Boy you bring back memories. In 1977 I did a bike tour of the islands and spent time here. It was a holiday weekend and the place was mobbed. The ranger and his fam who lived down there sort of adopted me were really nice and he allowed me to camp down at the end even though it really wasn't permitted. I stayed 3 nights. Tourists by day, empty at dark. Head in the water. Truly a magical place then.
We visited Hanauma Bay in 1985 and boy have things changed. No fees back then, we also drove to it. The water was clear and fish were everywhere and scared the wife to death. I also was one of the few people who was able to jump in and enjoy the "Toilet Bowl", just around the end of Hanauma Bay, before they closed it to the public. It was scary at times, what a rush, memories.
Kevin visited about 15 years ago when his brother was living in Honolulu, No reservations then either, It looks like it has been over visited in the last few years though
That is a good question “Is it worth it”. With the new reservation system of trying to get tickets to Hanauma Bay @$25 each , then you have to get there. No tour company’s can take you , like I did in 2018 - that’s all gone. The Beach Bus #20 is permanently discontinued which used to dropped you off at Hanauma Bay. Your choices are to hired a car , more expensive $$ and hope to get a parking spot or get a Uber/Lyth $$ or TheBus to HawaiiKai then walk for about 30/35 mins up the hill to get there. With these expenses , it becomes an expensive visit to Hanauma Bay.
Y’all went on a bad day. I went a couple months ago and it was some of the best snorkeling I’ve done. Visibility got better for me as the day went on too
We were just there today, Oct 2024. My boys and I swam out past the breakers, so we were in roughly 30’ of water. We could see the bottom fairly clearly and visibility was about 50’. Out past the shallow corral when it drops off you can find giant schools of fish of multiple varieties, lots of giant parrot fish, a lot of the Hawaiian trigger fish, and fish of all colors and sizes. We dove down about 15 feet to check out the sea cucumbers and coral. We didn’t see any turtles today, but we did a couple of days ago. We saw a few eels. It was a nice day (except for getting a bit too much sun)!
Was there yesterday and the same; great beach but snorkeling was horrible. Could not see our hands within an arms length away. I went there 15 years or so ago and you could see 50 + feet away and very clear.
I grew up near Hanauma (Ha-na-u-ma). You just hit it on a bad day. We took our son there when he was 3 and he was able to stand in the water and feed the fish. The were plentiful and swarming. My husband use to skin dive and snorkel there quite frequently and the views were spectacular. We haven't lived there since 1973, but have gone back to Honolulu to visit my parents frequently until they passed. We'd often go there when we were dating in high school, and yes we walked up and down that hill. We were much younger then and are in our 70s now. Sorry you had su ch a bad experience.
You have to get there earlier (when the park opens) before all the guests start swimmIng and kicking up the sand which limits visibility. After 10:00am isnt ideal for clear snorkeling.
I went pre pandemic. Morning was definitely better, I remember the afternoon waves got a lot worse. There are definitely fewer people, the beach was more comparable to Waikiki when I was there.
It was $7 until the Covid lock-downs Hawaii was very strict about locking tourists in hotels if their mandatory test didn't get received in time (even if it was negative). The bay concession wasn't making any entrance fees (locals are free) so they shut it down despite all other beaches remaining open. To recover lost revenue, they upped the charge on the false pretense of preservation. The turbidity is due to swells and rain, not tourists (although sun-screen is a problem and they could have just required use of rash guards). All just a money making ploy by the City.
Hey- you do NOT Need to be a simple paying tourista to snorkel at Hanauma Bay- that's fo sure! Just take a bus out there, walk down to the water and follow the coast around to the Left-side and walk out to the Blow-Hole point and jump in- No crowds, No rules & regulations- just the water and you and yess- the water 'out there' is much clearer than by the beach- enjoy! PS There used to be a '73 TR3 about 30 FT. below back in 1985- let me know if its still there-??
@@TheAwkwardTourists I wonder if it actually curbed the amount of people because $25 is not much. Oh well, all I know is that I will not be going there again. Plenty of free beaches.
I’m curious how the parking was for your reservation time. It seems like a mad rush to get parking and walk-in tickets in the morning and was it difficult to find parking for noon time?
So complicated, 50 years later, I'm getting hyped up for Feb 25 already!!! I see there are "tours" from Waikiki. May have to do that since we only have 2 days available
I was in Oahu couple weeks ago. Had reservations for 1:30 . Was denied access to park at the gate . They didnt care that i had reservations. I found a parking spot at a nearby park/school and walked up. Attempted to enter and the security guard up front said "Parks closed " this was at 1:27 . I said are you joking? No reply, so i took a few more steps then one them stood up and yelled "Parks closed!!" Probably the rudest person ive dealt with in a long time. I said "ok, who do i talk to about that reservations refund? Ignored me again. I walked off furious after my girlfriend grabbed me because she saw how i was responding. It was a terrible experience. Ended up driving up to the north shore to sharks cove, which turned out to be just fine. Enjoyed some garlic shrimp afterwards. Its my fault for not taking parking into consideration and i accept that. To those who read this, make sure you either get there early to park or have a ride share drop you off....
