Hawaii advice.....Takin' the fam mid-August....

[Stopsignhank]

Just my 2 cents. If you wear glasses and you plan to snorkel then get prescription goggles made. They aren't that much I thinkin the $60 range, and made the difference for me. First trip I did not have them. Second trip had them and it was awesome. Also buy yourself a water proof digital camera.

 

[RossMAN]

few pics. Snorkeled Hapuna, City of Refuge, Black Sands Beach. Just walked in, no boat trips.

Even better and cheaper. How was the clarity and fishes?

 

[skyking]

Clarity is good; the populations are not huge where I was but there was enough.
I'd recommend the fairwind boat trip out of Keauhou bay if you want to see the most diversity. They go to Kealakekua Bay. You can rent a kayak and paddle over to the state historical park, but it can be a pain. The boat trip is worth it.
We saw a massive eel there, getting worked by a big predator. The big fish knew where the eel was, and kept working the area around him. This disturbed the eel who moved from coral to coral and eventually to the rocks at the shore.
The eel flushed out small fish along the way, and the big fish grabbed them up.

 

[JeepinEd]

I took the family to Hawaii last year and we stayed at the Aston Waikiki. While the pool area and grounds are not nearly as nice as the Kaanapali Hotel, we really enjoyed our stay at the Aston. Our room head a view of the ocean and Diamond Head. It was quiet and the hotel is right across the street from the ocean, where there is a sheltered area for kids to swim in. There are plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance.

If you've never been to Waikiki, be prepared to see paradise mixed with big city issues, like traffic and lots of homeless people.