Waikiki Sunset Catamaran Cruise
Sunset in Waikiki is a magical time. The wind normally dies down in the late afternoon and the seas are a bit calmer. As the sun goes down and shadows grow longer, colorful reflections pop up in the windows of all the high rises, that golden hour light is perfect for capturing truly epic pictures. It’s hard to beat a sunset cruise on a catamaran, but there are a few things to think about.
Honolulu sunset times vary throughout the year. In December, the sun can go down as early as 5:45pm, while in June it can stay out as late as 7:15pm. So plan your trips accordingly. At Pau Hana we like to schedule sunset tours so that the boat returns to the dock shortly after the sun goes down. In the winter, we generally like to depart as early as 4:30pm to maximize the amount of daylight and time for swimming off the boat, though some people prefer to stay out after the sunset and enjoy the afterglow with the remainder of the cruise lit by the city lights. Private charters allow for the flexibility to do exactly what you want.
Another consideration is that the sun doesn’t set over the water in Waikiki year round. The sunset in the Winter is 50 degrees South of where the sunsets in the Summer. Fall thru mid Spring cruises get the sun sinking directly into the Pacific ocean, while Summer time cruises find the sun setting behind the Waianae mountains. Photographers looking for that fiery ball dipping below the waves should look to the West side or North Shore during the Summer season.
Snorkeling and wildlife are best in the morning hours. The low angle of the afternoon light doesn’t penetrate the water and most of the wildlife is hunkered down for the night. Swimming off the boat is still great during a sunset cruise and we can still find wildlife. During the Winter time, whales can be found throughout the day. The The dolphins that frequent Waikiki are nocturnal and will sleep in the shallow, protected water. They wake up around sunset and swim out to deeper water to hunt for squid and lantern fish. We normally see dolphins while they’re sleeping. It’s rarer to see them at sunset, but when we do, they’re often awake and putting on a show. The Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins are very playful and enjoy leaping out of the water spinning up to 4 times on a single jump.
All in all it’s hard to beat sunset on the water. Most tours go out for 90 minutes with either a 5pm or 5:30pm departure depending on the time of year. On Pau Hana we start with a 2 hour sail, but it’s nice to add that extra hour on the beginning of your trip to spend some time in the water before the sun goes down and things start to cool off.
Another beautiful painted sky off Waikiki
Sunset on a catamaran in Hawaii…..doesn’t get much better
Your sunset shots will be the ones you show everyone when you get home
If a private charter isn’t for you, here’s a few of our favorite tour companies:
