On an island, the ocean is all around you and, on Maui. When the ocean invites, don’t hold back while you’re on the Valley Isle. Here you can accept the invitation, but do it your way.

Meet the ocean on your own terms by renting kayaks, snorkel gear or jet skis and other thrillcraft. You can go to sea with a little help on a cruise with snorkel instructions that get even dog-paddlers out snapping pictures of tropical fish and sea turtles. Or you can go aboard and leave the skippering to someone else.

For the whole family, there are whale watches (in season) and dinner cruises year round. For the romantically inclined, the dinner cruises are attractive. So are the cocktail cruises.

To kick your ocean day into high gear, consider parasailing, drifting under a parachute towed by a boat (out of whale season only). Or, if you’re ready to take to the sea on its own terms, scuba diving is the ultimate challenge and you can get certified in the ocean (not a practice pool) here, seeing the actual wonders of the deep while learning to explore greater and wider depths.