Hammerhead Site or Lanai Cathedrals?

[wellspun]

Hi all, gonna be in Maui in a week and can only do one dive (vacationing with my gf who doesn't dive). Do to scheduling of my dive with her spa treatment, I have it narrowed down to either the Hammerhead Site with Lahaina Divers or Lanai Cathedrals with Extended Horizons.

I'm leaning toward the Lanai dive because it seems like a much more mellow dive. I have 100+ dives, but haven't been in the water since Kauai last August. I will be going out to Catalina Island for 3 dives several days prior to my trip, so I should be comfortable for my trip to Maui. The thought of seeing some Hammerheads for the first time is exciting, but the Lanai dive looks very cool with the caves and such.

Any input on the dives sites or dive companies I've listed would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Doug

 

[Tigerman]

I cant talk about the mentioned sites i specific, but this june I was fortunate enough to have 15 minutes hanging out with 8 hammerheads and it is just hard to describe the feeling when the first one come up for a peek and nobody scare it off so it goes back down to bring the rest of them up..
Theire awsome creatures, but sharks are not a guarantee even on sites where they are guaranteed. Its SO worth a few bad dives when you do get them though!

 

[Steve Eady]

I have done the Lani dive with Lahaina dive shop. Had a great time and there were a ton of Dolphins also. Going to do the hammerhead dive in december when I go back. Have fun and enjoy.

 

[ChrisM]

Haven't dove the LD hammerhead dive (but done several others), but have done Cathedrals many times. Agree with the above diving with hammers is amazing.... if they show up of course. If not it's (from what I hear) a long boat ride and could be a very rough ocean dive. Cathedrals is definitely worth the dive though (even then you are condition dependent). I can't recall which one is which, but one is basically a lava bubble, while the other is more like a jungle gym with tons of swim throughs, I remember just going around and around on that thing

 

[merxlin]

I am 1 for 3 in trips to Molokai for the hammerheads in the last 3 years (2 trips cancelled/rerouted because of conditions), and the one time I made it there were 6-8 ft swells and 30ft viz. The normal trip took almost twice as long due to the rough seas. We saw a few silhouettes but no great encounters. Your milage may vary but if you only have one day I'd do Cathedrals just to make sure you get a good day of diving. On the other hand when I am there for a week, I will continue to try and get there to see the hammerheads.

 

[DiveMaven]

I have to agree, if I had to choose between the two, I'd do the more "sure thing" and go to Lanai. There are times when you can't dive both of the Cathedrals, but that's super rare.

 

[pjhansman]

We lucked out and did both Lanai and Molokai trips last Xmas and the weather was absolutely perfect. Only saw a couple hammerheads on the Molokai'i trip, so I would have to say if I had to choose it would be back to the Cathedrals.

 

[Steve Eady]

To be honest, if I had only one day to dive I would get ahold of scubahawk27 on these forums and go for a scooter dive with him. I have had more fun on those things then any diving I have done.

 

[simskiscuba]

What Steve says is true. Last month I had the pleasure of scootering with scubahawk and his wife down past Kihea. Really lovely people, great diving and the scooter was way cool.
Given a choice between the hammerhead site and cathedrals I would definitely go cathedrals(if I could only do one). Did them both with Lahaina last month. I think (?) we saw a hammerhead shadow in the distance. The rest of the dive was unremarkable and on the deep side for very little reason other than the possibility of hammerheads.
Loooong, choppy, soaked boat ride.
Cathedrals was amazing in several ways. And then you shotgun out.

 

[wellspun]

Well, looks like I'll be diving Lanai with Extended Horizons, can't wait. I'm interested in finding out more about the scooter dives with Scubahawk if anyone can point me to a website with information regarding that. I may be able to sneak off on another morning for a quick dive, we'll see.