Four Winds Molokini Snorkeling

My husband booked this trip for us, we’re excited to go and do it… On the day of snorkeling to Molokini it felt like they took forever to get to the place, once we got there it was very disappointing, saw the same fish over and over, the person they sold the tour was a Big Lier a money hungry person, He told us they will take us to 3 different places and wasn’t true … We snorkel for 30 minutes only, then we had to go back to the harbor Not worth your money and precious time… I saw better fish at the beach with my goggles… These people are a complete rip off!!!$$$$

Dear Abby,
I read your review and your a jerk. Even with all the waivers must sign keeping the crew and passengers safe is and should continue to be everyone involved’s number one priority. We were warned every step of the way from booking to boarding that if the weather changed we would head to another location. As would every other boat headed out of harbor. It would not matter which outfit you went out with, every captain heading to Molokini would do the same. All the boats from each different company radio to each other to head elsewhere when the conditions are bad. Chet the Snuba instructor was wonderfully thorough with his instruction and reassuring in the water. I was able to Snuba when another passenger opted out last minute. What a wonderful experience Chet provided! Snuba was a great way to help me decide I am ready to get certified for scuba diving without having to make the financial commitment to getting scuba certified which can run a few hundred before any gear. All the staff we encountered were helpful and friendly. Lunch was surprisingly good. Trey who helped with photos and underwater camera rentals captured some great moments for us which was worth the extra price. The underwater photos we took ourselves turned out great! I will be sending my family and friends to four winds’s the next time they head to Maui.

Went to Molokini Crater today. The crew was awesome from beginning to end. They have muffins in the morning and serve lunch while at the Crater. Unlimited water, juice, and BEER. The time at the crater goes by pretty fast so it is nice that they stay at Molokini longer than the other boats. I would book through Four Winds II again.

I have enjoyed the Molokini tour with the four winds (and captain John) twice now. Both tours were a ton of fun and a great value. I have nothing at all negative to say about this boat or its crew; I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to head out to Molokini.

They were so amazing, so accomodating and lovely! We got the best pics AND everyone was really kind, and the food and drinks were great! As good as it gets in terms of a snorkeling charter boat experience! Thanks Four Winds!

If you are planning a trip with this business, please read this review first.
Went on the snorkeling trip today, got back a couple of hours ago. Was severely disappointed and I will tell you why.
Positives: the boat was nice, most of the staff was nice, the food was good and we didn’t feel over crowded on the boat.
But for the negatives I have to go into more detail. In our situation, we booked our tickets online ahead of time, so we were paid for when we got there. When we were seated on the boat, the captain went over everything, including the possibility that we might not get to ACTUALLY go to molokini. Which is what happened. But they only told us we were officially no longer going to molokini after we had been on the water headed that direction for half an hour. I feel that was unfair because then there was no turning back if you wanted your money back and to not go on the trip. The place they ended up taking us to was a place right off the high way, about 200 yards away from a beach that I had snorkeled at, 2 days ago, FOR FREE, instead of $ 100. Essentially I drove 45 minutes, after waking up at 5:30 am, to snorkel at a place I could have snorkeled at for free, that was only 25 minutes away from my hotel, and I paid $ 100 to do so. The experience was no where near what I have heard about and seen pictures of at molokini. Molokini has 150ft visibility, this place had about 40ft. I saw the same types of fish I saw 2 days ago (for free), nothing new or special, or unique to this spot. They bragged we would see sea turtles. There was one sea turtle sighting and only a few people got to see it because we were all pretty far away from each other and the turtle was on his way out of the area.
Just please realize this situation can very easily happen to you, despite all the good reviews. The weather on land was beautiful, no wind, BARELY any clouds, nice and warm and sunny, and we STILL didn’t get to go to molokini. If you get on this boat and don’t get to go to molokini, you will be severely disappointed. This trip was no where near worth $ 100.
Now a quick separate review for the snuba option they offer. This situation is a complete catch 22. I understand their side and I understand my side.
The situation is that the gentleman in charge of the snuba takes 2 groups of 8, at different times for a half hour each, for $ 62, and he can ONLY take those 16 people, there no room for more so its first come first serve. Now $ 62 is a little steep for me, but from what I’ve heard from friends and what I’ve read online, molokini is an absolute once in a lifetime experience, so I was willing to drop the extra money. They don’t actually charge you until after the whole trip and you are back on you way to the docks. So I sign up while I was still under the impression we are going to molokini, so I sit in on the mandatory safety instructions and quick snuba lesson.
Now here is the catch 22. The gentleman only has time for one safety briefing and you have to be sitting in on it to do the snuba. So if you sign up, and then back out, you took the spot of someone else who may have wanted to do it and then they don’t get paid the $ 62. But to be clear, they didn’t specify any of that before signing up.
The lesson was about 20 mins, maybe half an hour, I didn’t have a watch. So about 2 mins before he is done with the lesson, they announce we will no longer be going to molokini and we are going somewhere else. So I wait until he is done with the lesson and I tell him I am no longer interested. I felt very bullied by the gentleman in charge, (though he was very nice up until this point). He kept saying I wasn’t allowed to back out and I HAD to pay. Now like I said, I totally understand their side, but as I said before $ 62 is a lot of money and when I signed up I was under the impression we were going to molokini. So he badgered me for a while, and just kept repeating I wasn’t allowed to NOT pay. But they didn’t have any sort of credit card from me since no one paid yet and I finally just had to put my foot down and say no. It just kinda added insult to injury because I was already severely disappointed we didn’t get to do the advertised trip or get any sort of refund, then they were adamant about not letting me back out and I don’t do well with confrontation and it just ruined the whole day before it could even start. They even had the audacity to say this snorkeling is BETTER than molokini. O really? Then why do I have 12 different pamphlets of businesses that say MOLOKINI and not one that says «random off the high way snorkel spot»
All in all, just don’t use this place. There was no compensation for not going to molokini, there was little to no apology, and its just disrespectful they didn’t tell any one we weren’t going there before we took off. Just go snorkel some where else for free.
Also check out the photos I posted of our experience

