Beautiful location at the Ko Olina resort- tell gate guard you are going down to the lagoons. On weekends, you MUST go early (before 9 AM) to get a public parking space. Lagoon 4 (by the Marina) has the most parking. Lagoon 2 is the least crowded. Good snorkling with plenty of fish and even a sea turtle. Visibility not excellent, but decent. Beautiful grounds (Marriott resort). The Marriott time share (at Lagoon 3) has a small gift shop and deli where you can get a good breakfast sandwich or lunch. Plenty of shade and grassy areas around each lagoon. A great getaway- much more relaxing than Waikiki.

I love the lagoons at Ko'Olina. You can do some snorkeling by the rocks and usually see some interesting fish (nothing like some of the other spots on the island but a good distraction). Last time I was out there I saw about 5 sea turtles swimming around as well. The lagoons in front of the resorts are the most crowded (I think they are 1 and 3) but also have the most amenities (like cabanas and bathrooms and a rental stand for water toys). The ones without the amenities are far less crowded and have lots of beach space to spread out on.

I was last there in January of 2008 and found the water just fine. After roasting in the sun for about an hour, the water felt great. Also, one of the days I was there the surf was really high and you could see some really great surfers out in the open ocean beyond the lagoon. It's nothing like the North Shore but far less crowded.

The lagoons are really neat (although they are man made)
They are on the south/western side of the island and are located at the Ko Olina resort area.

Go up to the security station and tell them that you are interested in visiting the lagoons. They will give you a visitor's pass (since this is a resort and timeshare community and you are not lodging there). There are three or four lagoons and each has their own parking area. Each lagoon is a few miles apart. You can only park when there is a free space available and spaces are very limited. We got lucky and ended up finding a space at the 2nd or 3rd lagoon that we came to and we didn't get there until around 2 in the afternoon.

We were there in January and the water temp was a little too cold for me to go in (lower sixty's) but the afternoon was relaxing. Once we were done with the beach time, we climbed on the rocks in front of the lagoons and watched the surf crash up against the rock wall.

Nice, clean place.

The first time my boyfriend (now fiance) and I went to Ko Olina Lagoons, it was 9am and we were turned away because parking was already full at that point in time. We were staying in Waikiki for our trip so it was about a 25-minute drive to the Lagoons. On our way back to Waikiki, we decided to check out the Waikele Factory Outlets, where we ended up on a shopping spree! The 2nd time we set off to Ko Olina Lagoons, we left Waikiki at 6:45am and got there around 7:15am. The gatesperson told us to either wait for free parking in one of the five parking lots for the lagoons or opt for paid parking at the resort (which was $25 or $30 for the day- can't remember exactly, but it was expensive!). We waited for about 20 minutes for a parking spot (apparently, many early joggers are out by 8am, so the parking lots ease up a bit at that time). The lagoons were soooooooooo beautiful. We stayed at Lagoon 1 and Lagoon 2 most of the time. There are public washrooms at Lagoon 1; not sure about Lagoons 3 and 4. The place wasn't crowded at all! The water was incredibly clear and very safe to swim in. We snorkeled a bit and saw some fish, but it wasn't comparable to Hanauma Bay. We also saw some form of crustacean on the rocks (excuse my lack of ability to name sea creatures- I'm so bad at that)- there were so many! But most of the time, we just enjoyed the tranquility the lagoons offered, letting the sound of gentle waves carry our worries away... We left around 11am (just when there were more people arriving at the beach). If you have a car in Oahu, Ko Olina Lagoons is one place you don't want to miss!!! Just remember to go early in the day.