molokini snorkel tour, maui

[ottawagarden]

We are a family of 6 with 4 kids ages 10-16 hoping to do a snorkel tour to Molokinin crater. We are staying at Kaanapali beach. Any recommendations on catamaran snorkel tours for our group???

[annecolorgreen]

I booked a molokini/lanai snorkel tour through the Pacific Whale Foundation. I don't know if there are age restrictions. Supposed to be a naturalist on board for each cruise. I think it woudl be an awesome educational oportunity and less expensive than some.

[CruiserBruce]

The Molokini snorkeling trips (there are probably a dozen) all depart from the Maalea Harber, which is immediately south of Kahalui, near Kihei. The trips come in two general types- a basic 3 or so hour out to Molokini, snorkel and back, or they add another stop, usually Turtle City, and lunch, which makes it 5 hours. Whale Watching (in the Dec-Mar timeframe), sometimes unplanned, is also a frequent add-on.

 

You want to do the early (7 or 8 am) sailing. Altho cheaper, the later sailings will be windy and rougher.

 

I am not aware of any Molokini trips departing fron the Lahaina side. Trips from there go to other locations, sometimes including Turtle City.

 

Pacif Whale Foundation comes highly recommended, but there are other good venders.

[annecolorgreen]

The Molokini snorkeling trips (there are probably a dozen) all depart from the Maalea Harber, which is immediately south of Kahalui, near Kihei. The trips come in two general types- a basic 3 or so hour out to Molokini, snorkel and back, or they add another stop, usually Turtle City, and lunch, which makes it 5 hours. Whale Watching (in the Dec-Mar timeframe), sometimes unplanned, is also a frequent add-on.

 

You want to do the early (7 or 8 am) sailing. Altho cheaper, the later sailings will be windy and rougher.

 

I am not aware of any Molokini trips departing fron the Lahaina side. Trips from there go to other locations, sometimes including Turtle City.

 

Pacif Whale Foundation comes highly recommended, but there are other good venders.

 

Umm...I disagree. I believe they DO go out of Maalaea Harbor--but that's about 15 miles south of Lahaina.

[annecolorgreen]

Umm...I disagree. I believe they DO go out of Maalaea Harbor--but that's about 15 miles south of Lahaina.

 

OK, I'm going to agree and disagree with myself! According to google maps, Maalaea Harbor IS close to Lahaina but also is close to Kahului! (9 miles) It's a small island ;).

[CruiserBruce]

I am going to agree with myself, as and associate Maaleaa Harbor with the Kahalui part of the island, not the Lahaina side of the island. And, it is even closer to Kihei.

 

I think agreeing with oneself is safer (and saner) then arguing with oneself!!!

[annecolorgreen]

:d:d

[MellowMel]

I highly recommend the Quicksilver crew. Our cruiseline used them for our ship's excursion but I know they do non-ship outings as well. The crew was friendly and beyond helpful. You could rent wet suits for $10 and rent an underwater digital camera for $35. They burned a CD of 100 photos for us before we got off the boat.

 

They crew carried drinks for us up and down the stairs and were quick to get us anything we needed. They were fantastic!

[sysguy]

Hi! We get to Hawai'i quite often and always use Pacific Whale for our trips (snorkle, whale watch etc..)

They are wonderful especially for kids as they run a "Keiki" class on the way back from snorkeling, it's a fun, educational way to end the trip.

They also have the naturalists explain all kinds of things on the way out to Molokini and I like that the money we spend on the excursions goes to helping the conservation/research aspect of Hawai'ian ocean life.

On our last trip we did an early morning whale watch trip and it was amazing!!

I know there are lots of great companies out there but we've always suppoerted PWF and have always had a great time.:D

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Cindra

[beachchick]

I booked a molokini/lanai snorkel tour through the Pacific Whale Foundation. I don't know if there are age restrictions. Supposed to be a naturalist on board for each cruise. I think it woudl be an awesome educational oportunity and less expensive than some.

 

The Molokini snorkeling trips (there are probably a dozen) all depart from the Maalea Harber, which is immediately south of Kahalui, near Kihei. The trips come in two general types- a basic 3 or so hour out to Molokini, snorkel and back, or they add another stop, usually Turtle City, and lunch, which makes it 5 hours. Whale Watching (in the Dec-Mar timeframe), sometimes unplanned, is also a frequent add-on.

