Our favorite Maui mornings start with a mask on the dashboard. From our bungalows in North Kihei, the whole South Maui coast is a string of reefs, each one a little farther down the road: the rocky points at the Kamaole beach parks ten minutes away, the lava fingers at Ulua and Mokapu, the turtles of Makena Landing and Maluaka, the clear coves of Ahihi-Kinau and, three miles offshore, the sunken crater of Molokini. Most of it you reach from the sand, in calm, warm water, before breakfast. This is the guide we wish every guest had before their first swim: each spot from north to south, the boat trips, the fish you will meet and their Hawaiian names, gear for kids, and a first morning for beginners.
Snorkeling from our bungalows in North Kihei
Sugar Beach, across the road from the bungalows, is our beach for long walks and soft sandy swims. Its bottom is sand almost everywhere, so the fish live a few minutes south, where lava points run out into the water and coral grows on the rock. Our snorkeling guide for Sugar Beach covers the beach across the road; this one follows the coast south, spot by spot.
South Maui sits in the lee of Haleakala, and its shore faces west toward Kaho'olawe, Molokini and Lana'i. On most mornings the water is flat and clear, and the reefs start close to shore, often in water you can stand up in on the sand beside them. That is why so many first-time snorkelers fall in love here. You drive ten to thirty-five minutes, park, walk across the sand and float.
We start with the Kamaole beach parks, Kamaole III first as our favorite first reef, then follow the road south along South Kihei Road, Wailea Alanui Drive and Makena Road: Keawakapu, Mokapu and Ulua, Wailea Beach and Polo, Makena Landing, Maluaka, Ahihi-Kinau and La Perouse. After those come the boats, which leave from Ma'alaea Harbor, about 10 minutes north of us, and from the Kihei Boat Ramp at the south end of town.
You do not need to do them all. Pick two or three that suit your group, go early, and repeat the ones you love. A reef looks different every morning, so a second or third visit often brings something new: a turtle one day, an octopus the next, a Moorish idol drifting by on the third.
South Maui snorkeling at a glance
| Spot | Entry | Depth and water | Best for | From the bungalows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamaole I and II points | Sand beside lava rocks | Shallow, by the rocks | Quick warm-up swims, lifeguard nearby | About 10 min |
| Kamaole III south point | Sand, then rocks | Shallow, by the rocks | First-timers, families, turtles | About 12 min |
| Keawakapu ends | Soft sand | Shallow, by the rocks | Quiet mornings | About 15 min |
| Mokapu and Ulua | Sand, short walk | Up to about 15 ft | Reef fish, easy entry | About 15 to 20 min |
| Wailea Beach and Wailea Point | Sand | About 10 to 15 ft | Turtles, longer swims | About 15 to 20 min |
| Polo Beach | Sand, some lava | Shallow | A calm add-on | About 20 min |
| Makena Landing | Sandy pocket or lava ledge | Shallow to moderate | Turtles, arches | About 20 to 25 min |
| Maluaka, Turtle Town | Sand | 15 to 20 ft | Turtles | About 20 to 25 min |
| Ahihi-Kinau coves | Lava rock | Coves off the lava | Confident snorkelers | About 30 to 35 min |
| La Perouse Bay | Sharp lava | Open bay | Watching dolphins from shore | About 35 min |
| Molokini Crater | Boat ladder | About 10 to 35 ft inside | Clearest water | 10 to 15 min to the boat |
Calm mornings and warm water all year
Mornings in South Maui are usually calm and glassy. The trade winds build through late morning and early afternoon, ruffling the surface and stirring the water. So we snorkel early, then save the afternoon for the beach, lunch or a nap on the lanai.
Hawaii's Department of Health says the same in its snorkel safety advice: morning hours are usually the best time, with better conditions and visibility. It also suggests skipping dawn, dusk and murky water. In practice that means getting in somewhere between about 7 and 10 a.m., after the light is up and before the wind arrives. Before you drive off, take a look at the bay from Sugar Beach, across the road. If Ma'alaea Bay is flat and blue, the south reefs are almost always lovely.
The water stays warm all year. NOAA's long-term averages for Kahului Harbor, the nearest station with a full record, run from about 75 degrees in February and March to about 81 in September. August through October bring the warmest water, around 80 degrees, lovely for long, lazy swims. Winter water in the mid-70s feels fresh on the first dip and comfortable after a few minutes, and a rash guard or thin wetsuit top keeps you warm on a long Molokini morning. Some boats rent them on board.
Seasons change the details more than the rhythm. Winter brings the humpbacks, from about December through March, and their spouts out in the channel between swims. Now and then in summer a south swell rolls in for a few days and puts some surge on the reefs. On those mornings we swim at the Kamaole beach parks, where the lifeguards can tell you which end is calmer, or we book a boat. Our best time to visit Maui guide and Maui in winter post cover the months in more detail.
| Month | Water | Month | Water |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 76.1 | July | 79.6 |
| February | 75.4 | August | 80.3 |
| March | 75.7 | September | 80.7 |
| April | 76.4 | October | 80.0 |
| May | 77.8 | November | 78.3 |
| June | 78.8 | December | 76.6 |
Kamaole III and its south point
Kamaole Beach Park III is where we send families for their first snorkel. It is about 12 minutes south of the bungalows, with a big grassy lawn, a playground, restrooms, outdoor showers and a staffed lifeguard tower. If a little one gets tired of the water, the shade and the swings are a few steps away.