Four Winds snorkeling tour was one of our favorite activities that we did while on Maui. They don’t do the usual 2 stop snorkeling trip. You go to Molokini and stay there longer than any other tour. This really gives you a great chance to explore Molokini and see more. While on the tour they offer a light breakfast which consisted of fresh fruit and Muffins and a great lunch that they grill on the back of the boat. The boat is large and very spacious with plenty of seating even with a full tour there is plenty of room and you don’t feel crowded at all. The boat has 3 separate sets of stairs into the water and a slide. It also has a clear bottom viewing area for anyone who isn’t snorkeling or if you just need a break but still want to enjoy the sealife below the boat. The crew was friendly helpful and and in general just went above and beyond to make the trip a great experience.

Loved this boat! It was HUGE so I did not see anyone get seasick, and I always get seasick! Takes about an hour to sail out to Molokini and it’s lots of fun. The crew is phenomenal and the food they served is great. They will help you in every way. They have snorkel gear and you can rent wetsuits for like $ 5, much cheaper than other boats I’ve been on. Plus they have boogie boards and floats for everyone. We did not see a ton of different fish that day but it was still a blast. Highly recommend this! Also, there is a charge to park at the pier but it’s very inexpensive.

The wife and I came on this boat during our last day in Maui. We already did Blue Water — which went to Molokini — and really wanted to snorkel Coral Gardens.
I called Four Winds in the morning and the nice lady that answered the phone informed me that she didnt know if the boat would go to Coral Gardens. She said to head to the dock and ask the captain in the afternoon. I was thinking to myself «oh great, now Im going to ask a stupid question that noone knows about!». Color me surprised when the captain knew we were coming ! He said that they would be heading to Coral Gardens and was able to give me the internet rate as I drove down not knowing where they would be going. Impressed!
Lets get one thing out of the way — this boat is on the larger size. If you are expecting an intimate trip, this isnt for you. That being said, there is plenty of staff on the boat that makes everything go smoothly.
Yes, there is an upsell for Snuba, but I didnt find it too overwhelming.
As far as snorkeling, Coral Gardens was awesome. We got to snorkel for a good 1.5 hours!
As far as the boat, this is a full service boat. Unlike Blue Water raft, there is a bathroom (if thats important to you. There is also a cool slide that goes into the water.
I do recommend getting lunch of this trip. They make the lunch right on the boat (they have 2 big grilles) and it honestly tasted delicious.
Here is why 4 star — a group of people got RIDICULOUSLY drunk since its all you can drink. There were families on this boat and they were being quite rowdy. I just wish staff told them to pipe it down because some comments they made were really inappropiate.
Besides that, no complaints. Great trip, great snorkeling. What else can you ask for?

