Kayak & snorkel Kapalua, Maui
Welcome to the Stunning Kapalua
Nothing is quite as spectacular as Kapalua in the Summertime here on Maui. On the Escapade we paddle from D.T. Fleming Beach Park and head North to enter world famous Honolua Bay. The crisp sunrise cresting over the top of the West Maui mountain peaks serves as our backdrop all morning, as we discover beauty above and below the waterline. Crystal clear waters, warm pineapple breezes, unexpected wild spinner dolphins and maybe even a brief tropical shower can all make themselves part of a day on Escapade with Maui Eco Tours.
Small groups, Personal Attention
On average, Escapade features groups of 4-6 guests, but we guarantee your group will be 8 guests or less per guide. The tour departs at 7:00am and runs all the way until 11:00am. Over the course of 4 hours we'll snorkel all of Honolua Bay and we'll also hit up one additional "secret snorkel spot" that you simply can not access without joining us on Escapade. At the end of the tour we wrap up with a light and healthy island style lunch of grilled chicken, fresh fruit and juices, all enjoyed right along the sand. Also, vegetarian and vegan selections are available by request.
The very best guides
Our 2 full time guides Chris and John will show you all of the underwater spectacles themselves, as we are the only snorkeling outfitter that always gets right in the water with you. They anchor the boats, gear you up, point out marine life and regail you with tales of yesteryear and Hawaiian legend all through the tour. Service is the difference and we pride ourselves on personal attention and first class service.
Environmentally Friendly, As Always
Come see Kapalua's stunning water scenery in a completely environmentally friendly way. Unlike the big snorkel boats, our kayaks have zero emissions, don't disturb the marine life or their environment and allow us to access some unique spots that you normally can't get to. Let us show you how we do it at Maui Eco Tours. We guarantee you'll love it!
Tons of Wild Marine Life!
Dolphins
Need we say more?
The wild spinner dolphins that live around Maui are, to put it mildly, elusive. No other tour will give you a better potential chance to see them up close than the Escapade. On average we see the dolphins about 70% of the time, with August being the prime month for sightings. When they are there, they delight the senses with aerial jumps, quick reflexes and a speed and majesty that is so thrilling that you have to see it to belive it.
Green Sea Turtles
It's safe to say that we see the friendly and fun sea turtles on all our tours and the Escapade is no exception. No matter what the weather or time of year, our prehistoric and curious turtle friends are always there to greet us. You'll get close to these beauties like you never thought possible. Come join us and go face to face with the sea turtles and say hello to them personally!
Small Groups, Guaranteed!
The guarantee
This one is pretty simple. We guarantee that your group will be no larger than 8 guests per 1 guide, period. Nobody other snorkeling activity offers such a guarantee or privacy and personal attention, and that is the difference.
Personal Attention
Our world class guides do this full time and will get you up close and personal to all the marine life throughout the tour. Whether we're checking out wild spinner dolphins, green sea turtles, eels, octopus or simply the many varieties of tropical fish, our guides know it all.
It's all about service
Only the Maui Eco Tours kayak guides snorkel in the water with you. This allows them to take pictures underwater, and personally point out the best things to see. This is important, as people snorkeling on their own swim right over incredible amounts of wild marine life without even knowing it. That won't happen when you come snorkeling with Maui Eco Tours!
Starting early means lots of wildlife.
Start out the day with a leisurely drive up Highway 30 to Kapalua, where you'll meet us at D.T. Fleming Beach Park at 7:00 am. The park is just 10 minutes from Ka'anapali, 15 minutes from Lahaina, and about 1 hour from the Kihei and Wailea resort areas. Once you arrive you'll get geared up with all the latest snorkeling equipment, paddling life jackets and drybags to hold your small valuables (wallet, car keys, cameras, etc). After getting setup to have fun, our guides take you through a comprehensive 15-20 minute briefing that covers everything from proper paddling techniques and snorkeling tips all the way to safety reminders and tips on getting in and out of our kayaks.
At 7:30am, it's time to hit the water.
The launch at Fleming Beach can be anything from flat water to shooting out through light surf. Once on the water and gathered together, the guide will lead you Norhtward for about 35 minutes of paddling. The warm sunrise creates dramatic shadows against the bright indigo waters that are the hallmark of North Maui. The whole time heading North you'll be keeping your eyes open for the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins. At any moment the dolphins can show up, and when they do the trip gets detoured to cater to that experience. Just imagine how wonderful the warm morning glow will feel as you paddle against phenomenal beauty, through 78 degree Hawaiian waters, breathing in the sweet South Pacific breezes of Kapalua.