The snorkeling is at the rocky point at the south end of the beach. Walk to the end of the sand, put your fins on in knee-deep water, and float out along the rocks. On a calm morning you will see goatfish working the sand, needlefish skimming just under the surface, yellow tangs and wrasses around the boulders, and a decent chance at a green sea turtle grazing on the rock. The water stays shallow enough near shore for nervous swimmers to feel comfortable.
Keep to the sand side of the rocks and float over them rather than standing. Waves wash around the point, so stay a body length off the boulders, and turn back while you still feel fresh. Kids who want a short first swim can stay in the sandy corner beside the rocks, which is often the calmest water on the beach.
The main lot holds about 35 to 40 cars and usually has room until late morning on weekdays. Come before 9 a.m. and you get the parking, the glassy water and the reef mostly to yourself. Afterward, the lawn is a lovely place for a picnic breakfast, and from December through March the grassy bluff is one of the easiest spots in Kihei to watch for whale spouts while you dry off.
Kamaole I and II rocky points
The other two Kamaole parks sit just north of Kam III along South Kihei Road, about 10 minutes from the bungalows, and each has its own lifeguard tower, restrooms and showers. Their reefs are small, close and easy, which makes them ideal for a quick swim before breakfast or a practice run on your first day.
Kamaole II is a quarter-mile crescent of golden sand with black lava points at both ends. On calm mornings we swim both points and usually meet turtles, goatfish, needlefish and, if you look closely in the cracks, the occasional octopus. The middle of the beach is sandy and gentle, so swimmers and boogie boarders in your group can stay close by.
Kamaole I is the long one, with the most open sand of the three. Its snorkeling is at the lava rocks at the south end, on the line between Kam I and Kam II. It makes a happy warm-up swim, with reef fish and the occasional turtle, and a good place to check that everyone's mask seals before you drive farther south. Its north end, Charley Young Beach, has morning shade for whoever stays on the sand.
These points are our answer when a guest asks where to snorkel with a lifeguard nearby. The towers are staffed daily, and the lifeguards are happy to tell you which end looks calmer that morning. Pair a swim here with breakfast in central Kihei: Kihei Caffe faces Kalama Park, just north of Kamaole I. Our Kihei beach guide covers the sand side of all three parks.
Keawakapu's reef and the artificial reef
Keawakapu Beach starts just past the point at Kamaole III and runs south to the edge of Wailea, about 15 minutes from the bungalows. The sand is soft and deep, the water is often glassy in the morning, and there are three small free lots, one at each entrance, with outdoor showers.
For snorkeling, swim the lava rocks at either end of the beach. The north rocks and the south rocks toward Mokapu both hold reef fish and regular green sea turtles, and you enter from the sand. Keawakapu is a quiet beach without a lifeguard tower, at its best for confident swimmers on calm mornings. Bring a buddy and stay close to the rocks rather than heading out into open water.
Keawakapu also has a reef you will never see from the surface. In the early 1960s the state began building an artificial reef about half a mile offshore, starting with around 150 old car bodies. In 2009 the state added about 1,500 concrete Z-shaped modules in 60 to 120 feet of water to give fish more places to live.
That reef is a scuba site, far too deep for snorkeling, so enjoy the story from your towel and keep your own swim to the shoreline rocks. If the idea of deeper water tempts you, the boats to Molokini and its back wall leave from the Kihei Boat Ramp a little way up the road, and a few offer SNUBA, where you breathe through a long hose from a raft at the surface, down to about 15 feet, with no certification needed.
Mokapu and Ulua
Just past Keawakapu, the coast turns into Wailea, and the first public beaches are Mokapu and Ulua, side by side, about 15 to 20 minutes from the bungalows. They share one public parking lot off Wailea Alanui Drive, marked with a shoreline access sign, with restrooms and outdoor showers. The lot fills on busy mornings, so this is another early-start spot.
The reef runs between the two beaches, on a point of lava fingers that make little hills and valleys on the bottom. From the lot, follow the sidewalk on the right to the water. The depth runs from a few feet to about 15 feet, which is shallow enough to see everything and deep enough to feel like real reef. Big schools of weke, the goatfish, sweep over the sand, and black-and-white Hawaiian dascyllus hover over the coral heads.
Swim out from Ulua toward the point on your right, the one Ulua shares with Mokapu, and follow the reef edge. Farther out, the deeper reef at Ulua has a turtle cleaning station, where small fish pick algae off the shells of turtles that come in and wait. If you find one, hang back, stay still and watch. It is one of the best shows in South Maui.
The beaches here are sandy and gentle, so once your group has tried Kamaole, Ulua makes a lovely next reef. There is no lifeguard, so swim with a buddy. Mokapu's shallow north side is good for kids on calm days. If the lot is full, park at Keawakapu's south lot and walk over along the sand, or keep going to Wailea Beach.