Where do I start…
I booked on the website, saved me $ 20 total for 2.
We arrived early because it was a 20 min drive from our hotel. We were greater by this amazing older man, who’s jacket said Capt. John. He never said he was the captain and was an extremely humble man. Asked where we were from and spoke to use for about 20 min.
Once on board we were greeted by the crew. Amazingly friendly, nice continental breakfast. Then off to Molokini Crater. Capt John was very entertaining and very professional.
Crew got use nice and close to the crater. The professional photographer was nice and we were able to rent nice underwater Sony camera’s.
Lunch was great, pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, veggie burgers and grilled chicken. Potato chips, fresh fruit, soda, water and beer to go with your meal.
I’ve snorkel before and this is a must do if you are in Maui. We departed at 0730 and returned at 1230.
We will definitely do this trip again with the Four Winds next time we come back.
You cannot go wrong with this trip…

Awesome trip with an amazing crew — helpful, genuine, and with a great sense of humor.
1. The spot we were at had good diversity of fish, turtles, and amazing coral reef.
2. I also highly recommend Snuba (it is a very different world 10 – 12 feet down). Our Snuba instructor gave detailed instructions and was encouraging. I felt well prepared and was able to see way more marine life and activities than snorkeling alone.
3. The underwater photos also turned out very well.
4. Lastly, the captain made the trip memorable; he was very personable and told many interesting stories about Maui. His navigation enabled us to see a dozen humpback whales. One of the whales even passed underneath our boat…
Overall, a superb experience beyond words can describe.
P. S., we went on another snorkeling tour with a highly-​rated provider the day before (the only difference is the prior one isn’t Molokini-​specific). The experience was good but we saw way more at Molokini and I still think the crew was better at Four Winds. So in case you are wondering which one to try…

Great for first-​timers! Extremely clear, warm and SALTY waters.
Pros:
Friendly, helpful, and laid back crew members
Fully functional gear supplied
Light breakfast and small lunch served on deck
Simple and smooth experience from start to finish
Cons:
Their boat slip is hard to find, so ask when you arrive or explore and give yourself time!
Tip:
The water is mad salty. Don’t drink it. I had one gulp, not because… you know, not because it was my first time snorkeling. I just enjoy drinking salty ocean water on my free time. It’s a sickness.
Sunblock EVERYWHERE! I thought my back was invincible. Clearly, Mother Nature decided to teach me a lesson by giving me the WORST sunburn of my freaking life. A lesson I will NEVER EVER forget.
24 Hour Cancellation Policy
Recommendations:
Schedule a week in advance for all my fellow Type A Unilocalers
Morning Snorkel trip because it consumes half your day
Get there by 6:30AM so you can park, pay for parking, and find Slip #80
Pack light; you only need sandals, sunglasses, a hat, sunblock and coverup or whatever you prefer. I brought a towel but did not use it because I stayed in my swimsuit after snorkeling and the Maui sun kept me warm and dry.
When you take a million pictures, you have a time stamp on everything you do…
7AM-12:30PM
7:30AM — Leaves dock
8:40AM — Arrives at Molokini Crater
8:40−10:40AM — Snorkel, swim with fish, drink ocean water, struggle to breathe, panic, repeat
10:40AM — Commence refueling by eating hot dog. Fins out everybody, home we go!
11:00AM — Circle around Molokini to check out the backside!
12:00PM — Turtle sighting pit stop near the shore of mile marker 8 – 9 on Highway 30, not too far south from where the boat left.
Total: $ 106 per person
Ideal for a first-​timer like me. I’m not a coral reef expert, but it looks like a large portion of the reef is dying. They look, maybe not bleached but stressed. There’s a variety of fish, but after 30 minutes of swimming back and forth, you realize it’s not going to get anymore fascinating. But I did see a clear white aquatic creature that looked like a ruler, long and thin with a long mouth almost like a platypus. Way cool! Also, I wanted to SNUBA, but after a quick conversation with the instructor and some thought, I decided not to. While snorkeling is not difficult, and I’d probably have been ok if I decided to SNUBA, it does make more sense to walk before you run. Save SNUBA for a more mind blowing coral reef!