Hi guys, great video and very honest review which is much appreciated. Question: where did you get the metal bag cage thing from? I've been looking for something like that for a while as I'm a little bit paranoid about leaving my stuff unattended on some beaches. Can you share a link?
Yeah for sure. We love this thing. It gives us a ton of piece of mind leaving our bag when we are in the water: www.amazon.com/Pacsafe-Backpack-Protector-Stainless-Steel/dp/B00A6ESD7M?_encoding=UTF8&crid=3MRQ14TKOOISB&keywords=pacsafe+cage&qid=1668565524&sprefix=pacsafe+cage,aps,201&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl1&tag=kellypillar-20&linkId=dcc98e4673fc4b338dc74cd29139a7cd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&fbclid=IwAR1HO6Ro05UcpFpE9ieTs9O3CPeFWBe4hvVGKEOjXjZ1LrPVpnpt8lcCDgw
Yes! It’s like swimming in alive aquarium! In 1993 tons of fish where swimming in three feet of water...all around our legs! They use to sell fish food but sand attracted them as well as real food. Ya, I know, I’m mean!😅😊 Sounds like a cash grab to me. Am I wrong? Did you go to Maui? Our fave😊
In 1984 I got married to my Hawaiian wife. She had many cousins and aunts and uncles in Oahu. Her awesome uncle Sam lent me his Volkswagen bug for the entire week we were there. I said to the uncle hey I’ll take your grandsons to Hanauma Bay. In 1984 no admission they had a food stand on the beach. I think I spent a total of $13 for all four of us to get hamburger and fries. It cost one dollar to take the shuttle back up the hill. Now you have to pay this outrageous admission. And reserve a spot. The 1980s was definitely a better time. About their opinion of Hanuma bay. In the words of my late Hawaiian mother-in-law. They are Dakine Haole tourist, no respect.
You are hooked for life my friends when you go to Leonard´s bakery. I can guarantee you, that you will have this yummy taste as a reference point to all others - for the rest of your days! Well, you can`t predict the weather and sea, but 25 dollars.....well......alrighty then! Take care
I hate that people are feeding the fish, especially if bread crumbs because modern wheat is the #1 most unhealthy thing in our diet, worse than sugar for diabetes. Wheat crops are sprayed with chemicals and not washed off. Feed them fish food if you're going to feed them.
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Boy you bring back memories. In 1977 I did a bike tour of the islands and spent time here. It was a holiday weekend and the place was mobbed. The ranger and his fam who lived down there sort of adopted me were really nice and he allowed me to camp down at the end even though it really wasn't permitted. I stayed 3 nights. Tourists by day, empty at dark. Head in the water. Truly a magical place then.
We visited Hanauma Bay in 1985 and boy have things changed. No fees back then, we also drove to it. The water was clear and fish were everywhere and scared the wife to death. I also was one of the few people who was able to jump in and enjoy the "Toilet Bowl", just around the end of Hanauma Bay, before they closed it to the public. It was scary at times, what a rush, memories.
Kevin visited about 15 years ago when his brother was living in Honolulu, No reservations then either, It looks like it has been over visited in the last few years though
7:13 is best view and gets right to the point.
That is a good question “Is it worth it”. With the new reservation system of trying to get tickets to Hanauma Bay @$25 each , then you have to get there. No tour company’s can take you , like I did in 2018 - that’s all gone. The Beach Bus #20 is permanently discontinued which used to dropped you off at Hanauma Bay. Your choices are to hired a car , more expensive $$ and hope to get a parking spot or get a Uber/Lyth $$ or TheBus to HawaiiKai then walk for about 30/35 mins up the hill to get there. With these expenses , it becomes an expensive visit to Hanauma Bay.
We ended up spending about $150 all said that day (Car Rental/Snorkel Rentals/Admission), so it is definitely a little more on the expensive side
@@TheAwkwardTourists I’m an Aussie , we have to convert that to Aussie dollars . At the moment $150 USD = $231 AUD , yep expensive day
@@TheAwkwardTourists I’m an Aussie , we have to convert that to Aussie dollars . At the moment $150 USD = $231 AUD , yep expensive day
Don't be poor and you won't be a poor baby
There are tour operators that will get you in
Y’all went on a bad day. I went a couple months ago and it was some of the best snorkeling I’ve done. Visibility got better for me as the day went on too
That's what we are starting to realize. I guess we will have to go back!
