Maui vs Key Largo

[fresh_fish]

Here's the scoop. It looks like I'll have to cancel my honeymoon cruise because the money is due at the same time I need to pay for the wedding stuff. I don't have the money to spare. We are looking at either doing key largo or maui. What's the diving like? Is another hawai'ian island better? October/November is our desired timeframe.

Comments please, but don't suggest other sites, unless they are US. That's our limit for free airfare.

[robint]

Here's the scoop. It looks like I'll have to cancel my honeymoon cruise because the money is due at the same time I need to pay for the wedding stuff. I don't have the money to spare. We are looking at either doing key largo or maui. What's the diving like? Is another hawai'ian island better? October/November is our desired timeframe.

Comments please, but don't suggest other sites, unless they are US. That's our limit for free airfare.

In Oct/Nov I would go to Maui or Kona Hawaii. Water will still be warm, 78-80 degrees most likely. Diving is easy. There is more to do there topside than in Key Largo, too. :D

[muddiver]

Kaui is cold in December. Maui has more to do. Ohau has even more to do but it's more of a city than a relaxing vacation spot. Kona is suppost to be the best diving, don't really know, have not been there yet.

Florida after Christmas = massave numbers of snowbirds (i.e. East Coast winter migration). We really enjoyed New Symerna Beach one year for our late aniversary during the Christmas week. It was very quite, Key Largo might be similar.

[DeputyDan]

Having been to both Kona and Key Largo - I would do Kona (the big island of Hawaii)

Less chance of being blown out for diving - Manta Ray night dive - Unique topside opportunities.

The chance of not being able to dive in the keys that time of year (due to weather) is high!

[Bratface]

Florida water starts getting cold around the end of October, well it's cold to us. There would be more to do in Maui. Save Key Largo for your 10th anniversary when you'd rather sit around and fish or stare at the sunset.

[fresh_fish]

Ok, I'm feelin' the votes for Hawai'i. :) Our first date was actually a week spent in Waikiki beach.

I was looking at the diving around Kihei. Is that a good place, or are there better Hawai'ian dive sites? Local hotel rates and dive rental rates will also be considered.

Thanks!

[Froid]

Fresh Fish,

From Michigan, the flights would be quite a bit cheaper to Miami/Key Largo. $200.00 range vs $700.00 range. Also the hotels would be cheaper. I am assuming that you are flying out of Detroit. The Hilton in Key Largo is usually about $99.00 on week days in that time span.

If I had the option and the money, I would pick Hawaii but I like Key Largo also.

[fresh_fish]

I get free US airfare, luckily including Hawai'i. Airline prices are a non-issue. It's what I get for marrying a pilot. :)

Are you sure about the hotels? I was looking at hotels.com, and both places for october were about 100-110 per night.

[RJP]

Oahu diving isn't great, some would say boring. Go to Kona and/or Maui.

[fresh_fish]

Anyone know how to do Maui on a budget? :)

[Froid]

Fresh Fish,

If you get free airfare then there is no choice but to go with Hawaii. If the future spouse works for a major airline check to see if they have a option of discounted hotels. I know in our neck of the woods most of my neighbors work for Northwest and are able to work a deal with the hotels they stay in for crew overnights.



Froid

[fresh_fish]

He's just owned by the airline. He gets the travel, but not all of the other benefits that the "big boys" get.

What about food, etc? I know the locals know of all the budget friendly places. I'm still trying to reach one person I know that used to live there. I'm looking for the mom&pop type places that're cheap, but have amazing food.

[deeper thoughts]

I would do Hawaii because I live in the Keys lol

[robint]

He's just owned by the airline. He gets the travel, but not all of the other benefits that the "big boys" get.

What about food, etc? I know the locals know of all the budget friendly places. I'm still trying to reach one person I know that used to live there. I'm looking for the mom&pop type places that're cheap, but have amazing food.

the best way to do Hawaii, any island, cheaply is to cook for yourself. Get one of the condos instead of a hotel room, they are usually about the same price. Then hit a local grocery store your first day and buy sandwich stuff, eggs, etc. Eat out occasionally, but not every meal.

