Maui bound! ...advice?

[DiverDebbie]

A very good friend of mine is moving to Maui for a couple years. So I am seriously planning to take a 3 week vacation to visit (and dive of course!) She's joining her boyfriend who is already living/working there, so I will have a place to stay. I'll need to keep costs down a bit, (since I'm spending a chunk of money to go through the IDC in Sept!) so I am primarily looking to shore dive.
I'm checking out the other posts, but any advice on fav. sites would be appreciated.
I'll have my own gear with me but will of course need weights/tanks/air, so will need a shop recommendation
My friend isn't a diver, unfortunately, and my current buddy has booked another trip, so I will be looking for a buddy(s) to dive with...??? It's not that I won't pay a divemaster to show me around the sites first time, but I'm a divemaster (hopefully soon to be instructor!) so I don't think I'll need 3 weeks of DM guided dives. ok, I don't think I'll be diving every day! I intend to join her on the beach and surfing too
I am hoping to go Nov/early Dec. How is this time of the year for diving Maui? (does it make much difference there?)

thanks for any advice/tips! I'm haven't been tropical diving since Aus. last year so I'm super excited about warm water and decent viz

 

[mossym]

i was in maui last november, temps were still 80F at 70ft down...black rock in Ka'anapali (sp?) is supposed to be a great spot, i did all my diving from a boat..

 

[BDub]

Where will you be staying? Maui has some awesome shorediving, but most of the shore dives I've done have been in the Kihei/Wailea area.

Maui Dreams is who we use for our tank and weight rentals. They are the shore diving experts and are the shop most of the locals use and they have a buddy book as well. Very nice and knowledgeable staff who know the dive sites very well.

I would definitely suggest picking up a copy of Diver's Guide to Maui . It has lot's of great information. It is pretty easily available at most shops on the island.

Hope that helps.

Brian

 

[DiveMaven]

Check with Shakka Doug for guided shore dives in the Kihei area. Also talk with Tim about meeting up in the Lahaina area. Both are on this board.

There are definitely some good shore dives in Maui. Maui Dive Shop publishes a magazine that includes directions and descriptions of the shore dives. You can pick it up when you get there, or they'll send you a copy if you fill out a thing on their website.

 

[kidspot]

I'm up in Lahaina and most always up for a shore dive when I've got time off. Shoot me a PM when you get here...

Aloha and enjoy Maui!

 

[DiverDebbie]

I'm up in Lahaina and most always up for a shore dive when I've got time off. Shoot me a PM when you get here...

Aloha and enjoy Maui!

Thanks, I'll do that! It'll be fun to meet some new ScubaBoarders ...and thanks for the other tips too. I've checked out the Maui Dreams site. I'll be staying in Lahaina, which doesn't mean to say I won't check out others sites around the island. Here at home it's common to drive and hour or more to a dive site. It's obvious I will need wheels there, so I'll just need to sort that out.

 

[KrisB]

I'll second the Maui Dreams Dive Co. ( http://www.mauidreamsdiveco.com/ ) recommendation. Great people... a dive shop run by divers for divers.

Be wary of Maui Dive Shop -- a little too big with too many non-divers working there for my tastes.

 

[KrisB]

P.S.... but do "use and abuse" MDS by picking up the free "Maui Dive Guide" from them when you get there. Or even better: go to their site and have them mail you one!

 

[Charlie99]

P.S.... but do "use and abuse" MDS by picking up the free "Maui Dive Guide" from them when you get there. Or even better: go to their site and have them mail you one!

I also find MDS a convenient source of rental tanks. $40 for a 10 tank rental card. Each punch is good for a fill and 24 hour tank rental.

Depending upon where you will be staying, you might also look at Pacific Dive (Lahaina) or Maui Dreams (Kihei) for bulk rental cards.

There are lots of nice easy shore dives, so there probably isn't any need to use a DM for an initial tour. The free Maui Dive Guide KrisB recommends has enough info for most sites.

Do try and set aside enough money for a trip to Molokini, and one to Lanai. Expensive, but you just have to hit those sites at least once during your trip.

 

[KrisB]

I also find MDS a convenient source of rental tanks. $40 for a 10 tank rental card. Each punch is good for a fill and 24 hour tank rental.

Depending upon where you will be staying, you might also look at Pacific Dive (Lahaina) or Maui Dreams (Kihei) for bulk rental cards.

There are lots of nice easy shore dives, so there probably isn't any need to use a DM for an initial tour. The free Maui Dive Guide KrisB recommends has enough info for most sites.

Do try and set aside enough money for a trip to Molokini, and one to Lanai. Expensive, but you just have to hit those sites at least once during your trip.

Maui Dreams has tanks for $4 each or $30 for 10 -- and you can usually get them one by one, and you pay the lower of the prices ($4 each or $30 in blocks of ten -- for the math challenged, that means 8-10 tanks have the same price: $30).