Snorkeling Adventures

Snorkeling is the rare activity where a five-year-old and a forty-year-old get the same experience, because the fish do not care how well you swim. Almost all of it here is in Hawaii, where the reef is close to shore and the water is warm enough that nobody needs a wetsuit. Texas has two freshwater outliers - Balmorhea and Possum Kingdom - that are worth knowing about but are a different thing entirely.

What makes a spot good for a first snorkel

Protected water. A bay, a reef flat, or a lagoon where the swell breaks somewhere else. Kahalu’u Beach Park on the Big Island and Lydgate Beach Park on Kauai are the two most forgiving spots in the state - Lydgate has a rock-walled pool that is effectively a saltwater aquarium with no current at all.

Shallow, and shallow for a long way. Kids do better standing up to fix a leaky mask than treading water to do it. Ko Olina Lagoons on Oahu are man-made, calm, and stay waist-deep well out.

Fish you can actually see from the surface. Depth is the enemy of a short attention span. Reef flats beat drop-offs every time at this age.

Lifeguards. Hanauma Bay, Lydgate and Waikiki all have them. It matters more than it does at a swimming beach, because snorkelers face down and drift without noticing.

Getting a kid into a mask

• Practice in a bathtub or a pool first. The strange part is breathing through your mouth with your face in the water, and that is much better discovered at home than on a windy beach.
• Fit the mask on dry land. Press it to the face with no strap and inhale through the nose - if it sticks, it fits. A leaky mask ruins the day faster than cold water.
• Use a flotation vest or a pool noodle. Not a substitute for supervision, but it lets a kid relax and look down instead of working to stay up.
• Skip fins at first. They are one more thing to manage and kids kick the reef with them.
• Reef-safe sunscreen, and a rash guard instead of sunscreen where you can. A snorkeling back is the most reliably sunburned body part in Hawaii.

Where the harder spots start

Hanauma Bay is the famous one and deservedly so, but it requires a reservation, and the inner reef is shallow enough that crowds and coral contact are real issues. Molokini and the Captain Cook Monument are boat trips into deep, clear water - spectacular, and better from about age 8. Manta Ray Night Snorkel is an extraordinary thing to do and not a beginner activity.

Best time

Hawaii snorkels year-round. Mornings are almost always better - wind builds through the day and chop kills visibility. Summer is calmer on north-facing shores and winter is calmer on south-facing ones, so if one side is blown out, drive to the other. In Texas, Balmorhea and Possum Kingdom are a summer proposition.

What to bring

Mask and snorkel that fit the specific kid, rash guard, reef-safe sunscreen, water shoes for rocky entries, a towel, and drinking water. Prescription-lens masks exist and are worth it if your kid wears glasses.