South Maui PM Snorkel: A Candid Look at Coral Gardens & Molokini Crater

So, you’re thinking of heading out on a South Maui PM Snorkel, right? Maybe you’re drawn to the shimmer of Coral Gardens, or perhaps the name Molokini Crater just echoes in your mind. That’s just excellent because I spent an afternoon doing exactly that, and I figured I’d let you know about my experiences. This isn’t some overly romanticized sales pitch. Instead, this is a good-faith attempt to help you sort out if this is *your* way to see some of the island’s underwater scene. This review focuses on a typical afternoon tour, providing insight on what to expect from the sights to the crowds, and also the overall value.

What You Can Expect on the Boat

When it comes to boats, the tour I selected had one that seemed about average. In a way, you want space enough to not be crammed up next to everyone, but on the other hand, not so gigantic that the group just feels impersonal. I suppose, they offered what they termed “ample” seating. That, arguably, is mostly benches. It really is more functional than anything overly fancy, honestly. There’s sun and shade available depending on where you end up sitting, so consider that given how strong the sun could be. You see, they stocked equipment—flippers, masks, snorkels—in various sizes. That is almost fine, but it’s typically a first-come, first-served kind of deal, you know? It might be worth trying to arrive early so you actually do get the things that just fit right, too.

A very brief safety talk happened as we went off. They explained the boat rules, what to do if you were to get separated (yikes!), and then demonstrated just how to correctly use the snorkeling gear. That’s all extremely important, particularly if it happens to be your initial attempt at snorkeling. Refreshments usually were available: water, juice, and sodas; that might be something to double-check given that they can change without warning. Light snacks may also be available depending upon the boat, but this tends to be a bag of chips, so don’t show up hungry, very hungry that is.

Coral Gardens: A Look at the Reef

So, Coral Gardens, right? What makes Coral Gardens so cool is, typically, it’s calmer and closer to the shore compared to Molokini. That does mean that it might just be a bit better choice if you get seasick easily, arguably. What you may spot: a lot of coral (duh), but just as many different types of tropical fish. So too, you’ll notice that the water’s quite clear. In some respects, clarity might be the key, very key benefit to snorkeling at this spot.

Keep your eye out for parrotfish, wrasses, and maybe even a sea turtle or two. I got to catch some peeks at a few while I visited. They do, it’s almost like they appear from out of nowhere. Given the sheltered location, that tends to make this just a nice place for beginner snorkelers, very beginner, actually. One should just be aware that, depending upon the time of day (and also year), that it may still get a little busy with various other tours. Try to keep a bit of space from others to definitely have an enhanced viewing experience. You know, as I was saying, personal bubbles could be vital!

Molokini Crater: Snorkeling a Volcanic Caldera

Molokini is literally a partially submerged volcanic crater; as a matter of fact, it’s shaped somewhat like a crescent moon. It is probably one of the most well-known spots to go snorkeling in all of Hawaii. I saw that the main benefit here can be the sheer visibility; you will just see so, so much! It’s thought that because of the crater shape, this gives a degree of shelter from the current. That also really enhances visibility. Do know that afternoons might just get a little windier than the early mornings, though. That really can affect water clarity and choppy conditions too.

I was impressed with the amount of fish here; like your basic, brightly colored reef fish everywhere. Sightings may include butterflyfish, tangs, and maybe even larger ocean dwellers like manta rays or sharks, reef sharks specifically! It’s usually that you don’t need to stress much; the sharks tend to be more scared of you. Even so, I feel that this spot is really for slightly more experienced snorkelers. That, arguably, is due to the occasional stronger currents and just potentially deeper waters. And just because it’s super common, make sure your sunscreen is reef-safe, just very reef-safe, really. Normal sunscreen includes chemicals that are very harmful to the reef, you know?

Afternoon Timing: Advantages and Drawbacks

The afternoon tours can be a mixed bag, you know. On one hand, you’ll see that you might be able to sleep in a little (which is just fantastic when you are trying to actually get away for enjoyment). Then you won’t feel any rush. Arguably, this works better with just other activities already planned for the morning. However, that may get breezy in the afternoon. This can really impact the water clarity, so that affects how much you will just see when under water. Another item, potentially, is crowds: I found that there are still boatloads of people at the common locations even into the afternoon, that is almost disappointing, actually.

So too, light may affect things. By about late afternoon the sunlight isn’t quite directly overhead, which really is the way to get the best illumination for undersea viewing, usually. You just might find yourself wishing you had chosen a morning trip given those considerations. Depending upon where you choose to stay and leave from, just check to make sure you know what kind of driving will be involved. Traffic does just increase, slightly, heading back from the southern shores to the west part of Maui by late afternoon, just be advised.

Is It Worth It? My Recommendation

So, is this PM snorkel tour a worthwhile deal? I’d say this depends quite a bit on your personal expectations. If, basically, you are new to snorkeling and mainly desire a closer-to-shore spot with calm waters, Coral Gardens may do the trick for you. But, as I was saying, it may not be radically different from just various other snorkeling locations easily reached right from Maui’s beaches. That depends, of course, but don’t expect a super unique location in that instance, usually.

Now, Molokini does feature great visibility. In a way, that helps showcase a large amount of sea life, if, of course, conditions are right. Keep an eye to weather reports for real time observations prior to making a choice, because clarity shifts, too it’s almost immediate sometimes. On either spot, I might suggest tempering any anticipation for a totally secluded experience because they do attract a quantity of visitors, very large amounts. Considering what I got with money and time, and really wanting an “okay” snorkeling afternoon that didn’t demand an extremely early wake-up, then I would say it was “fine.” Not blow-your-socks-off wonderful, and yet, reasonably fine. Hopefully the factors I shared here, it is almost so, might help with getting this choice right for you. Have fun with your travels!