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Help! Big Island - Beaches, Manta Rays, “Snorkeling”...

mentalbreak

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Heading to HGVC Kingsland on an RCI exchange for 20th anniversary this October. Just ordered the Big Island Revealed book and waiting for delivery.

I am a decent swimmer, but have little open water experience. Husband has a strong fear of the water that he has worked to overcome with private swimming lessons. However, this spring after we witnessed my dad have a (near?) drowning incident while snorkeling (he was revived-week in ICU/reg hospital-full recovery), Husband will never snorkel again. Floating/swimming around with goggles is a maybe.

I am interested in visiting beaches (especially black sand beach), Captain Cook, and nighttime Manta Rays.

Are these activities that can be enjoyed without actually snorkeling? Either staying on the boat or floating in the water? Can we bring our own life jacket from home? Is wading in the water from the beach safe?

Any insight or recommendations for specific options and general Hawaii beach safety would be greatly appreciated!
 

jjking42

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Manta Ray is a snorkeling thing. But you are hanging on a surfboard with lights on it with a bunch of other people . You could probably just wear goggles but then you would have to come up to breath. It was more claustrophobic because they put a bunch of people on the same surfboard.also you will be wearing a wet suit fior manta rays night trip

If the manta rays trip sounds too rough for you than do a dolphin cruise. On our way out to see the manta rays we got surrounded by a group of spinner dolphins and that was fun to see. Some members of our manta group had water anxiety and they got in with the group but got out early.

Lots of protected beaches and lots of beaches with lifeguards. The old airport beach has little pools that were super calm. Hapuna beach was fairly calm as was beach 69. I bought the book but found the app more useful. The app gives you daily surf conditions.

We are a family of strong swimmers so it’s about perspective but we saw Little kids swimming at Hapuna, old airport , and beach 69 with out problems and yes bring floats or jackets etc. if the wind switches and and starts blowing off the island get off the rafts, tubes whatever because it can blow you out. The life guards will warn you if the wind switches. If you go back a few weeks you can see my pics from 7/19 to 7/26
 

klpca

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You can go on snorkeling boat tours and stay on the boat. You will be snorkeling in fairly deep water. They usually have snorkel belts to make you feel safer too. Otherwise you could try some of the keiki beaches listed here https://www.365kona.com/hawaii-things-to-do/safe-keiki-beaches-near-kona/ which are just normal protected beaches without waves that might make everyone feel more relaxed. I've been to Kukio beach with family and enjoyed it.

There is a manta ray feeding station at the Mauna Kea Beach Resort where you may be able to see them at night without going in the water. Drive on over, have a drink, watch the sunset and wait for them to turn on the light. It's an alternative to doing the in-the-water activity, which might be more than your husband is comfortable with. Just another idea.
 

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So sorry for the horrible experience you suffered with your Dad. Did he have some other medical condition?

My teenage kids were swimming at age 2 and are bummed if waves aren't at least 3-5 feet+, so I can't offer advice as to what may be comfortable for your husband. Just do what he feels OK with and don't push him.
 

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You can not enjoy Captain Cook or night time Manta Rays without snorkeling.
 

mentalbreak

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So sorry for the horrible experience you suffered with your Dad. Did he have some other medical condition?

My teenage kids were swimming at age 2 and are bummed if waves aren't at least 3-5 feet+, so I can't offer advice as to what may be comfortable for your husband. Just do what he feels OK with and don't push him.

We still don’t know what happened other than he lost consciousness and aspirated water. Once his lungs cleared they ran all kinds of cardiac/neuro tests in the hospital. Then at home he was referred to a cardiologist and put on a 14-day monitor. Good news is that it found nothing and he was cleared to return to all activities. He is 75 and back to driving, golfing, and water skiing.
 

BDMX2

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For the mantas, we used My Kona Adventures (with a Groupon) and they're a smaller outfit than many others and we really enjoyed our experience with them. 6 participants per outing. There were 5 in our family group, so we were the only ones on. My mom decided not to do the snorkeling, but rode out on the boat with us. She said she could see a little bit, but not a whole lot of detail from afar. She enjoyed herself, though. The snorkeling itself for that is really gentle and controlled. You have a buoyant wetsuit on, floats on your ankles, and hang on to a board like Jim described. I know for some, though, it is the face in the water that is an issue, and the hearing yourself breathe...that can be unnerving.
 

JIMinNC

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Many, if not almost all, of the snorkel boats in Hawaii offer some sort of flotation - either a snorkel belt/vest or even a full life jacket. Some even require it. I know using Trilogy in Maui there would not let anyone in the water without some sort of vest/belt/jacket. I would expect most of the operators on Big Island would at least offer a flotation aid for nervous swimmers/non-swimmers.
 

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turtle.jpg

I would recommend 2-STEP. Schools of Yellow tangs are clearly visible while standing on the rocky shoreline. Turtles will pop there heads out of the water.

For excellent turtle viewing check out Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic park. Above.
 

