nescubasteve
Contributor
Harlequins, Humpbacks, Hawaiian Monk Seals – oh my!
Yes, I did see all three while I was on Maui… BUT in the interest of full disclosure, the Harlequin Shrimp was the only one of the three that I actually saw while diving (actually saw two of them at two different sites). The Humpbacks could be seen on the surface, well, everywhere and we could hear them on nearly every dive. The Hawaiian Monk Seal was hanging out on the surface at Mala Wharf, but was long gone by the time we entered the water. In any case, not seeing a Humpback or Monk Seal while diving just gives me another reason to return to Maui next year...
I dove with three different operators (B&B Scuba, Shaka Divers, and Lahaina Divers) and had three different diving experiences.
First, a little background… I have a non-diving spouse, but two sons who dive (ages 16 and 14). My sons are AOW and AOW Jr respectively and have about 50 dives each. Typically, I will only dive with one of them at a time. We stayed up north of Kaanapali near Honokowai. We have been to Maui previously and I used ScubaBoard to help determine who we would dive with. On to the diving…
Shaka Divers
We first did a few shore dives with Doug from Shaka Divers (ShakaDoug from ScubaBoard). He actually did the boys certification dives two years ago and it is always good to see him. In addition to being a great dive guide (he always seems to find the really interesting stuff), Doug is a great guy too. He is very knowledgeable about and respectful of the marine life we come across AND he is a very responsible diver and conscientious Maui resident. I like the fact that he is a "concerned citizen" and is active in the community. Another good thing about diving with Doug is that he takes great pictures which he can then put on a CD for you, but during the dives, his camera is so unobtrusive that it is almost non-existent. Finally, Doug has always been very easy to work with and has really catered to our needs. He has always been more than happy to accommodate our special requests (e.g. bigger tanks, dive time, dive site, etc) and his prices are very reasonable.
The dives we did with Doug were in South Maui (Ulua, 5 Graves, and Makena Landing). Though he is out of Kihei and we stay up north, it worked out well for us because I would dive with one son while my non-certified wife and other son would hang out at the beach or go shopping etc.
I would recommend Shaka Divers to ANYONE coming to Maui for the first time, for new divers (including those needing to do their cert dives), for people looking for some fun, but relatively carefree "tune-up" dives, and for folks who want to learn a little about the various south Maui shore-diving sites.
We will keep coming back because the bottom line is - it’s just lots of fun diving with Doug. How could you not have fun with someone who drives the ScubaBus?
B&B Scuba
A top notch operation. I just don't think enough good things can be said about B&B Scuba. The days I dove with B&B Scuba, I didn't take my sons - some "me" time, if you will. In any case, the morning commute was no problem. It took 45 minutes to get from Honokowai to the Kihei boat ramp (even with the construction on the Piilani) and I was home both mornings by 10:45. Just in time to head out with the rest of the family for whatever else we had planned for the day.
One of the things I like best about B&B is their continuity. Same people working in the shop as two years ago, same boat crew, same dive leaders. I love the fact that Blessi (Blessi Varney on ScubaBoard) said "Hi Steve" when I walked in the shop and that when I arrived at the boat ramp, I saw Brad, Bill, and Stan, the same folks I saw there last year and the year before.
B&B is the first boat out of the ramp and usually dives Molokini for one dive, then somewhere else for a shallower second dive. For my dives with them, we dove the Molokini, Five Graves, 85' Pinnacles, and Red Hill. All great dives and on both days, the second dives lasted over an hour. I really like the variety of sites B&B goes to for the second dives. Stan pointed out the Harlequin shrimp and David showed me the Crocodile Snake Eel.
Their boat is a great dive platform. They only take 12 passengers and usually have three dive leaders. The food they offer is wonderful - fresh pineapple and homemade chocolate chip cookies between dives and turkey on Hawaiian sweetbread after. The crew is very attentive to the passengers, engaging all of them in conversation and seeing if they need help with anything - from weights to drinks to cameras. One day I didn't have my weight pouches (long story) and Stan lent me his. Thanks Stan!
Bottom line - Very professional, very reasonably priced and very safe. Great boat, great personnel. Love to dive with them.
Lahaina Divers
My oldest son has pretty significant motion sickness issues (so far he has been sick in cars, planes, boats, ships, a submarine, while snorkeling and while surfing…:yuck
, so I decided to book some boats dives that didn’t entail much “boating”. Since we stay on West Maui, I chose Lahaina Divers and we booked the Turtle Town dives. And not much boating is exactly what we got.
We really did have great dives with them, but all four dives could have been done from shore. NOT THAT I AM AGAINST SHORE DIVES, just that I am not thrilled with the idea of paying a boat dive fee for essentially a shore dive, especially when the dives are practically within site of the boat ramp. In any case, great big dive boat. Personnel were entertaining and knew what they were doing, but it was a different crew the two days we dove with them. Unlike other things I had heard, we actually were allowed to do our own thing to a certain extent. The first dives are essentially DM led, but the second dives on both days we were allowed to explore on our own. We had 60 minute second dives both days.
The sites we visited were Shark Pit, Mala Wharf, Mala Wharf, and Mala Wharf... Did I say we dove Mala Wharf? Three times in two days was a bit much - BUT it really is a great dive site. I plan on diving there from shore for our next trip. Would have preferred a little more variety for two consecutive days of diving.
Bottom Bottom Line
In the end, I wouldn’t miss out on diving with B&B again. I am certain I will dive with Shaka Doug again. I may go out again with Lahaina Divers, but probably wouldn’t do the “Turtle Reef” charter. Maybe the bigger boat would help alleviate some of my sons sea-sickness issues and we could actually dive Lanai?