If you can, go to Maui or Kona for the best diving. Rent a car, too.
check these out:

Kona -
Jack's Diving Locker : where "Our Friendly People make the Difference" (http://www.jacksdivinglocker.com/)
Big Island Divers Diving Scuba Snorkel Kona Hawaii Manta Ray Black water pelagic magic dive (http://www.bigislanddivers.com/)

Maui -
Scuba Dive Lanai, Molokini, Molokai, and Maui (http://www.lahainadivers.com/)

[fresh_fish]

I'll have to check it out. I think we are looking at staying more on the south shore, so I'm not sure about that dive shop. I'm definitely looking at the condos though!

[robint]

I'll have to check it out. I think we are looking at staying more on the south shore, so I'm not sure about that dive shop. I'm definitely looking at the condos though!

south shore of which island?

[fresh_fish]

Of Maui. Down by Wailea and the Molokini crater.

[--tom--]

I have some suggestions regarding Maui.

robint has it dialed regarding cooking for yourself is a major way to save money. Even if it is only breakfast & packing a lunch, then it is well worth it. If you are going to cook, that means a condo. There are some good deals at VRBO.

Coming out of the airport is a Safeway and a Costco. Guess what our first stop is? I pack an inflatable ice chest, one of my friends has a folding one. A styrofoam ice chest isn't expensive & can be left behind, but I have a problem with the non-degradeable waste.

If you are staying near Kehei & boat diving, you may want to talk to Mike Severns (http://http://www.mikesevernsdiving.com/) (http://http://www.mikesevernsdiving.com/) or Ed Robinson (http://http://www.mauiscuba.com/index.html). Both are outstanding companies that launch from the Kehei harbour.

If you wish to shore dive, just south of Kehei is Makena Park. Easy entry/exit, kick out around the point (north) and dive along the shallows and cliffs (stay about 25'+ deep) & look for turtles and whitetip and blacktip sharks. I could dive there quite a few times. Farther South is La Parouse bay (sp?) on lucky very early mornings you be buzzed by dolphins. Again, get to the outer bay north side...there is a lot more fish there. FYI, La Parouse is a basalt rock entry. It will cut you if you are not careful. Cautious exits and entries & no heroics if the surf is up.

Finally, post in the Hawaii sub-group. There are some great people there.

& finally, congrats on your upcoming wedding.

[The Great Kazoo]

.....

[Robbybad]

I've dived Molokini crater and had an absolute blast. Try hitting that place if you get a chance. Lots of Cattle though.

[usmarinekurt]

theres some damn good wreck diving in Key Largo (if thats your thing)
Screw topside
I can drink anywhere and eat

[fresh_fish]

I hear the lagoon side of Molokini is better? Thanks for the tip about VRBO. Wow, there's a ton of deals on there! Since we have to wait before flying, we have to spend at least one day topside. I'm not all about nightlife, but I'd like it to be interesting...

[fmichaelk]

Consider diving in Fort Lauderdale. You will plenty of non-diving attractions from which to chose, plus you can dive off the shore pretty much anywhere from the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach to the Eurojacks in Dania. The dive charters here are $60 for a two tank dive and dive sites are usually 20 minutes out. You can always take a day trip to the Keys if you really want to pay the higher prices and spend the extra time on the boat on the way to the dive site.

Michael
Home Page (http://www.bridgeatcordova.com)

[fresh_fish]

We dove Ft Lauderdale in April. I'll agree it's very nice, just not honeymoon enough for me. Thanks though!

[song]

we are headed back to maui in October. Love that island! Plan to watch the sunrise from the volcano crater your first morning on island, when the jet lag works in your favor and before you do any diving.

Go to the Hawaii O'hana page for more detailed questions. On threads they are posting great condo deals through vrbo.com since the economy is hurting and October-November are considered the "low" season. General concensus is that the area around Kihei is the most convenient for dives.

We dove Molokini's back wall 2 years ago and made a trip to dive Lanai. Loved both. This time we will try to do more shore diving since we're going with a couple who have an aversion to boats.

[DiveMaven]

We dive Maui every year and absolutely love it. Staying in Kihei will be cheaper than the Lahaina/Kaanapali area, so it's a good choice for you. Since your future husband is a pilot, can he access Interline for cheap hotel rates?? It might be worth seeing if there's a Kihei condo he can get for a good price that way.

There are less expensive places to eat in Kihei, especially if you aren't looking for fancy. Da Kitchen is great for mixed plate lunches, Moose McGillicutty's has good specials, Pizza Madness has great pizza, Fred's Mexican food has good specials, there's a BBQ place that I can't remember the name of, Maui Tacos is cheap and pretty good.....just to name a few. But staying in a condo and eating at least breakfast and lunch in is a great way to save quite a bit of cash.

As far as diving, we always dive with Ed Robinson's since they're geared toward the more experienced diver IMO. However, you can't go wrong with Mike Severns or B&B as well. I'd strongly suggest that in addition to diving S. Maui and Molokini sites out of Kihei, that you get up early one more to catch a boat to Lanai out of Lahaina. Lahaina Divers runs bit 46' Newton boats that are extremely comfortable (the most comfortably IMO) for the often rough crossing to Lanai, but Extended Horizons is usually recommended for the more experienced diver as LD is geared toward beginners and takes more divers. October/November will be very low season so it's likely most boats won't be anywhere close to full, so I wouldn't worry about that.

There's a lot to do topside on Maui as well, quite a bit for just the cost of gas. There's also good shore diving on Maui, which you can rent tanks and do yourselves, or hire a guide like Shaka Doug to help you find all the cool critters. One nice thing about Shaka Doug is that he doesn't go out until 9am (unlike the boats which leave at 6:00-6:30am), and you can do either 1 or 2 tanks with him.

I would recommend that you dive with a guide at least a few times so you can develop a bit of an eye for what to look for. Hawaii creatures are a bit different than other places, with a lot of unique creatures that can only be found there. It's definitely worth having someone knowledgeable to teach you where and what to look for.

[dashark]

I too will be in Maui in late October. I was bummed that we weren't returning to Kona (my favorite). I am stoked to read the good reviews on the diving. didn't think about Lanai. Have to hit it...
We always do the condo/cooking option, especially in Hawaii.

[caymaniac]

I hear the lagoon side of Molokini is better? Thanks for the tip about VRBO. Wow, there's a ton of deals on there! Since we have to wait before flying, we have to spend at least one day topside. I'm not all about nightlife, but I'd like it to be interesting...

I have made 3 trips to Hawaii. Dove for a week off Maui X2 and also the Big Island X2.
Maui over-all will give you great topside and good diving (at Molokini), clear water there. I loved the backside of Molokini better, Reefs End on the frontside was a great dive spot though. There are plenty of sight seeing opportunities on Maui; theres a bike trip down the mountain (you can coast nearly the whole 38 miles), helicopter trips, the road to Hana, we've stayed at Kaanaplai area twice. We've rented a Harley, we've searched out waterfalls. Watch the wind surfers on the north side, snorkel at BlackRock. Don't forget about a Lau with local dancers and food. Lahina is within a couple of miles where there's plenty to eat and people watch/shop.

On the Big Island for budget there's the Kona Tiki, on the ocean older 50's/60's style hotel. The cost somewhere around $80 per night. Things to do: #1 Manta night dive ( in our top ten dives that we've done and we've well over 1000 dives), #2 rent a car (which you'll have to do most any place in Hawaii) and travel to the north side to see the earth being formed by the volcano, it's awesome. Plenty of waterfalls to see, you can helicopter here as well.
We were there 1 year ago and spent a day snorkeling with 21 dolphins in the Bay not too far from the captain Cook memorial.

Most recently my wife and I spent some time in the Keys and the diving was NOT spectacular as it was very windy and viz was about 10ft (although previously we've had some good diving, its the roll of the dice in Florida). There are some things to do topside but nothing compared to the beauty of Hawaii. Maui would be our first choice with the Big Island not far behind.

The Kona Tiki:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Hawaii/Image054copy.jpg

Near snorkeling on the Big Island
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Hawaii/Image084.jpg

Kaanapali's beach near Black Rock
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Hawaii/Image467.jpg

Kaanaapli sunset cruise:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Hawaii/Image180.jpg

[octopuppy]

Good cheap food - Local favorite Saimin shops

[fresh_fish]

Wow, very thorough. Thank you for the continued feedback. I'm getting the same info about the keys, diving can be a shot in the dark, and not much to do topside. I think we've settled on the 50th state. Thanks so much! For you Hawai'i people, I'll be posting more questions in that forum.

Thanks everyone!!!

[caymaniac]

So where will you be going? I'm curious after the nice response other divers gave you with their choices. Hawaii yes, but where Maui, Big Island, Oahu.....?

[fresh_fish]

Maui. We'll be staying in Kihei and diving the crater. Our main reason for that was the good diving, and the price was right. I'm paying 250 for lodging for the week.

[DennisS]

Get a copy of the Lonely Planet guidebook for Hawaii. They're very thorough and cover everything from backpacker to 5 star. I've used them all over the world, they show everything from ancient culture to malls.

My vote would be for Maui, topside key largo is pretty much strip malls.

[StuartT]

Of Maui. Down by Wailea and the Molokini crater.
Hey fresh fish. We have a nice condo in Wailea for rent. Palms at Wailea 703 (http://www.mauipalms703.com) if you want to check it out. Just lowered our rates too.

fellow member Stuart

[StuartT]

IMO Maui revealed is a way better book written by locals and everything they review is done anonymously.

[I Dive]

Here's the scoop. It looks like I'll have to cancel my honeymoon cruise because the money is due at the same time I need to pay for the wedding stuff. I don't have the money to spare. We are looking at either doing key largo or maui. What's the diving like? Is another hawai'ian island better? October/November is our desired timeframe.

Comments please, but don't suggest other sites, unless they are US. That's our limit for free airfare.

Cancel the expensive Wedding and the problem is solved. Get married in a courthouse and you then have the money to go on the Honeymoon cruise!

I haven't dived Maui so I can't comment on that. But, I can say Key Largo is absolutely awesome, awesome, awesome! I love it! I don't care how good Maui is, you will NOT regret your decision if you head to Key Largo. And, it doesn't just have to be Key Largo. The other Keys have good diving as well, and don't forget about the newly sunk Vandy down in Key West that you could visit.

[caymaniac]

Cancel the expensive Wedding and the problem is solved. Get married in a courthouse and you then have the money to go on the Honeymoon cruise!

I haven't dived Maui so I can't comment on that. But, I can say Key Largo is absolutely awesome, awesome, awesome! I love it! I don't care how good Maui is, you will NOT regret your decision if you head to Key Largo. And, it doesn't just have to be Key Largo. The other Keys have good diving as well, and don't forget about the newly sunk Vandy down in Key West that you could visit.

On your profile it shows you've accumulated up to 99 dives. Since I have over 1000 (I've been to Florida many many times as well as Hawaii) dives, I think there is some credibility in saying that diving at Molokini Crater is a dive that is not rivaled in Florida although the diving can be very good in Florida, Maui does have unique diving. Maui is not as good as the Great Barrier Reef or the Red Sea or Bismark Sea but it is still great. Maui is not a dive destination like Florida (but of course there are other reasons for that), but having dived many places Maui still has plenty of attraction and great diving.
Last time in Maui at Molokini (about a year ago) I saw Manta, plenty of shark, plenty of reef fish as well as heard the whales singing on every dive. The viz was over 100ft. at Molokini (this is a normal occurrence). The times I've dove Molokini previously were about the same. Last time diving in the Keys I saw that there was plenty of sealife, but 10ft. of viz. I've dove Florida when the viz is good too but it's nothing like Maui. Each place is different in fish/pelagic species and coral. You would realize this if you actually dove off Maui, don't denagrate one dive area over the other just because you "think" it to be true.
From Molokini:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater%20Images/File0359.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater%20Images/File0245-1.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater%20Images/File0309.jpg

