Waikiki Snorkeling: Learn in the Ocean with a Guide

Get in the water and learn to spot over 20 fish species with a guide who films you

Waikiki snorkeling for beginners with a live English-speaking guide who teaches you in the ocean on a reef, then provides free video of your experience. No prior swimming experience needed. You learn the basics and explore the marine life in 90 minutes. The guide captures footage and downloads it to your phone after the activity ends.

Step-by-step itinerary

Beginner snorkeling in Hawaiian waters

• Learn how to snorkel
• Explore reef with marine life
• Guide captures videos
• Receive videos on phone

The experience

You arrive with no snorkeling experience and leave with video proof you did it. A professional guide meets you, walks through the equipment, and takes you into the Hawaiian reef where the water is calm enough to learn. The guide stays with you the whole time, showing you how to breathe through the snorkel and pointing out the different fish as you move through the water. Over 20 species live on this reef, so there is always something to look at.

The guide is also filming your experience the whole time. After the 90 minutes in the water, they download the video directly to your phone so you have it before you leave. No separate purchase, no waiting for files to arrive later. You walk away with the footage. If you wear contact lenses, they stay in. Underwater magnification makes everything look about 25% closer anyway, so you will see more detail than you expect.

Swimming skill is not required, but you do need to be comfortable in the water. The activity is built for people trying snorkeling for the first time, so the guide teaches every step. Infants and small children can come along in a stroller. The reef is shallow enough that you are never far from the guide, and the whole group stays small.

What’s included

• Professional guide in English.
• use of snorkeling equipment (mask, snorkel, fins).
• free video of your experience downloaded to your phone after the activity.

Information

Lasts 1h 30m, runs every day, 4 start times, from US$ 41 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 10 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.4 with pickup ›

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Under 8: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Try Scuba Diving-Honolulu

Is this one for you?You're a beginner trying snorkeling for the first time in Waikiki, and you want a guide in the water with you the whole time, not a group that drops you off and watches from the boat. A small group with a live guide means you learn at your own pace and get help the moment you need it, and the video afterward is proof you actually did it.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Do I need to know how to swim to snorkel in Waikiki?

No. Swimming is not required for this beginner snorkeling activity. You do need to be comfortable in the water, and the guide teaches you everything else: how to breathe through the snorkel, how to move, what to look for. The reef is shallow and the guide stays with you.

What happens to the video the guide takes during the snorkeling?

The guide captures video of your experience in the water and downloads it directly to your phone before the activity ends. It's included at no extra cost, though if the camera malfunctions there is no refund for the tour.

How long does the snorkeling activity last?

The activity runs 90 minutes total. You spend that time in the ocean on the reef with the guide, learning and exploring the marine life.

What fish and marine life will I see on the reef?

The reef has over 20 different types of fish to discover. The guide points them out as you snorkel and explains what you are looking at.

What snorkeling equipment do I need to bring?

You don't bring any. Snorkeling equipment is included: mask, snorkel, fins and all the gear you need. The guide fits it to you and shows you how to use it before you enter the water.

Can I wear my glasses or contact lenses while snorkeling?

Contact lenses are allowed and stay in during snorkeling. Prescription glasses cannot be worn under the snorkel mask. Underwater magnification makes objects appear about 25% closer and larger, so you will see detail even without correction.