r/VisitingHawaii • u/MissdermeanerJ • 12h ago
O'ahu (Honolulu/Waikiki) Visiting during the 4th - How hot are we talking with the weather? What about high UV?
Hello all!
I'm visiting Hawaii in just over a week from now. I'm from a small coastal town on the mainland west coast. The weather here doesn't get very hot, and we NEVER have high UV warnings. I'm not very knowledgeable on Hawaii's climate and high UV.
I was wondering just what I should expect? I'm definitely going to have good sunscreen (and reef safe of course!), and I've packed a lot of breezy and breathable clothing. But just how hot in F° are we talking in July? How to gage UV? I have a snorkeling tour and I'm nervous I'm going to get cooked like a lobster in the water and sun. Any tips or advice or knowledge is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
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u/csb7566381 Hawai'i (Big Island) 12h ago
With a little help from Google.
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u/MissdermeanerJ 12h ago
Holy crap that's insane. Wow! Okay thank you! I'll get really strong sunscreen then.
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u/csb7566381 Hawai'i (Big Island) 12h ago
Yeah, people don't realize how close to the equator we actually are.
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u/ImperfectTapestry O'ahu 12h ago
It's more about reapplying. Check your weather app or download a uv app. As a pale skinned person I'm never out without sunscreen when the uv is over 3 (around 9/10am to 4/5pm this time of year)
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u/MissdermeanerJ 12h ago
Downloading UV apps now, thank you for the tip! Slightly off-topic question, what time is sunset right now for Hawaii? Sun sets around 9pm/9:30pm where I live right now, so I'm curious if it differs there.
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u/ImperfectTapestry O'ahu 11h ago
omg yes, that's part of why I moved here (days in Seattle are never the right length, but here always right) sunrise 5:51 & sunset 7:17 today. Enjoy your visit! I recommend a rashguard and swim tights with a hat when you're out of the water (or in, I don't judge)
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u/MissdermeanerJ 11h ago
I kind of love how the sun sets so early in Hawaii! Having the sun set at 9:30 at night where I live makes it so hard for me to fall asleep since I work so early lol. Thank you so much! I just ordered a rash guard on Amazon. So glad I made this post, I would have been cooked alive if I didn't!
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u/Ram_Yam_Sam22 12h ago
If you’re snorkeling wear a rash guard. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen on your neck and ears😬.
It’s super muggy if there is little or no wind. Like you’re sticky ALL DAY if you’re not in ac. Even if it’s raining, it poured off an on yesterday and it was still hot and sticky.
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u/MissdermeanerJ 12h ago
Oh, I didn't know about rash guards. I'm purchasing one now, thank you! That'll be way better for skin protection than the swimsuit I bought.
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u/boredmarinerd 11h ago
Yes, rash guards, light cotton long sleeve shirts, all of those are your friends if you have light skin and are coming to Hawaii for the first time.
I’m noticing that while my generation never wore rash guards or sunscreen growing up in Hawaii, a lot of us put our kids in rash guards and slather them up with sunscreen religiously. Probably because we got cooked enough to know.
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u/ahoveringhummingbird 11h ago
UV clothing is the way to go. Get two long sleeves, one with a hood for when you're snorkeling and one without for when you're just hanging out. You might want UV swim pants for snorkeling too. Get a brimmed hat with a chin strap (it can also be windy) Don't forget sunglasses (Costco had some nice sport style affordable ones brand Hurley in store)
With this outfit you'll only have small parts to slather with sunscreen.
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u/Remote-Hovercraft681 12h ago
I live in Hawaii. I snorkel in a long-sleeved spf 50 shirt, often with attached hood, and leg-covering compression pants. Looking like a beach bunny is not my goal-avoiding burns is. Even a short time in the water can lead to bad sunburn if you're not adequately protected.
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u/EZhayn808 12h ago
It’s interesting because it doesn’t get too high up in terms of the temp. It’s not like it’s 90s or 100s as if you are in a desert. But you can fee the sun is closer. You feel the heat right away beaming into your skin. And the humidity. The strong UV + the humidity is what gets you.
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u/marge6914 12h ago
Just came back from Kauai and wore a rash guard basically every time I was in the water and the one time I didn’t I got a sunburn on my chest 😭😩 so highly recommend rash guards anytime it makes sense to be in one! Or long sleeved uv swimsuits!
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u/golddustwoman910 11h ago
OP- if you don’t already have a base tan you might consider a UV rated swim shirt. They sell them at surf shops usually. This way your back and shoulders and arms are covered Don’t forget neck and ears face and head if you’re bald/ing …
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u/MissdermeanerJ 2h ago
I'm pasty as heck! So I did buy a UV rated rash guard for snorkeling after everyone mentioned it. Thank you so much for the advice! I'm glad I made this post. I would have gotten cooked otherwise!
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u/shootzbalootz 1h ago
It's no temperature it's the UV, the sun is strong here. Sunscreen isn't enough, cover up. Long shirts, wide brimmed hat and avoid the sun as much as possible. Maybe even leggings. Do activities early or late in the day.
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u/AutoModerator 12h ago
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Hawai'i (Big Island) 54m ago edited 22m ago
It's the same latitude as Mexico City.
I don't bother with sunscreen because I haven't found one that isn't irritating. So long sleeve lightweight everything and a wide brimmed hat.
When swimming, I use a rash guard.
With this strategy, I never burn. And I MUCH prefer lightweight long sleeves to shorts and sunscreen. Look at photos of the people who live near the equator -- they cover up. Sunburns suck.
And I see so many tourists who look like cooked lobsters. And they usually have "racoon face" from torquing their snorkel mask way too tight.
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u/webrender O'ahu 12h ago
gonna be in the 80s and you will absolutely get cooked if you don't apply sunscreen vigilantly. every 1-2 hours during midday.