April Diving

[olphart]

Aloha!
Next April 10 I'll be taking a cruise in the islands that will have me visiting Hilo, Kona, and Nahiliwili for a day each then 2 days in Kahului and Honolulu.
I can dive 2 times on this trip, and my better half loves to snorkel reefs, (no, she's not the least athletic, just a paddler). I'd like to get recommendations for our limited dive/snorkel opportunities.
By then I'll be a newly certified divemaster with 75 or so dives and I'm also certified for geezer gas.
I only wish I could be in Kona to take the manta ray night dive, but no such luck, so if there is a similar dive available in Kauai or Maui, that would be great. Other than that big critters and pretty coral are always a draw for me.

Many thanx for any and all suggestions

 

[justleesa]

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[olphart]

No ideas? Maybe I'm not asking the right questions.
I'm not sure if I understand this correctly, but from research I've done so far, Kauai doesn't have much of what could be described as "pretty coral?" More of a volcanic bottom? Are there large critters in that area? What islands would have the more spectacular bottom stuff? I've done a fair bit of diving in the Caribbean and was looking for that kind of thing in Hawaii.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Perhaps it's the fact that in more than a year things could change??

Or perhaps you are coming this April 10th, not next April 10th???

If it is next April 10th, are you sure the cruise ship will even still be in business????

 

[llqwyd]

You are correct in that Kauai does not have "pretty" coral. We have a lot of hard (or slow-growth) corals that tend to come in earth-tone shades. They are pretty, but it is a matter of appreciation for something different. Kauai does have "big" aquatic life, but it is found at Ni'ihau and would not be an option for your limited time. It is a 3 tank dive that leaves at 6am and returns at 6pm. There are some nice dives here, though. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

 

[scottitheduck]

Might be best to book a trip out to Molokini while you are on Maui. You could have a good backwall dive to see big stuff (sharks and maybe mantas) while the inside of the crater could be good for snorkeling.....

Again, depends on the time you are in port. Generally cruisers don't rent cars so this might cut down on your shore diving/snorkeling options.

G