What is the best time of day to snorkel in Hanauma Bay?

Snorkel in daylight, if possible in the morning before the wind picks up. Currents are often weaker near high slack tide. SnorkelForecast scores each daylight hour for Hanauma Bay.

What is the best tide for snorkeling?

High slack tide, within about an hour of the high-tide peak, often has weaker currents. Strong low tides and tidal flow near channels or headlands reduce the score.

Where are the best snorkeling conditions near Hanauma Bay today?

The nearby spots with the best forecasts later today are Sharks Cove, Kahe Point, Electric Beach. Check each spot page for hourly wind, wave, tide and water temperature detail.

MARINE REPORT / 72 HOURS

Hanauma Bay Snorkel Report Today

USA · Updated Wed 02:54 (HST) · Source: Snapshot

The skinny

Marginal Data updated Wed 02:54 (HST)

Hanauma Bay looks marginal today. The least-bad daylight window is around Wed 13:00, but waves is limiting the forecast.

Right now (forecast)

Poor · 0.0/10

Wed 03:00 (HST)

Later today

Fair · 4.0/10

Wed 13:00 (HST)

Next three days

Fair · 4.3/10

Fri 08:00 (HST)

Model estimates using Open-Meteo; not observations or safety guarantees. Check official advisories and conditions at the beach.

Score: 4.0/10

Best time: Wed 13:00

Main risk: Waves

Best morning signal: Wed 10:00 (Fair).

Best afternoon signal: Wed 13:00 (Fair). Peak afternoon wind is about 6.0 m/s.

Email me when it is good Compare nearby spots Tours & water activities

Best nearby spots later today

Sharks Cove 4.8/10 Fair · Wed 10:00 Kahe Point 4.6/10 Fair · Wed 07:00 Electric Beach 4.6/10 Fair · Wed 07:00

Read the Oahu snorkeling guide for coast, access and best-month guidance.

If Hanauma is a skip today

Skip Hanauma Bay today. Go to Sharks Cove instead.

Sharks Cove · 4.8/10 North Shore only on calm summer days — skip winter surf

Electric Beach Leeward Oahu, no reservation
Kahe Point Same leeward coast if Electric Beach is crowded
Lanikai Beach Windward alternative when the south-east is a skip

Plan your visit

These notes help with planning. Rules and closures can change.

Open map

AccessHanauma Bay has a shallow inner reef, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, lockers, rentals, and a managed visitor entrance.

ParkingThe official visitor notes say parking is limited on the ridge above the bay. Public bus service runs daily.

ReservationsEntry times, fees, and reservations can change. Check the City and County of Honolulu visitor page before booking.

ClosuresThe preserve may close for weather, maintenance, or conservation work. Check the city notice before leaving.

Marine lifeThe bay is a Marine Life Conservation District. Do not feed, touch, collect, or injure marine life.

Hawaiʻi DAR Hanauma Bay visitor and rule notes

Sunrise

06:28

Sunset

18:01

Water

26.3°C

Max air

27.7°C

Sky

Clear

1% cloud

No good model window in the next 72 hours

Use the best-available section for the least-bad times.

3-day planner Best available Show data

3-day planner

Wednesday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Thursday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Friday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Best available hours

Fri 08:00: Fair (0.43) · still limited by waves, tide/current
Fri 07:00: Fair (0.41) · still limited by waves
Wed 13:00: Fair (0.40) · still limited by waves, wind

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

Waves (70 hours)
Tide/current (68 hours)
Darkness (49 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

Drift estimate from wind, swell, current and warm water.

Low · 34/100

Low peak drift risk around Wed 06:00.

warm water supports seasonal jellyfish activity; surface drift/current is noticeable; local shoreline exposure is not mapped yet.

Sightings override the model: if you see small purple jellyfish with long trailing tentacles, treat them as sting-capable and give them space.