 

You want to do the early (7 or 8 am) sailing. Altho cheaper, the later sailings will be windy and rougher.

 

I am not aware of any Molokini trips departing fron the Lahaina side. Trips from there go to other locations, sometimes including Turtle City.

 

Pacif Whale Foundation comes highly recommended, but there are other good venders.

 

Some good information here, but perhaps we should try not to confuse those unfamiliar with Maui?

 

1. Lahaina is on the north-west side of Maui, as are Ka'anapali, Napili, and Kapalua; Kihei/Wailea/Makena are on the south-west side of the island. Generally, "south" refers to Kihei and beyond, whereas "west" refers to the area north of Ma'alaea. Ma'alaea is directly south of Kahului, but is generally considered to be on the same "side" at Lahaina/Kihei. And of course, not everyone agrees with what's "west" and what's "south." To make things even more interesting, Ma'alaea is usually referred to as part of central Maui, as is Kahului, which is why some people consider them to be part of the same "side" of the island. However, Ma'alaea is on the leeward side and Kahului is on the windward side.

 

It's perfectly fine to associate Ma'alaea with whatever side we want, but what's more important is distance and direction. Ma'alaea is about 9 miles from Kahului; it's about 15 miles from Lahaina (about 18 miles from Ka'anapali); it's 5 miles or so from Kihei proper. I can only suggest that everyone have a good detailed map so that the locations and distances are easy to see and understand because that matters far more than whether we say something is part of the north, south, east, or west. I hope this helps clarify for any newcomer who is trying to figure out what is where.

 

2. It is not correct that all Molokini excursions leave out of Ma'alaea. Pacific Whale Foundation has boats at both Ma'alaea and Lahaina, but their Molokini snorkel leaves out of Ma'alaea. Lahaina Express leaves from Lahaina (guess that's kind of "duh"). (Lahaina Express advertises that their fast boat saves a total of 1 hour travel time to Molokini. Don't know anything about them, so I can't give a recommendation.) There are a few others, but I don't have specifics. Also, Maui Dive Shop leaves out of both Ma'alaea and the small Kihei boat ramp. (I don't know if their Ma'alaea departures go to Molokini or elsewhere as we take the small boat out of Kihei.)

 

3. Any snorkel to Molokini that leaves out of Lahaina is going to have a very long boat ride to get there. That is one reason so many leave out of Ma'alaea.

 

4. Pacific Whale Foundation is very good. There are other good choices, but it all depends on what someone is looking for specifically. The Molokini-Lanai trip is more than 7 hours long, which is likely too much for some children (and some adults for that matter). PWF does not recommend it for young children, but they don't specify what "young" is.

 

5. Absolutely the morning snorkel is the way to go. One time we couldn't do a morning (don't remember why) and booked an afternoon. We ended up at "coral gardens" north of Ma'alaea (you know, near mile marker 14, but out further from shore). For us, it was "big deal, we can basically do this on our own." Now we generally just snorkel on our own, but always fit in one Molokini trip with Maui Dive Shop because it's fun, even if the snorkeling isn't as good as it used to be. We love that their mid-morning trip arrives after most of the early morning boats have left for shore.

 

We are a family of 6 with 4 kids ages 10-16 hoping to do a snorkel tour to Molokinin crater. We are staying at Kaanapali beach. Any recommendations on catamaran snorkel tours for our group???

 

What are you looking for in a snorkel excursion? The most snorkel time? The snazziest "party" boats with the most activities/amenities (water slide, glass bottom viewing, alcohol, BBQ/meals)? Small boats with fewer amenities, but a more relaxed experience? The best prices? It will help us narrow down recommendations because there are many choices. While several are similar, they are not all the same.

 

beachchick

[annecolorgreen]

Hi! We get to Hawai'i quite often and always use Pacific Whale for our trips (snorkle, whale watch etc..)

They are wonderful especially for kids as they run a "Keiki" class on the way back from snorkeling, it's a fun, educational way to end the trip.

