Plan your trip
How to plan a Molokini snorkel and a Maui helicopter tour
The short answer Yes, a morning snorkel that gets back by 12:30 p.m. leaves room for an afternoon flight. If you add Snuba, ask first: divers are told to wait 12 hours or more before flying. Whales from the air are never certain.
On this page
Do the boat first, in the morning, and book the flight for later the same day or another day. Which one depends on whether you snorkel only or add Snuba.
Fitting both in
Molokini boats mostly sail in the morning, for reasons covered in when to go. That leaves the afternoon open.
Short Kīhei trips, with the times each operator prints:
- Maui Snorkel Charters, 2 hours: back on land 8:30 a.m.
- Redline Rafting, 2 hours: back on land 9:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m., depending on the trip.
- Seafire, 3 hours: leaves at 7:30 a.m.
- Blue Water Rafting, 2 hours: leaves at 10:30 a.m.
The rule is every short trip from Kīhei in our comparison. Seafire and Blue Water print departure times and not return times, so ask them when you will be back. Compare the Kīhei boats.
- Back at 12:30 p.m.: Four Winds' morning trip runs 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $180 adult, before tax and fees, on Maui Classic Charters’ site, checked .
Add a buffer for harbor check-in and the drive. Hawaiʻi's airports division says Kahului Airport handles helicopter operations in locations separate from its other flights, and its roads serve scenic tour operators. So plan for Kahului, which is a drive from Māʻalaea or Kīhei, and confirm the exact departure point with the flight company. If the day feels tight, split it across two days.
You pay for two outings. The snorkel price is printed above for Four Winds; for the Kīhei boats, use the comparison link. The flight company sets its own price, so get it from them before you decide.
The wait after Snuba or scuba
Snuba is the breathing-underwater add-on some boats sell. The Divers Alert Network says to wait at least 12 hours before flying after a single no-decompression dive, and at least 18 hours after multiple dives or several days of diving. The article is about scuba and does not mention snorkeling or Snuba.
Plain snorkeling at the surface is not diving. If you added Snuba (Four Winds offers it), ask the Snuba operator and the flight company before booking the same day. A morning dive and a flight the next day is the simple answer.
Whales from the air
Winter is whale season, and the dates are on the whale page. A flight in those months may pass over whales, but nothing is certain.
Rules cover aircraft, too. NOAA sets 1,000 feet (300 m) as the distance aircraft must keep from humpback whales in Hawaiian waters. Boats stay 100 yards away. For boats that mix both, see whales on a snorkel trip.
If a flight is too much
See what to do after a Molokini snorkel for easier afternoon ideas.
Questions
Is it safe to fly after snorkeling or Snuba?
The Divers Alert Network advises divers to wait at least 12 hours before flying after a single no-decompression dive, and 18 hours after repeated dives. Its article does not cover snorkeling or Snuba, so ask your Snuba operator before booking a flight the same day.
Sources and corrections
The 10 sources for this page
- About the Sanctuary, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries), read . Backs: Humpbacks are generally seen in Hawaiʻi November through April, peak January through March.
- Regulations, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries), read . Backs: Federal 100-yard rule for approaching humpbacks by any means. · Aircraft must stay 1,000 feet (300 m) from humpback whales in Hawaiian waters.
- Maui – Molokini Shoal (HAR 13-31) (Hawaiʻi DLNR, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)), read . Backs: Currents can get stronger inside the cove in the afternoon when winds pick up.
- Flying After Diving (Divers Alert Network), read . Backs: Minimum preflight surface interval is 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours after multiple dives or multiple days; the article does not mention snorkeling or Snuba.
- Kahului Airport information (Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, Airports Division), read . Backs: Kahului Airport handles helicopter operations in separate locations from its commuter and general aviation traffic, and its roads serve scenic tour operators.
- fourwindsmaui.com (Maui Classic Charters), read . Backs: Four Winds morning trip 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Snuba add-on.
- redlinerafting.com (Redline Rafting), read . Backs: Redline two-hour trips: back on land 9:00 or 11:30 a.m.
- mauisnorkelcharters.com (Maui Snorkel Charters), read . Backs: Maui Snorkel Charters 2-hour: back on land 8:30 a.m.
- seafirecharters.com (Seafire Charters), read . Backs: Seafire 3-hour trip leaves 7:30 a.m.
- bluewaterrafting.com (Blue Water Rafting), read . Backs: Blue Water 2-hour trip leaves 10:30 a.m.