Maui depths

[Skookumchuck]

From reading various posts here I get the impression that the majority of the shore dives on Maui are fairly shallow. I'll be visiting for the first time in September and won't be able to afford to boat dive every day. Are there shore dives where a depth junkie can get his fix?
Andrew.

 

[TSandM]

Although I don't know why you want to find deep water (after all, you see the same critters in the shallows, for the most part, and there your tank lasts forever and deco isn't an issue), you can get to the 90 foot range off Old Airport, because I have done it. But I have to admit I was on a scooter, and I don't know how long it would take to swim out that far.

 

[StuartT]

Hi Andrew. Most of the shore dives the reefs max out about 50 fsw or so and like Lynn said everything you want to see can be found on those reefs. In fact last year we found way more on our own slowly shore diving than the 2 boat charters we did plus average of 90 minute dives on 80's. One of the boat dives is the St.Anthony wreck that is about a half a mile off shore and still only sits in about 70 fsw. Couls definately do it as a scooter dive. Apparantly north west of the wreck is a 150 old car reef in a bit deeper water 90 fw from what I uderstand. We could try that one if you feel like rentng scooters for the day. We might have to book a scooter dive as I'm not sure if anyone just rents the scooters to dive on your own. If you need a deep dive the outside(backside) of Molokini drops to 250-300 fsw but you will likely be on an 80 so very short dive if you go deep. Just my 2 cents. I think most of the lee shore of Maui has a very gradual drop but could be wrong maybe some locals could comment.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

My bdb has recently descended just 20 feet from the Kahekili Beach Park shore, leisurely swum to 100 fsw and back to ascend at same 20 foot from shore location, in just under 60 minutes, with a 72 cft. I chased spotted eagle rays at 90 fsw for a few minutes and "barely" won the psi battle, with my 120 cft.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hawaii-ohana/243718-molokini-kayak-dive.html

Living in paradise on a dive instructor-ish budget means I am loath to pay for a dive charter seat, so I occasionally kayak out to Molokini when I need to go deep. I have taken one paying customer on that adventure, but he was a 19 year old DMC at the time.

There is a line of deep reefs off South Maui, starting near the Kihei Small Boat Ramp; It mostly parallels the shore approximately a half mile out. The shallowest tops of the reef are ~40 feet deep, with the sand on the ocean side from 120-130 feet deep. When I worked the various Wailea resort dive operations I often used their scooters and larger than 80 cf tanks to explore these rarely visited reefs. I have even kayaked out with a scooter and a 100 cft, to start the scooter dive directly above a 40 foot deep top.

The vast majority of this reef is well developed finger coral and even the biggest peacock grouper has no trouble completely disappearing from sight. It is kind of like visiting the French Quarter of New Orleans in the middle of the day; the colorful denizens are not out and about.

I have done more of that kind of "shore" diving off Maui than any other diver I have heard of and other than shore diving the Carthaginian artificial wreck I have not found anything of real interest deeper than 90 feet, and only a couple of interesting oasis rocks deeper than 80 feet.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hawaii-ohana/204383-carthaginian-shore.html

photo gallery moved to ....

Carthaginian 007 - halemano's Photos | SmugMug

I am still trying to finance the used scooter fleet that I have so far been unable to even take for a test drive.

It is not likely to find scooters for rent in Hawaii, and probably only a couple guides that would take a scooter dive deeper than 70 feet.

 

[RSF]

I've also done St. Anthony wreck by Kayak. It's about a 30 minute kayak from Wailea. Reached max. depth of 70 feet. There are some good shore dives at lesser depths that can be reached by scooter (e.g. Mackena point)