They also have the naturalists explain all kinds of things on the way out to Molokini

I need a "Keiki" class! ;) I am a homeschooling mom and learn SO much from my kids' field trips. Think they'll let me in on the talk even though I won't have my kids with me? maybe I should borrow someone else's for the trip ;).

[maryh307]

Hi Beachchick,

 

We will be coming in to Lahaina by tender. We are considering a Molokini snorkeling trips. If we just decide to do a beach day, how far is Makena beach from the tendered drop off pier? We were told that Ka'anapali is about a 20 minute ride by taxi. Which beach would you recommend? Can you snorkel at either?

[CruiserBruce]

Hi Beachchick,

 

We will be coming in to Lahaina by tender. We are considering a Molokini snorkeling trips. If we just decide to do a beach day, how far is Makena beach from the tendered drop off pier? We were told that Ka'anapali is about a 20 minute ride by taxi. Which beach would you recommend? Can you snorkel at either?

 

Makena beach is a long way away- 45 minutes drive. It is past the Ma'alaea harbor. Are you sure that is the beach you were directed to?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We want to do a Molokini Snorkel Tour when we go on the POA in May. I saw a couple of boats that have very easy access in and out of the water with a set of "stairs". That is very important to me. Are there any other recommendations for any operator offering this type of boat?

[maryh307]

Hi CruiserBruce,

 

We had read in a travel book that Makena and Kaanapali are two of the nicer beaches. I didn't realize that Makena beach is 45 minutes away. Thanks for that info. Since we are not renting a car, we will either take the Molokini snorkeling excursion through the RC ship or take a taxi to Kaanapali beach on our own. We haven't decided if we are going to do a snorkeling excursion or beach day. We want to get in a land excursion/tour one of the two days we are in port as well. We havent decided on a Molokini snorkeling or a Kona Kealakekua Bay snorkeling excursion. Have you done both? How do they compare? If we decide to go to Kaanapali beach, can you snorkel there?

Thanks,

[CruiserBruce]

Hi CruiserBruce,

 

We had read in a travel book that Makena and Kaanapali are two of the nicer beaches. I didn't realize that Makena beach is 45 minutes away. Thanks for that info. Since we are not renting a car, we will either take the Molokini snorkeling excursion through the RC ship or take a taxi to Kaanapali beach on our own. We haven't decided if we are going to do a snorkeling excursion or beach day. We want to get in a land excursion/tour one of the two days we are in port as well. We havent decided on a Molokini snorkeling or a Kona Kealakekua Bay snorkeling excursion. Have you done both? How do they compare? If we decide to go to Kaanapali beach, can you snorkel there?

Thanks,

Your guide book is correct, those are two of the nicer beaches on Maui.

 

I have snorkeled Molokini 3 or 4 times. It is a good place to snorkel, particularly if you get there early. Pairing it with a trip to Turtle City is also very nice. I have not snorkeled at Kona. I have been on Kaanapali Beach several times. It is a nice beach, and I think some snorkeling might be done there. I think I snorkeled there many years ago, when we were hardcore, got-to-snorkel-everywhere types. I don't remember it being anything special for snorkeling. But it is a nice beach.

[JLC@SD]

We are a family of 6 with 4 kids ages 10-16 hoping to do a snorkel tour to Molokinin crater. We are staying at Kaanapali beach. Any recommendations on catamaran snorkel tours for our group???

 

To those considering Molokini, please be aware that Molokini is a deep water snorkel area.......with no beach and no shallow water to stand in. And they do not want anyone on the sides of the crater. So you need to be a good swimmer to snorkel there.

[marysb]

We had a wonderful day of snorkeling at Black Rock on Kaanapali Beach. The beach is beautiful. At the far end by the Sheraton, Black rock has some very good snorkeling. We were even swimming with a giant turtle right a t the beach. I swam along side the turtle and he was definitely 5 feet long, if not bigger.

It is a great beach and has some very good snorkeling and fairly close to Lahaina.

[maryh307]

Cruiserbruce and Marysb,

 

If we want to hang out one of the two days in Maui, it looks like we found our one beach day. We might even tour in the am, do beach in afternoon and the Feast of Lele at 6PM.

