# Maui/Molikini Snorkel Cruise



## w.bob (Dec 31, 2007)

Starting to research for our trip to the Islands next Sept. Thought I would start with a snorkeling trip. I would like to hear from anyone who may have taken one to Molikini. Wanted to hear the pos & neg such as size of crowd, time allotted for actual snorkeling, etc. Thanks


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## Timeshare Von (Dec 31, 2007)

We did one with there in Sept 03 and had a wonderful time.  I cannot recall any negatives at all.  There is plenty of space for several boats to bring tourists out for a fun day on the water snorkeling or whatever.


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## BonBiniGirl (Dec 31, 2007)

We went on the Four Winds II back in May and highly recommend them (http://www.mauicharters.com/4winds_trip01.html ).  We went with them specifically because the Maui Revealed book said their usual mooring spot is the best of any boats and there food set up is also the best.  I agree with that.  The captain and crew are a lot of fun.  Plenty of room on the boat to walk around during your trip to Molokini and back.  We also found there to be a good amount of time for snorkeling.  I can't remember exactly how long, but it was over an hour.

If you are looking for some non-Molokini snorkeling, we recommend Black Rock right off Ka'anapali Beach in front of the Sheraton.  The coral was better than at Molokini.  And the best part is its free (if you bring your own snorkeling gear).  I can send you a link to our snorkeling pics if you are interested.


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## jlr10 (Jan 1, 2008)

We snorkeled at Molokini.  We found the boat the be somewhat crowded (Pride of Maui) and found there were too many people in the water when we were there.  Also we thought the coral was not pretty. The water time was about an hour.  They did a second stop at 'Turtle Town' which seems to be loosely determined to be where ever they decide to stop as their second scheduled stop.  It was not as crowded and we only saw turtles while going to the stop.  We spent less than 10 minutes in the water but others stayed in for about 30 minutes.  To be fair it was a windy day, which made the trip less enjoyable.  Several people got sick on the boat, and the second stop had wave action which caused the waves to swell over the top of the snorkels.  Overall, we did not enjoy this trip.

We also scheduled a trip to Molokini in  a later visit to Maui with the Pacific Whale Foundation, at the request of a friend who was their at the same time.  The trip did not go to Molokini due to an approaching storm, which, when asked, Pacific Whale Foundation denied was coming until just before departure.  They took us to another place to snorkel, which IMHO was too far off shore to be enjoyable as you had to swim over 150 yards before you saw any fish, and then keep swimming to see a variety of fish.  It seemed like the location they chose would have had better snorkeling with shore access.  Although I am sure they would have provided a refund before hand if anyone asked, it was not an option presented when they cancelled the  Molokini as the destination. They were very tight with the food on board offerring 1/2 a muffin and  watered guava juice as breakfast and two bowls of pretzels as the snacks on the way back. Also we did not enjoy being asked repeatedly for donations on the trip.

Many people love Molokini, and I am not saying you should not go, but you asked for pros and cons, so I provided the cons.  As for the first trip on the Pride of Maui for the following week we had scheduled a trip on the Big Island.  Since my son was one of those who became ill I gave him the option of cancelling the Big Island Trip.  He still wanted to go, as he enjoyed the trip more then my husband and me.  We snorkled on the Orca which is Fair Winds discontinued raft trip and had a blast.  We have since been on the Fair Winds tours several times.  So we will save our catamaran snorkeling trips for the Fair Winds on the Big Island as they know how to do them just right for our family.


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## JustPlainBill (Jan 1, 2008)

Molokini is a zoo. People everywhere. The best snorkeling in the Islands is in the last bay on the northwest coast of Maui. You walk a little ways down from the road. I forget the name of the bay. Don't wear a shiny wristwatch, or a great barracuda will think you are lunch.


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## BonBiniGirl (Jan 1, 2008)

Is it Honolua Bay? http://www.maui-vacation.net/snorkpix01.html

We stopped on the hill/cliff overlooking the bay during our pineapple tour.  The snorkeling is suppose to be very good so we added it to our list for next time.


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## DeniseM (Jan 1, 2008)

I am afraid that Molokini has been over-snorkeled.  We saw a lot more fish shore-snorkeling, than out at Molokini, and shore-snorkeling is free!

If you want to do a fun snorkeling trip, this one to Lanai is top-notch:  Trilogy has a fantastic all-day catamaran trip that includes 3 good meals, snorkeling, a tour of Lanai City, Beach Activities, etc. It's our all-time favorite Maui activity-
http://www.sailtrilogy.com/adventures/lanaisunset/index.html

It's pricey - but remember it's a full-day trip, and includes 3 meals and lots of activities and a tour of Lanai, so when you add up everything that's included, the price is not bad for Maui.  It leaves mid-morning and returns at sunset, and you anchor out in the ocean and watch the sunset while sipping champagne to end the day.  The food is delicious and they treat their guests like royalty, too.  They have a big open air pavilion on Lanai, and you actually eat your main meal there, and they cook it on the spot - it's not a catered meal that sits on the boat all day, like some snorkel boats.