Had a great trip and would love to answer any questions anyone has. I will post pictures in a few days...
Yes, I did see all three while I was on Maui… BUT in the interest of full disclosure, the Harlequin Shrimp was the only one of the three that I actually saw while diving (actually saw two of them at two different sites). The Humpbacks could be seen on the surface, well, everywhere and we could hear them on nearly every dive. The Hawaiian Monk Seal was hanging out on the surface at Mala Wharf, but was long gone by the time we entered the water. In any case, not seeing a Humpback or Monk Seal while diving just gives me another reason to return to Maui next year...
I dove with three different operators (B&B Scuba, Shaka Divers, and Lahaina Divers) and had three different diving experiences.
First, a little background… I have a non-diving spouse, but two sons who dive (ages 16 and 14). My sons are AOW and AOW Jr respectively and have about 50 dives each. Typically, I will only dive with one of them at a time. We stayed up north of Kaanapali near Honokowai. We have been to Maui previously and I used ScubaBoard to help determine who we would dive with. On to the diving…
Shaka Divers
We first did a few shore dives with Doug from Shaka Divers (ShakaDoug from ScubaBoard). He actually did the boys certification dives two years ago and it is always good to see him. In addition to being a great dive guide (he always seems to find the really interesting stuff), Doug is a great guy too. He is very knowledgeable about and respectful of the marine life we come across AND he is a very responsible diver and conscientious Maui resident. I like the fact that he is a "concerned citizen" and is active in the community. Another good thing about diving with Doug is that he takes great pictures which he can then put on a CD for you, but during the dives, his camera is so unobtrusive that it is almost non-existent. Finally, Doug has always been very easy to work with and has really catered to our needs. He has always been more than happy to accommodate our special requests (e.g. bigger tanks, dive time, dive site, etc) and his prices are very reasonable.
The dives we did with Doug were in South Maui (Ulua, 5 Graves, and Makena Landing). Though he is out of Kihei and we stay up north, it worked out well for us because I would dive with one son while my non-certified wife and other son would hang out at the beach or go shopping etc.
I would recommend Shaka Divers to ANYONE coming to Maui for the first time, for new divers (including those needing to do their cert dives), for people looking for some fun, but relatively carefree "tune-up" dives, and for folks who want to learn a little about the various south Maui shore-diving sites.
We will keep coming back because the bottom line is - it’s just lots of fun diving with Doug. How could you not have fun with someone who drives the ScubaBus?
B&B Scuba
A top notch operation. I just don't think enough good things can be said about B&B Scuba. The days I dove with B&B Scuba, I didn't take my sons - some "me" time, if you will. In any case, the morning commute was no problem. It took 45 minutes to get from Honokowai to the Kihei boat ramp (even with the construction on the Piilani) and I was home both mornings by 10:45. Just in time to head out with the rest of the family for whatever else we had planned for the day.
One of the things I like best about B&B is their continuity. Same people working in the shop as two years ago, same boat crew, same dive leaders. I love the fact that Blessi (Blessi Varney on ScubaBoard) said "Hi Steve" when I walked in the shop and that when I arrived at the boat ramp, I saw Brad, Bill, and Stan, the same folks I saw there last year and the year before.
B&B is the first boat out of the ramp and usually dives Molokini for one dive, then somewhere else for a shallower second dive. For my dives with them, we dove the Molokini, Five Graves, 85' Pinnacles, and Red Hill. All great dives and on both days, the second dives lasted over an hour. I really like the variety of sites B&B goes to for the second dives. Stan pointed out the Harlequin shrimp and David showed me the Crocodile Snake Eel.
Their boat is a great dive platform. They only take 12 passengers and usually have three dive leaders. The food they offer is wonderful - fresh pineapple and homemade chocolate chip cookies between dives and turkey on Hawaiian sweetbread after. The crew is very attentive to the passengers, engaging all of them in conversation and seeing if they need help with anything - from weights to drinks to cameras. One day I didn't have my weight pouches (long story) and Stan lent me his. Thanks Stan!
Bottom line - Very professional, very reasonably priced and very safe. Great boat, great personnel. Love to dive with them.
Lahaina Divers
My oldest son has pretty significant motion sickness issues (so far he has been sick in cars, planes, boats, ships, a submarine, while snorkeling and while surfing…:yuck
, so I decided to book some boats dives that didn’t entail much “boating”. Since we stay on West Maui, I chose Lahaina Divers and we booked the Turtle Town dives. And not much boating is exactly what we got.We really did have great dives with them, but all four dives could have been done from shore. NOT THAT I AM AGAINST SHORE DIVES, just that I am not thrilled with the idea of paying a boat dive fee for essentially a shore dive, especially when the dives are practically within site of the boat ramp. In any case, great big dive boat. Personnel were entertaining and knew what they were doing, but it was a different crew the two days we dove with them. Unlike other things I had heard, we actually were allowed to do our own thing to a certain extent. The first dives are essentially DM led, but the second dives on both days we were allowed to explore on our own. We had 60 minute second dives both days.
The sites we visited were Shark Pit, Mala Wharf, Mala Wharf, and Mala Wharf... Did I say we dove Mala Wharf? Three times in two days was a bit much - BUT it really is a great dive site. I plan on diving there from shore for our next trip. Would have preferred a little more variety for two consecutive days of diving.
Bottom Bottom Line
In the end, I wouldn’t miss out on diving with B&B again. I am certain I will dive with Shaka Doug again. I may go out again with Lahaina Divers, but probably wouldn’t do the “Turtle Reef” charter. Maybe the bigger boat would help alleviate some of my sons sea-sickness issues and we could actually dive Lanai?
Had a great trip and would love to answer any questions anyone has. I will post pictures in a few days...