Put that snorkel gear on!
Upon arrival at each of the two snorkeling locations, the guide will hook all the kayaks together and safely drop an anchor in a sandy patch so that everyone may relax and get their mask and fins on. Everyone who wants to, gets in the water and is free to snorkel on their own if they so desire. That said, the most fun will be had if you stay close to your guide in the water, as he'll be pointing out unique marine life, snapping underwater digital photos, and leading the way to the best regions along each reef. On Escapade we'll be seeing tons of turtles, eels, octopus, a plethora of colorful tropical reef fish, and even the occasional small white tip reef shark. If the conditions are right we are able to take advantage of the local currents and do a nice lengthy drift snorkel, thus staying in the water longer and making the return paddle shorter. The longer we stay in the water, the more wonderful marine life that is seen!
Anybody hungry?
Food. It's an essential element to any activity requiring physical exertion, and our Escapade kayak snorkel combination tour is certainly no exception.
All of our trips depart from beach parks, stay on the water for the duration of the trip and usually cover some unique and inordinate terrain areas, all of which combines to make environmentally friendly food service a difficult task to be sure. To that end, we've exclusively partnered with a premier, owner operated catering company to provide a sensational island style lunch of grilled chicken skewers, fresh fruits and a selection of fruit juices. Also, if you're a vegetarian, vegan or have any other special dietary needs, we've got you covered. Just give us at least 24 hours notice and we can make most any of your wishes come true! Our lunch selections are individually prepared and packaged each morning to ensure freshness and quality when it's time to eat. Our offerings are beach style, of a light to moderate quantity and provided complimentary on the Escapade. We do recommend that "big eaters" pack some additional rations if they are so inclined, as space limits the physical quantity of our lunches. In addition, we also request that all of our guests bring a bottle of water for themselves, as hydration is always an important element to a fun day here on Maui.
Come join Maui Eco Tours for an exclusive kayak snorkel adventure on Maui!
How do we make reservations?
Online or by Phone
You are able to reserve the Escapade online or by calling us at (808) 891-2223.
We recommend making reservations at least 7 days in advance.
Season of Operation
The Escapade operates May 15th through September 30th, Monday through Saturday and runs once per day at 7:00am.
Cancellation Policy & Weather
Tours are non-refundable if cancelled under 48 hours
With our regular retail reservations, our cancellation policy is 48 hours. Up until 48 hours until trip check-in time, you may make any changes or cancellations that you like, all without any penalty. All you have to do is email or call us.
For specially discounted dates, the reservation is non-refundable regardless of circumstance.
Weather
If we cancel a tour due to weather, you will not be charged, irrespective of the type of reservation you made. We make all the determinations about weather cancellations however, so please don't make the mistake of deciding you're not going to come because you think the weather might not be acceptable, as you will be charged if the trip goes out.
If you ever have a question about the weather conditions, please email or call us to be sure.
Call Maui Eco Tours at (808) 891-2223.
What is included in the price?
All of the following is included in the price.
- Kayaks with performance back supports
- Fiberglass, featherable paddle
- Extrasport, USCG Approved paddling life jacket
- NRS waterproof drybag to hold valuables
- Mask, silicone snorkel & fins in a mesh sack
- Full beach lunch, with an option for vegetarian
- Instruction covering:
- Paddling
- Snorkeling
- Ocean safety
- Kayak launching and landing
- Kayak entry/egress techniques
- Guided snorkeling at the various snorkeling locations
- Assistance during launching and landing at beaches
- Full guide service throughout the tour
What's not included?
- Gratuity for your guide
- Bottled water
- Towels
- Prescription snorkel masks
- Wetsuits
- Sandals or water shoes
What should we bring with us?
We recommend you bring:
- Swimsuit
- Water shoes or Sandals (flip-flops are fine)
- Towel
- Bottle of Water
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Disposable Underwater Camera
Can we bring our own snorkel gear?
Absolutely!
You are welcome to bring anything you'd like and that certainly includes snorkeling gear. We recommend you bring anything of your own that you'd like to use and if you're missing any essential gear, we'll fill in the gaps for you.
How long of a drive is it?
It all depends upon where you're coming from.
The tour departs from D.T. Fleming Beach Park in Kapalua which is approximately 10 minutes from Ka'anapali, 15 minutes from Lahaina, 50 minutes from Kahului, 60 minutes from Kihei and about 70 minutes from Wailea.