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## LisaRex (Jan 1, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> If you want to do a fun snorkeling trip, this one to Lanai is top-notch:  Trilogy has a fantastic all-day catamaran trip that includes 3 good meals, snorkeling, a tour of Lanai City, Beach Activities, etc. It's our all-time favorite Maui activity-
> http://www.sailtrilogy.com/adventures/lanaisunset/index.html
> 
> It's pricey - but remember it's a full-day trip, and includes 3 meals and lots of activities and a tour of Lanai, so when you add up everything that's included, the price is not bad for Maui.



I just snagged, count 'em, EIGHT half price vouchers for this trip via Maui Gold Card 50% off owner's site.  (I was booking for 2 families, each who has their own gold card).  Thanks for the recommendation!!!


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## DeniseM (Jan 2, 2008)

Good for you!  You are going to love that trip!  

_One question - some merchants limit how many discounts they will accept per trip.  Did you check on that?  It should say on the 1/2 off page under the Trilogy link, if there is a limit._

***Never mind - I just looked and they don't have any restrictions!


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## LisaRex (Jan 2, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> Good for you!  You are going to love that trip!
> 
> _One question - some merchants limit how many discounts they will accept per trip.  Did you check on that?  It should say on the 1/2 off page under the Trilogy link, if there is a limit._
> 
> ***Never mind - I just looked and they don't have any restrictions!



I checked before hand.   

I hadn't realized, though, that children get in half price anyway.  If that's the case I only really needed 6 of the half price tickets as 2 in our party will get in half price by virtue of being under 15.   

I'd offer the 2 up for sale to someone else but I think they'll issue 2 vouchers good for 4 tickets each. Bummer!


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## JustPlainBill (Jan 2, 2008)

We took the ferry to Lanai and snorkeled on our own. Nice day trip. (The ferry is not cheap.) But we did not see anything in the Lanai waters that we did not see at Maui. Bill Gates was married on Lanai. He supposedly chartered all the helicopters on Maui and grounded them so the paparazzi would not fly over.

If you want to swim with big turtles, go to the public access area just south of the last resort past the Grand Wailea. The snorkle boats advertise "Turtle Town." There is no Turtle Town. It is just where the boat captain thinks there might be turtles. There are lots of turtles in the boat anchorage at the north end of Lahaina, but I doubt you would want to snorkle there. Go to that last bay on the northwest coast. Trust me.


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## DeniseM (Jan 2, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> I checked before hand.
> 
> I hadn't realized, though, that children get in half price anyway.  If that's the case I only really needed 6 of the half price tickets as 2 in our party will get in half price by virtue of being under 15.
> 
> I'd offer the 2 up for sale to someone else but I think they'll issue 2 vouchers good for 4 tickets each. Bummer!



Hi Lisa - When we got the 1/2 price tix they were imprinted with our name and were not transferable, otherwise it would be a great deal for some Tugger!  Have a wonderful time!


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## hibbeln (Jan 2, 2008)

The bay is Honolua Bay.  When you get into the water, either swim to the left (I think it's the best as long as the stream isn't running) along the shore or to the right.  The best coral and snorkelling is no more than 60 feet from shore as you hug the shore in each direction.  If you swim straight out you will be very confused as it is murky and just a sand bottom!  The coral in this bay is unbelievable, and we've always seen TONS of turtles close up (they tend to hang around "the drop off".....you'll understand when you get there.

The snorkelling along the coast of Maui (both South and West Maui) is pretty much incredible, so grab the Maui Revealed book and look for recommended places close to where you are staying.

Interestingly enough, on 5 trips to Hawaii I've never seen a barracuda.....the most I've ever seen was in the Florida Keys...and man were they EVERYWHERE!  Big monsters, too!


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## w.bob (Jan 3, 2008)

BonBiniGirl -The Four Winds is one of the trips that interest us. I understand that it only goes to Molikini leading me to believe that it allows more actual snorkel time there. Did you feel the snorkeling at Molikini was average, good or better than other areas. It appears that the some of the other posters feel it would not be worth it. I did snorkel Black Rock about 6 years ago and found it to be ok at the time.

jlr10 - Did you feel it was crowded because of the cruise you took that day or was there just too many snorkelers for the Molikini area? We also went on the Fairwinds on the BI two years ago and loved it. The snorkeling was some of the best I've done. The size of the Pride of Maui cruise made me steer away from it.

