The Snorkel Store has opened a new, third location in Kihei. Co-owners Kevin Lewis, Micah Wolf and Daniel Sykes created The Snorkel Store to provide an alternative to the high resort prices, and gimmicky time-share techniques in the Maui market. In 2012, the local friends opened their first store in The Lahaina Square Shopping Center. Then one year later, they opened a much larger store in Ka’anapali. The addition of a new south side store now provides island wide convenience to The Snorkel Store customers.
“To visitors, the new Kihei location brings convenience by giving customers a new place to pick-up and drop-off their snorkel and beach rentals,” Lewis said. Customers can now rent or buy snorkel equipment at a location that is within 10 minutes of most places on the island.
“Forty percent of all room nights on Maui are in Kihei,” Lewis said. “Being island wide gives our clients three convenient locations to pick-up and drop-off their rentals regardless of where they are staying.”
“We’re excited to offer this kind of convenience to our customers,” Sykes added. “People want to get out in the ocean, not spend time driving around, returning gear.”
The owners said the relaxed, community vibe in Kihei will be a good match for The Snorkel Store, which bases its business philosophy on customer satisfaction. The owner’s said they now offer the largest selection of snorkel gear on Maui—expanding its overall retail inventory to meet the needs of both visitors and local clientele. “We now also carry things like spear-guns, weight belts and free dive fins,” Lewis said.
In addition, The Snorkel Store offers 80 hand picked Maui activities that can be purchased at the store, on-line or over the phone. Lewis said the activities they offer are tours that the owners would go on themselves—or send their own family members on. He said the tours and activities must be provided by reputable operators; but most importantly, they have to be fun. “We also try and offer something for everyone in the party–from relaxing in-room massages to adventurous paragliding,” Lewis said.
In addition, The Snorkel Store has teamed with a Portland, Oregon-based agency to build a modern, user friendly website. “We want our customers to have the same relaxed experience shopping at home, that they would have in the store,” said Lewis, the company’s digital expert.
The spacious new Kihei store is located next to Fabiani’s Italian restaurant on Lipoa Street. The Snorkel Store is celebrating its new grand opening by offering a two-for-one discount on premium snorkel rentals, in addition to a $20 credit toward rentals and activities, through the end of the month.
Photo: Alfonsin11/Wikimedia Commons
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