with the new reservation rules at Hanauma Bay we have not had any parking issues and no one has had to park in the neighborhood and have always gotten into the lot ok. Please note the parking lot does not open until 6:45am

During tour times phones ring directly to the guides. Meaning if they’re in the water, no one will answer the phone.

Great question and this one confuses a lot of people. Meeting time is 15 minutes before your Oahu snorkel tour at the bench to the left of the Hanauma Bay ticket counter. Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve and we are not allowed to have booths set up or hold any sort of signage so your guide will be there looking for you/calling your name. ALL GUESTS MUST MEET AT THE FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE LINE AFTER YOU PARK, NOT DOWN ON THE BEACH, SO THEY CAN TRY ON GEAR. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE BEACH AREA WITHOUT YOUR GUIDE SO PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE HOURS EARLY FOR YOUR TOUR.

Great news! When you join our guided tour you don’t have to wait in that crazy line! Simply go to the FRONT OF THE LINE and your guide will meet you there at or before your tour time!

Yes, all guests must watch a quick seven-minute video about the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. It gives you some awesome information about the Bay, wildlife, and dos and don’ts while being a guest at one of the greatest places to snorkel in the world!

NO! Your tour INCLUDES the entrance fee but you still must watch the orientation video. Your tour time is your video time so that’s why you must arrive at the meeting location 15 minutes prior to scheduled tour times.

Absolutely and we encourage it! Just be aware that we do have to “check-in” and “check-out” together. They want to make sure we are keeping our numbers to a maximum of five people per tour and also that we bring everyone out safely and they have it documented we did so. After your Hanauma Bay snorkel tour, you head back up to the entrance where we check-out and also give you the opportunity to see your photos and get anything out of our vehicle that we may be holding onto for you. After that you are free to go back down to the beach and hang out all day, if you like. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE ENTRANCE FEE OR WAIT IN LINE AGAIN.

Yes, but as with everything in Hawaii they are very expensive. About $10 each. We are happy to lock your stuff in our vehicle to save you some money or give you a moment to go back to your car and leave anything in there you don’t need. Just be sure to keep your cell phones handy until you meet your guide! Very important!

You know it! We take photos during your Hanauma Bay excursion and usually end up with 50 – 100 photos. Photo packages are $29 per family and includes all the photos from your tour time.

We sure do hope so!! We know where they like to hang out and we can usually find them but we cannot promise or guarantee them. They are wild after all. What we can promise is lots of fish, fun, and friendship!

With the new reservation system at Hanauma Bay we do not know if you will be able to get into the bay without being on a tour with us. Non snorkelers are welcome to book a ticket with us at the full price to guarantee their entrance into the bay but besides doing that we have no other recommendations on if or how you would get tickets to get down to the beach area.

Both Hanauma Bay and our Honolulu Sail and Snorkel  have one hour of in water time. But expect to be with us for at least two hours. We take our time and are never in a hurry… as we say, “We stay on Hawaii Time.”

FOR ALL TOURS: A credit card is required at time of booking and your card will be charged at the time of booking. You may cancel or change your reservation at any time prior to 48 hours BEFORE your tour and you will be given a full refund. In the event of a no-show, LATE ARRIVAL, or last-minute cancellation no refunds will be given. No EXCEPTIONS. SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLAN TO ARRIVE EARLY!

We recommend that you do not book your tour the same day you will be arriving in case of airline delays or cancellations. We also highly recommend purchasing travel insurance in case of such instances.

Please plan for Oahu’s well known traffic problems and arrive early. If you are late, your guide or boat will not be able to wait for you, as we have to be fair to all guests. In such a case, please note that no refunds will be given and rebooking will most likely not be possible as our tours fill up weeks ahead of time. Please plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your tour time to allow for traffic and parking situations.

All tours are subject to wind, waves, and weather conditions. In the event of dangerous conditions we may be required cancel tours for your safety. In this case, a full refund or transfer of tour to another date will be given.

Please note: Tours will not be cancelled in the event of rain.

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL THOROUGHLY SO YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT THE DAY OF YOUR TOUR.

Not necessarily. We’ve taken people from 3 to 85 on our tours. It’s all about each particular person. Young children will most likely not be in the water for the full hour. They simply get cold or bored usually after 20 to 30 minutes. This is plenty of time for them to experience snorkeling, have fun, and be excited to do it again in the future. We never force children to stay in the water longer than they want. We want them to have a great memory of it even if it means only seeing a few fish and being stoked on that!

IF BOOKING THE TURTLE SNORKEL, ages are 3 and up to join. Children under 3 may be able to be join  but you must call to book.

PLEASE NOTE; THE SWIM WITH TURTLES DOES REQUIRE YOU TO BE HAVE BASIC SWIMMING SKILLS. GUESTS WHO CANNOT SWIM CAN STILL SIT ON THE BOAT AND SEE THE TURTLES AND ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AROUND THEM.

For Hanauma Bay-If any guest joining the tour is a non-swimmer you must book out all 5 spaces on the tour to guarantee a private tour. This is the only way to be fair to all guests.

Yep! We have guides who do it every day!

Glasses cannot be worn under snorkel masks unfortunately. We recommend wearing contacts or if your eyes aren’t that bad simply going without as most people do. Water does magnify things by 33% so most people end up seeing fine without. We do not provide prescription masks but you may consider purchasing some on amazon before your trip. Prescription mask can also be rented at Snorkel Bobs in Honolulu PRIOR to the day of your tour. We do not have affiliation with them, this is simply who we recommend.

My advice: Ask your wife first!

Just kidding of course, but guys, be aware that the mustache that you love so much will cause your mask to leak water. No recommendations here, just be aware and make your own decision on that one!

We have them on every tour and ask that all guests wear one as they do make your life a little easier. After all, you are on vacation so why not relax a little more and use one!

Our rule of thumb is they have to be strong enough to carry the paddle board on their own in order to use their own board. For some kids this might be five years old, for others it might be 10. For younger children or children who may not be ready to paddle on their own, we do offer the option of putting them on the same board as the guide. They still learn to paddle and proper techniques, but have someone right there, helping them along the way. Plus, when they get tired, they can simply sit down and enjoy the ride. Sorry parents, this option is not available for you folks.

Pricing is the same for this option and you must call to book for this option.

Our boards are large, very stable, and can hold up to 280 pounds. This is a low impact sport and great for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

Well, it is a workout, but we’ll tell you it is WAY easier than surfing and a lot more fun for people of all ages and abilities. Remember even if you don’t stand up, you can always just float around on the boards and enjoy the adventure. 99% of people we take up end up standing and we would say about 80% never even fall. With our guides’ expert instructions, you’re up and paddling in no time!

PLEASE NOTE WE NO LONGER OFFER PADDLE BOARD RENTALS

Early morning tours are the best. We know you are on vacation and want to sleep in a bit, but ocean and wind conditions are more calm and peaceful in the morning. Once the wind picks up in the afternoon SUPing can become very difficult, if not impossible. We also recommend weekdays, if possible, as Beaches can be really busy on the weekends.

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our sharks and hope that there are many of them out in the ocean. It means the ocean is healthy and thriving! For your peace of mind though we can tell you that there are no sharks lurking around where we paddle.

Maybe… but that’s half the fun anyway!