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

Book 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 , 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.

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.

Excerpted from Snorkel Kauai : Guide to the Underwater World of Hawaii by Judy Malinowski, Mel Malinowski. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
An example of a site description (click on "Look inside this book" to see the maps for this site). When surf is fairly low (especially likely during the summer), Tunnels is Kaua'i's premier snorkeling destination. The large horseshoe-shaped reef has an outer edge that catches the pounding waves. An inner reef is then available for easy snorkeling within the natural lagoon-like area - providing that storm waves aren't pounding all the way to shore. No facilities are available at Tunnels, but nearby Ha'ena Beach Park offers showers, restrooms and picnic tables. There is plenty of space on the sand near the Tunnels reef with large shade trees along the edge of the beach. The most convenient parking for Tunnels is either along the highway or along the little entrance road (see map, page 49), but both tend to fill early. If you arrive in the middle of day, you may need to park at Haena Beach Park and walk a quarter mile to your right (east) on sand to get to the Tunnels area. The river is usually only inches deep where it crosses the sand. Snorkeling entry is easy from the wide sand beach, especially where we've marked on our map. Avoid the shallow areas with reef and rocks right up to the beach edge. Beginners should stay close to shore following the inner reef. Even in the best weather, there tends to be a slight current toward the left. Be careful not to drift too far. You can always enter further up the beach to the right and simply drift slowly along the reef and exit closer to the left edge of the reef. This inner area ranges from about three to thirty-feet deep with channels, caverns and, yes, tunnels. More experienced snorkelers will want to explore closer to the outer reef (depending on currents and swell). When calm enough, this reef has plenty of room to explore. In places it drops off to about 50-70 feet. The outer reef is our favorite. We've seen turtles, huge cornetfish, parrotfish, banded filefish, Moorish idols, bird wrasses, rockmover wrasses, big chubs and jacks, many kinds of butterflyfish and much more. Tunnels is a must-see when the weather co-operates. Stay out of water when huge waves kick in, which they often do in the winter. GETTING THERE From Princeville, take Highway 560 (Kuhio Highway) through the town of Hanalei, past Hanalei Bay and past the Hanalei Colony Resort. Watch the mile markers carefully so you can park close to Tunnels. There are three public accesses to Tunnels. The closest parking is found at the entrance at mile 8.4 where a short dirt road turns toward the beach (the sign here says "Weight limit 10 tons"). Parking is allowed on one side of the road only. A bit more parking is found on either side of the highway, but all fills up quickly. Take this dirt road half a block to the short palm-lined trail heading left from the end. This gets you directly to the best spot for entry at Tunnels. Don't even think about blocking anyone's driveway access. Tunnels is a longish walk along the beach from Ha'ena Beach Park. Park at mile marker 9 (see map, page 49), then cross the shallow stream on the right and continue to hike across the sand for about a quarter of a mile, where the reef will be visible. You'll also find a short trail from Highway 560 with minimal parking at mile 8.6 if you watch for the mile markers. Since there are no facilities here, you may want to continue west after your snorkel to use the shower and restrooms at Ha'ena Beach Park - another reason to simply park there in the first place.