We were just there today, Oct 2024. My boys and I swam out past the breakers, so we were in roughly 30’ of water. We could see the bottom fairly clearly and visibility was about 50’. Out past the shallow corral when it drops off you can find giant schools of fish of multiple varieties, lots of giant parrot fish, a lot of the Hawaiian trigger fish, and fish of all colors and sizes. We dove down about 15 feet to check out the sea cucumbers and coral. We didn’t see any turtles today, but we did a couple of days ago. We saw a few eels. It was a nice day (except for getting a bit too much sun)!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you had a great time.
I was at Hanauma Bay in the late '70s. Back then you just parked and walked in like any other beach. No admission, no lines.
Yes, the best days! I do remember the hill though even if I was young and fit 50 years ago! Shuttle sounds great!
Was there yesterday and the same; great beach but snorkeling was horrible. Could not see our hands within an arms length away. I went there 15 years or so ago and you could see 50 + feet away and very clear.
Awe it was clearer when I went during the time my family lived there back in 1995-1999. I still want to go back though
Kevin went once before when he was younger, and it was really good snorkeling, I think we just hit a bad weather day
Glad you were able to turn the day from a Hanauma Bay bust into a Leonard's Malasadas win!
I think the last time Kevin was there was with you, circa 2008????
We had a similar experience in Hawaii but we didn't snorkel while we were at Hanauma Bay - we did go to Leonard's after for some delicious malasadas!
Leonards was soooo good!
I grew up near Hanauma (Ha-na-u-ma). You just hit it on a bad day. We took our son there when he was 3 and he was able to stand in the water and feed the fish. The were plentiful and swarming. My husband use to skin dive and snorkel there quite frequently and the views were spectacular. We haven't lived there since 1973, but have gone back to Honolulu to visit my parents frequently until they passed. We'd often go there when we were dating in high school, and yes we walked up and down that hill. We were much younger then and are in our 70s now. Sorry you had su ch a bad experience.
I guess we will have to go back and try again
Ok, been reading up on this. My understanding is that if you go after say, noon, you may get in as a stand by so to say, since folks have left.
We tried for two weeks to get tickets to Hanauma Bay. So disappointed we couldn’t book a spot.
What's an uber cost from Waikiki and do they drop you in the parking lot? Shame the bus doesn't go there anymore...
You have to get there earlier (when the park opens) before all the guests start swimmIng and kicking up the sand which limits visibility. After 10:00am isnt ideal for clear snorkeling.
It's unfortunate to get there and only see murky water. I had the same experience at Kaneohe Bay. But when I visited Hanauma Bay, it was all clear.
Just curious what you guys do with your wallets, cell phones and car keys when snorkeling?
I read there were lockers now
I went pre pandemic. Morning was definitely better, I remember the afternoon waves got a lot worse. There are definitely fewer people, the beach was more comparable to Waikiki when I was there.
We heard that it got kinda crazy, I guess that's why they started the reservation system
It was $7 until the Covid lock-downs Hawaii was very strict about locking tourists in hotels if their mandatory test didn't get received in time (even if it was negative). The bay concession wasn't making any entrance fees (locals are free) so they shut it down despite all other beaches remaining open. To recover lost revenue, they upped the charge on the false pretense of preservation. The turbidity is due to swells and rain, not tourists (although sun-screen is a problem and they could have just required use of rash guards). All just a money making ploy by the City.
Love the new graphics! Your videos are so good you make me want to visit places in which I had no interest. 🤪
Thanks so much! We really like the intro too, Stay tuned for the merchandise release!
Look at this way. Nice beach. Plus Lenard’s.
Enjoyed the video. ❤
Hey- you do NOT Need to be a simple paying tourista to snorkel at Hanauma Bay- that's fo sure! Just take a bus out there, walk down to the water and follow the coast around to the Left-side and walk out to the Blow-Hole point and jump in- No crowds, No rules & regulations- just the water and you and yess- the water 'out there' is much clearer than by the beach- enjoy!
PS There used to be a '73 TR3 about 30 FT. below back in 1985- let me know if its still there-??
We're happy to pay to help with the conservation of the marine life
Does anyone know if the $25 fee is per car or per person?
They charge to go there now? I have not been there in 30 years or so but it was free way back when. I wonder when they began charging.
They developed the permit process because too many people were visiting and it was destroying the reef
@@TheAwkwardTourists I wonder if it actually curbed the amount of people because $25 is not much. Oh well, all I know is that I will not be going there again. Plenty of free beaches.
I’m curious how the parking was for your reservation time. It seems like a mad rush to get parking and walk-in tickets in the morning and was it difficult to find parking for noon time?
No problem with parking, plenty of spots available
Just curious, Do you see any cabs in hanauma bay going back to the resort?
