What to bring

What should you bring on a Molokini snorkel tour?

Swimsuit, towel, mineral sunscreen, a cover-up, a warm layer, water, a card for parking and cash for tips. The boat lends the snorkel gear.

The checklist, and who provides what:

Which sunscreen is allowed at Molokini?

Mineral sunscreen only. Maui County has banned the sale and use of non-mineral sunscreen since 1 October 2022; only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are allowed.

Two laws stack up. Hawaii banned the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone or octinoxate from 2021. Maui County went further: its ordinance allows only mineral sunscreens, with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient, from 1 October 2022. Check the active ingredients on the back of the tube, not the word reef-safe on the front, which has no legal meaning.

Four Winds asks for non-aerosol sunscreen. Apply it 15 to 30 minutes before you get in, not at the ladder, so it doesn't wash straight off onto the reef. Better still, cover up: a rash guard means less cream in the water and no burnt back. More on the rules in the sunscreen post.

Do you need your own snorkel gear?

No. Every trip lends mask, snorkel and fins. Bring your own mask if you have one that fits, and leave full-face masks at home: Pride of Maui, Ali'i Nui and the Elua yacht ban them.

A mask that fits matters more than one that is new. One Ali'i Nui guest learned from the crew that "I've been wearing my mask too tight all these years (that's why it would leak)." If you wear glasses, Four Winds lists optical masks, and a Pride of Maui guest noted prescription gear on board but suggested bringing your own if you have it.

Full-face snorkel masks are banned on Pride of Maui, the Ali'i Nui and the Elua yacht. If you use an anti-fog spray, bring it; baby shampoo works too.

Optical masks, sea boards and flotation belts on board, with breakfast, lunch, beer and wine included.

★ 4.7 · 5 hours · from $213

Explore the Four Winds sail → Tour details

Do Molokini boats provide towels?

Mostly no. Calypso, Malolo, Four Winds, Maui Reef Adventures and both rafts list towels as excluded. Ali'i Nui asks you to bring one from your hotel.

Ali'i Nui explains why: to help conserve Maui's fresh water, it asks guests to bring a towel from their hotel or home. Most resorts lend beach towels for the day; ask at the pool desk the night before, since you will leave before it opens.

On the Redline raft, bring water as well: it lists towels, sunscreen and bottled water as not included. The Makena Coast raft includes juice and bottled water but no towels or sunscreen.

Is it cold on a Molokini snorkel trip?

The water is warm by mainland standards, but after an hour in it and a windy ride back, most people feel cold. Bring a dry layer and consider a $10 wetsuit in winter.

Maui's sea is around 75°F in February and March and in the low 80s in late summer, according to a local dive shop's readings. That feels fine for ten minutes and cool after forty, especially for kids and thin adults. An Elua guest appreciated "option of wet suit top as Molokini water colder". Calypso and Malolo rent wetsuits for $10, and Four Winds rents tops.

On deck, early mornings and the wind on the way home are the cold part. A light windbreaker or a dry hoodie in a plastic bag earns its space.

How do you prevent seasickness on a Molokini boat?

Take tablets about two hours before you sail, sit low in the middle, watch the horizon and skip the alcohol. Dramamine bought on board works too late.

The CDC's Yellow Book gives meclizine and dimenhydrinate an onset of about two hours, and scopolamine patches six to eight hours. That rules out the $5 tablets the Calypso and Malolo sell on board unless you take them at check-in. Non-drug steps help: look at the horizon, keep fresh air on your face, avoid reading and screens, and stay away from the bow, where motion is greatest.

Seasickness hits every boat type. Rafts are the bumpiest, and Redline says they are not recommended for people who get seasick. A Four Winds guest warned: "if you're prone to seasickness, come prepared with motion sickness medication." Eat a light breakfast; the raft guest who wrote "Do not eat right before this trip" meant it.

What should you leave behind?

Big backpacks, full-face masks, aerosol sunscreen and anything you can't afford to lose overboard. Take your phone in a waterproof case or leave it.

Maui Reef Adventures allows no large backpacks or luggage on its small boat. Space on the rafts is tighter still. Leave valuables in the hotel safe, not in a car at the harbor.

If you bring a phone, use a waterproof case with a lanyard; Pride of Maui suggests one. A Maui Reef Adventures guest dropped hers to the sea floor and was lucky that a crew member dove down and brought it back. Most boats sell photo packages from an onboard photographer, so you can leave the camera dry and still get pictures.

What do you need at the harbor before boarding?

A card for parking, your ticket on your phone or printed, photo ID if you want a drink, and time: check-in runs 15 to 45 minutes before departure.

• Parking: Ma'alaea lots are paid by QR code and card; Four Winds notes card only. Pay for the full trip plus check-in, since towing is enforced.
• Ticket: Calypso and Malolo ask you to print or download your ticket after checkout.
• Waiver: Four Winds requires every guest to sign one, and Redline needs a parent's signature for 16- and 17-year-olds. Do it online beforehand if the operator emails a link.
• ID: alcohol is for 21+ with valid photo ID.
• Cash: for tips.

Remember the reef rules once you're in: the crater is a Marine Life Conservation District, so no feeding fish, no taking anything and no standing on coral. Details in Molokini's rules.

Print the ticket, pay the meter and check in by 6:45 AM: the classic Molokini morning with two meals and two slides.

★ 4.6 · 5.5 hours · from $189

Explore the Calypso Molokini trip → Tour details

Frequently asked questions