Anywhere you go up in North Maui, you will find awesome beaches. Here is a popular snorkeling spot that you can easily access from the beach. Honolua Bay Beach is part of the Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District. There is only a small sand beach here, so most water activities involve snorkeling, scuba diving, and surfing. Water conditions vary dramatically in this area depending on ocean currents, rainfall, and the season. Catamarans from Kapalua and Kaanapali filled with sun worshippers and fish-lookers come to the bay, providing sights, gear and lunch to those who join them. Snorkelers are pleasantly surprised as to how many colors of coral and tropical fish could possibly exist in such a small bay. Visibility is between 30-40 feet. As this beach is located in a marine life preserve, the fish are numerous and the coral formations are spectacular. If you look closely, you can see a couple snorkelers near the coral. The sand on the beach is grayish and powdery, almost more dirty than sandy, and the boat ramp, at a mere six feet wide is all chopped into rubble.

Great waves at Honolua are rare. Like the North Shore of Oahu, Honolua breaks best in the winter. But the big swells that roll straight from the deep Pacific onto the North Shore have to sneak past the island of Molokai before arriving at Maui. A 20' wave on the North Shore will probably hit Honolua at 8 or 10 feet, and even during the surf season the Bay might stay flat for weeks at a time.

But if the surf is smaller here than Oahu, it's also smoother and better formed. Honolua is protected from the tradewinds that so often rough up the surf along the North Shore. Even the color of the water seems to be more refined.

Services and Amenities

• No lifeguard
• Showers
• Swimming, snorkeling, diving, surfing
• Seasonal high surf
• No fishing or spearing of fishing allowed as this is a protected marine life preserve
• Summer has better visibility than winter
• Water is murky at the shoreline but improves as you go farther out

Cautions:

• Possible strong currents and high surf depending on the season. Monitor ocean conditions closely at all times. Obey any warning signs or postings.