Product Description

Snorkel Kauai is the one and only guidebook exclusively devoted to snorkeling on Kauai. No other guide comes close to the level of snorkeling detail provided here. Take "Snorkel Kauai", along with a good general guidebook of your choice, and you'll have all the details you need for a great vacation!

From a colorful cover to 41 accurate maps and details on 69 snorkeling sites, SK draws you into the fascinating underwater world that shouldn't be missed by anyone touring Kauai.

As Dave Barry says: "When you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you've been missing the whole point of the ocean--it's like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent."

An award-winning book designer contributed a sophisticated, yet readable style to the cover and interior. The colorful cover features a beautiful watercolor rendition of the saddleback butterflyfish, painted especially for us by a talented Hawai'ian artist, Camille Young. Dave Barry provides funny and insightful commentary.

Snorkel Kauai is the third in a series of guidebooks that provide more detailed snorkeling information than ever before available for each of the Hawaiian islands in an attractive, easy to carry package. "Snorkel Hawaii: The Big Island", also available from Amazon.com, provides the same detailed coverage of Hawaii's biggest island. "Snorkel Maui and Lanai" is the second edition of this popular guide, revised and enlarged this year. Our website, snorkelguides.com, provides detailed updates and more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #949658 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Review
They have achieved a rare balance in presenting essential elementary information to help beginners... insightful revelations to keep experts interested. -- Greg Ambrose, Honolulu Star-Bulletin December 15, 1997

From the Author
Why Snorkel Kauai? Kauai, the Garden Isle, offers lush, spectacular scenery straight out of your wildest tropical dreams. The oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is dramatically mountainous and nearly surrounded by fringing reefs, with numerous pristine beaches. Most of the coast can be reached by car, while the Na Pali Coast, Ni'ihau and Lehua Islands are just a boat excursion away. Choose a snorkeling site by location, from gorgeous Ke'e, at the end of the road in the north, to secluded Maha'ulepo in the south, or child-safe Salt Pond in the west. Beginners will find Lydgate Park's protected pond satisfying, while advanced snorkelers can roam the extensive nearby reefs when weather permits. With few sites fully protected inside a bay, everyone needs good advice to snorkel safely in Kauai. Seasons, swells, rain and tide level must all be considered, so it's best to have plenty of choices of where to go on a particular day. Few of Kauai's sistes are well-marked, and some are very difficult to find without detailed maps. Snorkel Kauai makes it easy. An active vacation is memorable for adventure as well as relaxation. Hassles and missteps finding out where to go can raise your blood pressure and waste your time. We've done extensive research that will help you quickly locate appropriate sites that fit your interests and abilities, saving your valuable vacation hours. Snorkeling sites in Hawaii are sometimes tricky because of changeable waves and currents, so it's best to get good advice before heading out. Everyone has had their share of unpleasant experiences due to vague directions as well as outdated or inaccurate information. We have created the Snorkel Hawaii series as that savvy snorkeling buddy everyone needs. We have snorkeled all the major sites listed many times, and many that are not well known. The challenge lies in finding them quickly, as well as how to enter and exit, and where to snorkel, so you'll have a safe and rewarding experience. Our detailed maps and instructions will ease the uncertainty, saving you time and effort. Try to visit Kauai at least once in your life and by all means don't miss the underwater world. Aloha!

-Judy and Mel Malinowski

About the Author
Judy and Mel Malinowski love to snorkel. They have sought out great snorkeling and cultural experiences for many years, traveling to 60-some countries from Anguilla to Zanzibar in the process. Hawaii keeps drawing them back, and they are becoming kama'aina.

Although they are certified Scuba divers, the lightness and freedom of snorkeling keeps it their favorite recreation.

Mel, Judy and their three children have hosted students and cultural exchange visitors from Bosnia, Brazil, China, Germany, Nepal, New Zealand, Serbia, and Turkey in their home, and helped hundreds of other families enrich their lives through cultural exchange.

Working with exchange students and traveling as much as their businesses allow has encouraged their interest in the study of languages, from Spanish to Chinese. Graduates of Stanford University, they live in Santa Cruz, California.

Customer Reviews

The definitive snorkel guide for Kaua'i
Boy, I wish I had had this guide at the beginning of our recent trip to Kaua'i. It's terrific! We've snorkeled in many of the places described - Ke'e, Tunnels, 'Anini, Po'ipu, Pu'u Poa, Hideaways - and the information jives with what we experienced. However, with this guide in hand we'd have known not just which places to go (other guidebooks steered us there), but more detailed information about the reef formation, currents, and safety aspects of each spot. For instance, I spent most of my time at Ke'e fighting the current on the left side of the bay, when all along the best conditions are to the right.

In addition to on-the-nose snorkel information, the authors do a very good job of advising novice snorkelers on equipment, techniques, and safety concerns. There are helpful sections on general fish types (not an exhaustive guide, but enough to help a beginner distinguish a wrasse from a parrotfish), plus plenty of pertinent information on the island, its weather, and interesting excursions out of the water. Although we've been to the island twice now, I learned some useful things for our next (anxiously awaited) trip.

This is the book I'd recommend first to anyone interested in snorkeling on Kaua'i. There are other fine general guidebooks out there, don't get me wrong, but this is exactly what it says it is: SNORKEL Kaua'i.

Mahalo, Judy and Mel!

Good Choice
Of all the Kauai guidebooks we've read, this has the best snorkeling details by far. We went to Hoai Bay in Poipu, and it didn't look that promising. But when we swam out to just where the book says, there were more turtles than we'd ever seen before in one spot.

All the beach info is helpful, too, and the maps are easy to follow. Well worth taking along.

Follow the book and you will see amazing things!!!
What a book!!! I purchased this book prior to going to Kauai in December 2003. Did my reading/research and thanks to the Malinoski's found some excellent snorkeling locations. I only wish there was more vacation time to hit every spot listed within the book.

My brother and I snorkeled one location (which was listed within the book) and swam with several green sea turtles. It was amazing!!! If you do the same, remember that you CANNOT harass or even touch the turtles. They are protected by Hawaiian law, as are the monk seals (sea lions).

I just bought the Malinowski's book for snorkeling Maui. I hope to visit Maui this Christmas and see more amazing underwater sights. (one tip of advice: purchase a good underwater digital camera -OR- a disposable underwater camera (Fuji or Kodak, $8-10 at Walmart) for your snorkeling adventures. You'll find plenty of fish, coral and other underwater life to photograph).