We felt the itch to snorkel coming on after our return from the grotto, so we set out to find a spot. We pulled into Lydgate Park just across the Kuhio Highway from the Fern Grotto turn-off. It was very crowded and looked too shallow. Maybe it would a good place for kids just learning to snorkel, but not what we were looking for. We then drove south to Ahukini Recreational State Park. Lots of fisherman and limited visibility made us decide to drive on.

Poipu Beach Park seemed like a good place to try, and we found a shady spot for our towels (it was about 85 degrees that day) and waded into the water. It ended up being a great place to snorkel, despite being a somewhat crowded Saturday. We saw angelfish, spotted boxfish, small and large (10") triggerfish, parrotfish, goatfish, trumpetfish, a red and white striped eel, a snowflake eel and even a small octopus. Honestly, this was more fun than diving for me!

A long and satisfying day of sightseeing had come to a close. We finished off the day by stopping at Hamura’s Saimin. I enjoyed my noodles thoroughly and was so full we had to ask for the Lilikoi (passion fruit) pie to go. Another day in paradise!

It was wonderful! The fish were beautiful and there were so many of them. We went out on this boat and they barbequed hamburgers and had a great lunch. We would have never been able to see as much ocean life if we had not gone on this outing.

Poipu Beach area has moderate to good snorkeling, however, we were more impressed with the snorkeling at the Lawaii Beach area (this is right near The Beach House restaurant and across the street from the Lawaii Beach resort). The beach does not look very impressive, however, the snorkeling is great. We also did Snuba in this area and had a great experience.

Ke'e Beach (farthest north you can go) was an exceptionally beautiful beach that looked like it had great snorkeling, however, we could have kicked ourselves as we forgot our snorkel gear and you can't rent it at the beach. Get there early! There is limited parking and it does get busy, but it's definitely worth it.

We found many places to snorkel on the island. The following are our favorite 3 spots and a brief description:

Lydgate Beach Park: Great spot for kids and adults. Lots of people and fish to look at. The local people have built up a wave break so there are no waves and it is very safe to snorkel. This was our favorite on the island.

Poipu Beach State Park: Lots of fish and different areas to snorkel. Seals swim right up onto the beach and bathe in the sun. There are areas to snorkel for the beginners and advanced snorkelers.

Salt Pond Beach: Not real big but good fish. The beach is located right next to the Beachhouse restaurant. You can camp on their lawn if you don't want to put your towels down in the sand. The tide is a little rough here but the fish were very pretty. I would not recommend this beach to unexperienced snorkelers.

I recommend wet suits because the water is a little chilly. I seemed to enjoy the fish more when I had my wet suit on rather than just a swim suit.

To visit Kauai and not see its underwater world is like traveling to east Africa without a safari. In any place, the sense of wilderness comes from wild animals that inhabit the land. In Kauai, chickens are about as wild as it gets on the land; you have to visit its underwater to get the sense of wilderness, and snorkeling is the best way to do it.THE BEST PLACE TO RENT GEARSSince I don’t own snorkeling gears, I shopped around for rental and visited a few.

I chose Snorkel Bob’s (located in Kapaa and Koloa) because they had by far the largest inventory with the greatest selections and friendliest service. My whole family needed corrective lenses for masks, and they had no problem fulfilling our needs. We found that for such niceties, we had to pay a little "mo." (You can visit their website at snorkelbob.com to find out the origin of the word "mo.")WHERE TO PRACTICEFor new beginners, the best place to start is in their resort’s swimming pool. You can put your gears on and practice until you get used to them. Another good place to practice is Lydgate State Park in Kapaa, which has saltwater pools created by a man-made breakwater. The pools stay calm even when the ocean is tempestuous.WHERE TO VENTURE OUT

When you have built up some confidence, you can venture out in few beaches surrounded by natural reefs. In the south, we found Poipu Beach Park is the best place for novices like us. It has two coves separated by a lava bed which acts somewhat like a breakwater, keeping waves calmer. The moment we put our faces under the water, we saw schools of fish swimming around us. We felt as if we were in an aquarium. This place is more ideal in the winter when waves are gentler.

In the north, I recommend Ke’e beach above many other fine beaches there. It is located where Highway 560 ends. It is a small cove with water as calm as a swimming pool. We had to swim out a little to get to reefs and that’s where we saw many colorful fishes.

Besides these, we found Tunnels Beach just east of Ke’e Beach to be suitable, although it had less creatures to see. However, we found a seal lying on the sand basking in the sun there—a rare treat even for the locals. Note, however, that the northern beaches can be prohibitively dangerous in the winter months.THE BEST TIME OF DAY TO SNORKEL

The beach water is the calmest in the early morning when wind direction shifts and is undisturbed by people. But for better visibility, direct sunlight is essential. Therefore I prefer morning, around nine, for best snorkeling experiences. It is also much easier to find parking earlier.

For a detailed reference help, get a copy of "Snorkel Kaua’i" by Judy and Mel Malinowski. I found it most helpful in my venture to explore the hidden, beautiful