 

Thanks for the info,

 

Mary

[annecolorgreen]

Hi CruiserBruce,

 

We had read in a travel book that Makena and Kaanapali are two of the nicer beaches. I didn't realize that Makena beach is 45 minutes away. Thanks for that info. Since we are not renting a car, we will either take the Molokini snorkeling excursion through the RC ship or take a taxi to Kaanapali beach on our own. We haven't decided if we are going to do a snorkeling excursion or beach day. We want to get in a land excursion/tour one of the two days we are in port as well. We havent decided on a Molokini snorkeling or a Kona Kealakekua Bay snorkeling excursion. Have you done both? How do they compare? If we decide to go to Kaanapali beach, can you snorkel there?

Thanks,

Just curious when your ship is scheduled to be in Maui? My husband and I are arriving 9/14 and would really like to avoid cruise ship crowds when we do the Road to Hana. ;)

 

How old are your grandkids that you are going to travel with? Mine are only 6 weeks and 15 months...we have some time to think about it!! (btw, we did a Disney cruise with our four kids a few years ago and it was the BEST we've been on--excellent customer service)

[bbiggar]

Hi CruiserBruce,

 

We had read in a travel book that Makena and Kaanapali are two of the nicer beaches. I didn't realize that Makena beach is 45 minutes away. Thanks for that info. Since we are not renting a car, we will either take the Molokini snorkeling excursion through the RC ship or take a taxi to Kaanapali beach on our own. We haven't decided if we are going to do a snorkeling excursion or beach day. We want to get in a land excursion/tour one of the two days we are in port as well. We havent decided on a Molokini snorkeling or a Kona Kealakekua Bay snorkeling excursion. Have you done both? How do they compare? If we decide to go to Kaanapali beach, can you snorkel there?

Thanks,

 

There is great snorkeling right from Kaanapali beach. We stay at a hotel right there and find this is a great place to snorkel, especially midmorning. Go down by the Sheraton at black rock and at the end of the rock go to the right inside the cove area. Beautiful coral and so many many fish. The turtles hang out by the rocks close to the beach as you enter. Keep away from the turtles and please don't touch them they are protected. If you are caught bothering them you can get a big fine. (watch don't touch)

[Travelicious]

How does the Roberts Molokini snorkle compare to PWF?

[mammel123]

We are a family of 6 with 4 kids ages 10-16 hoping to do a snorkel tour to Molokinin crater. We are staying at Kaanapali beach. Any recommendations on catamaran snorkel tours for our group???

 

 

After doing alot of research, we picked Trilogy to do our snorkelling trip. We chose the early departure (6:30am?) to avoid the crowds.

[R&MTHETRAVELERS]

When we have gone to Molokini to Snorkel we have gone with a few different companies & have found that the Pacific Whale Foundation is the best one that gives the most complete package. The one that is the best does go out early in the morning & is for several hours & goes to more than just Molokini. We do book through Tom Barefoot's Tours to get the best price on most of the things that we do on Maui including the Luau. When we have gone Whale Watching we also have gone with the Pacific Whale Foundation because of the knowledgeable people that they have working for them. I don't think the Kids will have a problem with the length of the Tour, our Grand Kids when they have gone with us had a great time & the time goes by very quickly.:D

[6rugrats]

. If we just decide to do a beach day, how far is Makena beach from the tendered drop off pier? We were told that Ka'anapali is about a 20 minute ride by taxi. Which beach would you recommend? Can you snorkel at either?

Makena Beach is beautiful, but there is a big shore break and it's a dangerous place to snorkle, especially for children. I would recommend avoiding this area if you just want to snorkle.

 

To those considering Molokini, please be aware that Molokini is a deep water snorkel area.......with no beach and no shallow water to stand in. And they do not want anyone on the sides of the crater. So you need to be a good swimmer to snorkel there.

 

I think the snorkeling at Molokini has really deteriorated over the years, and it's so crowded some days. This poster makes a great point, as it's also quite rough at times, and would be hard for children to have a fun time. Make sure to think about possibly taking something if you are prone to getting seasick.

 

IMO, I'd rather just snorkle off the beach, as there are so many good places. Molokini is really better now for diving.