flick

Hi, I'm taking a week vacation in Maui and I had a few questions about going snorkeling.

1) Do you need to know how to swim?

2) Where are the BEST places to Snorkel?

3) Should I buy my own snorkeling equipment?


Thanks in advance for your help!!

kmrsg

It has been awhile since I was there, but we dearly loved snorkeling, and I am not a big swimmer myself. You can rent snorkeling equipment at your hotel, but it will be more expensive. There are several shops that rent out equipment for the day, and we did that one day. There was one spot past the Westin Maui near some huge rocks where we actually swam with turtles. It was amazing. We didn't get out too deep, though. The water wasn't very clear, but it was wild swimming with the turtles.

kikahead

Black Rock on Kanapali by the Sheraton had AMAZING snorkeling. Unless you snorkel a lot, I owuld just rent. However, during the summer Costco usually has inexpensive snorkeling equipment. You do not need to know how to swim--I would however recommend that you wear a life jacket in water that is over your head or a "noodle" for water you can stand in. You will naturally "float" on the surface when snorkeling but for safety you should use a floatation device as it is easy to drift into deep water without realizing it.

Ally

If you can't swim, you certainly need a life vest or some kind of flotation device, no question.
There is very limited parking for the snorkeling at Black Rock unless you can pay for parking at the Sheraton. Or, you can park at Whalers Village (also pay I think) but it would be a good walk down to Black Rock.
On the other side of Black Rock, there is a real nice beach park. I can't remember the name of it, but the entrance is right next to the entrance to the new Westin, which is under construction now. Look for the guy in the parking lot selling time shares (I think) for the Westin. The entrance is next to him. There is plenty of free parking, bathrooms, a shower, some grass and palm trees for shade and some BBQ's. Best of all the snorkeling is only 25-30' from shore. I saw a turtle there too. It's also a great beach for little kids as the waves are very small here.

Doug

Might I also recommend the Fishbowl...it's just north of La Perouse Bay. You have to hike a little to get there, but what a hike it is...through a lava field. Will take you about 30 minutes each way. I would recommend going first thing in the morning (i.e. by 8 A.M.) because as the morning goes on, it gets crowded with kayakers.

islandmom

Yes, you need to swim. The best spots are the coves about Kaanapali or Molokini.

panhandle

Agree with other posts on off shore snorkel spots. For a trip to molokini try the four winds ...they have a fantastic crew to help with those who aren't strong swimmers. My wife was scared to death to get in the water..but with some help from the crew they had to use throw nets to bring her back in.LOL Wherever you go...DONT foget the sunscreen or the next few days will be very painful! ALOHA!