I'd like to snorkel in the waters off Maui over Christmas, but I haven't been able to find out about the water temperature in any of my tourist books. Can anyone tell me if the water is too cold to snorkel without a wet suit? We'll be in the Wailea area. Thanks.

Marcia,
In MHO I think the water in Hawaii is a little cold for lengthy (e.g. more than a quick dip) swims in the winter. My husband goes surfing all winter without a wetsuit and I don't know how it stands it. You may want just an insulated shirt (I don't know official name - but they are used when surfing, lighter weight than a wetsuit) rather than a full wetsuit. I'm pretty sensitive to cold water - so I stay out of the ocean during Hawaii's 'winter.' I think it is somewhat dependent on your cold tolerance, the depth of the water you intend to swim in, and how long you plan to be in the water.

You sound like a Californian! A wetsuit in Maui? Only if you wish to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Most of the time the water temperature is around the 80s...and it gets cold when it's in the 70s.

Aloha Marcia,
Been to Molokai 2-3x over T'giving and 1st week of Dec and never had a problem with the water temp...And I'm a Californian!

Of course, being built like a monk seal tends to keep me warm in the water!

You may wish to invest in a call to a Maui dive shop and get their opinion if you think it may become a prob.
Mucho mahalos,
Kal

Went to maui in 96 at christmas. Went swimming - felt great

The water temperature should be in the 70s but for me I would like a shorty wet suit particularly if you are going to Molokini crater which is highly recommended with a small group only. You can rent one at a dive shop in Liahana for a modest fee per day. Since snorkeling does not involve heavy activity as it scares away fish you will appreciate the added comfort. Also it does provide some sun protection on parts of your body.

P.S. I just went to my copy of "Climatological Atlas of the World Ocean" by NOAA. Maui for November Decmeber and January Max 78.8F Min 74.9F The coldest period is in the next three months with a Min of around 73F. This should give you a fair picture of the situation. Divers would be in wet suits. Many doing active swimming would be comfortable at this time particularly if they swim year around in Southern California. The peak temperature is in around August when it can get up to 81F. It is amazing how difficult it is to find ocean temperature. I have called dive shops in the islands and they have not real information. It makes a difference if you are trying to plan on the weight of suit to pack.

Thanks for the info on water temperature.

Thank you to everyone who provided me with information. I am so impressed with the folks on this site. As a side note, however, I'm a little freaked out by the previous post giving my name and today's date and time. I DID NOT write this!!! Weird.