[Thalassamania]

Used to live in the Keys and I've moved to Kona ... 'nuf said?

[I Dive]

don't denagrate one dive area over the other just because you "think" it to be true.
From Molokini:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater%20Images/File0359.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater%20Images/File0245-1.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/caymaniac/Underwater%20Images/File0309.jpg

Where in my post did I denegrate anything?

[jaybob217]

My wife and I got married on Kauai last year. We did the VRBO condo rental deal. Our condo was around $1400 for the week. But it was 10 ft from the ocean and we cooked most of our own meals. I would also recommend VRBO. We're looking at Maui this year so this thread is interesting to me.

We've been diving in St. Croix, Playa Del Carmen, and Curacao and still think, all things considered, Hawaii is the best overall place. That's just us. There's just something in the air there that seems spiritual and refreshing. Oh, and it's CLEAN! The reefs aren't the greatest, but we saw a lot of big stuff while there. Monk Seals and turtles.

[fresh_fish]

Well, It looks like our lodging is less than ideal. It's smack in the middle of Kihei. Meaning the shore there sucks! We have a 2 mile walk just to get to Beach I. I hate having to rent a car for everything. If I wanted to drive everywhere, I'd stay home! Granted, rental call is a must, if you want to drive around the island to Hana, etc, but I wanted a days or so, not the whole week!

If you want to know what I'm referring to, look up seaweed and maui in your favorite search browser.

[caymaniac]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, hopfully the diving will help make up for it. We've stayed on the beach and it was really great but it does come with a price.

[adjuster-jd]

Maui is a great choice, especially staying in Kihei. There is a lot of great shore diving in that area so don't feel you have to do boat dives all the time. The boat diving on Maui is rather expensive compared to the FL Keys, but the shore diving is cheap.
I recommend Maui Dreams Dive Co (http://mauidreamsdiveco.com/dive/index.php) for gear rentals. If you want a dive guide, Maui Dreams does a lot as does Shaka Doug here on Scubaboard Welcome to SHAKA DIVERS Web Site! (http://www.shakadivers.com)

For cheap rental cars check out Kihei Rent A Car | Maui Car Rentals | Discount Rental Cars in Kihei, Maui Hawaii | 800-251-5288 (http://www.kiheirentacar.com). They will pick you up at the airport at no charge but dont have all the airport surcharges on rental cars so you save a bunch.

Lots of discussion on Maui dive sites, etc in the Hawaii Ohana forum on SB.

Enjoy.

[Blazinator]

I can't agree more with Ken below (Hi Ken!), especially since I just spent two weeks in south Kihei, used all the operators Ken mentioned, and have done the Keys twice.

The first thing that popped to my mind between the two locations is that you cannot shore dive in the Keys, so the overall pricey-ness of Maui can be offset by doing mostly world class shore dives all along the Kihei coast. Two boat dives a day in the Keys is nearly $200.00 with tips, plus the time it takes, and you cannot sleep in in the morning (key word: Newlyweds!).

Kihei is a lee shore, protected by the Trade winds, so vis is great and surf is almost ALWAYS less than two feet (May-June - not sure about Oct). Many review say that PM dives are too surfy, but we dived all day. And Molokini is not ranked in the top dives of the world for nothing. Can you say 200 ft visibility?