For many years, I have wanted to try a charter to snorkel and swim on Four Winds to Molokini Craters.
Booked the trip with them and to my surprise, my experience was a lot better than I expected. Check it was around 7am and the boat left at 7:30am sharp headed to Molokini Crater.
They purposely did not pack the boat so everyone had room to hang out. I liked that.
On the way to Molokini, they made sure everyone was aware of the activities, safety procedures and, the fun part, we will see whales and dolphins on the way there. :) We did see lots of water spouts and the hump backs and some tails from a distance but no breaching or anything… this story gets better on the way back.
In addition, the crew started grilling Chicken Breast (marinated in the Hawaiian Huli sauce overnight), Burgers, Veggie Burgers and Hot dogs. They wanted this prepared by the time we got to Molokini so people can eat first or eat after. They also provided, beer, wine, mai tais, soda, water and chips and salsa and gaucamole as part of their all inclusive paid package. All you can eat and drink.
When we finally got to the Molokini crater, we anchored down and then everyone got ready and the first people were in the water and snorkeling. They did have the see through bottom rafts for little kids and also had floaties for everyone who wanted to be lazy and didnt really want to swim.
I would say we were out there for a good 2 hours snorkeling with other chartered boats.
I saw, Turtles, Octopus, Humuhumunukunukuapuaa fish, other tropical fish, eels in clear water. Wonderful experience.
Oh they had their own personal life guard outside watching out for everyone and they were all great and so helpful.
On the way back, we all kept or started eating and people had seconds and thirds.
Now, what made the trip, essentially the cherry on the top was we saw spouts, tails from whales on the way back but but what I experience with the entire boat and I was the only person recording video, is 25 yards in front of our boat a Humpback breached 3 separate times in front of our boat. It was the most magical and beautiful think I have ever experienced in the ocean. Check one item off my bucket list.
It was funny because everyone started coming to me and asking me if I can «Air Drop» my video from them onto their phone. I was like pay me $ 50 per person. lol. I didnt charge but I could have. But I am a good person who wants to share the wonders that day.
All in all I highly recommend Four Winds, their service and experience was ¹⁰⁄₁₀.

We took the afternoon Snorkel Trip. It was a beautiful day really no wind at all. I say that because the afternoons can be a bit ruff so if you are prone to sea sickness I would diffidently suggest the morning tour instead. The price of the afternoon trip was $ 49.00. The morning trip is $ 105.00 so you can save some money if you choose a afternoon trip. One other thing we noticed is most boats seem to go out in the morning. In the afternoon you have Molokini Crater to yourself we really loved that ! During our stay only one little fishing boat anchored. There was a lunch at the addition cost of $ 8.00. It has the usual stuff but good food. Burger, Pulled Pork Sandwich, Hot dog or a Veggie meal. The meal was grilled up at about 2;00. A little late for me but if you had a late breakfast its a great option. We even saw a few Whales on the way !

I cannot say enough good things about this business. My husband and I went and this seemed like the most well oiled machine in the harbor. Check in was fast and we were greeted with smiles. Locals were on the trip too, which is always a good sign. Continental breakfast was typical and lunch was good. Maybe bring some snacks if you havw a big appetite. Open bar the entire time, plus the staff walks around offering to fill your cup up!
Capt. Dan was super friendly and Chet, our SNUBA instructor, was hilarious and informative! We went out to Molokini Crater and did whale watching on the way there and back. It was the perfect amount of time and activity.

This was a great snorkeling experience! The boat was spacious with ample seating options. It was a very rough ride but not at anyone’s fault. We were lucky enough to head to the crater which was gorgeous! The snorkeling itself was great. Best part is we were free to enjoy at our own pace. There was no tour guide shuffling us around from one spot to the next. The bbq was solid. Definitely worth the cheap price tag. I had the vegetarian burger which was a simple boca burger with all the fixings. My husband said the meat burger was fine.
everyone who worked on the boat was super friendly and helpful. The boat was clean and well maintained. There were lots of activities for younger ones.
Best part of the trip was how many whales we saw! We got a whale watching trip for free. The whales would breach right in front of us!
Highly recommend this snorkeling experience.

So happy that we went on this sailing trip. The staff was all so nice, we had a lot of great conversations. Sam was extremely nice, and I didn’t remember the other names but everyone was friendly, funny, and sarcastic about a lot.
We saw so many whales and that wasn’t even what the trip was about. The snorkeling was also really cool, better than the black rock beach for sure.
I recommend this to anyone looking for a great day of sailing and snorkeling :) This was one of the best things we did in Maui.

