Want to do a weather check?
This picture of Molokini Crater accurately portrays The Typical Daily Maui Weather Report,
“Hot and Sunny, partly cloudy, chance of passing showers, windy in the afternoon.”
A huge consideration regarding the weather on Maui is that the weather in one area of Maui can be completely different than the other side. One part of the island can have rain, while the other part is sunny and hot. It can be cold on top of Haleakala, and 90 degrees in Kihei. Thus, if the weather is bad at your hotel in Kaanapali, it may still be beautiful in Kihei/Makena. While the forecast offers a possible glimpse at upcoming weather, it is not always correct and what you are seeing out your window may not be what we are seeing out of ours! If you are in doubt, call us and we’ll look outside and give you a more accurate weather report.
The typical summer weather patterns for the Kihei/Makena/Wailea and Molokini areas are calm and beautiful in the morning and windy in the afternoon. In the winter the weather is more variable and less predictable—but usually still beautiful.
This link is for the NOAA Kihei/Wailea/Makena area forecast.
The weather that primarily impacts diving is wind and surf. However, the direction of the wind and surf is extremely relevant, so just because there is wind or surf forecast, the direction indicates which part of the island will be impacted. The forecast also neglects to mention what time of day the predicted weather is supposed to show up. A call for high winds in the weather report doesn’t make it clear that the typical wind patterns don’t pick up until after 11:00am or noon, (which is why most the dive charters are so early in the morning.) We are typically able to get both dives in and get back to the harbor before the winds. THIS IS ONE OF THE HUGE BENEFITS OF LEAVING FROM THE KIHEI BOAT RAMP. The ramp is only 15-20 minutes from the dive sites, so we can get back to shore faster than the boats leaving out of Maalaea or Lahaina.
Water Temperatures on Maui range from about 74 in the winter-82 in the summer. We do not have thermoclines, so the temp at 80 feet and the temp at the surface are virtually the same.
Weather Cancellations: We rarely, if ever, cancel a trip due to weather prior to the morning of the charter (unless it is calling for a hurricane or tsunami!) Every time we have ever cancelled due to a FORECAST, we have been sorely disappointed by the inaccuracy. Thus, cancellations due to weather are solely the Captain’s call based on both safety and the quality of the experience, and the decision is made THE MORNING OF THE CHARTER. If we have to cancel due to weather, you will not be charged. The good news is that weather cancellations only happen a handful of times per year. This is because: