Snorkeling in Maui (I need advice)

[kdumph]

There are many more snorkeling/diving spots on Maui than this map shows, but here are some of the more popular spots: http://www.hawaiisnorkelingguide.com/maui_snorkeling.html

I personally love Honolua Bay, and know many others who enjoyed diving there more than Molokini. If you do plan on going to Molokini, take the earliest tour that you can, as that area gets crowded REAL fast in the afternoon.

I personally recommend Trilogy for any of the tours. My wife and I have been on numerous tours with them - and have two more coming up later this week - and love them. They're also the only company that can actually get you ONTO Lana'i; others can only get you just offshore. On top of that, they do a lot of good for the island, as well (Blue'aina reef cleanup campaign, etc.).

Anyway, you're bound to see a ton of wildlife no matter where you dive in Maui - especially Honu (green sea turtles). They're everywhere. Just remember that it's illegal to bother them.

As for the earlier comment about sunscreen, you really just want to make sure that you don't use any type of aerosol sunscreen, as that's the kind that will hurt the wildlife.

Great information here, last time I dived in Maui I was introduced to a number of more "local" stuff just be chatting a few people up. Some great shore diving and of course the big ones have already been mentioned.

 

[Cu455]

You should look into getting your discover scuba certification or even your open water. You can do most of the work online now. You can also do the pool part near your house. Once you get to Hawaii it's all in the ocean.

 

[NatureNerd]

...I personally love Honolua Bay, and know many others who enjoyed diving there more than Molokini. If you do plan on going to Molokini, take the earliest tour that you can, as that area gets crowded REAL fast in the afternoon.

I personally recommend Trilogy for any of the tours. My wife and I have been on numerous tours with them...

+1 on both suggestions. Although we are certified divers, my wife and I love snorkling these two places.

H-Bay is a great place for octopus, eels, tangs, butterfly fish, coronet fish, hawkfish, and turtles.

Molokini - Earliest boat is best. Great visibilty usually. We like the Trilogy company too.

 

[tkeracer619]

I just got back from a 2 week trip. I stayed at the Mana Kai Maui. It is in S Kihei just north of Wailea. The area is central and there is plenty of nightlife. Cost isn't as bad as the resort areas. I was in one of the rooms that was at the end of the building right on the water. Really was a great experience. Easy walk in snorkeling access and within an hour to most everything on the island except Hanna. Don't go the south route

This was the view outside my bedroom window.

This was on the reef outside of the hotel on the left side of that pic. The clicking is shrimp and the crunching is parrotfish eating coral. I'm not hungry, those are the humpbacks singing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM6LzsKr2_8

I really like this area overall. It is a little over an hour to the volcano. You can walk to the boat dock for snorkeling charters to Molokini and other various locations.

There are cool things to do everywhere! Based on weather you may find you need to move around or go out to places on boats if the shoreline has bad viability.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDVLPSnjjZI

 

[OutsideBrian]

Snorkeling in Maui (I need advice)

Here's a sunrise at mt Haleakala.
It is definitely a cold morning. The orange is the cloud deck catching the sunrise below it, above the cloud deck was blue start night sky.
Second picture is sun up, you can see the clouds below.

The bike ride down was fun, eucalyptus in the air and another couple arguing which side was pacific and Atlantic

We took a catamaran out to molokini I think. The little crater island that's all shot up. Saw some whales too.

Our view from waikaloa village.

We did the road to Hana plus kept going all the way around, it was a long day in the car albeit adventurous hiking to different falls.

 

[tkeracer619]

Also this is a pretty cool tiger shark tracking website
http://oos.soest.hawaii.edu/pacioos/projects/sharks/

 

[NTP66]

One other place I'd recommend if in Maui would be Hulopo'e Bay on the island of Lana'i. You can take a charter over there or go with Trilogy (my wife and I did the latter - amazing), and the snorkeling is incredible. I saw some of the biggest fish ever while there, including a half dozen yellow tangs that were OVER 12" long.

Also this is a pretty cool tiger shark tracking website
http://oos.soest.hawaii.edu/pacioos/projects/sharks/

My wife hates that site because I always use it to see what's around us when we go out, LOL. We saw the 14.2' female (122985) swimming at the surface for a while during our whale watch tour.

 

[Paul B]

I recently went to 3 Hawaiian Islands, Kauai, Maui and Molokai. (and also honeymooned there 40 years ago) and we don't like tourist places at all but on Hawaii that is hard to get away from. So we found the Napili Key Hotel http://napilikai2-px.trvlclick.com/...velClickPPC&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Brand which is the only smaller Hotel on the Island and away from the touristy places, but close enough to go there easily. Most of Hawaii is big high rise hotels and if that is what you like with all the plastic palm trees and fake Luau's, there are plenty of places to pick. We wanted a snorkeling beach right on the property and no crowds. There is a snorkeling beach right off your room, but snorkeling in Hawaii is generally not very good as it is a volcanic Island and not a coral Island. Due to the volcanoe's the water is not very clear and about the worse tropical snorkeling and diving you will find in a tropical place. After saying that, we love Hawaii and have friends there. If you know where to go to get away from the crowds there are some really nice places there. Have fun and try to find the out of the way places. :smokin:

These were taken there

 

[tkeracer619]

Paul, when do you go? I tend to go to Maui for 2 weeks mid Jan. Let me know when you plan on going. Love to go on a dive with the infamous paulb

I've already got my frequent flyer miles ready for next Jan

 

[Paul B]

I just went there in October and probably will never get back there. We were there on our Honeymoon then went back for our 40th

 

[tkeracer619]

Aww, well then maybe another location sometime

 

[Paul B]

tkeracer, I do miss Hawaii and your pictures brought back memories even though UI was just there. An old girlfriend of mine moved there 40 years ago. She ended up running Avis or some other car rental service there and retired. She lives up in the mountains on Maui. Really nice place. It is to expensive for her to live near the sea but the Island is not that big so everyplace there is near the sea.
I was stationed in Colorado for about 6 months. I loved the place but the diving stinks there.
I always tell people, if Colorado had an Ocean, it would be perfect. :bum: