Maui Dive Experience!!

Have you ever dove Hawaii?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 41 73.2%
  • No, but plan to within 1-2 years.

    Votes: 11 19.6%
  • No and not currently planed to.

    Votes: 4 7.1%

  • Total voters
    56

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psinyc

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We just got back from Maui this week. All I can say is WOW!!!

We did 5 dives in total (2 tanks @ Molokini, 2 tanks @ Lanai, and 1 tank @ Black Rock). The first dives were to Molokini. Viz was great at about 175 - 200 ft. We saw at least 20 different types of the reef fish (at Reefs edge site) and eels. The second tank was simply amazing. We dove closer the the backside of the crater, close to where the layered reef wraps around to the backside wall. The highlights of the dive included two (4 - 5ft) reef sharks checking us out in a sand channel, 4 different types of eels (snokeflake, moray, white mouth, etc), and we lucky to find a octopus (about 2.5 ft including tenticles) that we played with for about 15 minutes.

The Lanai dives were great also. Did Knob Hill and Cathederals II. The viz was not as good as Molokini (about 100 ft), but still very good! Knob Hill was a fun dive with several swim-throughs canals. Currents were very strong though, so we got a work-out while we were there! The 2nd dive at Cathederals was off-the-hook! It's really something about being 60 - 70 ft under-h20 in this somewhat enclosed room. It semed like there was endless amount of entries and exits from the main room to the open sea, but at the same time, while in the main room, you really felt like you were enclosed. There were loads of red soldier fish in dark gaps in the room, which had just laid eggs. They are none-threathening, but it was great to see how they kept an eye on us in an attempt to protect their young.

Black Rock was also great including loads of fish, eels, giant green sea turtles and spotted eagle rays. Viz was about 50 - 75ft for this shore dive, accessability was extremely convienient.

We dove with Maui Dive Shop to Molokini and Lanai. We thought it was a great operation plus pure digital has an underwater videographer that goes out on all the trips. The video makes for a great memory. They were safe and extremely informative (about fish ID, etc.), but at the same time they were out to also have fun themselves. Our 4 tanks with them all lasted over 1 hour each tank, with 3 - 5 minutes safety stops!

All-in-all Hawaii was great in terms of viz, variety of sea life and site locations, and accessability. Looking forward to returning!!:)
 
Sounds like you had an awesome time.

Vis. 175 to 200. I can't even imagine it. I've seen 100 in Coz and local. I thought it was simply incredible. I hope that kind of vis is still around next week when I'll be there. Now you got me really excited. :) :) :)
 
yeah, definately go to Molokini Crater. The crater is situated between 2 islands, and the current and winds keep those waters crystal clear! Probably the best viz for any Maui dive.
 
I have dived Molokini numerous times and have never tired of it: it is one of the best sites in the Hawaiin Archepelago. If you have good air consumption and a favorable current, you can darn near drift from one end of the outer wall to the other. The array of sea life is spectacular, but remember to do one thing: look out to the blue every so often. You may be treated to a Manta or some sharks that are rather larger than the white tips that reside near the reef. You might even see a school of Ahi! But you have to look out to the blue to get a chance to do that.

One more thing to do on Maui: ask to go to a turtle cleaning station. You can see Hawaiin Green Sea Turtles relaxing while various wrasses, etc. do a first class cleaning job. What is amazing is how docile the turtles become: you can fin right up to them and do a portrait, if you are a photographer. But, a word of warning: do not molest them!

Aloha nui loa!

Scorpionfish
 
Scuba... do the back wall for sure!!! My favorite dive over there.

And yes... look out into the blue... and down into the deeper blue... but don't miss this: swim out away from the wall 100', turn and look back at the wall.... that is one of my most memorable sights diving.
 
Maui, has some great diving

I lived there for many years and worked as a diver there most of the time.

I did four to six dives a day every day at Molokini, and i look forward to diving it again anytime i get back there.

I have fed baby Black Tip Sharks, rode on a Whale Shark, petted Humpback Whales, rode on many Manta Rays, walked on the sandy bottom on the back side, just endless amazing stuff there.

I have done over a 1000 dives on Molokini alone.

but you must wonder where the guys who do that type of diving every day, go for a fun dive after work!!

there are some amazing beach dives on the island. say Hobbit Land, Shark Pit, or Five Fingers for example. then there is Molokia, Turttle Rock for schooling Hammerheads, or the old harbor for 15 pound lobster.


did that wet your whistle, I have to run now, i will get more to you later.
 
there is quite a story behind it, hich for me makes it one of my most amazing dives ever.
 
Thank you all for the good tips.

Aqua Tec,

I can't seem to find these spots: Hobbit Land, Shark Pit. Do they go by another name. Appreciate help with location if they are easily accessible.

Is Five Fingers same as Five Caves?
 
None of these sites are on any map. and five fingers is not the same as five graves.

your best bet is to meet an instructor who has been there for a while and make friends with them, then he might take you to some of these spots.
All of these sites you will have to work at a bit to be able to dive them, they are not for the newbie


Shark pit is the name of a surf site out front of Puamanan in Lahaina,

Hobbit land - the very best site there is anywhere. is north of Kapalua, and can only be dived when the waves are down. you jump in off a cliff about 8 feet high and dive the most amazing formations, tubes, arches, cathedrials you will ever experience.
getting out is a little tricky as you need to climb back up the same wall you jumped off of.

Five fingers is a bay north of Hobbit land [ I willl have to look at a map to remember the name of the bay. it is about a half mile surface swim then a dive with more marine life than you can imagine. not a night dive though as there are a lot of Tiger sharks in the area.

Molokia, Turttle Island - schooling Hammerheads, 100's of them.
you will need a boat for this one, and an experienced boat driver/guide etc

hope this helps
 
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