Snorkelfest Hawaii

We were picked up from our hotel exactly at 10:20am as promised. Our driver then picked up another couple from a nearby hotel to make a total of 8 passengers. We were briefly told about the nature preserve (Hanauma Bay) that we were headed to – it took a half hour to get there.
When we were on the highway, our driver/​guide lifted a map over his head (while driving!) and started talking about the different parts of the bay that were snorkel friendly.
All we wanted him to do was put both hands on the wheel. I don’t think anyone looked at the map he was holding up in reverse. Whew! Nice guy– but he seemed rushed and preoccupied.
When we got to the parking lot, we waited in the van until the parking attendant motioned us in – he briefly commented about this woman and her demeanor regarding parking spots. We were told that he can only stay for 5 minutes before having to move the van – so, he just handed us our fins, and snorkel gear and said, «have fun». We were told to meet him there exactly at 2 pm. He then drove away…
We made our way down to the beach after paying the $ 7.50 park admission fee and watching a 9 minute video about the «do’s and don’ts» of the bay. («Look but don’t touch anything on the reef’»)
Once in the water, the fins didn’t fit correctly and the snorkel itself wouldn’t stay attached to the mask. I swallowed a lot of salt water. It was a pain to constantly reattach the snorkel to the mask.
We each paid $ 21.95 for this experience. I told the driver about the gear (as did other people who had similar issues) and he quietly said that he would have the owner call us about it.
Rachel did call and thanked me for the feedback. While there was no way she could refund the credit card because we booked through our hotel, she did promise a free tour for us next time.
Pretty cool – we’re in Hawaii once a year so we’ll definitely take her up on it.

This was such an amazing experience. I was super scared at first since this was my first time snorkeling but from the pick up from your hotel to Hanauma bay the driver gave a detailed info about the equipment which is very helpful. Our driver was so awesome I wish I can remember his name, but he was very nice and he gave us a little tour on the way to the bay. Our driver gave us very good tips on where to see a lot of fishes and I got to a lot of great photos and videos using my go pro 4 (you can also rent one from your driver for $ 25). I can’t wait to come back to Oahu and I’m definitely booking through snorkelfest again :)

Good quality gear, good tips on where to snorkel in Hanamuna Bay and how to do it. Appreciated the dry snorkel and one dollar ice water.
On time pick up and drop off and return trip. Driver pulled over to give clear instructions and did his best to ensure that we would have a good time. For just a couple of bucks more than the cheapest of all rides well worth the price.
Would definitely use snorkelfest again.

This service and the condition of the equipment and cleanliness of the vehicle were exceptional the driver gave us a detailed description of the area, exactly what to expect and for snorkeling beginners, gave an explanation of what to do and what not to do.
Thank you so much. I will recommend you to all my friends
Peter Louis

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay with Snorkelfest is such an awesome experience!
If you come to Honolulu and wanted to go snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, go with them! Even if you have a car!
For a low fee, you get pick-​up service from one of the many pick up locations and drop off at Hanauma Bay’s parking lot, snorkeling equipment rental, and drop back off at the pick up location at the end of your trip. No dealing with heavy traffic, no dealing with full parking lots, no muss, no fuss.
One advice — this is not a negative to Snorkelfest — is that you should go when the tide is high!
When we went the tide was low and it got lower through out the day. Everyone is saying don’t touch the reefs, don’t step on the reefs, be careful of sea urchins, etc. But that is impossible in Hanauma Bay!
I’m not going to lie, yes I did touch some reefs! The water was so shallow it was almost impossible to float anywhere without helping/​propelling yourself by pushing off against the reefs, or else you just stand step on them! The bay’s design is awful during low tide!
The second advice is to go early in the morning. We took the 9:00 am pick up for a 12:30 return. You can opt for a later return for a nominal fee or you can go back on time and do some other things in town.
The last advice is to bring snacks and drinks with you (non-​alcoholic). The only place to buy food is on top of the hill before the ticket line. You’d have to go back up the hill and out of the park if you get hungry.

I had a great experience… I really appreciated our driver, Carl, and the time he took to make sure everyone was up to speed on the snorkel gear as well as getting around the bay
I also appreciate that he took the time to point out a few points of interest on the ride to and from the bay
If you enjoy getting in the ocean, and seeing it’s beauty, this is by far the best bargain on the island!

Great service. Great gear. Awesome value.
Carl and Iassac were our drivers. Both great company and gave us a little history on the drive.
By far the best money spent on our trip!

Thank you all! Isaac was wonderful, so friendly and helpful! Pick up was right on time — both morning and after the snorkeling fun! The equipment was clean and great. We will definitely be calling you again! Love the music in the bus and the information along the way. Just enough and not too much! Mahalo!

