Aloha from Maui!

Reporting to you, live from Maui. This is the start of day 5 of our trip, based in Honokowai for the first portion. Honokowai is on the western side of the island between Ka'anapali and Kapalua. It's a bit windier on this side than we're used to, in our usual spot down in Kihei. Of course, with wind comes rougher seas. So, we really haven't been able to get into the water much so far. Yesterday we ventured south, in search of calmer waters. We made stops along the Honoapi'ilani Highway at mile markers 14 and 11 where there are some nice little beaches and calm water. However, no one else was in the water at the time (around 8am), being unfamiliar and having no idea how far out the reefs were, we decided to head toward Kihei. Great move. We have a level of comfort there. We know the roads, stores, beaches, snorkeling from our many stays in the area. The temperature was at least 5 degrees warmer than west Maui without the constant wind. The ocean was very calm, and after 4 days, we finally got our first snorkel in.

Kama'ole III is always a good spot for Honus.

I also got to try out the new full face snorkel mask. After reading some not to favorable reviews, I opted out of the one I originally bought from China.

I guess there can be a problem with CO2 build up on some of the cheaper ones, causing some people to black out. I had apparently bought one of the worst makes. After reading reviews from a site which did research on them (you can read it HERE), I went with the one of the highly rated HEAD masks. I found it at Costco, here on Maui for 49.99. Which is about double what I paid for the Chinese mask. Small price to pay for your own safety. The main advantage I found in using this mask, was not having to bite down on the standard snorkeling tube the entire time in the water. Heidi had also bought a similar one from China, but we couldn't find a review on it. She decided to give it a try, after testing it in the pool. That only lasted about 5 minutes, as she found that the more strenuous activity of swimming in the ocean current caused her to breathe harder, and the mask would not allow enough air consumption. The mask by Head, which I was using was fine for the conditions we had. I'm not sure if it would allow for a more strenuous swim in rougher seas.

After a successful snorkel, we ventured further south through Wailea to Makena. We HAD to stop at our favorite spot on the island, Pa'ako Beach (Secret Cove), for just a few minutes.

The next snorkel spot was Ahihi Cove, in the Ahihi-Kinau Reserve, and right next to a home owned by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. It's a great spot with many varieties of fish right off shore.

All that snorkeling works up a healthy appetite, and one of our usuals is to hit one of the food trucks parked roadside in Makena.

After returning to the condo for a shower and a nap, it was off to Maui Brewing Co. for a few quaffs and a bite.

I'd call that a perfect day.

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