Electric Beach Snorkeling on Oahu

Electric beach, located in Kahe Point Beach Park is my favorite place of all the snorkeling spots in Oahu.

There really are a lot of great snorkeling beaches in Oahu, but the combination of the awesome sea creatures, ease of access, lack of crowds (comparatively speaking), and the site being beginner friendly make it truly special.

Electric Beach Snorkeling Quick Facts:

• Other names: Kate Point, Kahe Point Beach Park, Electric Beach Park
• Good for: Snorkeling
• Not so good for: Lounging on the beach (not a ton of sand)
• Swimming conditions: Intermediate (Currents can get strong)
• Facilities: Public restroom, showers, covered picnic patio
• Lifeguard: none
• Cost: Free
• Parking: Free lot and street parking available
• Available tours: Electric Beach Guided Snorkeling Tour, 2 hour Boat tour (Snorkeling & Dolphins)

Why is it called the Electric Beach?

The Electric Beach Oahu offers earned its name due to its immediate proximity to a power plant. Supposedly, this power plant discharges hot water into the ocean.

The warmer water actually attracts a unique variety of sea life that would otherwise not be gathered in a single location. It really is bizarre to see the contrast of the perfect nature scene with gigantic concrete smokestacks.

Is Electric Beach Safe?

I’ve been assured the runoff from the power plant is pure water. It is not some sort of toxic runoff. So, is Electric Beach safe? As safe as bath water I would say!

Electric Beach Parking

When looking at the best beaches in Oahu for snorkeling you have to consider parking. Unfortunately it just gets expensive or difficult at a lot of the other spots.

It may sound silly, but the parking situation helps make the Electric Beach the best snorkeling in Oahu. A huge benefit is that there are spots in an accompanying parking lot, and even when it fills up there are additional parking spots along the railroad tracks just off the main highway.

I went on a Saturday afternoon and even though the lot was full, there were tons of available spots along the tracks just off of the main road.

How to Access Hawaiian Electric Beach Park

From the parking lot you will walk a very short distance to the right (about 100 feet). You will soon see a small cove and a mini beach. You’ve now arrived at the beach access for some of the best snorkeling in Oahu.

Is Electric Beach Crowded?

Is Electric Beach crowded? The answer is a bit tricky. If you are looking for a beach to lounge on away from other people then the answer is yes, it is quite crowded. If you are looking for a spot to snorkel without tons of people around you will be fine as the water opens up into an area with tons to see underwater.

When I was there the beach felt crowded, but once I was away from shore it felt like me and the sea creatures had a ton of space!

Electric Beach Swimming Conditions

You need to swim out about 50 yards to get to the reef. When I was there it was easy to tell where the most vibrant reefs were since there were a few people circling in the area. This was one instance where the other people were actually helpful.

Though I’m not the strongest swimmer, it was relatively easy for me to complete the swim.

Some of the best beaches in Oahu for snorkeling require difficult swims and thankfully it wasn’t the case here, but remember that currents are always changing so be careful.

Swimming in this area might be difficult for most children. The currents can get quite strong so you need to be careful.

Check the tides at Electric beach here.

How deep is the water at Electric Beach?

20-40 feet.

Electric Beach Snorkeling – What to Expect

Snorkeling at Electric Beach is amazing! It is also one of the best free dive spots in Oahu.

Green sea turtles are very common at Electric beach. On top of the sea turtles you will also see a colorful array of fish, like the yellow goatfish as well as spinner dolphins off shore if you get lucky!

Don’t forget to bring snorkeling gear – for obvious reasons.

Snorkeling Tours at Electric Beach

If you are not the strongest swimmer it might be a good idea to book the this Guided Snorkeling Tour. They will take you to the best spots so you don’t have to swim as much to find the fish.

If you are interested in seeing spinner dolphins this boat tour is the best way to see them.

Book your tour: Electric Beach Guided Snorkeling Tour

Kahe Point Beach Park 

The Kahe Point Beach Park is right next to the Electric Beach snorkeling spot. You can park at either and make your way to the beach to swim out to the reefs.

Other Nearby Attractions

Even though the west side of Oahu does not have as many big resorts, it now features the new Disney Aulani Resort. It is just south of this Honolulu snorkeling hotspot.

The area is very close to the secret Mermaid Caves that not very many people know about. I highly recommend including a stop here while you are in the area.

Read more about how to get to the Mermaid Caves here.