Cuantas reseñas ridiculas que se leen por aca… El resultado final de esta excursion es satisfactoria porque el precio es bastabte menor a otras excursiones, pero la verdad q no es como dice. La comida es super regular! Nada para destacar, sandwich de pollo, pulled pork, hot dog, con papas fritas snack. El desayuno bagels y fruta
El tan nombrado capitan john, no para de hablar ni un minuto y hace chistes todo el tiempo, supongo que el humor estadounidense no me hace reir, pero es muuuy agotador que no pare de hacer chistes, para eso voy a ver un show de stand up comedy. Ya sé que aca valoran un monton que es staff de los lugares sea muy gentil, pero aca toda la gentileza es por una propina! Y yo no pienso dejar propina cuando pague 220 dolares por una excrusion, es su trabajo y no tebgo porque dejar mas dinero
Vimos una ballena a unos 500 metros y no fue capaz ni de girar el timon un grado para acercarse. Y respecto al crater para hacer snorkel, es excelente la visibilidad que hay! El agua es muuy transparente, pero variedad de peces hay mas en black rock! Al menos el dia que fuimos
Recomiendo la excursion pero no esperen tanto

We have taken two cruises on board the Four Winds and we had a great time. The crew is so friendly and helpful. As soon as you get on board, the fun starts. You can help yourself to a little breakfast and then it is time to get your snorkeling gear. If you do not have your own gear, the crew will help you pick the right gear for you.
The Captain takes you to two spots to snorkel. Lots of fish and other ocean life to view. If you have little ones, they also have lots of rafts available for they to use and view underwater. Not to mention the very cool glass bottom boat.
The crew serves a great BBQ lunch with burgers, hot dogs, chicken and pulled pork, so ther is something for everyone. They also have lots of beverages for everyone to enjoy.
Trey the photographer is great. He gets a lot of shots of everyone. Purchasing one of his DVDs is a must.
It was seven years in between our visits to Maui and I was so happy that my family and I were able to have another great trip aboard the Four Winds.

These guys were phenomenal! Big shout out to Capt’ John for the entertaining MC skills on the way out to the crater.
The biggest things I look for in a good organized tourist attraction:
— No cheese (cheesy tour guides that is… real cheese is great, but the over the top remarks and people… not so much)
— Less jobs for guests the better (everything always goes a lot smoother when less direction needs to be given. I loved how they came around and passed out the gear and asked people their sizes, and then remained calm when a mask or two was found on the ground or some flippers were worn on the boat. Don’t sweat the small stuff, right?)
— Throw in a joke or two! Sarcasm is my favorite. when tour guides give some educational background, but then they pull a fast one on ya and see if you notice the exaggeration… cracks me up!
— Friendly from the start. Capt’ John came around while people were in line to learn a little bit about the folks that he was about to spend the next 5 hours with. What a concept huh? This isn’t done enough by other tour companies!
— Great food for a boat tour. They served chicken, pulled pork, and hotdogs for the kiddos. Oh, and a great «keers» to go with it. Don’t be fooled when Capt’ John explains the beer choices. He means Coors. :)
I would recommend this tour to anyone looking for a relaxed day with some fun people. Mahalo Four Winds!

So our first day in Maui, we decided to go on a snorkeling adventure to the Molokini crater. We booked this trip prior to getting to Maui, so we just showed up at the time with our tickets, and boarded the boat, with a approximately 50 people or so. The boat s fairly large, so we never felt crowded or anything.
They had a continental breakfast when we got on, and the staff was all very friendly and engaging. While we traveled to the crater, they made sure everyone had their snorkeling gear, which is all provided, and they had some extras you could rent. Since the water was cold that day, we rented a couple wetsuits for $ 5 each. They also have Gopro cameras and snuba stuff you can rent as well.
On the way out there, we saw a bunch of whales, and of course everyone was really excited about that. Then we got to the crater and did a couple hours of snorkeling and saw many tropical fish and reefs, and when we were done got back on the boat and ate lunch. they had burgers, dogs, and pulled pork sandwiches. Oh and the best part, they had plenty of beer to drink throughout the trip.
Then we traveled back, and spotted a couple sea turtles. We were able to purchase a DVD with pictures and video taken by a professional photographer that was on board with us.
So, we had a great experience on this boat, and highly recommend to others, as the crew is top notch, the food and drink are plentiful, and the snorkeling was amazing!