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, Electric Beach, Kahe Point. Check each spot page for hourly wind, wave, tide and water temperature detail.

MARINE REPORT / 72 HOURS

Hanauma Bay Snorkel Report Today

USA · Updated Thu 03:57 (HST) · Source: Snapshot

The skinny

Marginal Data updated Thu 03:57 (HST)

Hanauma Bay looks marginal today. The least-bad daylight window is around Thu 07:00, but waves is limiting the forecast.

Right now (forecast)

Poor · 0.0/10

Thu 05:00 (HST)

Later today

Fair · 4.4/10

Thu 07:00 (HST)

Next three days

Fair · 4.6/10

Sat 07:00 (HST)

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

Score: 4.4/10

Best time: Thu 07:00

Main risk: Waves

Best morning signal: Thu 07:00 (Fair).

Best afternoon signal: Thu 12:00 (Fair). Peak afternoon wind is about 5.0 m/s.

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

Best nearby spots later today

Sharks Cove 5.4/10 Fair · Thu 11:00 Electric Beach 5.2/10 Fair · Thu 12:00 Kahe Point 5.2/10 Fair · Thu 12:00

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 · 5.4/10 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

06:29

Sunset

18:00

Water

26.4°C

Max air

27.4°C

Sky

Clear

6% 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

Thursday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Friday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Saturday

⚠️ Fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Best available hours

Sat 07:00: Fair (0.46) · still limited by waves, tide/current
Thu 07:00: Fair (0.44) · still limited by waves, tide/current
Thu 08:00: Fair (0.43) · still limited by waves, tide/current

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

Waves (69 hours)
Tide/current (64 hours)
Darkness (48 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

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

Low · 34/100

Low peak drift risk around Thu 07:00.

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: Fri 01:00

Thu 12:00, Fri 01:00, Fri 13:00, Sat 02:00, Sat 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 1390 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 90 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 · Thu 11:00 5.4/10 Electric Beach Fair · Thu 12:00 5.2/10 Kahe Point Fair · Thu 12:00 5.2/10 Lanikai Beach Fair · Thu 07:00 4.4/10

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 historical data

Tue 05:00 – Fri 05:00 (HST)

Previous day Yesterday Next day Live

Snorkel Score (selected 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.45 around Tue 08:00; 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 1.46m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 5/24 sampled hours (range 4.82 to 6.13m/s).

Tides range from 0.35m to 0.89m; 2 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour historical overview

Tue 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 07:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 08:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 09:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 10:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 11:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 12:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 13:00 Fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 14:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 15:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 16:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 17:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 18:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 19:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 20:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 21:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 22:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Tue 23:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 00:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 01:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 02:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 03:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 04:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 05:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 06:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 07:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 08:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 09:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 10:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 11:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 12:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Wed 13:00 Poor ❌ Limited

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 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 08:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 09:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 10:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 11:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 12:00 Poor ❌ Limited

Thu 13:00 Poor ❌ Limited

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

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
Tue 05:00	1.32 · high	5.46 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Tue 06:00	1.32 · high	5.21 · good	27.30 · good	Poor
Tue 07:00	1.26 · high	4.82 · good	27.30 · good	Fair
Tue 08:00	1.24 · high	5.68 · high	27.30 · good	Fair
Tue 09:00	1.24 · high	5.84 · high	27.30 · good	Fair
Tue 10:00	1.24 · high	5.68 · high	27.30 · good	Fair
Tue 11:00	1.24 · high	5.94 · high	27.40 · good	Fair
Tue 12:00	1.26 · high	6.13 · high	27.40 · good	Fair
Tue 13:00	1.26 · high	6.06 · high	27.40 · good	Fair
Tue 14:00	1.28 · high	5.91 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 15:00	1.30 · high	5.53 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 16:00	1.32 · high	5.44 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 17:00	1.34 · high	5.33 · good	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 18:00	1.36 · high	5.23 · good	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 19:00	1.36 · high	5.03 · good	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 20:00	1.38 · high	5.69 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 21:00	1.40 · high	6.00 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 22:00	1.42 · high	6.11 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Tue 23:00	1.44 · high	5.71 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Wed 00:00	1.46 · high	5.80 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 01:00	1.40 · high	5.82 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 02:00	1.40 · high	5.54 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 03:00	1.40 · high	5.90 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 04:00	1.38 · high	5.91 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 05:00	1.38 · high	6.06 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 06:00	1.44 · high	6.35 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Wed 07:00	1.44 · high	6.96 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Wed 08:00	1.46 · high	7.36 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Wed 09:00	1.48 · high	7.36 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Wed 10:00	1.50 · high	7.87 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Wed 11:00	1.52 · high	7.93 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 12:00	1.52 · high	7.85 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 13:00	1.54 · high	7.32 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 14:00	1.54 · high	7.19 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 15:00	1.52 · high	6.92 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 16:00	1.52 · high	7.11 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Wed 17:00	1.50 · high	6.96 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Wed 18:00	1.50 · high	7.31 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Wed 19:00	1.50 · high	7.57 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Wed 20:00	1.50 · high	7.36 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Wed 21:00	1.50 · high	7.76 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Wed 22:00	1.52 · high	7.75 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Wed 23:00	1.52 · high	7.30 · high	27.40 · good	Poor
Thu 00:00	1.52 · high	7.21 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Thu 01:00	1.56 · high	7.21 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Thu 02:00	1.56 · high	7.45 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Thu 03:00	1.56 · high	7.82 · high	27.30 · good	Poor
Thu 04:00	1.54 · high	7.93 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 05:00	1.54 · high	7.85 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 06:00	1.78 · high	7.51 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 07:00	1.80 · high	7.70 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 08:00	1.84 · high	8.04 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 09:00	1.82 · high	8.70 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 10:00	1.80 · high	8.92 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 11:00	1.78 · high	9.31 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 12:00	1.82 · high	9.37 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 13:00	1.84 · high	8.97 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 14:00	1.88 · high	8.71 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 15:00	1.90 · high	8.60 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 16:00	1.94 · high	8.81 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 17:00	1.96 · high	8.76 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 18:00	2.00 · high	8.58 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 19:00	2.02 · high	8.82 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 20:00	2.06 · high	8.92 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 21:00	2.12 · high	9.20 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 22:00	2.16 · high	9.00 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Thu 23:00	2.22 · high	8.88 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Fri 00:00	2.24 · high	8.51 · high	27.20 · good	Poor
Fri 01:00	1.88 · high	8.93 · high	27.10 · good	Poor
Fri 02:00	1.88 · high	8.93 · high	27.10 · good	Poor
Fri 03:00	1.94 · high	8.83 · high	27.10 · good	Poor
Fri 04:00	1.98 · high	8.74 · high	27.10 · good	Poor