Can you snorkel in Kapalua Bay today?

Conditions look marginal right now — no clearly safe snorkeling window is forecast in Kapalua Bay over the next 72 hours. Check the hourly table for the calmest period.

What is the best time of day to snorkel in Kapalua Bay?

Snorkel during daylight, ideally in the morning before the wind picks up, and around high slack tide when water is clearest and currents are weakest. SnorkelForecast scores every daylight hour in Kapalua Bay so you can pick the calmest window.

What is the best tide for snorkeling?

High slack tide — within about an hour of the high-tide peak when currents are weakest — is the safest, clearest window. Strong low tides, strong tidal flow near channels or headlands, and large tidal-range days reduce score.

Where are the best snorkeling conditions near Kapalua Bay today?

The best nearby spots right now are Ulua Mokapu, Kaanapali Beach, Ahihi Kinau. Check each spot page for hourly wind, wave, tide and water temperature detail.

Kapalua Bay Snorkel Report Today

USA · Updated Tue 04:13 (HST) · Source: Snapshot · Showing fallback/stale data

The skinny

Marginal Report Tue 21:22

Kapalua Bay looks marginal today. The least-bad daylight window is around Thu 06:00, but waves is limiting the forecast.

Score: 3.2/10

Best time: Thu 06:00

Main risk: Waves

No useful morning window is showing yet.

No useful afternoon window is showing yet.

Email me when it is good Compare nearby spots Tours & water activities

Best nearby spots

Ulua Mokapu 5.1/10 Fair · Fri 16:00 Kaanapali Beach 5.0/10 Fair · Fri 22:00 Ahihi Kinau 4.9/10 Fair · Thu 18:00

Sunrise

05:56

Sunset

19:09

Water

26.9°C

Max air

25.1°C

Sky

Cloudy

100% cloud

No safe window in the next 72 hours

Use the best-available section for the least-bad times.

3-day planner Best available Show data

3-day planner

Tuesday

❌ poor conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Wednesday

❌ poor conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Thursday

⚠️ fair conditions

Main blocker: Waves

Best available hours

Thu 16:00 — Fair (0.37) · still limited by waves, wind
Thu 17:00 — Fair (0.36) · still limited by waves, wind
Thu 22:00 — Poor (0.34) · still limited by waves, wind

Why this verdict

Main blockers across the next 72 hours:

Waves (44 hours)
Wind (44 hours)
Tide/current (43 hours)

Jellyfish drift risk

Drift estimate from wind, swell, current and warm water.

Low · 34/100

Low peak drift risk around Wed 02:00.

warm water supports seasonal jellyfish activity; surface drift/current is noticeable; local shoreline exposure is not mapped yet.

Sightings override the model: if you see small purple jellyfish with long trailing tentacles, treat them as sting-capable and give them space.

Upcoming high tides

Thu 22:00

Tours and water activities near Kapalua Bay

Local operators found via Tripadvisor. Check conditions before you book.

Maui Snorkel Tours

4.9/5 490 reviews

Guided Maui snorkeling tours from Kihei with a long-running local operator.

Learn more

Quicksilver Maui Snorkeling Charters

4.5/5 3354 reviews

Large-boat snorkeling charters with Lanai and Maui reef trips.

Learn more

Maui Snorkeling

4.7/5 811 reviews

Family-friendly Maui snorkeling trips from Maalaea.

Learn more

West Maui Kayak Tours

4.8/5 13 reviews

West Maui kayak tours that fit calmer nearshore days.

Learn more

Nearby snorkel spot map

Compare nearby spots by score, forecast window and exposure before choosing a beach.

Ulua Mokapu Fair · Fri 16:00 5.1/10 Kaanapali Beach Fair · Fri 22:00 5.0/10 Ahihi Kinau Fair · Thu 18:00 4.9/10 Maluaka Turtle Town Fair · Thu 18:00 4.9/10 Molokini Crater Fair · Thu 18:00 4.4/10 Honolua Bay Fair · Thu 16:00 3.7/10 Napili Bay Fair · Thu 16:00 3.7/10 Kaanapali Black Rock Unknown No recent score

Nearby alternatives in USA

Napili Bay

0 km away

❌ Poor

Honolua Bay

3 km away

❌ Poor

Kaanapali Beach

9 km away

❌ Poor

Kaanapali Black Rock

9 km away

Not enough fresh data

Advanced forecast data

Viewing historical data

Tue 07:00 – Fri 07:00 (HST)

Previous day Yesterday Next day Live

Snorkel Score (selected 24h)

Best snorkel score is 0.4 around Tue 06:00; 5 of 24 hours are good, fair, or excellent.

Score trend, higher is better. Excellent ≥ 0.72, good 0.55–0.72, fair 0.35–0.55.

Conditions (24h trends)

Tap a chart to load just that series.

0/24 sampled hours stay at or below 0.36m (range 1.34m to 1.44m).

Wind is at or below 5.4m/s in 0/24 sampled hours (range 7.1 to 8.09m/s).

Tides range from 0.28m to 0.66m; 0 of 24 hours are in or near peak slack windows.

