Paragon II at Molokini

Rating: 4.85 out of 5 stars
^{*how we rate vendors}

Rated #1 Molokini Snorkel Boat

In a nutshell: These guys really know how to sail!
Minuses: Food is a lower priority than beer. (Maybe that’s a plus?!?”)
Sound-bite: “They raised the sails quickly and we were soon traveling at 20 knots!”

Location:		Maalaea & Lahaina Harbors
Phone:		808-244-2087
Website:		www.sailmaui.com
Price:		$50 - $150

Description:
Paragon has two high-performance sailing catamarans, Paragon I and Paragon II.

Paragon II, which sails out of Maalaea Harbor won our award for #1 Sailing Snorkel to Molokini. Both boats do a lot of real sailing, which sets them above the competition who mostly rely on motors to get around. I've got two friends who sail extensively that have both been on Paragon and both rave about their skill and enthusiasm. Similar sentiments are echoed from visitors.

Tours Offered:

Molokini during rush hour ;-) (Photo: Ron Garnett/HTA)

Molokini Snorkel & Performance Sail (Paragon II sailing out of Maalaea)
5-hour performance sail, snorkel and whale/dolphin/turtle watch. Breakfast & lunch are included.

Many vendors offer snorkel trips to Molokini Crater; the factors that went into rating them #1 are:

~ More personal size (read: you won't be herded around like cattle.)
~ They let you explore and don't have to force you to stay close to the boat.
~ You'll have a blast sailing instead of motoring.
~ Whale watching, dolphin & turtle sightings are a shared focus of the sailing portion, not an afterthought - so you'll stop, linger and enjoy when the show is good.
~ Maalaea harbor is less crowded and closer to Molokini than Lahaina Harbor.

Coral Gardens Afternoon Sail & Snorkel (Paragon II sailing out of Maalaea)
3-hour hour trip to a snorkel spot tucked inside the cliffs between Maalaea and Lahaina. Snacks are included.

Lana'i Snorkel, Beach Picnic & Sail (Paragon I sailing out of Lahaina)
7-hour performance sail to Manale Bay on Lana'i. The bay is a marine preserve and is well known for large quantities of spinner dolphins that often swim with people. Picnic on the beach.

Lahaina Champagne Sunset Sail (Paragon I sailing out of Lahaina)
2-hours sunset sail with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

Etc.
Whale watching is included in all trips in season. Unlimited beverages, including beer & wine, (and some trips Mai Tais) are included. Private charters are also available on either boat.

Other Reviews: ^{*ordered by accuracy}

Tripadvisor

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Yelp

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Google

You may also be interested in:

• Hawaii Ocean Rafting
• Trilogy Excursions
• Molokini Crater

Screen capture of 315# Pacific Blue Marlin (see video below)

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

In a nutshell: Hard-core sportfishing.
Minuses: 3:00
Sound-bite: “Hey mister, is that a Florida Marlins logo on that-there baseball bat?”

DETAILS:
Alright, first of all this isn’t a trip for the kids. These are die-hard fishermen willing to take along the serious angler who isn’t interested in going halfway.

Captain Fuzzy Alboro is a well known, born and raised Maui fisherman and many come here seeking him out by name. Fuzzy knows where to go and when to go. (Speaking of when, you’ll be leaving before anyone else – at 3:00 AM.)

Fuzzy’s pride and joy is a 32′ Boston Whaler Express Fisherman with twin 370 Yanmar engines. Fully equipped with a fish finder, GPS chart plotter, marine head, protection from the elements, a microwave and fridge. The Die Hard is also fully outfitted with quality gear, including 80 Shimanos with bent butt rods, 50 Shimanos with stand up rods and 30 Shimanos and Penns stand up rods and an arsenal of lures. Capt. Fuzzy prefers to fish with live baits, and the Die Hard is typically stocked with plenty of ‘em.

You may end up on the back side of Lanai – or even all the way over in Hana. These are local guys who know a thing or two about where they’re going. If you’re gonna cry about spending an hour or more getting to the right spot that day, well, you may be frustrated with Fuzzy, because he isn’t interested in “the customer is always right” if it means doing it wrong. On the other hand, if you’re a die hard sport fisherman, you paid to go with these guys because they knows exactly what they’re doing.

Like I said, you’ve gotta be serious to go on this trip. (Is “Die Hard” starting to make sense to you?)

Oh, and for the squeamish: the video has some batting practice on the head of the Marlin (to immobilize it prior to taking it onboard.)

Key Info:
Location: Lahaina Harbor
Phone: 808-878-2362
Rating source: Maui Guidebook
Web: http://fishdiehardmaui.com
Prices: Share: $185 – $200 ; Private: $1,000 – $1,100

View Lahaina Town in a larger map

You may also be interested in:

• Finest Kind Sport Fishing
• Luckey Strike Charters
• Aerial Sportfishing Charters

Kayak & snorkeling tours of South & West Maui. They also offer surf lessons.

