FAQ
Top 10 Molokini snorkel questions
The short answer Short answers on swimming, ages, check-in, bags, contact lenses, restrooms, tipping, cancellations and insurance. Rules differ by boat, so each answer points you to what to check.
On this page
Rules change from boat to boat, so use these answers as a checklist and confirm the details with the trip you book. You book with each operator directly.
1. How well do I need to swim?
Several operators give you flotation, and Four Winds II and Redline list it. Others say plainly that the trip is not recommended for non-swimmers, among them Pacific Whale Foundation's Molokini & Turtle Adventure and Maui Reef Adventures. If you are not a confident swimmer, read the safety tips before you book.
2. How old do kids have to be?
It depends on the boat. Several Māʻalaea catamarans take babies and toddlers, often free with a paying adult: Calypso, Malolo, Pride of Maui and Sail Maui all list that. The rafts and smaller boats set minimums: 4 and up on Blue Water Rafting and Maui Reef Adventures, 5 on Maui Snorkel Charters, 8 on Redline Rafting and 10 on Maui Diamond. Pacific Whale Foundation's Molokini & Turtle Adventure says 7 and up. Our kids' guide goes through it.
3. How long is the trip?
Trips run from about 2 hours to 5.5 hours. The trip comparison lists each one. Morning is the usual time. DLNR says currents may get stronger inside the cove in the afternoon. See when to go.
4. Where do I check in, and how long is the drive?
Molokini trips leave from the Kīhei Boat Ramp and Māʻalaea Harbor, plus Maluaka Beach in Mākena when Kai Kanani is sailing. Kai Kanani is paused as of Nov. 4, with no November dates and December on sale. Check-in runs from 15 to 45 minutes before departure, depending on the boat. Blue Water Rafting lists 15 minutes on its 10:30 a.m. trip and 30 on its 7:00 a.m. trips. Aliʻi Nui lists a 6:45 a.m. check-in for a 7:00 a.m. departure and asks guests to arrive 15 minutes before check-in. Calypso, for example, requires check-in 45 minutes before at Slip 76 in Māʻalaea.
Some operators give a drive time from their own pickup area. We have no sourced drive times from other areas, so check a map for your hotel and add margin. Drive times are estimates and change with traffic.
5. Where do I park?
At the Kīhei Boat Ramp, parking is free, as Blue Water Rafting and Redline Rafting both say. At Māʻalaea, Calypso and Four Winds II list harbor parking as an extra cost. Read your operator's page.
6. Are my bags safe on board?
We can't promise that for any boat. Carry as little as you can, keep a small bag with towel and sunscreen, and leave valuables at your hotel. Ask the operator what storage the boat has.
7. Should I take my contact lenses out?
We found no source to settle it. Ask your operator and your eye doctor. If you wear glasses, note that Four Winds II and Pacific Whale Foundation list optical masks with their gear.
8. Does every boat have a restroom?
No page we read says so for all boats, and listings differ. Four Winds II and Pacific Whale Foundation's Ocean Explorer list two. Calypso lists two or more. Redline Rafting's five-hour raft has a bathroom on board; for its two-hour trip, ask us. If you need one, ask before you book.
9. Do I tip, and what if the trip is cancelled?
Gratuity is handled differently by each operator. Ask whether it is included and what the operator suggests.
Weather terms differ by boat. The month guide compares what several operators say. Blue Water Rafting says cancellations go by phone only. Read yours before you pay.
10. Is trip insurance worth it?
That depends on your policy and your trip, and we don't recommend a product. Whether a policy pays for a tour you cancel depends on the reason and the policy, so read what yours says about weather, illness and changes. Operators' own change and cancel terms are worth reading first, and the trip comparison links to each.
Questions
Does every boat have a restroom?
Operators list them differently, and some pages do not say. Ask before you book if it matters.
Are my bags safe on board?
No operator page we read promises it. Leave valuables at your hotel and carry little.
Sources and corrections
The 16 sources for this page
- redlinerafting.com and its booking pages (Redline Rafting), read . Backs: Redline: free parking at the Kīhei Boat Ramp. · Redline's 5-hour raft has a bathroom on board; for other trips, ask. · Redline: minimum age is 8. · Redline's gear list includes flotation belts.
- Maui Island Facilities (Hawaiʻi DLNR, DOBOR), read . Backs: Departure points for Molokini trips: Māʻalaea Harbor and Kīhei Boat Ramp.
- kaikanani.com (Kai Kanani), read . Backs: Kai Kanani departs from Maluaka Beach in Mākena; sailing paused as of Nov. 4, no November dates, December on sale.
- Maui – Molokini Shoal (HAR 13-31) (Hawaiʻi DLNR, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)), read . Backs: DLNR says currents may get stronger inside the cove in the afternoon when winds pick up.
- aliinuimaui.com (Aliʻi Nui), read . Backs: Aliʻi Nui: check-in 6:45 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. departure.
- bluewaterrafting.com (Blue Water Rafting), read . Backs: Blue Water Rafting 2-hour trip: 10:15 a.m. check-in for 10:30 a.m. · Blue Water Rafting: no children under 4 on the 2-hour trip; free parking per the operator; cancellations by phone only.
- bluewaterrafting.com (Blue Water Rafting), read . Backs: Blue Water Rafting 3-hour trip: 6:30 a.m. check-in for 7:00 a.m.
- calypsomaui.com (Calypso), read . Backs: Calypso: Slip 76, Māʻalaea; mandatory check-in 45 minutes before departure; parking is an extra cost; restrooms (two on the tour page, three on the amenities page).
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: Pacific Whale Foundation: premium snorkel gear with optical masks, two restrooms on Ocean Explorer, not recommended for non-swimmers on the Molokini & Turtle Adventure, child age rules.
- mauireefadventures.com (Maui Reef Adventures), read . Backs: Maui Reef Adventures: kids must be 4 or older; two restrooms; not recommended for non-swimmers.
- fourwindsmaui.com (Maui Classic Charters), read . Backs: Four Winds II: two restrooms; snorkel gear including optical masks and flotation; harbor parking is extra.
- mauisnorkelcharters.com (Maui Snorkel Charters), read . Backs: Maui Snorkel Charters: kids must be 5 or older.
- mauidiamond.com (Maui Diamond Sea Sports), read . Backs: Maui Diamond: snorkelers and passengers must be 10 or older.
- molokinimaui.com (Malolo), read . Backs: Malolo: one child 0 to 3 rides free per paying adult.
- prideofmaui.com (Pride of Maui), read . Backs: Pride of Maui: infants 0 to 3 ride free.
- sailmaui.com (Sail Maui), read . Backs: Sail Maui: infants 2 and under ride free.