Molokini snorkel tours--recommendations?
 

I'll be in Maui in November and am looking for info about the best snorkel tours to Molokini..which are good, which to avoid. Thanks.

We took Four Winds to Molokini. We really liked the crew. They spent lots of time making sure we (meaning all the guests) had everything we needed whether it was food, equipment or something for those who did not feel well. They made numerous announcements that they would assist anyone who was not feeling well. They paid special attention to young kids and let our 9 yo steer the boat! She was happy to turn over the duties to the next kid who wanted to have a turn. I remarked to the captain that he had a great job. He got kids to enthusiastically do his job while he mingled with the guests. He was so much fun. A guy who loves his job!

The BBQ was ready soon after we stopped in Molokini for those who wanted lunch right away. They BBQ a limited amount of Mahi Mahi and then have burgers for everyone. Plenty of food and drink.

They have a lifeguard on duty in the water durning the entire stop at Molokini. They have equipment for all and lots of boards with the little windows for those who don't snorkel. They have snuba if you want that too. There is a slide off the side which was lots of fun and for those who don't ever want to leave the boat there is a glass bottom area down below deck.

On the way back we went on a hunt for turtles and saw plenty!

We had a really great time. The one thing I did was while waiting to leave I did look over all the boats in the harbor and those that were leaving and I definitely felt that the FourWinds was one of the nicest. Some boats were really awful looking.

Suzie... do you remember what the occupancy was on the Four Winds. I read somewhere that it accomodates 130 ppl, was it really that many ppl?

The tours leave at different departure points, so the "best" tour for you may depend on where you're staying.

Most tours leave from Maalaea (sp?) harbor near Kihei. But there are tours that leave from the Wailea area too. The first time, we took a tour from the harbor (we were staying in the Lahaina area), but the second time we took the tour from Wailea since we were staying there. The travel time from Wailea is about half the travel time from the harbor (20 min. v. 40 min. each way).

I don't recall the names of the tours. Other then the location and travel times, the two tours were pretty much interchangeable.

Agree with <font color="blue">Suzie</font> about the fun :dFour Winds Molokini snorkel tour.
:S-
On our second trip to Molokini, we got up early for the faster, less$) Kai Kananai ((S))((*))((#))Sunrise tour, before the other large boats arrive(<font color="blue">www.kaikanani.com/index.html</font>)
Trip Report link: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34551090

Based on our limited experience, snorkeling conditions can vary at Molokini, and snorkeling from land is also highly recommended. Some local dive shops have guides for beach snorkeling, and <font color="blue">www.wizardpub.com</font>'s <font color="blue">Maui Revealed</font> compares Molokini snorkel tours.

If I remember correctly, they offer morning as well as afternoon excursions. The water tends to be choppier in the afternoon due to the tradewinds and the water visibility might not be as clear. They do take care of everyone on the boat and it is a worthwhile tour for a couple or family!

molokini was a good snorkle, took four winds, yes a lot of people but was still okay, the boat captain went out of his way on the way home to look for dolphins. boat set up very convenient there were at least 75 people on the boat.

A few years ago, I wasted a morning and a few dollars going to Molokini. Looking underwater at a bunch of concrete mooring blocks didn't enhance the trip.

I found much better snorkeling about 200 yards off Wailea Beach...enjoyed being chased by varying sizes of fish looking for food...saw about a dozen turtles at one time or another.

Down the coast a ways were several really neat lava tubes, one of which had a resident black tip shark. It would come out, sneer at us, and then go back under the lava.

There were also a couple of places off the southern shore of Maui that were great snorkeling spots. I'll dig out my maps and get the locations if you're interested.

I apologize if this upsets anyone. I've been enjoying the beauty of the underwater world for almost 60 years. Ideally, the tours to Molokini have cleaned up their act...and the other great sites along the southern shore haven't been abused.

We also took the four winds. We went on the morning excursion. The crew is great. Good food. We had never snorkeled before which is why we did an excursion and therefore have nothing to compare it to as far as seeing fish. I wouldn't recommend buying their underwater camera with flash. We brought our own but got talked into buying one of theirs with a flash after seeing their comparison photos. Ours didn't turn out at all like the ones they showed. I would definately go with four winds again if I was to do an excursion. Though next time I think we'll try black rock on our own.

We got back from Maui a couple of weeks ago and, instead of the normal snorkel to Molokini, we tried the Blue Water Raft trip (out of Kihei). It was a blast! The trip was 4 hours and on the way to La Perouse to snorkel we stopped at a few spots along the way to see the lava caves. The captain backed the boat up (seats about 20) entirely into a lava cave for about a minute or so -scary, but fun. The spinner dolphins put on a show for us at La Perouse and we then traveled to another snorkel spot. The &quot;raft&quot; goes about 40 knots so it goes at a good clip (they do have the cushy section of the raft in the back that has cushioned benches and shade). My 2 teen boys thought that it was great. They also serve a deli lunch. Something different to try if you have done Molokini...

Hi,
We've always had good luck with Trilogy Excursions. They cost a bit more but the service and crew are great. We've been to Lanai and Molokini
with them. They have fabulous cinnamon buns and Kona coffee.

Leuk

i got back from my vacation in Maui and Kauai just a week ago. Having tried both Four Winds and Trilogy, I was very disappointed with Four Winds. According to the Maui REvealed, they were supposed to have the best spot in Molokini for snorkeling, but to my disappointment, there weren't alot of fish and on top of that, they were all the same color fish - black.
I've gone to molokini with Trilogy last year, and they didn't disappoint me at all, that's why when i read that Four Winds was better in the Maui Revealed, i was really looking forward to it. Don't believe everything you read.

On the same vacation, I also went back to Trilogy and did their Discover Lana'i, it was awesome, once again, they're great. I highly recommend Trilogy and i'm not sure why Maui Revealed gave them bad reviews, must of been some kind of personal issue they have. There is a reason why Trilogy charges so much more than the other companies, and it's b/c they're really great.
guys... if you don't mind spending the extra money, look into Trilogy... www.sailtrilogy.com.
and yes, their cinnamon buns were awesome.
The next time I visit maui again, I would definitely do another excursion with Trilogy, and maybe only Trilogy.

Thank you Sherri for posting your suggestion. We're going to Maui in two weeks and will try this tour.