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I had no desire to snorkel in the ocean at night and my son wasn’t crazy about the idea as well so we watched the manta rays from the viewing deck at the Sheraton in Kona. The resort shines lights into the ocean to attract the manta rays. We saw 3 that night. You can see them come up to just below the surface to feed. It was a lot of fun.The atmosphere at the Sheraton was beautiful as well. Good alternative to snorkeling.
We did enjoy snorkeling at Kukio beach. We saw lots of turtles and a Hawaiian monk seal. You need to get a “beach access” pass at the entrance to Hualalai Resort (Kukio Nui Drive off of Queen K highway). Ask the people at the gate if there are any passes available (they only get a set number a day). They will direct you where to go and park. This beach is beautiful. It has a nice calm bay for swimming and floating and then the beach right next to it (back of the Four Seasons) has a great area with lots of rocks for great snorkeling. This was our favorite beach.
 

mentalbreak

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For the mantas, we used My Kona Adventures (with a Groupon) and they're a smaller outfit than many others and we really enjoyed our experience with them. 6 participants per outing. There were 5 in our family group, so we were the only ones on. My mom decided not to do the snorkeling, but rode out on the boat with us. She said she could see a little bit, but not a whole lot of detail from afar. She enjoyed herself, though. The snorkeling itself for that is really gentle and controlled. You have a buoyant wetsuit on, floats on your ankles, and hang on to a board like Jim described. I know for some, though, it is the face in the water that is an issue, and the hearing yourself breathe...that can be unnerving.

I’m really looking at the My Kona Adventues excursion and have a question. I noticed the groupon times are for the 7:00, 7:50, and 11:10 excursions.

What time did you do and/or would you recommend?

Edit to Add: we will be adjusting from the central time zone, so a 5 hour time difference. For that reason I am leaning towards the 7:50 excursion, but wondering if that is still ‘too light’?
 
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BDMX2

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I’m really looking at the My Kona Adventues excursion and have a question. I noticed the groupon times are for the 7:00, 7:50, and 11:10 excursions.

What time did you do and/or would you recommend?

Edit to Add: we will be adjusting from the central time zone, so a 5 hour time difference. For that reason I am leaning towards the 7:50 excursion, but wondering if that is still ‘too light’?

Ours was scheduled for 7:20, so they may shift depending on sunset at the given time of year. However, I have a hard time answering your question since there was one group before us, but there was some sort of delay with them and they needed to come back and swap out some equipment, so ours was delayed a bit because of that, we were probably in the water closer to 8:00 or so. It was definitely dark enough when we were in, and the people getting off before us said it was great, so I'm gathering it was dark enough for them. It was still a bit light when we got to the marina, so we got to watch the sunset there, which was nice.

All that said, I think I'd choose the 7:50 if I were you guys. 11:10 seems way too late (I'm an east coaster myself, so 6 hour difference for us), and I feel like I wouldn't want the first one since the mantas might just be coming in for food...then again, I think they're pretty well trained to know when dinnertime is and are probably waiting around well before the people with lights come to attract the plankton!
 

mentalbreak

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All that said, I think I'd choose the 7:50 if I were you guys. 11:10 seems way too late (I'm an east coaster myself, so 6 hour difference for us), and I feel like I wouldn't want the first one since the mantas might just be coming in for food...then again, I think they're pretty well trained to know when dinnertime is and are probably waiting around well before the people with lights come to attract the plankton!

Thank you! Glad to hear that you had a good experience right around the same time. I called to check availability before I purchased the groupon, and the rep I spoke with was very helpful and pkeasant. Looking forward to this experience.
 

BDMX2

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Thank you! Glad to hear that you had a good experience right around the same time. I called to check availability before I purchased the groupon, and the rep I spoke with was very helpful and pkeasant. Looking forward to this experience.
Have a wonderful time!
 

zerocylinders

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Sorry for the late reply but just saw this post and thought I might be able to help a little.

First off, sorry about your dad! Was he by any chance using a full face snorkel mask? Those are suspected in several snorkeling accidents as a cause - they can build up CO2. I would never ever use a full face snorkel mask given the large number of scary incidents (including death) involving these masks (to be fair, many people use them without incident; but in several cases strong swimmers have succumbed using the masks so would stay away).

In any case, based on my personal experience with other family members who are afraid of open water snorkeling, I would not attempt a Manta snorkel in Kona with someone who is not comfortable snorkeling to begin with. As others mentioned - it is a night snorkel. Although the waters can be calm, it is not uncommon to have decent swells or waves. Even when snorkeling close to shore, the waves can push you around and into sharp rocks that line the shore just about everywhere off of the Kona coast.

What I would recommend is to start your Husband out with an easy snorkel experience. The Hilton in Waikiloa has a very nice snorkel lagoon that is protected on all sides, never has waves, and has lots to see (turtles, fish, etc.). You will need to check, but I think that you can pay for access to this area even if you are not staying there. It is well worth the trip to get comfortable snorkeling. Once he feels okay there, then you can see if he is comfortable doing the Manta snorkel...

