Those little nippers must be some sort of plankton or something? Now that's going to drive me crazy until I can find out what they are....

There are sooooo many restaurant choices on Maui - it all depends on what you're looking for. Something right on the beach, something fancy and candle-lit... Since you're in a condo I don't know that you'd have access to a concierge service of some sort, which would have been my first suggestion. Check the local paper once you arrive - there'll be lots of ads for Valentine's Day specials, and do some Googling before you leave.

Honestly, our most "romantic" Valentine's Day dinner one year was when we got takeout goodies, spread a blanket on the beach and watched the sunset. It was obviously a bit more "rustic" than a fancy restaurant, but we so enjoyed being outside in the warm air, watching that beautiful sunset, saw a couple of whales surface... Sheer heaven.

The problem with winter snorkeling is not the water temperature. A shorty will make you very comfortable. The problem is waves and weather. Even if the waves aren't dangerous, due to the sandy beach areas, Maui's water is often cloudy.

The aquarium and the fish bowl are great places, some of the best in the islands, but I heard that they closed the trailheads to them. I found Honolu'a bay to be very good for the beginner but the water can be cloudy because of the topography.

I highly recommend an underwater camera. I am partial to Cannon because they make their own housing. But I've use Nikon's before and they were very good.

iowagirl, I was actually thinking of lunch at Mama's Fish House followed by a beach picnic in the evening on our anniversary. I'll watch for Valentine specials in the local papers.

Have you taken the Maui Dive Shop snorkel tour to Molokini and Turtle Island? They are still offering their online October Special for this of $39.95. I was going to book but our exchange partner wrote that tourism is down so there are lots of specials to be had this year so to check around when we arrive.

Bill, I have been bidding to my comfort level for used housings for my Canon SD800 on eBay but have only succeeded in getting better prices for the sellers so far.

Yes, we've done that tour through the Maui Dive Shop. We've also gone on snorkel tours and whale watches through the Pacific Whale Foundation. We've also taken one over to Lanai, with several snorkel stops along the way, and were able to watch the spinner dolphins as well. Can't remember who we did that with, though.

Best advice about these trips I can give is to go on an early morning trip (the water is much calmer then), and try to find the smallest group outing you can.

Our absolute best trip out onto the water was 2 yrs ago. We did a sunrise kayak off La Perouse Bay (south Maui). It was just DH and me, one other couple, and our guide. We glided out onto perfectly smooth water and were absolutely enchanted to watch a mother whale nurse her baby. Talk about peaceful. It was really something. But then the boat tours full of loud tourists with video cams and captains bellowing over loudspeakers saw this pair too. Mama wasn't happy with all the sudden boat commotion, so they dove under and off they went. It was wonderful while it lasted!

iowagirl, because we have a five hour time change, we plan to do early morning things like sunrise at Haleakala, a snorkel cruise and driving the Road to Hana right at the beginning then just walk or drive to various snorkel places first thing in the morning after that, depending on conditions.

Somebody else mentioned kayaking to me so I'll look into that as well. How long does it take to drive to South Maui for a sunrise kayak? Would kayaking closer to Kaanapali be any good? Do you remember which company you used?

One of the best travel experiences of all time for us was canoeing down the Dordogne in France so we probably would really enjoy kayaing in Maui as well.

It's a 4-hr time change for us. I loooove the early mornings there, so I'm always up around 6am and tend to go to sleep by 9pm. Hubby tends to adjust right away and prefers to sleep in every morning, so I'm usually up and out for a long walk on the beach by myself for awhile before he rolls out of bed.

I'm thinking we allowed ourselves 40 min to drive from Kaanapali to La Perouse bay for the kayak trip. It can get tricky to find some of these places, especially if the sun isn't fully up yet. Cannot remember the name of the company we went through, and it wasn't really a "company" anyway - it was a two-man operation and they only owned something like 6 kayaks.

I don't think there's much kayaking right off Kaanapali. I see a few float by now and then, but other than Black Rock there really isn't much bay space, so the water is choppy.

You should Google kayaking on Maui, as I'm far from being an expert!

Sunrise at Haleakala is incredible! It's like you're suddenly on another planet. But be forewarned that it will be cold - or at least "chilly" as far as us "northerners" are concerned. Several times we've heard people on the beach exclaim that it has snowed a bit on top of Haleakala and off they rush to see it. Not us! ;-)

Could be a really stupid question, but is it possible for my DW to snorkel while being a non-swimmer... no, she's not a weak swimmer! she is generally terrified of the water and I am trying to get her accustomed at least to spots which are not too deep. Black rock sounds a little dangerous from reviews at tripadvisor. Any suggestions?

iowagirl, I'm an early riser too and usually back from my morning walks before my husband wakes up. But, like you, I don't plan to snorkel on my own!

I googled maui kayaking before asking but there are so many options.

I found some Adidas ClimaCool pants with UV protection that should make good rash guard bottoms for Turtle Town. They are long for my average height but I'll wait to hem them and tuck them under my fins.

I'm probably used to the same degree of cold as you, living in southern Ontario. Would a light winter coat be about right for Haleakala, good to about -10 degrees celsius?

mc_ite, if your DW would like to try snorkeling, she could do it wearing a flotation device, not a boogie board that can float away but more like a life jacket that attaches but it would have to be her decision. Perhaps you take one of the snorkel cruises where there will be other non-swimmers.

mc_ite, I found a thread about snorkeling for non-swimmers at scuba.com and the consensus was to take swimming lessons first:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/sno...n-swimmer.html

mc: the water at Black Rock is very calm - not sure what TA reviewers are saying - I'll have to check that out. I too was terrified of water the first time we went to Maui (honeymoon in '98), but with DH right beside me and a boogie board to hold onto, I was fine in 5 minutes. I was so enchanted by all the sea life I literally forgot to be scared. I'm still NOT a great swimmer and have a VERY healthy respect for the water and know my limits, but I do just fine at Black Rock.

FWIW, the one time I did try an "attached" flotation device, I got claustrophobic. I prefer the boogie board, but have your wife try both. If you do take a guided snorkel tour, just be sure to tell the guides that your DW is a newbie so they can help her out.

Now, having said that, I DON'T snorkel out in the deep areas. We've taken snorkel tours over to Lanai and DH will get in the water there, but it's usually snorkel spots that are just off some steeper cliffs, and I just can't do that. If I can't see the bottom just a few feet below me, I get nervous. I can also snorkel Molokini with no problem, inside the crater where it's shallower, as long as I don't turn and look out into the ocean.

moolyn: ok, I had to translate -10C to F ;-)

I doubt you want to pack even a lighter winter coat. DH and I usually leave our coats in the car at the airport and wear layers on the trip to and from Maui. At the summit, I've been just fine in khaki slacks, a long-sleeve tee and a sweatshirt - what I wore on the plane. While I wouldn't want to spend all day up there in that, it's fine for an hour or so. It all depends on your own internal thermometer. :-)

iowagirl, thanks! That's about what I was originally thinking until I kept reading how cold it is up there. It's obviously relative.

Our condo pool is changing over from chemicals to saline tomorrow so I plan to practice my salt water swimming!

Just a reminder for all swimmers in Maui - don't EVER turn your back on the ocean. One of the funniest and most dangerous things I ever saw was 2 women that had turned their back and in came a big wave and totally knocked them on their behinds. Luckily they weren't hurt but could have been. It's easy enough to turn around and wave to your friends but you need to know where you are at all times.
Have a great time. We'll be in Maui for 2 weeks in February. I'm counting the days.