Hanauma Bay or Electric Beach? Which has the best snorkeling in Oahu

Trying to find the best snorkeling Oahu offers?

I’ve snorkeled at each of these amazing snorkel spots and realistically, you can’t go wrong either way. Both sites are some of the best snorkeling beaches Oahu has and are packed with gorgeous reefs and sea life.

The reefs at Hanauma Bay are bigger and closer to the shore. This means that they are ultimately easier to access. This is a huge advantage if you have kids who you want to snorkeling.

Snorkeling at Electric Beach requires a short swim out from the shore to get to the best action.

While the proximity of the reefs to the shore is better at Hanauma Bay, there are a lot of other difficulties that make it much less convenient.

If you aren’t taking kids I ultimately recommend Electric Beach because you get to see the same type of animals, it is easier to access, less crowded, and free. 

Read our full blog post with photos on visiting Hanauma Bay here.

POST COVID 2022 Hanauma Bay Update

To get into Hanauma Bay you need a reservation. There are a finite number of slots at various times released each day, and they sell out really quick.

Even if you can get a reservation it costs $25 per person. Once there, you have to watch a 10 minute safety video, though this really isn’t bad.

You can read more about the Hanauma Bay booking process here.

Pros and Cons

Pro’s

• Extra sea life drawn to the uniquely warm waters
• No reservations required
• Free
• Ample parking

Cons

• Requires a short swim from shore to the reefs
• Very small beach – not a lot of lounge space
• Odd to snorkel in the shadow of a giant power plant
• No lifeguards on duty

Conclusion: Electric Beach Snorkeling is the best on Oahu

When considering the best places to snorkel in Oahu, you can’t just consider the sea life. You have to take ease of access, crowds, and cost into account.

When taking everything into account As I’ve already said, the Oahu Electric Beach is my favorite snorkel spot.

What to pack for Oahu

• Quick Dry Travel Towel – This quick dry towel is amazing to travel with. We honestly usually travel with 2 of them. It really will come in handy when you need extra room in your suitcase.
• Snorkeling gear – for obvious reasons.
• Sandals – LOVE these Tevas sandals. You can actually hike in them which is perfect for hawaii if you don’t want to bother with hiking boots.
• Hiking Boots – The hikes in Hawaii are MUDDY. Make sure to pack a nice pair of waterproof hiking boots so trekking through the mud and puddles doesn’t make you miserable. Nothing worse than wet socks. These are my favorite hiking boots. They are cute and comfortable. I never go hiking without them! Buy them from DSW here.
• Tank tops – Free people is my go to place to buy cute and affordable tank tops (Depending on the style of course). I have this tighten up tank in almost every color.
• Shorts – Anyone who is traveling to Hawaii needs a good pair of shorts. Khakis are great for guys. For women, cute athletic shorts or denim shorts are perfect for a breezy summertime look.
  • These denim shorts are my current favorites!
  • These high waisted athletic shorts have gone viral on instagram and for good reason, they are AMAZING.
  • Hat – essential. Shop my favorite hats at Nordstrom here.

• Dresses for Hawaii – Packing a few good dresses is essential for Hawaii. Dresses have become my go to on trips to help quickly put an outfit together.
• Tennis Shoes – I guess you could wear sandals hiking this trail but I would recommend tennis shoes. It can get narrow and slippery in parts. I never go anywhere without my white Air force ones. They are the most versatile shoe I own.
  • These Nike tennis shoes are also my current favs. Only bummer is they sell out so fast! If they are sold out I would check out the newest released Nikes here. They look so cute with shorts too!
• Beach cover-up – Having at least one good cover-up is essential on any beach trip. Amazon actually has amazing ones at really affordable prices. If you aren’t a fan of buying clothes off Amazon I recommend ASOS, Nordstrom and Revolve as well.
• Camera Gear – The iPhone 13 Pro is amazing and probably all that most people need. BUT, if you want something more I can’t recommend the Sony A7IV mirrorless camera enough. It is AMAZING. If you are more into video than taking photos I recommend the Sony A7SIII or the Canon R5 for you Canon lovers.
• Travel tripod – This Peak Design travel tripod is the best I have ever used. It is so easy to carry around because it is literally the size of a water bottle. Fits perfectly in a backpack. I have never seen a tripod so compact. It’s life changing. You can check it out here if you’re interested. Note – It isn’t cheap, but that’s why I bought it from backcountry.com. They frequently have 15% off sales so I was luckily able to purchase during a sale.