Escape the crowds and come on an epic snorkel adventure with Pau Hana Sailing
What to expect on a snorkeling excursion with Pau Hana Sailing:
After booking, you will receive an email from Pau Hana Sailing with instructions on when and where we will meet you for your private charter.
Pau Hana Sailing is located in the Ala Wai Marina. The dock is located across from the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, behind Hawaiian Parasail yellow kiosk. There is plenty of free and paid public parking in the immediate area for $1/hr. If you are parking in the free area, make sure to park in the spots with white paint. Any of the yellow paint lines require a monthly parking pass.
Plan to arrive at the boat about 15 minutes before departure so you can get settled in and meet your crew. The captain will give a pre-departure safety talk and go over points of interest on your yacht for the day - like where the onboard bathroom is and where you can fill your water bottle with filtered water and how to shower off when you get out of the ocean, etc.
We have all the snorkel gear (masks, snorkels, fins and mask defogger) and lifejackets (adult and child size) on board so you just need to bring a suit, towel and sun protection. We will also send your snorkel guide out with a GoPro to get underwater footage while you snorkel. Sunburn can set in extremely fast when you are snorkeling in the water. It can be great to wear a rash guard or long sleeved shirt and leggings to keep your body protected from the sun while you are in the water. A hat can be great to wear on the boat if it has a strap around your chin. Most days are quite windy on the water and hats that are not secured to your head almostalways blow away. This hat or This hat are good examples of what works well.
We offer snorkel adventures off the coast of Waikiki and we ONLY offer private charters for up to 12 people. We have several reef spots we like to go to that are excellent and will get you away from the crowds and spots where boats are taking up to 70 passengers per boat and there can be up to 20 boats smashed into a small area. There is one spot on the south shore called Turtle Canyon that is marketed very well. It’s a great spot, but it has gotten extremely busy and at times there can be hundreds of people in the water at the same time. Because of this, we like to go to other locations. The ocean is vast and there are so many great reef spots with lots of marine life to check out. The captain will talk with you about weather conditions the day of your charter and decide on the optimal spot to go to based on several factors - wind and swell conditions and meeting the needs of your group.
On our snorkel tours, we are looking for schools of fish, green sea turtles, octopus, moray eels, eagle rays, monk seals and dolphins.
Our top priority is to provide our guests with a unique and memorable experience on the water. We have a talented and experienced crew that are excited to take you to some spots where the crowded snorkel boats just don’t get to. We personalize each trip and make sure to meet the needs of just your group. This means a safer and more engaging experience that is sure to create memories that last.
