Fun - but involves some waiting
The activity is a lot of fun. The jet skis were in good condition, easy to ride, and quite fast. The staff took care to provide instruction. We were a bit disappointed to have to ride around a fairly small triangular course, but we had plenty of room for each rider.
There was a lot of waiting: the pickup was 10 minutes late. When we arrived at the location we waited to sign in, then saw a safety video, then waited 20 minutes for a boat to take us to the jet ski platform, then waited on the platform for our turn. After our ride we waited on the platform for a boat to take us back to shore, then waited for our photos, then waited for the van to take us back to town. All in all, for a 30-minute activity it was a LOT of waiting. Don't make plans that depend on being back in town early!
Also, although there is an online system that allows sign-up for solo or tandem rides, and assigned ride times, it turned out that they had 10 solo riders signed up for the 1:30 time slot, which was a
| Rating: |  |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples | ||
| Posted on: | 2013/01/03 | ||
| See individual review | |||
Helpful
Excellent experience, well run
This was an excellent half-day experience. We went out on a large, spacious catamaran with a crew of 4, and in the course of 2 guided snorkling drops we had multiple sightings of dolphin, saw a giant turtle moving along the sea floor and another (or possibly the same one) pausing to breathe at the surface, and encountered countless colorful (and near-fearless) fish. We saw coral, too, with coral arches (our guide dived down and swam under one) and a "coral garden" area.
After the second dive we were given hot BBQ sandwiches and mixed fruit, with a choice of chicken or pork sandwhiches. There was plenty of room for everyone to find a spot in the sun (when it shone), and cabin shelter when we felt chilly.
The crew were friendly, safety-conscious, and proactive in large and small ways. Everyone was encouraged to wear a lifejacket for the first snorkel drop, and there were 2 crew members in the water with us, one as a guide and one to stay with the first-timers (he brought a surfboar
| Rating: |  |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples | ||
| Posted on: | 2013/01/03 | ||
| See individual review | |||
Helpful
Hanauma Bay Snorkeling Shuttle
Beautiful bay, far too many people
The bay is beautiful, but overrun with people. Perhaps as a result, you have to queue to buy a ticket, then queue to see a movie about the reef, before walking down to the beach. Both the beach and the water were thronged with people and we wondered how the reef can survive it - or whether we would see any fish!
As it turned out, there are lots and lots of fish, from tiny to quite large, and even the occasional turtle. The fish are very colorful, and seem to pay little attention to all the people looking at them.
The water was quite sandy, which limited the visibility; this may have been because of all the people churning up sand in the (shallow) water, or because there was a fair amount of wind and surf.
Overall, a very accessible snorkel spot where you'll see lots of fish, but it's crowded and you should be prepared for delays.
| Rating: | |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples | ||
| Posted on: | 2013/01/03 | ||
| See individual review | |||
Helpful