DeniseM - This will be our 3rd trip to Hawaii and in the past I have done some shore snorkeling and found a good variety of places that were satisfying along with some that were not. Like I stated above the best snorkeling was with the Fairwinds (not as good as free) but well worth it. The best free shore snorkeling was the Place of Refuge on the BI. You stated that you thought Molikini was over snorkeled. Did you mean it was over rated and not worth the trip at all or do you think it was not worth it the day you were there? I found that one day the shore snorkeling I have done was only so so but another day it was very good at the same location. I am looking for something with a little more variety and I thought a cruise to Molikini along with some snorkeling and a nice small lunch would be a nice time. I wish the trip to Lanai on the Trilogy was not so long it sounds appealing but some of the people in our group might not be up to an all day excursion. 


LisaRex - if some of our group is interested in the Trilogy all day trip can you give me a little more info on the website you found the 50% discount on. It would be appreciated.

hibbeln - I read that to save yourself the swim you can walk on the rocks to the right of the beach but that the rocks are slippery. Is it a long swim from were you enter the water or is it fairly easy for the average swimmer?  I also read that the area to the right was better. It sounds like you tried both sides and found the left to be best. I am in the process of purchasing Maui Revealed. Used the Kauai book a few years ago & it was well worth it. 


Please feel free to list your best shore snorkeling site along with the cruises. Thanks to all of you.


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## jlr10 (Jan 3, 2008)

w.bob said:


> BonBiniGirl -
> jlr10 - Did you feel it was crowded because of the cruise you took that day or was there just too many snorkelers for the Molikini area? We also went on the Fairwinds on the BI two years ago and loved it. The snorkeling was some of the best I've done. The size of the Pride of Maui cruise made me steer away from it.



For us there were too many people on the boat and too many people in the water.  In our pictures we couldn't really see the fish for all the fins, arms and legs in the water.  Considering the quality of the coral in the area and crowds we did not think the trip was worth the cost.  On a scale of 1-5 I would give Molokini a 2.5.  It won't ruin your trip, and it is in Hawaii so how bad could it really be?  

But if you decide to do the cruise I would recommend you use the Four Winds.  Our boat ended up not having enough good snorkels on board (I was given a mask with no glass, which I, naturally, rejected) they got what the needed from the Four Winds who were more than adequately supplied and generously shared what they had.  They seemed to have their act together more than the other boats in the area.  Book early their boat filled up first in the week we were there.


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## DeniseM (Jan 3, 2008)

w.bob said:


> DeniseM - You stated that you thought Molikini was over snorkeled. Did you mean it was over rated and not worth the trip at all or do you think it was not worth it the day you were there?


I meant that it has been heavily impacted by human visitors, and the fish population is not what it used to be.  There are usually a dozen snorkel boats there at a time.  On Lanai, Trilogy is the only boat licensed to bring snorkelers to the Marine Preserve there.  I would not pay for a snorkel trip to Molokini again, because you can see just as much doing shore snorkeling.  

You  mentioned Black Rock - it also have been heavily impacted by people, and is not what it used to be.

Honolua Bay can go either way.  There is a small stream that empties into the bay and if it has been raining, it can be so murky that you can't see your hand in front of your face.  When we've been there, we had to swim out to the mouth of the bay to get clear of the murky water, and it probably wouldn't be good for poor swimmers, or people who are not totally comfortable being out from shore a ways.


> LisaRex - if some of our group is interested in the Trilogy all day trip can you give me a little more info on the website you found the 50% discount on. It would be appreciated.


This discount came from www.hawaiifun.org, but to get the 50% off coupons you have to have your finger on the button at exactly noon on the first day of the month and be ready to order them as the clock strikes noon.  There are a very limited number of 50% off tickets released each month, and they are usually gone in a couple of minutes.  They also offer smaller discounts that are available all the time, but they are more like 10% or 15%.  You have to order and received their discount card, before you can order any tickets on their website.  Here is a link to the 50% off page - http://www.hawaiifun.org/Tickets.shtml


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## ciscogizmo1 (Jan 3, 2008)

We did the Maui/Molokini tour last June.  If you like being on a boat, it can be a fun trip.  My kids enjoyed the slide on the side of the boat into the water.  We did two stops.  One was for the scuba divers.  The next stop was Molokini which was okay but the snorkeling was way better in front of the Westin Villas.  We mainly do the snorkel/cruise type trips because our kids love going out in the ocean and riding the boat.   I thought, the staff was nice and the food was okay.  We did the 6 am tour.  GL with your decision.