Marine life in Maui vs Keys will definitely sway toward Maui. Routine sightings of white tip reef sharks (harmless), turtles constantly, several species of nudibranchs (saw my first slugs ever in Maui - really cool), Octopus, and the whole host of Hawaiin fish that you will not see in FL - too numerous too mention.

We stayed at Hale Hui Kai next door to the Mana Kai, RIGHT ON THE OCEAN, and could shore dive by simply walking onto the water from our condo. Having a true beachfront condo is well worth the money - $175.00 a night for four of us. I've heard of better places you describe for $99.00 per night, for two person studio, but I would try to upgrade out of your $250.00 per week deal so you don't have to drive to the beach. But then again, renting a car is cheap on Maui, which you will need to get to Makena Landing, Five Caves, Ahihi Cove, etc, etc.

Maui is a great choice, especially staying in Kihei. There is a lot of great shore diving in that area so don't feel you have to do boat dives all the time. The boat diving on Maui is rather expensive compared to the FL Keys, but the shore diving is cheap.
I recommend Maui Dreams Dive Co (http://mauidreamsdiveco.com/dive/index.php) for gear rentals. If you want a dive guide, Maui Dreams does a lot as does Shaka Doug here on Scubaboard Welcome to SHAKA DIVERS Web Site! (http://www.shakadivers.com)

For cheap rental cars check out Kihei Rent A Car | Maui Car Rentals | Discount Rental Cars in Kihei, Maui Hawaii | 800-251-5288 (http://www.kiheirentacar.com). They will pick you up at the airport at no charge but dont have all the airport surcharges on rental cars so you save a bunch.

Lots of discussion on Maui dive sites, etc in the Hawaii Ohana forum on SB.

Enjoy.

[dashark]

I can't agree more with Ken below (Hi Ken!), especially since I just spent two weeks in south Kihei, used all the operators Ken mentioned, and have done the Keys twice.

The first thing that popped to my mind between the two locations is that you cannot shore dive in the Keys, so the overall pricey-ness of Maui can be offset by doing mostly world class shore dives all along the Kihei coast. Two boat dives a day in the Keys is nearly $200.00 with tips, plus the time it takes, and you cannot sleep in in the morning (key word: Newlyweds!).

Kihei is a lee shore, protected by the Trade winds, so vis is great and surf is almost ALWAYS less than two feet (May-June - not sure about Oct). Many review say that PM dives are too surfy, but we dived all day. And Molokini is not ranked in the top dives of the world for nothing. Can you say 200 ft visibility?

Marine life in Maui vs Keys will definitely sway toward Maui. Routine sightings of white tip reef sharks (harmless), turtles constantly, several species of nudibranchs (saw my first slugs ever in Maui - really cool), Octopus, and the whole host of Hawaiin fish that you will not see in FL - too numerous too mention.

We stayed at Hale Hui Kai next door to the Mana Kai, RIGHT ON THE OCEAN, and could shore dive by simply walking onto the water from our condo. Having a true beachfront condo is well worth the money - $175.00 a night for four of us. I've heard of better places you describe for $99.00 per night, for two person studio, but I would try to upgrade out of your $250.00 per week deal so you don't have to drive to the beach. But then again, renting a car is cheap on Maui, which you will need to get to Makena Landing, Five Caves, Ahihi Cove, etc, etc.

We are also staying at the Hale Kui Kai this October. How is the reef out front? I knew it was good for snorkelling (kids should dig it). I am glad to see that a shore dive out front is an option.

[Blazinator]

We are also staying at the Hale Kui Kai this October. How is the reef out front? I knew it was good for snorkelling (kids should dig it). I am glad to see that a shore dive out front is an option.

I was pleasantly surprised when I snorkeled it the first day there. Then we rented tanks from Maui Dreams Dive co and did a leisurely "get aquainted" dive out front.