Upcoming high tides

Next early morning high tide: Thu 01:00

Wed 12:00, Thu 01:00, Thu 12:00, Fri 01:00, Fri 13:00

Bookable snorkel tours near Hanauma Bay

Prices and availability from Viator. Check conditions before you book.

We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Hanauma Bay Snorkeling from Waikiki

4.4/5 1389 reviews 5h

From USD 55.99 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Hanauma Bay Guided Snorkeling Tour with Transportation

4.9/5 231 reviews 4h

From USD 115.00 Check availability

Hanauma Bay Guided Snorkel Tour, we know where the turtles like to hang out!

Hanauma Bay Guided Snorkel Tour (with guaranteed entrance time)

4.8/5 75 reviews 1h

From USD 103.66 Check availability

Hanauma Bay Priority Access with Transportation

4.4/5 89 reviews 3h

From USD 75.15 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Snorkel Gears near Hanauma Bay

3.9/5 31 reviews 6h

From USD 23.99 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Hanauma Bay Snorkel Lesson

4.6/5 7 reviews 1h

From USD 99.95 Check availability

Free cancellation available

Nearby snorkel spot map

Compare nearby spot forecasts for later today before choosing a beach.

Sharks Cove Fair · Wed 10:00 4.8/10 Kahe Point Fair · Wed 07:00 4.6/10 Electric Beach Fair · Wed 07:00 4.6/10 Lanikai Beach Fair · Wed 13:00 4.0/10

Forecast spot map

Use the map to see where the compared spots sit. Open a card for the hourly forecast.

This is a location diagram, not a marine chart. Check the shore and local signs in person.

Nearby alternatives in USA

Lanikai Beach

14 km away

❌ Poor

Oahu

37 km away

❌ Poor

Kahe Point

46 km away

❌ Poor

Electric Beach

46 km away

❌ Poor

Advanced forecast data

Viewing current forecast

Wed 03:00 – Sat 03:00 (HST)

Previous day Yesterday

Snorkel Score (next 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.4 around Wed 13:00; 7 of 24 hours are good, fair, or excellent.

Score trend, higher is better. Excellent ≥ 0.72, good 0.55–0.72, fair 0.35–0.55.

Conditions (24h trends)

Tap a chart to load just that series.

0/24 sampled hours stay at or below 0.36m (range 1.24m to 1.4m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 5/24 sampled hours (range 4.61 to 6.17m/s).

Tides range from 0.34m to 0.8m; 2 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour forecast overview

Wed 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 07:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 08:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 09:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 10:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 14:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 15:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 16:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 17:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 18:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 07:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 08:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 09:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 10:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 14:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 15:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 16:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 17:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 18:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 07:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 08:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 09:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 10:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Fri 11:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 12:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 13:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 14:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 15:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 16:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 17:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 18:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Fri 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Sat 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Scoring methodology (for technical users)

We score each hour from 0 to 1 using daylight and these weighted components:

Wave height (35%): best below 0.36m, then decreases as it rises.
Wind speed (25%): best below 5.4m/s, lower is better.
Sea surface temperature (15%): best within 20.6°C to 30.4°C.
Tide and currents (15%): best around slack/high-tide windows.
Daylight (10%): visibility is better in daylight, so night hours score lower.

Detailed hourly data table

Time	Wave (m)	Wind (m/s)	Sea temp (°C)	Status
Wed 04:00	1.40 · high	5.86 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 05:00	1.38 · high	5.75 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 06:00	1.38 · high	5.43 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 07:00	1.36 · high	5.92 · high	26.30 · good	Fair
Wed 08:00	1.36 · high	5.92 · high	26.30 · good	Fair
Wed 09:00	1.36 · high	6.07 · high	26.30 · good	Fair
Wed 10:00	1.36 · high	6.06 · high	26.30 · good	Fair
Wed 11:00	1.36 · high	6.07 · high	26.30 · good	Fair
Wed 12:00	1.36 · high	6.02 · high	26.30 · good	Fair
Wed 13:00	1.34 · high	5.71 · high	26.40 · good	Fair
Wed 14:00	1.34 · high	5.62 · high	26.40 · good	Poor
Wed 15:00	1.32 · high	5.12 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Wed 16:00	1.32 · high	4.91 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Wed 17:00	1.30 · high	4.72 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Wed 18:00	1.32 · high	4.61 · good	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 19:00	1.32 · high	5.43 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 20:00	1.34 · high	6.17 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 21:00	1.34 · high	6.08 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 22:00	1.32 · high	5.78 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Wed 23:00	1.32 · high	5.80 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 00:00	1.30 · high	5.90 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 01:00	1.28 · high	5.89 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 02:00	1.26 · high	5.52 · high	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 03:00	1.24 · high	5.24 · good	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 04:00	1.20 · high	5.03 · good	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 05:00	1.18 · high	4.62 · good	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 06:00	1.18 · high	4.51 · good	26.30 · good	Poor
Thu 07:00	1.16 · high	4.62 · good	26.30 · good	Fair
Thu 08:00	1.16 · high	5.03 · good	26.30 · good	Fair
Thu 09:00	1.16 · high	4.96 · good	26.40 · good	Fair
Thu 10:00	1.16 · high	5.09 · good	26.50 · good	Fair
Thu 11:00	1.16 · high	5.22 · good	26.50 · good	Fair
Thu 12:00	1.16 · high	5.15 · good	26.60 · good	Fair
Thu 13:00	1.16 · high	4.97 · good	26.70 · good	Fair
Thu 14:00	1.16 · high	5.14 · good	26.70 · good	Poor
Thu 15:00	1.16 · high	5.26 · good	26.70 · good	Poor
Thu 16:00	1.18 · high	5.46 · high	26.70 · good	Poor
Thu 17:00	1.18 · high	5.64 · high	26.60 · good	Poor
Thu 18:00	1.18 · high	5.40 · good	26.60 · good	Poor
Thu 19:00	1.18 · high	5.37 · good	26.50 · good	Poor
Thu 20:00	1.18 · high	5.03 · good	26.50 · good	Poor
Thu 21:00	1.18 · high	4.92 · good	26.50 · good	Poor
Thu 22:00	1.16 · high	4.84 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Thu 23:00	1.16 · high	4.50 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 00:00	1.14 · high	4.27 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 01:00	1.14 · high	3.89 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 02:00	1.12 · high	3.89 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 03:00	1.12 · high	3.70 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 04:00	1.10 · high	3.58 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 05:00	1.10 · high	3.56 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 06:00	1.08 · high	3.69 · good	26.40 · good	Poor
Fri 07:00	1.08 · high	3.89 · good	26.40 · good	Fair
Fri 08:00	1.06 · high	4.27 · good	26.40 · good	Fair
Fri 09:00	1.06 · high	4.54 · good	26.50 · good	Fair
Fri 10:00	1.08 · high	5.16 · good	26.50 · good	Fair
Fri 11:00	1.08 · high	5.59 · high	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 12:00	1.08 · high	5.91 · high	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 13:00	1.10 · high	5.91 · high	26.70 · good	Poor
Fri 14:00	1.10 · high	5.76 · high	26.70 · good	Poor
Fri 15:00	1.10 · high	5.70 · high	26.70 · good	Poor
Fri 16:00	1.12 · high	5.77 · high	26.70 · good	Poor
Fri 17:00	1.12 · high	5.81 · high	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 18:00	1.12 · high	5.27 · good	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 19:00	1.14 · high	5.23 · good	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 20:00	1.14 · high	5.07 · good	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 21:00	1.14 · high	5.28 · good	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 22:00	1.12 · high	5.02 · good	26.60 · good	Poor
Fri 23:00	1.12 · high	5.06 · good	26.50 · good	Poor
Sat 00:00	1.12 · high	4.91 · good	26.50 · good	Poor
Sat 01:00	1.10 · high	4.74 · good	26.50 · good	Poor