Maui Snorkeling
- Thread starter BRISK495
- Start date
piranhaking
New member
Im not sure about how the weather would be, but ive heard that ulua beach is supposed to be really good. Im going there next month. I'll post when i get back and let you know what i thought about it and put up some pics. Also ive heard alot of mention of a place called black rock i think it is. I dont know much about it though.
There are tons of places. One of the best is Kapalua Bay. Although I SCUBA'd there, my g-friend snorkeled. Saw about 5 turtles, couple of eels, and tons of fish. it's a semi protected bay and the water is very calm. Gets to about 30 feet deep at the outer fringe but generally about 10-15 feet deep. There's even large fish at 3 feet deep. Be sure you have booties or something to protect your feet when entering if you don't have fins cuz it has a pretty rocky bottom (except in a very few places where entry will but much easier). Don't really know the conditions in Feb. I went in September.
If you want to take a boat out to snorkel, you should try molokini crater. Saw white tip reef sharks there and some turtles too. snorkeling from boat is pretty expensive though.
There's also tons of great places off the hotels in Kaanapali too.
Just got back from kauai and snorkeling is virtually absent on that island. Maui is Great. Have fun.
If you want to take a boat out to snorkel, you should try molokini crater. Saw white tip reef sharks there and some turtles too. snorkeling from boat is pretty expensive though.
There's also tons of great places off the hotels in Kaanapali too.
Just got back from kauai and snorkeling is virtually absent on that island. Maui is Great. Have fun.
not to hijack the thread, but there's some amazing (and very challenging) snorkeling on the north shore of Kauai, weather permitting...
On Maui's west end, Honolua Bay is good when the water's clear, and there's a outlook parking spot, at around the 10 mile marker, that has some decent snorkeling, but you have to sort of climb down to the water. There's also a handful of pretty good sites in southern Maui.
On Maui's west end, Honolua Bay is good when the water's clear, and there's a outlook parking spot, at around the 10 mile marker, that has some decent snorkeling, but you have to sort of climb down to the water. There's also a handful of pretty good sites in southern Maui.
I was there a couple of years ago, and liked Black Rock the best. Black Rock sits right on Kaanapali beach behind the Sheraton Hotel. Beach access is real easy, though free parking is scarce. We saw white tips, turtles, eels and tons of tangs. Ulua beach is supposed to be good, but we didn't see much. Molokini is also excellent, but you will need to take a boat to get there. No matter where you go, do your snorkeling in the morning because around lunchtime the winds pick up and decrease the visibility. Next time I go to Maui, I'll probably just stay at or near the Sheraton to hit Black Rock every morning. We stayed in Napilli, which is 20 minutes from Kaanapali. Our hotel was the Outrigger Napili Shores. Not fancy but it had a real laid back homey feel to it - not to mention was under $100 per night. This area seemed a little more reasonable than the resort areas of Wailea, Kaanapali or Kapalua. The snorlkeling in Napilli Bay is decent.
BRISK495
Active member
cool guys...these are great suggestions!!! We are going there for a honeymoon and were initially discouraged because we thought of the high pricing to get there and stay. But it seems that if we stay at a modest hotel, do our arrangements ourself, the trip really isnt all that expensive...less then a lot of the Carribean places...And I know you all know the Hawaii snorkeling can't be beat....!! Anyone else, please do chime in!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boat
New member
Boat
New member
Here's the link for an instructor I dove with in Maui. He's pretty laid back - I'm sure he'd make you feel comfortable in the water.
http://www.shakadivers.com/welcome.htm
http://www.shakadivers.com/welcome.htm
I was there the first week of May and snorkeled Black Rock but there is a public park a mile further up the road (the light after the Kaanapali Parkway) right of the highway. You can park all day long at the park for free (at sundown they close the gate so don't get trapped) and the snorkeling there was a lot better then Black Rock. I saw puffers, turtles, triggers, tangs, wrasses, chromis, eels,.............
Stoney Mahony
New member
I would definately look at the Royal Lahina on Kaanapalli beach. My wife and I got married there almost three years ago and stayed for 2.5 weeks. Its located just on the other side of Black rock and I loved it. There are a ton of the VERY expensive resorts on one side of Black rock, then a golf course, then the Lahina. It's not the most luxurious hotel on the beach but I still thought it was very nice and it was very affordable! The thing I liked the most was that you pretty much had your own private beach b/c all the big hotels were on the other side of black rock and then to your right there was no more hotels for over a mile down the beach, just a bunch of low hanging trees by the shoreline and reefs as far as you could see. I snorkled off of shore and saw three different species of eels, tangs, tons of triggers(some were bigger than my head), wrasses, butterflys, Sea turtles, ONO, the list could go on and on. I even saw a live Cone shell! We went in the beginning of December and it was beautiful! You could look out our hotel window and see the Humbacks breaching with their newborn calfs. It was truly an amazing experience! There were Huge urchins that were bigger around than soft balls and they had very thick red spines. Ive never seen anything like it. We picked the lahina b/c it was either stay there for 2.5 weeks and have tons of spending money or stay at one of the more chic hotels for 1 week and eat PB&J. One way or another, Have a TON of fun! and Congradulations!!! 
BRISK495
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7774891#post7774891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stoney Mahony
I would definately look at the Royal Lahina on Kaanapalli beach. My wife and I got married there almost three years ago and stayed for 2.5 weeks. Its located just on the other side of Black rock and I loved it. There are a ton of the VERY expensive resorts on one side of Black rock, then a golf course, then the Lahina. It's not the most luxurious hotel on the beach but I still thought it was very nice and it was very affordable! The thing I liked the most was that you pretty much had your own private beach b/c all the big hotels were on the other side of black rock and then to your right there was no more hotels for over a mile down the beach, just a bunch of low hanging trees by the shoreline and reefs as far as you could see. I snorkled off of shore and saw three different species of eels, tangs, tons of triggers(some were bigger than my head), wrasses, butterflys, Sea turtles, ONO, the list could go on and on. I even saw a live Cone shell! We went in the beginning of December and it was beautiful! You could look out our hotel window and see the Humbacks breaching with their newborn calfs. It was truly an amazing experience! There were Huge urchins that were bigger around than soft balls and they had very thick red spines. Ive never seen anything like it. We picked the lahina b/c it was either stay there for 2.5 weeks and have tons of spending money or stay at one of the more chic hotels for 1 week and eat PB&J. One way or another, Have a TON of fun! and Congradulations!!!
Great feedback...its funny because I got almost that exact feedback from my fiance's uncle this weekend. He has been there 3 times! He said there was an area where there was amazingly colored brain corals and a huge variety of fish....sea turles and marine life. I am really looking forward to going to this spot now!!!
Stoney Mahony
New member
You gotta write some feedback here when you get back, just reading this post made me want to start planning another trip! What have you done! lol
BRISK495
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7777977#post7777977 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stoney Mahony
You gotta write some feedback here when you get back, just reading this post made me want to start planning another trip! What have you done! lol
Thts exactly what I am planning....If I'm lucky, I will even take pics of all the corals and fishes as well! I will post all the pics here....!
barrierreefcf
New member
Everybodies giving you great advice. I stayed at The Royal Lahina also. Great value and location. You may already know of this book, Maui Revealed by Andrew Doughty, but if you don't, get it!! You can find it on the Mainland as well as every ABC store in Maui. The locals hate this book series because it reveals locations to lots of spots that are off the beaten path. It gives great, unbiased advice on dining, accomodations, rentals, snorkeling, tours, etc. I just got back from Kauai and used Kauai Revealed. Priceless information which led us to so many beautiful spots we wouldn't have known about or how to get to. Have fun!