What is the minimum age to participate?
Sixteen (16) years old.
On the Escapade tour our minimum age is 16 years old, give or take a few months here and there if need be.
Will we see dolphins?
Hopefully!
In the Kapalua region the dolphins aren't there all the time, however we do run across them about 70% of the time. If they are out there, you can count on our guides to spot them and point them out for you!
Do we snorkel in "Honolua Bay"?
Absolutely!
The very beautiful and pristine Honolua Bay is one of our 2 primary snorkeling locations on Escapade.
For more detail and a visual view of where our snorkeling takes place, check us out in Google Maps!
Is there a maximum height/weight to participate?
Not a precise number, no.
We have kayaks that can accomodate up to 550 lbs of weight and the tallest of tall people and thus this isn't a huge concern.
Escapade is one of our more athletic tours and you should be in good physically fit condition if you're planning on participating.
Is lunch included? What about breakfast?
Yes and No.
All of our tours include a full beach lunch of grilled chicken skewers, fresh fruits and a selection of fruit juices. In addition we can accommodate vegetarian, vegan or other special requests with at least 24 hours notice.
We do not provide breakfast and we recommend you have a small breakfast before joining us in the morning.
How difficult is this adventure?
Advanced, and sometimes quite physical.
Kayaking is very much like Alpine Skiing in that it uses muscles that aren't generally used in everyday life, even for active people.
That being the case, we recommend you choose a tour based upon your previous experience. If you've not kayaked or snorkeled before, or are not in reasonably good physical condition, the Escapade really isn't a great choice for you.
Previous experience isn't a must, but it certainly always helps. The most important thing is that you're prepared for and excited about a more advanced kayaking tour, which is an accurate description of the Escapade.
I'm not a good swimmer, can I still go?
If you'd like, yes!
We frequently have guests join us that aren't great swimmers and even some that don't swim at all!
The key thing is that you can't be afraid of the water. We do require guests to wear Life Preservers during the kayaking portions of the trip and many guests choose to continue wearing them during the snorkeling as well.
So even if you're not a great swimmer, you can participate, just so long as you're not afraid of the water and/or ocean.
What are the group sizes?
Usually 4-6 people.
A unique thing about the Escapade with Maui Eco Tours is that we guarantee your group will have no more than 8 guests per guide and we prefer to have groups of no more than 6 people per guide so as to maintain a sense of privacy and personal attention.
If you have a group larger than 8-10, worry not, as we are able to do much larger groups all at once by simply adding additional guides.
What time will we be done?
Around 11:00am
The tour generally ends around 10:45-11:00am. That said, it can run a bit longer if we don't get out on time, so it's important to arrive on time for the 7:00am check-in.
If for some reason you need to run off immediately when we retun to shore (around 10:30-10:45), you are able to leave at that time and take your lunch with you as they are all individually packed lunches.
Escapade compared to the Xplorer?
Very similar tours actually.
The biggest differences between the Escapade and the Xplorer are the physical location on the island and Xplorer features a 3rd snorkeling stop.
Other than those characteristics, both are advanced, adults only and showcase the best kayaking and snorkeling that Maui has to offer.
Do we have wetsuits for rent?
No.
We find that most all guests don't need wetsuits and thus we don't actually offer them. The water temperature fluctuates a bit depending upon the season, but it is usually in the upper 70's or low 80's
That said, if you are someone that gets cold easily or you simply would like to wear a wetsuit, most all of the local dive shops do rent and sell such equipment.
We always recommend Maui Dive Shop as they have the most locations and excellent service.
I wear glasses, how do I snorkel?
A prescription optical mask.
Due to the enormous range of potential prescriptions we don't offer optical snorkel masks.
As we do with wetsuits, we recommend you visit any of the local dive shops to rent a prescription mask. They will be able to get you just the right fit and optical power so that you best enjoy the sights that are seen on our tours.
I have a question that's not answered here...
Great! Let's hear it!
You can email us directly, or you may also phone us at (808) 891-2223.
E-mail is the best way to contact us and get the most complete and thorough response to your questions.
Quick Facts
- May 15th - September 30th only
- Check-in at 7:00am
- Tour doesn't run on Sundays
- Groups of 8 or less, guaranteed.
- Participants must be at least 16 years old
- Includes a full safety/instructional briefing
- All snorkel & paddle gear provided
- 2 phenomenal snorkeling locations
- Healthy lunch included
- Vegetarian/Vegan available by request
