It's time to hit the water and all that you can do with it in Hawaii. This is a long list. There's no way to do all the water activities available in Hawaii on one trip. You'd have to move there and live there for a while. Not that it would be a bad thing. It's just really expensive to live in Hawaii. So, happy thoughts to lottery players. The rest of us will pick and choose what we do in the waters of Hawaii.
One thing that Hawaii has a lot of is water. Sitting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean says it all. There isn't much that you can't do in the waters around the islands. The water there is balmy year round, and makes all of the things that we wait and hope for in New England in the summertime an every day event in Hawaii.
Let's start with surfing. Hawaii is the undisputed ground zero for this sport. It's where surfing comes from. Surfing is a way of life in Hawaii. You can rent a board or take a lesson just about anywhere along the shores. You can buy equipment all over the place. It is probably the most in your face activity in all of Hawaii.
Fishing, fishing, fishing. You can do it from the shore, you can do it from the pier, you can do it from a cliff, you can do it in local streams and lakes, and you can even do it for a living. But, the single most popular way to go fishing for people who have left the fishing styles of their homes behind is deep sea fishing, and all the charter services that offer it are the way to go. Marlins are one of the main subjects of these fishing adventures, and put up quite a fight for the fisherman who wants a challenge.
If you don't wish to catch the creatures of the ocean, you can go on a watch and see all kinds of creatures that way, and capture them with your camera.
Outrigger canoeing. This one is historical, and there's nothing more touristy Hawaiian that you could do short of attending a luau. These boats were originally created on the Asian side of the Pacific by island people who wanted to get around. They have been known to travel great distances, carrying people all around the Pacific Ocean. In Hawaii you will find many places that offer trips on the outriggers. It's a thrill that you can't get so easily anywhere else.
While we're on top of the water, I will mention that there are several others things that you can do to enjoy the waters of Hawaii. You can water ski, jet ski, wave run, kayak, jet boat, sail, para-sail, swim, paddle board, and even shoot yourself in the air with a jet pack. You can take a cruise from island to island as well as a ferry. You can take a dinner cruise. You can learn to do any activity from sailing to kayaking to surfing, to snorkeling. There is nothing that you can think of that you can't do on water as far as tourist and sport activities go.
That being said, let's head under water. Hawaii is also known for it's underwater activities. Did you ever want to encounter a sea turtle face to face? Scuba diving is huge in Hawaii. You can learn before you go if need be. If you don't like to be too far underwater like me, you can snorkel in the shallows.
Hawaii is underwater heaven. You can shark dive, wreck dive, reef dive, or just go to look at the pretty fish. There's a whole world underwater and scuba diving in Hawaii is a great way to take advantage of a wide variety of dives in beautiful warm clear water. If you ever wanted to take a tour to go scuba diving, Hawaii is your spot.
If you don't want to carry around tanks of oxygen on your back, Hawaii has you covered. You can even take a tour on a real live submarine. It's one of just a few around the world available to tourists.
Boats are a part of life in an archipelago. They are for transportation, business, tours, sport, racing, safety patrol, fishing, diving, and even watching Kilauea erupt. There are marinas just everywhere and docks where you can catch a ride or a tour. Water is the place where life comes from in places like Hawaii. As tourists we go to enjoy the beauty, the fun, and the sun. To the people who live there, it is a way of life.
So, when you hit the beach in Hawaii, remember that it's only the beginning. The water is the wonder. The activities in the water are virtually endless. Just a warning; if you can't swim, Hawaii may not be for your bucket list. Just saying. Since the list of activities is endless, and the water activities alone can take a month to do them all; choose what you really want to do. Unless of course, you can stay a while. I hope that this is shedding some light on life in Hawaii.
You can do most activities off the shores of any island, save the submarine in Oahu and Kilauea. So, take your time, pick your activities before you go, and spend some time in the waters of Hawaii and the tropical Pacific Ocean. Enjoy!