That house reef is really just a smaller version (not real small either) of the great diving reefs all along the So Kihei coast - All the usual suspects - turtles, several eels (spotted, zebra, yellow margin etc), tons of red pencil urchins, spiny urchins, most of the different butterfly fish (raccoon, milletseed) goat fish, Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, parrots, large unicorn surgeonfish, schools of jacks, and many others.
I love macro life and there was plenty there - saw my first nudibranchs there (REAL excited about that! - imperial, and scrambled egg) and even found a leaf scorpion fish - right on the first mini-wall - south edge of reef. Diverse coral formations. Depths from 12 to 25 feet.

Snorkelers will love the top of the reef - real close to see with great color and good vis (when we were there).

But don't be tempted to stay right there - drive to Ulua beach and Makena Landing and Five Caves. Ulua HAS to be planted right from Diver's heaven - great facilities, big canyons and sand channels, nudibranchs, fucsia flatworms, etc. The shark caves at five caves are sure bets for white tips - easy navigation - just follow the wall.

I hope you are staying on a ground level unit - we were glad we did for gear hauling and drying. Still not easy to hang stuff, and the groundskeeper, Sky, will not allow you to put anything on the grass - all chairs and gear has to be on the concrete patio.

Check out this great site with reviews on Maui: Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Maui, Hawaiian Islands (http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/Maui/index.htm)

There is nothing even remotely close to this kind of immediate shore access in the Keys (dive boat is a different story).

[fresh_fish]

OK, rent a car. Got it. :)

[GrumpyOldGuy]

OK, rent a car. Got it. :)

The big guys are expensive. Aloha and other smaller offsite car rentals are a lot less costly. The cars are not as new, but decent. They can leave the car in the airport lot to pickup, you drive yourself to their office to complete the paperwork and save enough for a boat dive or 2.

P.S. Don't tell them you a diver.

[Blazinator]

P.S. Don't tell them you a diver.

Good point. Every time we dove, and had to put gear in the trunk, the trunk stank, even though I brought a plastic tarp. Took a while to clean and air out the trunk at the end. I would rather have rented a jeep or a truck like we originally planned. When I tried to book with Maui Cruisers (one of the cheapest for good deals on beater jeeps), they said they were booked two months out, because Avis, the main name brand rental co at the airport had just closed their Maui division, but he gave us the name of Kihei car rental.

[dashark]

I was pleasantly surprised when I snorkeled it the first day there. Then we rented tanks from Maui Dreams Dive co and did a leisurely "get aquainted" dive out front.

That house reef is really just a smaller version (not real small either) of the great diving reefs all along the So Kihei coast - All the usual suspects - turtles, several eels (spotted, zebra, yellow margin etc), tons of red pencil urchins, spiny urchins, most of the different butterfly fish (raccoon, milletseed) goat fish, Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, parrots, large unicorn surgeonfish, schools of jacks, and many others.
I love macro life and there was plenty there - saw my first nudibranchs there (REAL excited about that! - imperial, and scrambled egg) and even found a leaf scorpion fish - right on the first mini-wall - south edge of reef. Diverse coral formations. Depths from 12 to 25 feet.

Snorkelers will love the top of the reef - real close to see with great color and good vis (when we were there).

But don't be tempted to stay right there - drive to Ulua beach and Makena Landing and Five Caves. Ulua HAS to be planted right from Diver's heaven - great facilities, big canyons and sand channels, nudibranchs, fucsia flatworms, etc. The shark caves at five caves are sure bets for white tips - easy navigation - just follow the wall.

I hope you are staying on a ground level unit - we were glad we did for gear hauling and drying. Still not easy to hang stuff, and the groundskeeper, Sky, will not allow you to put anything on the grass - all chairs and gear has to be on the concrete patio.

Check out this great site with reviews on Maui: Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Maui, Hawaiian Islands (http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/Maui/index.htm)

There ithe suggested sites nothing even remotely close to this kind of immediate shore access in the Keys (dive boat is a different story).

We definately plan on shore diving all around. I will check out the sites you suggested. Already hip to the shore dive website.
And, thankfully, we did get a ground level unit....