I did not. Although we did see people walking up the hill, so I assume they were getting picked up from a bus or taxi or rideshare
So complicated, 50 years later, I'm getting hyped up for Feb 25 already!!! I see there are "tours" from Waikiki. May have to do that since we only have 2 days available
I was in Oahu couple weeks ago. Had reservations for 1:30 . Was denied access to park at the gate . They didnt care that i had reservations. I found a parking spot at a nearby park/school and walked up. Attempted to enter and the security guard up front said "Parks closed " this was at 1:27 . I said are you joking? No reply, so i took a few more steps then one them stood up and yelled "Parks closed!!" Probably the rudest person ive dealt with in a long time. I said "ok, who do i talk to about that reservations refund? Ignored me again. I walked off furious after my girlfriend grabbed me because she saw how i was responding. It was a terrible experience. Ended up driving up to the north shore to sharks cove, which turned out to be just fine. Enjoyed some garlic shrimp afterwards. Its my fault for not taking parking into consideration and i accept that. To those who read this, make sure you either get there early to park or have a ride share drop you off....
Where did you get the dress your wearing?
It's a thrifted Billabong dress
Hi guys, great video and very honest review which is much appreciated. Question: where did you get the metal bag cage thing from? I've been looking for something like that for a while as I'm a little bit paranoid about leaving my stuff unattended on some beaches. Can you share a link?
Yeah for sure. We love this thing. It gives us a ton of piece of mind leaving our bag when we are in the water:
www.amazon.com/Pacsafe-Backpack-Protector-Stainless-Steel/dp/B00A6ESD7M?_encoding=UTF8&crid=3MRQ14TKOOISB&keywords=pacsafe+cage&qid=1668565524&sprefix=pacsafe+cage,aps,201&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl1&tag=kellypillar-20&linkId=dcc98e4673fc4b338dc74cd29139a7cd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&fbclid=IwAR1HO6Ro05UcpFpE9ieTs9O3CPeFWBe4hvVGKEOjXjZ1LrPVpnpt8lcCDgw
@@TheAwkwardTourists Thank you so much. Will definitely order it.
just so other people can know, you should try to go to hanauma bay at low tide. the lower, the better. then the water will be clear.
When is low tide?
Great video you guys. To bad that the water was a little murky
Thanks! Yeah, kinda disappointing but you win some you lose some.....
It’s for military and dependents so we just go all the time
It's definitely worth it
How can they kick you off the beach? I thought all HI beaches are public.
This is a state park/nature reserve. It isn't really a beach if it's a bay so they could do that I think
Yes! It’s like swimming in alive aquarium! In 1993 tons of fish where swimming in three feet of water...all around our legs! They use to sell fish food but sand attracted them as well as real food. Ya, I know, I’m mean!😅😊 Sounds like a cash grab to me. Am I wrong? Did you go to Maui? Our fave😊
We didn't visit maui on this trip, but we have been. Check out our Hawaii playlist to see all our videos from the islands
In 1984 I got married to my Hawaiian wife. She had many cousins and aunts and uncles in Oahu.
Her awesome uncle Sam lent me his Volkswagen bug for the entire week we were there. I said to the uncle hey I’ll take your grandsons to Hanauma Bay.
In 1984 no admission they had a food stand on the beach. I think I spent a total of $13 for all four of us to get hamburger and fries. It cost one dollar to take the shuttle back up the hill.
Now you have to pay this outrageous admission. And reserve a spot. The 1980s was definitely a better time.
About their opinion of Hanuma bay. In the words of my late Hawaiian mother-in-law. They are Dakine Haole tourist, no respect.
The heavy tourism was destroying the marine life, so we're happy to pay that in order to protect the reef
You are hooked for life my friends when you go to Leonard´s bakery. I can guarantee you, that you will have this yummy taste
as a reference point to all others - for the rest of your days!
Well, you can`t predict the weather and sea, but 25 dollars.....well......alrighty then!
Take care
So good! Leonard's is good no matter how the snorkel conditions are!
@@TheAwkwardTourists It`s just amazing!
A slice of love ❤
Nothing beats Tahiti
Sharks cove is a great if you don't want to spend money. Just buy snorkels before
Just like all ocean waters, sometimes it’s clear, sometimes it isn’t, from a fisherman’s perspective.
It's been 51 years since I was in Hawaii, HINT, HINT!
Let's get you back to do some snorkeling!
Met my hubby 50 yrs ago this Feb! I was a nurse, new to Hawaii and he was a sub sailor! 1st date was on Hanauma Bay!
First to comment is my goal !
Stand where ELVIS WAS. 😅
I hate that people are feeding the fish, especially if bread crumbs because modern wheat is the #1 most unhealthy thing in our diet, worse than sugar for diabetes. Wheat crops are sprayed with chemicals and not washed off. Feed them fish food if you're going to feed them.
Ha na ma bay, it's simple, forget the U. and "how pee ah"!
Rainbow had the worst food I had on the island. Skip it.
Who wants to see them eating?? How absurd
Lol glad you enjoyed it!! 😄