Hawaii Snorkeling

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Snorkeling is one of Hawaii's main attractions, and almost anyone can do it. All you need is a mask, a snorkel, fins, and some basic swimming skills. In many places, all you have to do is wade into the water and look down at the magical underwater world.

If you've never snorkeled before, most resorts and excursion boats offer snorkeling equipment and lessons. You don't really need lessons, however; it's plenty easy to figure out for yourself, especially once you're at the beach, where everybody around you will be doing it. If you don't have your own gear, you can rent it from one of dozens of dive shops and activity booths, discussed in the individual island chapters that follow.

While everyone heads for Oahu's Hanauma Bay -- the perfect spot for first-timers -- other favorite snorkel spots include Kee Beach on Kauai, Kahaluu Beach on the Big Island, Hulopoe Bay on Lanai, and Kapalua Bay on Maui. Although snorkeling is excellent on all the islands, the Big Island, with its recent lava formations and abrupt drop-offs, offers some particularly spectacular opportunities. Some of the best snorkel spots in the islands -- notably, the Big Island's Kealakekua Bay and Molokini Crater just off Maui -- are accessible only by boat.

Some snorkel tips: Always snorkel with a buddy. Look up every once in a while to see where you are and if there's any boat traffic. Don't touch anything; not only can you damage coral, but camouflaged fish and shells with poisonous spines may surprise you. Always check with a dive shop, lifeguards, or others on the beach about the area in which you plan to snorkel and ask if there are any dangerous conditions you should know about.

Snorkel Bob's

If you're planning on visiting several islands and would like to rent snorkel gear on one island and keep it with you for your whole trip, try Snorkel Bob's (www.snorkelbob.com), which lets you rent snorkel gear, boogie boards, life jackets, and wet suits on any one island and return them on another. A basic set of snorkel gear costs $3.50 a day or $9 a week -- a very good deal. The best gear is $6.50 a day or $29 a week; if you're nearsighted and need a prescription mask, it's $9 a day or $39 a week.

You can find Snorkel Bob's on Oahu at 702 Kapahulu Ave. (at Date St.), Honolulu (tel. 808/735-7944); on Maui at 1217 Front St., in Lahaina (tel. 808/661-4421), at Napili Village, 5425-C Lower Honoapiilani Hwy., Napili (tel. 808/669-9603), and in South Maui at Kamole Beach Center, 2411 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei (tel. 808/879-7449); on the Big Island at 75-5831 Kahakai St. (off Alii Dr., next to Huggo's and the Royal Kona Resort), in Kailua-Kona (tel. 808/329-0770); and on Kauai at 4-734 Kuhio Hwy. (just north of Coconut Plantation Marketplace), in Kapaa (tel. 808/823-9433), and in Koloa at 3236 Poipu Rd., near Poipu Beach (tel. 808/742-2206).