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## LisaRex (Jan 3, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> This discount came from www.hawaiifun.org, but to get the 50% off coupons you have to have your finger on the button at exactly noon on the first day of the month and be ready to order them as the clock strikes noon.  There are a very limited number of 50% off tickets released each month, and they are usually gone in a couple of minutes.  They also offer smaller discounts that are available all the time, but they are more like 10% or 15%.  You have to order and received their discount card, before you can order any tickets on their website.  Here is a link to the 50% off page - http://www.hawaiifun.org/Tickets.shtml



I've used the Maui Gold card twice now.  I've literally saved thousands of dollars on activities, but I'm a Type A and will make sure I'm online at 5 or 6pm (to match noon Hawaii time) the first day of every single month.  Sometimes these tickets go in seconds.  When I went in Nov. '06, I was able to score 4 Pacific Whale Foundation tour tickets, 4 Maui Downhill bike tickets and 2 Maui Eco Tour tickets for my party of 4.  My efforts saved us around $800.  

I knew I was traveling in July '08, so I got my Maui gold card in August (since they're good for one year) and have been trying to snag as many half price vouchers as I can since then.  So far, I've scored 8 of the Trilogy tours (woohoo!) and 2 Pacific Whale Foundation snorkeling tickets, which I might offer up for sale for what I paid since I'm not sure I want to spend 2 days snorkeling (I get terribly sea sick).  Next month I'm going to try and snag some Blue Water rafting tickets.

The $30 you have to pay for itself a hundred fold if you are diligent about it.  The 10-20% "regular" discount would be worth it, I suppose, though I've noticed that a lot of companies are offering similar web discounts. 

If you get one, tell 'em Denise and Lisa sent you!


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## BonBiniGirl (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi w.bob!

This is a link to our Hawaii snorkeling pictures from this past May:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7817147@N02/sets/72157601759507577/.  They are all pictures from Black Rock.  If you are interested, I can post a few from Molokini and send you the link to compare.  Just let me know.

The snorkeling at Molokini was good.  It is hard to go wrong in Hawaii.  I liked it because it is very easy to swim and there are a lot of fish.  The coral isn't great because a lot of people go there and step on it.  The visibility was also fantastic - I could see forever.  The Four Winds only stopped at Molikini to snorkel so it gave you more time than other boats (we stopped at a turtle area but only looked at them from the boat); plus they have a great location.  There was a car accident on the way to the dock and a lot of people were late; the captain held the boat for atleast half an hour and we still had plenty of snorkeling time.  I would definitely recommend this specifictour if you are going to Molokini.

My husband really appreciates the coral as well as the fish when he snorkels, so he recommends Black Rock.  If you stick to the side by the Sheraton, it is good.  But if you go around the corner, it gets much better.  The Maui Revealed book has some good tips about how to swim around the corner with the current.  If I remember, it is coming back that can get a little tricky.  If you are staying on Ka'anapali Beach anywhere, this is a good location because you can walk there.  We snorkeled here twice during our week stay.

Let me know if you have any more questions!
Liz


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## DeniseM (Jan 3, 2008)

LisaRex said:


> So far, I've scored 8 of the Trilogy tours (woohoo!) and 2 Pacific Whale Foundation snorkeling tickets, which I might offer up for sale for what I paid since I'm not sure I want to spend 2 days snorkeling (I get terribly sea sick).



Lisa - the tickets are printed with your name and are not usually transferable, so you might want to check on that.

If you take Bonine the night before, and in the morning, and avoid alcohol the night before, you should not get sick.  Have you tried that?  I am really susceptible to motion sickness and it works for me.


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## DeniseM (Jan 3, 2008)

BonBiniGirl said:


> My husband really appreciates the coral as well as the fish when he snorkels, so he recommends Black Rock.  If you stick to the side by the Sheraton, it is good.  But if you go around the corner, it gets much better.  The Maui Revealed book has some good tips about how to swim around the corner with the current.  If I remember, it is coming back that can get a little tricky.  If you are staying on Ka'anapali Beach anywhere, this is a good location because you can walk there.  We snorkeled here twice during our week stay.



The problem with the other side of Black Rock is that there is a canal that drains right there directly on the north side of the rock, and the water is really yucky - stagnant and green.  I would not want to swim there.


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## BonBiniGirl (Jan 3, 2008)

The canal wasn't draining when we were there in May.  However, it had been extremely dry for some time prior so may be that is why the conditions and swimming were so good for us.


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## w.bob (Jan 7, 2008)

BonBiniGirl said:


> Hi w.bob!
> 
> This is a link to our Hawaii snorkeling pictures from this past May:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/7817147@N02/sets/72157601759507577/.  They are all pictures from Black Rock.  If you are interested, I can post a few from Molokini and send you the link to compare.  Just let me know.
> ...



Liz - I would like to see your pictures of Molikini. Also I have been to Black Rock and did go around the point and I remember it being exactly as you stated. I had a little trouble swimming back to the beach because of the current. I will be going there again this trip and plan on swimming diagonally to the shore versus swimming head on towards the beach. Hopefully it will help.


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