Need advice plz

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LOG-SPLITTER

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I will be staying at the kauanapali beach hotel next month and wanted to finish of my open water there.Can anyone recomend a dive shop close by that could help me out plz?

Also was going to go on a charter boat for some good snorkling.
 
Well, it's not super close, but Maui Dreams Dive Co. in Kihei would certainly take care of you! http://www.mauidreamsdiveco.com/

Also, I'd suggest getting your cert, then taking a charter to Molokini crater as a certified diver... much better than snorkeling! I like Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures...

HTH,
 
thx kris I will check them out!
 
Just called them and its over an hour drive.I was hoping to just cab it everywhere so was hoping to find a dive shop a little closer if you might now of any??
 
well...I don't know too much about Maui, but if the shops there are anything like the shops over here than I'm pretty sure that they will pick you up to do your dives.
 
Pacific Dive and Lahaina Divers are the main Lahaina-based dive shops. Kaanapali is aobut 10 minutes north of Lahaina. Both shops do instruction. Both are on Dickenson St, about a block off of Front Street. My preference is Pacific Dive, but in the end what counts is the quality of your specific instructor.

Either shop can set you up with boat dives.
 
You might also try Extended Horizons in Lahaina. fwiw Pacific Dive doesn't have their own boat, Lahaina Divers does if that matters. Although I've dove with both and can't say anything bad about either of them, Lahaina sometimes has more crowded boats but generally only on the weekends. We dove with them mid-week and there were maybe 10-12 divers, 3 crew and they have big, wide boats, it was very enjoyable.

As you've figured out, Ed Robinsons, B&B, Maui Dreams and Mike Severns all depart out of Kihei which is a good 45min. drive south of where you're staying. A cab would be prohibitively expensive.

No one on Maui picks up that I'm aware of, unlike on Oahu. I think it's because Oahu has a greater concentration of tourists in Waikiki, Maui's not like that, it's more spread out. Just about everybody rents a car at the airport and drives out to/around West Maui.

There's now a local municipal bus running on a limited schedule since last summer.
http://www.co.maui.hi.us/bus/

But looking at the schedule, it won't be of much use for diving since the diveboats all leave between 6-7am to take advantage of the calmer water in the mornings before the tradewinds pick up. But it might get you back to Kaanapali from Lahaina in the afternoon.

There's also a local shuttle bus I used once when my family had the car, it picked me up on-call in Kihei and took me about 10 mi. north, fare was very reasonable(for Maui) like $5.00. I don't know if they run in the Kaanapali area though. I found it in one of those local information brochure kiosks that are in most of the resorts lobbies.

Most of the snorkeling is done at Molokini, there's the Pride of Maui, it's a big powered catamaran that gets out there in a hurry. They also have tanks and do a resort course type dive for non-certified divers. They do a pretty good barbeque also. But it's kind of pricey.

I think they leave out of Maalea harbor which is 20 min south of Lahaina. There's also a big sail-driven cat in Lahaina that does snorkel runs out to Molokini, I can't remember the name. They advertise everywhere so it should be easy to find.

I'd finish your cert. and go on a regular diveboat though, it's so much better. Chances are good that you'll wind up doing some of your o/w dives at Molokini anyway. If not, Lahaina Divers used to run out there on Wednesdays, it's farther than from Kihei, so they don't regularly go there, instead they go across to Lanai and dive the Cathedrals - another must do dive on Maui.

hth,
 
Aloha Log Splitter,

If this is your first time to Maui, I would highly recommend renting a car if you can. It's much bigger "in person" and there are lots of places you will want to see. Taxi's will end up costing more than the rental and you'll have freedom to do what you want 24/7. It's not that bad of a drive down here to Kihei either, about 45 minutes if you go at a comfortable pace and take in a sight or two along the way. We generally have slightly better water conditions over here too. You never know what the water will be like until you get here and diving on the Lahaina side might not work out. Just someting to consider.....
 
Hey Doug,

Are you suggesting that your water in Kihei is better than our water in Lahaina? :wink:

Only reason I don't get out to Kihei more often is the cost of gas these days - It would make diving 10x more expensive for me...

Log Splitter - Both Pacific Dive and Lahaina Divers have good instructors - and I'll second the car rental idea - a Taxi from Kaanapali to Lahaina (2.5 miles) is going to cost about $5-$7 each way - Kihei is 20-25 miles away...

Aloha, Tim
 
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