Customer Reviews

Snorkel Hawaii: The Big Island

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We spent two weeks on the Big Island, snorkeling beach after beach. Our general guidebook was helpful, but not that useful for getting us to snorkeling spots.

This guidebook, on the other hand, has detailed, clear maps that made getting to places easy. We found them to be clear, accurate and pretty foolproof. It helps take the stress out of getting there.

We didn't expect the Big Island to be a great beach destination, and were pleasantly surprised at how many fine beaches there are, and how much snorkeling adds to the experience. We especially liked all the insider advice on how to snorkel properly. Snorkeling is fun and easy, and not beyond the capabilities of youthful seniors like us.

All the pointers on where to enter the water safely, and what hazards to watch out for, made us feel more confident.

We especially enjoyed Kealakekua Bay, a spot we probably would have overlooked if not for the enthusiastic review. It is the finest snorkeling we have seen in Hawaii.

Now that we have good equipment and training, we look forward to returning to the Big Island and snorkeling more. We'll take our well-thumbed copy of Snorkel Hawaii The Big Island with us. We recommend it highly.

This book comes through on the most important criterion: It gives useful and specific information on a variety of snorkeling sites and snorkel/dive boat operators. It gives maps, driving directions, and advice on the best way to enter the water at a given site. There is a useful chart that classifies the different snorkel sites as to how good the snorkeling is (water clarity, fish variety) and how easy water entry is. I wouldn't want to snorkel the big island without it. .... If you go to the Big Island equipped with this book, and with "Hawaii: The Big Island Revealed" you will be well-prepared!

Snorkel Hawaii The Big Island Second Edition is the current, in print version of this book. From time to time, the Amazon search engine sends people to this older, out of print version. We have tried repeatedly to correct this, but Amazon seems unable to do it. Try clicking on the authors names, and look for Snorkel Hawai The Big Island Second Edition, which is more up to date.

I go to Hawaii just about every year, and especially love the Big Island. I'm an experienced snorkeler, and thought I knew it all. Wrong! This book taught me things I had never learned about snorkeling technique and gear. I loved the little feature boxes with tips. I get seasick easily, and the tip on how to avoid that blew me away, it was so easy and it worked! I also found snorkeling spots I had not heard of anywhere else. The maps are clear, uncluttered and detailed. I'm enthused about the Big Island all over again. Wish there were more books like this that cover just one thing you like, but do it super well. It never let me down, and was worth every penny. I recommend it highly.

I've been to Hawaii 5 times, 3 times of which were to the Big Island. I got hooked on snorkeling and I found this book for my second trip there. It is so great to be able to have a table of the various snorkel sites for comparison then go to the description pages for more detail. My only disappointment comes from the fact that my copy is the first edition and this year, some of the directions are now out of date so we made a couple of wrong turns. This is not the fault of the guide but the fault of my poor memory for directions and not realizing there was a new edition.
I really enjoy the conversational tone the authors use to relay their experiences when at the particular beaches. It gives the impression that these authors actually visited the beaches instead of relying on the tourist literature. They also provide practical advice for the particular beaches which is helpful since general advice and warnings about snorkeling (which they also provide as a portion of the book) will only get you so far when you're actually at a specific beach faced with the conditions particular to that beach.
I feel this book has really given me access to areas that I may otherwise not have known about or gone to to enjoy the underwater beauty that the Big Island has to offer.

Get this if you want to snorkel the Big Island (I'd recommend Hawaii: the Big Island revealed for everything else). There are more than enough sites listed here to keep you busy for weeks. We just returned from the Big Island and found the book to be very useful to narrow the sites to visit; the maps and gear tips were also great. If you go to Hawaii, don't miss snorkeling the Place of Refuge site!

Only 40 of the book's 126 pages cover snorkeling sites, and the site reviews are usually half a page or less. Access information is sketchy and incomplete, which is too bad since the most important part of snorkeling the big island is knowing how to get to the sites, which are often poorly marked. One map shows the Mauna Lani Bay resort located adjacent to a famous bay and beach (Anaeho'omalu Bay), when it is actually miles to the north. Also, the authors continually refer to the Ritz Carlton Mauna Lani, when it has been called the Orchid at Mauna Lani for years. Only 22 sites are listed, although the jacket claims 26, which is still a superficial look at the many snorkeling sites. The rest of the "book" is basically a primer for snorkeling generally. This was purchased at the same time as "Hawaii-The Big Island Revealed", which might be the best guide/travel/scuba/snorkeling book available

Handy and cleverly detailed, the Malinowskis sure know the Big Island. There were enough listings to keep me diving every day for two weeks. You have to go underwater to really appreciate this place. You should also buy a surfing rashguard top to stay warm because you'll be underwater more than you ever thought. The Big Island Revealed pales in complexion and is not a contender when it comes to knowing anything about snorkeling.

You won't need to sign up for a pricey professional tour if you have this book. Snorkeling Hawaii takes you to the same places the tours tout as hidden and private.

I love to snorkel, and found this book had the details I wanted. They tell you all you need to know to find spots nobody else mentions.

We know Hawaii well, but had overlooked the snorkeling on the Big Island. A friend recommended this book, and it got us to try some wonderful sites we never would have found on our own. We even learned a few tips about how to snorkel better. Kealakekua Bay blew us away!