Waikīkī's Pacific Beach Hotel is offering Snuba — a combination of snorkeling and scuba diving — in its three-story indoor Oceanarium.

The hotel said the setup makes it easy for first-timers because no certification lessons are necessary, and safe because there is never a worry about rough water or bad weather conditions.

The Oceanarium is a 280,000-gallon aquarium with more than 450 fish and ray and 72 different species. Two guests dive at the same time, accompanied by an experienced guide, for about 20 minutes.

The cost for Pacific Beach Hotel guests is $45 until March 31 and $60 for visitors to the hotel. The dives begin every 30 minutes and are scheduled Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon and from 2 to 5 p.m.

HOSPITALS GET $14.4M IN FEDERAL FUNDS

The state said it has distributed $14.4 million in federal funding to help Hawai'i hospitals defray the cost of care provided to uninsured and underinsured patients.

The Department of Human Services said it was able to secure the funds from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The money includes $7.5 million for 16 private hospitals and $6.9 million for public hospitals operated by the Hawai'i Health Systems Corp.

The distribution ranged from $22,271 given to Kahuku Medical Center to $3.02 million for The Queen's Medical Center. The state said it expects to receive more funding for the hospitals under the Disproportionate Share Hospital program later this year.

MINNESOTA FIRM BUYS ISLE TECH COMPANY

US Internet, a Minnetonka, Minn.-based Internet and phone services provider, said it has acquired the operator of Pacific Information Exchange, 3One Media Corp.

US Internet didn't disclose how much it paid for the Honolulu company, but said it was committed to continuing the operations and expanding service offerings here.