A Different Take on Snorkeling Molokini - Maui

by Tim M.
(Chicago)

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere on the site, so I thought I'd add it in case anyone finds it interesting. On my last trip to Maui the winds and currents were a bit haywire and many of the shore snorkeling sites were reduced to 10 feet of vis. Going out to Molokini seemed the only remedy, but I don't like crowded snorkel sites and I like cattle boats even less. A dive shop operator told me to try Blue Water Raft Adventure's molokini express trip (his roommate was the boat captain). It leaves from S. Kihei boat ramp, takes 15 minutes to get to the crater, and times it's trips so that they are often the only one in the crater when they get there. Their schtick is that they crank AC/DC tunes, do crazy maneuvers for a few minutes at high speed, and then rocket at about 50 mph to the site. If you can stomach the absurdity of that you are treated to the real advantage of this outfit: they snorkel the backside of Molokini. Four hundred feet of water, near 200 feet of vis, sheer wall, who know what will swim by. On one trip we did the back wall, curled around the corner to the inside, and did the entire crater in one snorkel. For the Maui snorkeler who's seen it all, maybe this is just the ticket. Bring dramamine!