Snorkel· Oahu· Hawaii
Kaneohe Bay Patch Reefs (Checker Reef)
21° 26.5′ N · 157° 47.8′ W
The lagoon inside the barrier reef is dotted with patch reefs that rise from 30-40 ft of water almost to the surface; Checker Reef, north-west of Coconut Island, is the best known and the base for the bay's commercial snorkel and water-sports zones.
Practical
Position is the center of HAR 13-256-73 Zone A (Checker Reef), 21-26-27.5N 157-47-45.5W. Approach by dinghy and anchor only in sand: anchoring, standing or walking on live coral is prohibited and snorkelers must not touch coral. Commercial operators use the surrounding zones Monday to Saturday (no commercial use on Sundays and federal holidays), and commercial thrill craft run clockwise loops in 200-ft circles at Checker Reef 9 am to 5 pm Monday-Saturday, so keep a lookout. No activity is allowed on top of Checker Reef within Zone F. Slow-no-wake in zones D, E, F and I. A second designated snorkel and dive zone (Zone E, 310-yard radius) is centered near 21-27-25N 157-47-46.5W on the central reef. Visibility inside the bay is often modest after rain; best on calm sunny mornings. No state day-use mooring buoys: DOBOR's Oahu day-use mooring list (46 sites, all on the west, south and south-east coasts) and the 2012 Oahu Day-Use Mooring Guidebook include none in Kaneohe Bay, so every visiting boat or dinghy must anchor on sand clear of coral (DLNR warns that anyone damaging the bay's reefs, intentionally or not, can be cited); if an anchor fouls, dive or snorkel to free it rather than yanking it.
Best for
Dinghy snorkel on a coral patch reef inside protected water
Season
Year-round; best visibility in settled dry weather
Nearby
- Coconut Island (Moku o Loe) Lee Anchorage0.5 NM away
- Kaneohe Bay Special Anchorage Areas0.6 NM away
- Heeia Fishpond0.7 NM away
- Heeia Kea Small Boat Harbor0.9 NM away
- Makani Kai Marina1.4 NM away
- Kona Wind Days (Windward Oahu)1.5 NM away
- City Mill Kaneohe (Propane and Hardware)1.6 NM away
- Kaneohe Bay Sandbar (Ahu o Laka)1.6 NM away