Planning a trip to Hawaii? Check out all my Hawaii posts and guides including a two week itinerary for Oahu, Maui and The Big Island!
Aloha! We are back from our trip to Hawaii, next to Europe this was one of my favourite trips. It was the perfect mix of activity and relaxation. Hawaii is an amazing place. I have so many things I want to write about! My plan is to recap the major things we did and then do a guide for each of the islands we visited: Oahu, Maui and The Big Island. So stay tuned for tons of recaps on all things Hawaii!
Snorkelling In Molokini Crater On The Four Winds Maui
One of my favourite things we did in Hawaii was snorkelling in the Molokini Crater. We have snorkelled in several places but Molokini may be one of the coolest. Molokini is a partially submerged volcanic crater that is located off the coast of Maui. The only way to get there is by boat! After some research online we chose to visit Molokini with Maui Classic Charters on The Four Winds II. We opted to go with the morning tour as this offered the longest amount of time for snorkelling.
Our Day On The Four Winds II
Our day started off boarding the board early in the morning at 7am. Once on board we were served muffins, fruit and hot coffee, the perfect start to our day! Once we everyone had boarded and we were introduced to our crew we set sail for Molokini. The boat was massive, we had lots of space and there were two washrooms on board.
The crew was excellent throughout the tour, they were all very helpful and knowledgable. They answered everyone’s questions, handed out gear and just generally made sure we had a great time. On the way over they provided us with a snorkelling demonstration. I also felt like they were very safety orientated. There was a lifeguard in the water at all times and two on the back of the boat making sure everyone got on and off safely.
On the way over we also had the option to purchase wetsuits, rent a go pro or try out snuba which is a cross between snorkelling and scuba diving. We opted not to go with a wetsuit, we thought the water temperature was just perfect but we’re Canadians who swim in the North Atlantic ocean so we may not be the best people to judge! They also offered fishing off the back of the boat if that was your thing you could try it out.
Snorkelling Molokini Crater
Once we arrived at the crater we pulled on our fins and defogged our gear. I thought defogging was the best thing ever. When I snorkelled before my mask fogged up and drove me crazy. Their defogging solution (I think it was baby shampoo and something else?) worked amazing and really made my snorkelling experience even better.
Bruce and I headed out, I took a boogie board with me. I am a strong swimmer but knew with two hours of snorkelling that I’d want something to rest on occasionally. As we snorkelled we saw so many fish, it was such a cool experience. There was tons of room even though there were several boats at the crater. The coolest thing I saw was a flute fish, what a crazy looking fish! I also saw this beautiful white fish with yellow stripes, tons of bright coloured fish and there were lots of these black fish that would swim right up to you.
We stayed out for probably about 90 minutes or so and then decided to head back on the boat for a quick break. When we headed out again we decided to take the water slide off the side of the boat. So fun! You can also jump off one side of the boat if you choose or the tamer route is to take the stairs off the back. We snorkelled for about another 20 minutes or so and then headed in for good.
As we snorkelled I did take my cell phone with me and used this waterproof iPhone case
Lunch & The Ride Back
Once we were back on board I was starving. Snorkelling was hard work! For lunch we had a choice of chicken or pulled pork (there is a veggie option as well and hot dogs for the kiddos) on a bun with all the toppings and there were chips and salads for sides. I had the pork and it was all so good, served hot and fresh! The crew went around with cookies after lunch. Also, once snorkelling was done the bar was open. They offer an open bar on the ride back which we enjoyed!
The ride back we enjoyed a few beverages in the gorgeous sun and took in the beautiful views of Maui. It was the perfect end to our morning. On the way back if time permits they stop to a beach where turtles are sometimes seen. We did see one pop out of the water at one point which was very cool.
Overall, we all agreed that we had an amazing experience with Maui Classic Charters. They offer the most snorkelling time compared to other tours at the crater which is exactly what we wanted! The tour was well organized and we had so much fun. It was a highlight of our time in Maui, I can’t recommend this tour enough!
Planning a trip to Hawaii? Check out all my Hawaii posts and guides including a two week itinerary for Oahu, Maui and The Big Island!
Have you been to Maui? What was your favourite part?
MolokiniPinDisclaimer: Maui Classic Charters partnered with me in exchange for an unbiased review of my experience, as always all opinions are my own.
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Looks like a beautiful trip! I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and these photos are giving me a serious travel bug.
Hawaii was amazing, everyone needs to visit! 🙂
Looks like an amazing experience! Going to have to add this one to the bucket list.
xx katie // a touch of teal
Yes, definitely!!