Humpback Whales
Aqua Adventures offers a two-location snorkel trip, going to Molokini first and Turtle Arches second on a typical day. We highly recommend to consider this tour first, because many of our clients want something a step up in terms of personal service and really want to go on a less-crowded boat. Some Molokini boats hold upwards to 140 people … no such crowds on board Aqua Adventures Molokini … while the vessel can hold 49, they limit the trip to just 36 guests per day.
Their boat is well designed to handle Maui's often windy ocean conditions. The boat is FAST too! Powered by twin 350HP motors, this vessel cruises at 22 knots which means you'll be waving goodbye to other boats as you pass them on the way to Molokini crater.
This boat is family owned and operated and they have next to ZERO crew turnover. These people love their jobs, love the ocean, and love sharing all of this with you. I recommend this tour for anyone EXCEPT those with very small children or anyone who KNOWS they have a problem with motion sickness. There is no water slide on this boat, so kids might prefer one of the bigger boats.
Their deli lunch features HIGH QUALITY beef, ham, and turkey that have been SMOKED at Beach Bums, an excellent BBQ restaurant at Maalaea Harbor. If you are a vegetarian, you might prefer one of the bigger boats that offer garden burgers, but those smoked meats are REALLY tasty!
Want to try something really adventurous? Take your snorkeling experience to a whole new level of underwater thrills with a SNUBA DIVE on board the 50 foot Aqua Adventures boat. SNUBA is much like scuba diving … you breathe compressed air through a regulator and can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. But the snuba experience is a lot easier than a first-time introductory scuba dive because you don't have to wear all the bulky gear. The tanks don't go on your back … instead they float on a raft that stays at the surface of the water and a hose comes down to your regulator. As you move around underwater the raft follows you around effortlessly, leaving you free to explore and focus on the experience, rather than struggling with the gear. Your dive instructor will lead you on a guided tour of the underwater world.
There are other boats that offer snuba as an on-board option, but no one does snuba better than Aqua Adventures. Their vessel is specifically designed for snuba diving with easy access in and out of the water. Their snuba instructors are the best in the industry. And with Aqua Adventures, you can pre-reserve your snuba dive (as opposed to other boats where you just sign up on board).
While SNUBA is Aqua Adventures' specialty, this boat is great for those who are only going to snorkel too. It doesn't matter if your party is ALL snorkelers, ALL snuba divers, or some of each. Those doing a snuba dive will have 30 minutes of underwater SNUBA time and another 30 minutes or so of snorkeling at one spot, and will have over an hour to snorkel at the other spot. Snorkelers who aren't SNUBA diving will have about 3 hours of water time split between the two dive locations.
General Information
Schedule
The 4.5 hour tour is offered daily. Check in at 6:45am at Maalaea Harbor slip #51. This is the boat harbor in Central Maui just behind the Maui Ocean Center Aquarium along Highway 30. The address is 101 Maalaea Rd, Wailuku, HI 96793.
Vessel
High speed boat with Twin engine 350 horse power Cummins with a capacity of 40pax.
Included in Tour
The basic snorkeler rate includes continental breakfast on the way to Molokini, a really nice "build your own sandwich" deli lunch after you are done in the water, and an open bar for beer, Mai Tais, rum and cokes, soda and juice.
Aqua Adventures often has an on-board videographer who will produce a DVD of your trip which is available for purchase.
Gear Provided
The basic snorkeler rate also includes snorkel gear and instruction, and two snorkel locations. Wet suits are available to rent onboard for a very modest fee of $5. Underwater cameras, T shirts, and souvenir boarding photos are also available for purchase.
What to Bring & Wear
Wear swimsuits and bring a towel and sunscreen.
Restrictions
While children of all ages may go along to snorkel, the minimum age for snuba is 8. All snuba divers must fill out a health screening questionnaire before participation. Occasionally someone will be disqualified from participating in snuba and in those cases we will refund the snuba dive portion of the ticket cost and only charge the basic snorkeler rate.
Cancellation / Weather Policy
Cancellations must be made at least 48 hours before the start of the event. Molokini as a snorkel destination is somewhat weather-dependent … while all of these tours that advertise Molokini as a destination will make every effort to provide guests with the experience they seek, a few days a year the tours get diverted to an alternate snorkel spot. All snorkel destinations are ultimately the decision of the captain of the respective vessel and that decision is always made with the safety and comfort of the guests in mind.