Key Info:
Location: Meet at launch site(varies), South & West Maui
Phone: 808-874-7652
Rating source: Google
Web: http://www.keliiskayak.com
Price: $50 – $150

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You may also be interested in:

• Maui Eco Tours (Reported Closed)
• Hike Maui
• Pacific Whale Foundation Eco Adventures

Recently bought out by Hike Maui

Key Info:
Location: West Maui hotel pickup or Central Maui meeting place
Phone: 877-661-7720
Rating source: Google
Web: http://ecomaui.com
Price: $70 – $170

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You may also be interested in:

• Awapuhi Adventures
• Hike Maui
• Maui Hiking Safaris

This is a great option for a mellow trip. Luckey takes a completely different angle than our #1 rated (and aptly named) Die Hard Sportishing – these guys specialize in a more casual (and also upscale on the Real Luckey) trip. They’re all about fun first, and welcome both newcomers and experienced fishermen. Great option for families. The owners Tad and Cindy are wonderful folks – they’ve been doing this here for over 35 years, so they’re not recent transplants still figuring out how to fish in Hawaii.

Big Game fishing or Small Game fishing, heavy tackle or light tackle, trolling or bottom fishing. They can go after Giant Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, Spearfish, Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Tuna, Barracuda, Giant Trevally, Hawaiian Salmon, and other game fish as well.

Two boats: Luckey Strike II & Reel Luckey.

Luckey Strike II is a 50 ft. Delta Marine sport fishing vessel powered by twin 375HP Cat Diesel. Large flying bridge, two heads, two fighting chairs and a decent sized cabin. Two fish finders, GPS, live bait tank, tuna tubes & radar.

Reel Luckey is a 38 ft. Mediterranean Yacht complete with all the trimmings (including A/C!)

Key Info:
Location: Lahaina Harbor
Phone: 808-661-4606
Rating source: Tripadvisor
Web: http://www.luckeystrike.com/
Price: CALL

View Lahaina Town in a larger map

You may also be interested in:

• Finest Kind Sport Fishing
• Die Hard Sportfishing
• Aerial Sportfishing Charters

Scotch Mist

Rating: 4.45 out of 5 stars

Scotch Mist is a meticulously maintained, super-fast Santa Cruz 50 sailing yacht. If you’re looking for a pure sailing trip, you’re in for a treat.

You might think it goes without saying, but they actually do sail their boat – not run on engines (believe it or not, many of the commercial sailboats here will raise the sail for show in between a mostly engine-run tour.) Now, to appreciate what this really means, you’re going to need to actually sail! The first thing you will notice is how quiet and peaceful it is out on the ocean. No engines droning in the background – and this brings you closer to the ocean, and the people you’re sharing this experience with. (It also brings the creatures in the ocean, like whales and dolphins closer.)

Scotch Mist is intimate – their charters are limited to 25 max – and frequently can have half that many. It is also crewed by folks that absolutely love to sail, and are passionate about sharing their loves of sailing and Maui with visitors. You just can’t fake that level of passion when you do this every day.

Key Info:
Location: Slip #2, Lahaina Harbor
Phone: 808-661-0386
Rating source: Maui Guidebook & Google
Web: http://www.scotchmistsailingcharters.com
Price: $50 – $90

You may also be interested in:

• Lahaina Town
• Aina Nalu J207
• Aina Nalu I105

Fleet of six mid-size sailing catamarans, sailing out of Central and West Maui

Key Info:
Location: Maalaea Harbor & Kaanapali Beach
Phone: 808-874-5649
Rating source: Google
Web: http://www.sailtrilogy.com/
Price: $50-200

View Trilogy Excursions, Maui in a larger map

You may also be interested in:

• Pride of Maui
• Paragon Sailing Charters
• Maui Princess Cruises

Pacific Whale Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated studying and protecting the marine environment. They offer a wider range of tours besides just whale watching, including night time stargazing, land-based tidepool exploration and kids camps. Their boats are large, and they are the largest ocean tour operation on Maui. Tip: You should sail from Ma’alaea if you have the option.

Key Info:
Location: Maalaea Harbor Village & Lahaina, Maalaea & Lahaina
Phone: 1-800-942-5311
Rating source: Tripadvisor
Web: http://www.pacificwhale.org/
Price: $25 on up

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You may also be interested in:

• Pride of Maui
• Paragon Sailing Charters
• Maui Classic Charters

They call it a “glass bottom boat” but it is more like a half submarine (sub on the bottom, boat on the top.)

Good option for younger kids and others who won’t get to snorkel/dive and want to see some of our sea life.

Key Info:
Location: Lahaina Harbor
Phone: 808-667-2133
Rating source: Tripadvisor
Web: http://www.mauiglassbottomboat.com/
Price: Adults: $35 – $45 ; Kids: $19 – $25

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You may also be interested in:

• Pride of Maui
• Finest Kind Sport Fishing
• Luckey Strike Charters

Two boats: 37′ Merritt & 35′ Cabo

Key Info:
Location: Lahaina Harbor
Phone: 808-667-9089
Rating source: Yelp
Web: http://www.aerialsportfishingcharters.com
Price: $150 – $215

View Lahaina Town in a larger map

You may also be interested in:

• Finest Kind Sport Fishing
• Luckey Strike Charters
• Die Hard Sportfishing