You really can not find a better company than Snorkelfest for Haumana Bay. Clean, professional and priced great! I know it is a family owned business and I already recommended it to my family. My aunt had great time too, with her kids. If you are looking for a great adventure with lots of great pictures, take this tour.

This was an easy and relatively quick way for us to get out to Hanauma, so we took the plunge and booked with Snorkelfest. They give you sanitized gear, plus some information about the bay itself, so it seems like a reasonable price. My main issue with Snorkelfest is that the driver shows you how to use the mask and makes you try on your flippers while you’re crammed in the back of the van. I felt very unsafe because our driver did not seem to be paying attention to the road. He literally pulled out the map and stuck it to the mirror, then pulled out the gear and was putting it on… all while going 50 miles an hour as we careened down the highway. They do this because when you actually get to Hanauma, they can’t park in the drop-​off zones. I appreciate that they give you a lesson about the gear and that they are trying to make the most use of your time, but there has to be a better way.

Great afternoon spent snorkeling in a great spot at a great price. Saw a huge variety of fish including sea turtles, octopus, Morey eel’s and more. This was made all better with a fantastic tour guide Isaac. He gave us valuable information for the rest of our trip whilst making the trip very enjoyable. Cheers.

Snorkelfest was a great deal for the price. $ 20 got you a ride from your hotel to Hanauma Bay and back, it also included your snorkel gear. Rachel was great at accommodating a last minute reservation for my husband and I. The 3 stars was due to the horrible ride we had to the bay. The driver was a strong accented older gentleman who was a very aggressive driver. On the way to the bay he took several calls and argued with whomever he was speaking to, each time he ended a conversation he’d slam his phone back to the holder. He also was very rude by talking about US on the phone saying we were all late, there were three very polite women on the shuttle and he continuously kept referring to them as «Japan» but would call everyone else by there names. I was so upset because of his horrible attitude that I was willing to pay to take a cab back to my hotel. Overall this was the most uncomfortable car ride I ever experienced in my life, he made the entire car ride uncomfortable and just an overall unpleasant experience.

Thank you to Rachel & Cousin Isaac of Snorkelfest for a wonderful 1^st time snorkel adveture. Thank you for being patient with our hawaiian time arrival, last minute gear rental craziness, & trying to work with our last minute extension request. Special thanks to Cousin Isaac for keeping us entertained on the ride to & from the bay. We’ll request for you to take us lolos up the coco trail! Mahalo!!!

All 5 stars go out to cousin Isaac! the tour and rental cost a total of $ 22 plus tax but cousin Isaacs upbeat personality was worth much much more. Booking the ride online, I just expected someone to drive me and give me snorkel gear. Cousin Isaac gave us all the info we needed to know about the gear and reef. He was very knowledgable when it came to showing us around the island and most importantly, he made it fun!!! The whole van was alive and smiling throughout the whole ride. I’m definitely booking here next time I come back. Way to go Isaac!!!

Very informative and friendly service. Really helped since it was my first time snorkeling :) Thank you Carl!

We went to Hanuman Bay with them. On time, nice clean van, great clean gear. Good instructions. Will use them again.
PS: The quality gear really does make a difference when snorkeling.

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay was one of the most fun experiences I had while in Oahu.
My boyfriend and I didn’t have a car so we decided to book from Snorkelfest to get to the bay. I saw advertisements from all these tourist pamphlets all around Waikiki so decided to give them a call the day before I wanted to go snorkeling and was lucky enough to book at a time that worked for me. I’d prefer to use their shuttle services than take the bus, which takes about 45 minutes from Waikiki. I had a lot planned for the day so didn’t want to waste time on the bus.
Our driver (I can’t remember his name, but he was awesome!) was on time for our hotel pick up. He was very informative and talked to us about some hot spots we should visit and also gave us some tips on some prime snorkeling spots in the bay.
He taught us how to use the snorkel gear, which was actually very clean! And they also provided us defogging solution which was actually very necessary.
I believe from pick up to drop off time is about 3 hrs? It’s the perfect amount of time to walk down to the bay, go through the video, and still have the chance to hang out on the beach and snorkel around the bay. I like how the snorkel gear they provided was the kind that stopped water from coming in through the snorkel tube so you don’t swallow any water. Definitely helpful since I have a tendency to go in deeper than I should and than swallow a bunch of ocean water!

Snorkelfest was great! Wanted to snorkel in a great area and Rachel was awesome! She found us a van last minute and the equipment was perfect!

Carl rocks! Very informative! Would definitely use their services again!

Carl was great. He told us the perfect spots to stick around and gave great tips in other activities around oahu. Gave clean equipment and even provided me with a special mask since I wear glasses. Fantastic service and great price.