I would advise against snorkeling along the shoreline if he is not very comfortable swimming and snorkeling in the surf - as I mentioned there are a lot of rocks and wave action at shore it can be challenging if not painful. If the water is very calm then go for it.

However, the Manta snorkels with reputable operators are away from shore in mostly shallow (15 feet or less) water on a sandy bottom. You should go out on one of the boats. Though at night, I think it is actually an easier snorkel than going during the day along the shoreline due to the surf and rocks issues. You can ask for a flotation vest too. If the water is rough that night, just don't go in and watch from the boat; but I would expect anyone who can snorkel the lagoon comfortably can do the Manta night snorkel too. I really liked Jack's Dive Locker and you should look at them. They are mostly scuba diving, but they have a good snorkel excursion and have been around since the beginning.
 

Ricci

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After a near drowning incident myself while snorkeling ( I was caught in a rip current), my whole family wears nylon snorkel vests. They are lightweight, zippered, and have a tube to blow air in to inflate it, if needed. They are also very easy to pack. They are a really smart choice when snorkeling anywhere.
 

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We got the Kamaaina/groupon rate for the 7 pm manta ray snorkle with Hawaii Island and Ocean Tours in August, 2019. It was dark enough. There are about half a dozen companies and only one rents a facility; the others operate out of a van/truck. Our company had full body suits, most didn't. Our tour guide was very enthusiastic and informative. The manta rays were amazing but your husband shouldn't go out. I agree with "queenofthehive", your husband can have a drink and wait for you at the Sheraton. When we went out there was a full moon and there were also sea "worms". If I knew about the "worms" I probably wouldn't have gone out. One of the young women in our group of six had a reaction and I could see the welts on her arms and feet where she wasn't covered by the wet suit. I had a little itch on my hand but was given vinegar, rubbed it in and it didn't swell.
Glad to hear your father recovered. Snorkling is not for everyone.
 

mentalbreak

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So, tonight is our nighttime manta ray snorkel. I received an email reminder/instructions yesterday, and the operator changed my excursion time from 7:50 pm to 6:50 pm.
I made my reservation over a month ago, and I have not found anything in the terms that this would be a possibility.
So, for anyone that is familiar, is a 7pm vs 8pm going to be a very different experience? If they in fact moved me, do I “let it go” and just go at 7, or try to rebook later in the week. I am now inside the written 24-hour notice required, but they changed the contract on me...
Appreciate your thoughts.
 

geist1223

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Just go and have a good time. Stop worrying. The sun sets earlier in the Northern Hemisphere as winter approaches. Sunset is about 6pm. It should be fine.
 
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lockewong

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Heading to HGVC Kingsland on an RCI exchange for 20th anniversary this October. Just ordered the Big Island Revealed book and waiting for delivery.

I am a decent swimmer, but have little open water experience. Husband has a strong fear of the water that he has worked to overcome with private swimming lessons. However, this spring after we witnessed my dad have a (near?) drowning incident while snorkeling (he was revived-week in ICU/reg hospital-full recovery), Husband will never snorkel again. Floating/swimming around with goggles is a maybe.

I am interested in visiting beaches (especially black sand beach), Captain Cook, and nighttime Manta Rays.

Are these activities that can be enjoyed without actually snorkeling? Either staying on the boat or floating in the water? Can we bring our own life jacket from home? Is wading in the water from the beach safe?

Any insight or recommendations for specific options and general Hawaii beach safety would be greatly appreciated!
In the South, Two Step is ideal. It is rustic with no facilities. You can see the fish and turtles from the shore, especially if you go early in the morning. In the Kohala area, I suggest you go to the Snorkel Bob's in Mauna Lani shopping center. It is the next stop over from Kingsland. The two gentleman are very knowledgeable and fit my family with great snorkel masks. They have great suggestions and advice. They also can suggest a tour if you want. If you want to hike into the nearby beach, they will give you specific directions. You are next to the Mauna Kea and the Fairmont Orchid. There is nearby parking where you can walk to the Mauna Lani beach. A bit of a hike over lava fields. Your husband can sit on the beach or wade int he very protected cover. Toddlers and preschoolers wade safely. There is a shore break. You can snorkel around and he can sit on the nice sandy beach. In Hawaii, the public has access to all beaches. You do not have to be a Mauna Lani owner or guest. There were fish nearby and a little farther out. Good luck.
 

BDMX2

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So, tonight is our nighttime manta ray snorkel. I received an email reminder/instructions yesterday, and the operator changed my excursion time from 7:50 pm to 6:50 pm.
I made my reservation over a month ago, and I have not found anything in the terms that this would be a possibility.
So, for anyone that is familiar, is a 7pm vs 8pm going to be a very different experience? If they in fact moved me, do I “let it go” and just go at 7, or try to rebook later in the week. I am now inside the written 24-hour notice required, but they changed the contract on me...
Appreciate your thoughts.

You could always call to confirm that it wasn't a typo, but my guess wold be that the move is because of sunset time and maybe recent conditions. Remember that they do this every night, several times a night, and have tons of experience. So it might be that the rays are feeding earlier lately, or something like that. I'm sure you'll have a great time!
 
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