72-hour historical overview

Tue 07:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 08:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 09:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 10:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 11:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 12:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 16:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 17:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 18:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 19:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 20:00 poor ❌ Limited

Tue 21:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 22:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Tue 23:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 05:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 06:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 07:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 08:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 09:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 10:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 11:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 12:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Wed 16:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 17:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 18:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 19:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 20:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 21:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 22:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Wed 23:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 05:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 06:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 07:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 08:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 09:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 10:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 11:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 12:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 13:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 14:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 15:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 16:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 17:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 18:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 19:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 20:00 poor ❌ Limited

Thu 21:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 22:00 fair ⚠️ Fair

Thu 23:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 00:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 01:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 02:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 03:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 04:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 05:00 poor ❌ Limited

Fri 06:00 poor ❌ Limited

Scoring methodology (for technical users)

We score each hour from 0 to 1 using daylight and these weighted components:

Wave height (35%): best below 0.36m, then decreases as it rises.
Wind speed (25%): best below 5.4m/s, lower is better.
Sea surface temperature (15%): best within 20.6°C to 30.4°C.
Tide and currents (15%): best around slack/high-tide windows.
Daylight (10%): visibility and safety gate (outside daylight scores lower).

Detailed hourly data table

Time	Wave (m)	Wind (m/s)	Sea temp (°C)	Status
Tue 07:00	1.44 · high	7.81 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Tue 08:00	1.42 · high	8.09 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Tue 09:00	1.42 · high	8.04 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Tue 10:00	1.42 · high	7.77 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Tue 11:00	1.40 · high	7.70 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Tue 12:00	1.40 · high	7.51 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Tue 13:00	1.38 · high	7.77 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Tue 14:00	1.38 · high	7.40 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Tue 15:00	1.36 · high	7.52 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Tue 16:00	1.38 · high	7.45 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Tue 17:00	1.38 · high	7.77 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Tue 18:00	1.40 · high	8.02 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Tue 19:00	1.42 · high	7.97 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Tue 20:00	1.42 · high	7.88 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Tue 21:00	1.44 · high	7.76 · high	26.60 · good	fair
Tue 22:00	1.44 · high	7.70 · high	26.60 · good	fair
Tue 23:00	1.44 · high	7.50 · high	26.60 · good	fair
Wed 00:00	1.44 · high	7.54 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 01:00	1.42 · high	7.52 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 02:00	1.42 · high	7.45 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 03:00	1.40 · high	7.11 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 04:00	1.38 · high	7.11 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 05:00	1.36 · high	7.10 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 06:00	1.34 · high	7.34 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 07:00	1.32 · high	7.81 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 08:00	1.32 · high	7.36 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 09:00	1.30 · high	7.21 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 10:00	1.28 · high	7.25 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Wed 11:00	1.24 · high	7.27 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Wed 12:00	1.22 · high	7.29 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Wed 13:00	1.20 · high	7.17 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Wed 14:00	1.18 · high	6.86 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Wed 15:00	1.16 · high	6.53 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Wed 16:00	1.16 · high	6.65 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Wed 17:00	1.18 · high	7.07 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Wed 18:00	1.18 · high	7.53 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Wed 19:00	1.20 · high	7.24 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Wed 20:00	1.22 · high	7.32 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Wed 21:00	1.24 · high	7.27 · high	26.60 · good	fair
Wed 22:00	1.24 · high	7.52 · high	26.60 · good	fair
Wed 23:00	1.26 · high	7.45 · high	26.70 · good	poor
Thu 00:00	1.26 · high	7.31 · high	26.70 · good	poor
Thu 01:00	1.26 · high	7.05 · high	26.70 · good	poor
Thu 02:00	1.26 · high	6.31 · high	26.70 · good	poor
Thu 03:00	1.26 · high	6.11 · high	26.70 · good	poor
Thu 04:00	1.24 · high	6.47 · high	26.70 · good	poor
Thu 05:00	1.22 · high	6.50 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Thu 06:00	1.20 · high	6.47 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Thu 07:00	1.20 · high	6.83 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Thu 08:00	1.20 · high	7.02 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Thu 09:00	1.38 · high	6.05 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Thu 10:00	1.38 · high	6.01 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Thu 11:00	1.38 · high	5.68 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 12:00	1.38 · high	5.69 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 13:00	1.36 · high	5.43 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 14:00	1.36 · high	5.43 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 15:00	1.34 · high	5.74 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 16:00	1.34 · high	6.12 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Thu 17:00	1.34 · high	6.50 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 18:00	1.34 · high	6.74 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Thu 19:00	1.34 · high	6.88 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 20:00	1.34 · high	7.50 · high	26.50 · good	poor
Thu 21:00	1.34 · high	7.63 · high	26.50 · good	fair
Thu 22:00	1.34 · high	7.74 · high	26.60 · good	fair
Thu 23:00	1.32 · high	7.74 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Fri 00:00	1.32 · high	7.75 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Fri 01:00	1.32 · high	7.73 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Fri 02:00	1.30 · high	7.59 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Fri 03:00	1.30 · high	7.58 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Fri 04:00	1.30 · high	7.35 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Fri 05:00	1.30 · high	7.32 · high	26.60 · good	poor
Fri 06:00	1.30 · high	7.64 · high	26.60 · good	poor