Going to MAUI Which Dive operators?

Leaving for Maui August 26th and staying for about 8 days, which dive operators do you suggest?


I will be staying in Lahaina and want to get a good place to dive with. I also would like to know what dive spots are a must see and what the vis is like usually, considering I can't predict weather but all in all what's the usual vis?

What shore dive are a must see as well?

Anybosy else going to be there around that time?


Marisa

Yissak

ETA Maui... (877) 234-7849

http://www.etamaui.com/

Is a good place to start. They are a couple of women that run a booking agency out of Pacific Dive in downtown Lahaina.

I suggest that you give them a call and tell them what sort of diver you are and what you are looking for. They book people onto a variety of boats.

A search here on Scubaboard should come back with several recent threads on Maui shore dives.

The viz at Lanai and Molokini is almost always up around 100'. Shore dives, particularly off S. Maui, tend to have lower viz, particularly in the afternoons --- but most diver in Maui would call 30' a low viz day.

I was in Maui in May and loved it. I dove with Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures. They are a top notch operator.

Molokini is a must. So are the cathedrals at Lanai.

Maui Dive Shop offers some shore dives. I did Airport Beach and Black Rock both in Kaanapali. Black Rock is pretty cool at night. The vis at Molokini was great. But I'm used to the 10' vis here in Chicago.

Have fun. Wish I were going with you.:upset:

Ed Robinson and Mike Severns diving are two top notch operations.

http://www.mauiscuba.com/erd1.htm
http://www.mikesevernsdiving.com/

I personally had a bad experience with Lahaina Divers because of one especially nasty DM. He'd obviously been around the cattle boats too long, and his way of dealing with it was to treat everyone like children. Mike Severns and Ed Robinson run much smaller boats with a much higher level of professionalism than the cattle boat operations.

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I'm going to Maui next week and, based a lot on the feedback of this board, I've booked some dives with Ed Robinson. Also, picked up a copy of the book "Maui Revealed" at bookstore and seems very helpful as well. One question - I'm staying at Whaler Village (Kaanapali ) and wanted to know best/closest place to get tanks for shore diving? Any thoughts? (p.s. - we will have a rental car but my wife, who is also certified but not as avid a diver as me, might be using it sometimes.)

The closest places will probably be Maui Dive Shop or Boss Frogs. Maui Dive Shops are all over. There is a MDS right across the street from the Aston Kaanapali. A Boss Frogs is just up the street from that.

You might want to check with your hotel. They might let you rent some tanks or offer shore dives.

i was there (Lahaina) in may. stayed at the Outrigger Eldorado

Extended Horizons runs a boat from the ramp at the north end of town. did 4 dives with them. cathedrals is good some of the bays near Kaanapali had large turtles and lots to see.

did a two tank Molikini with Ed Robinson....dispite what the locals may say about Molikini, the back wall is a MUST. these were my best dives ever...(30 so far) many white and back tip sharks and a few greys further away from the wall. they come very close!!!!

Go to the ramps in Keihi ?? or Lahaina eary in the morning 6:30 or so and check out the various boats. there are some that you may be glad you did not book.

Maui dive shops are like the microsoft of diving they are everwhere. i avoided them, but did book ed's dive through them. the maui dive shop boats are large (50 divers +) i prefer the smaller 12 or less boats.

FWIW do not go to molikini from Lahaina, the boat ride can be rough. drive to Kehei and get on the boats there.


also, if you want to go an a great snorkle trip, try the Gemini, i think it leaves from the Westin.

Ive been to Maui four times in the last six years (several weddings) and dove every time. Mike Severens is my favorite by far. Ed Robinsons Diving Adventures is also very good and who I go with when I cant get on the Severens boat. Avoid the Maui Dive Shop like the plague unless you like small crowded boats and horrid service.

Both of Severens and Robinsons leave from Kihe boat ramp so it will be a drive from Lahaina.

Back side of Molokini is a must. I also like the shark condos on the south edge of Molokini (if you dont mind 150'). Cathedrals (Lanai) are fabulous.

I did a dive to 1st Cathedral at Lanai with Extended Horizons from the Mala ramp in Lahaina. Relatively short boat ride from there and no more than 6 divers per guide. Since the sea was a little rough that day, and some folks on our boat were sea sick, they came back in to do the second dive at Mala, which is a nice shore dive location too. Mala is a wrecked pier in Lahaina not far from the Cannery Mall. It was convenient from the boat but also can be done from the shore.
Extended Horizons web site is http://www.extendedhorizons.com . They have some nice t-shirts which they will sell you after the dive if you are interested..

I also did a dive to Molokini with Maui Diamond II from Maalea, which is slightly closer than Kihei if you are coming from Lahaina, but really it's 6 of 1 and 1/2 dozen of the other as to whether to drive a little farther to Kihei boat ramp or take a slightly longer boat ride from Maalea. That boat really tends to pamper you, but they also cater to a wide variety of divers - they may have a different instructor with intro divers, and they would have a divemaster with certified divers. They serve some nice snacks and sandwiches and also throw out some fishing lines on the way out and back. The owners dog rides on the boat and actually gets in the water and will swim or ride on the back of one of the divemasters while she swims around. These folks were really nice.

As for shore dives - Airport is a nice easy sandy entry - free parking there - go north on 30 and turn left onto Kai Ala drive, then bear right. The park is called something other than airport beach, but you'll find it. You're near Black Rock, which is also a nice easy entry.
Maui Dive Shop has a store at Whalers Village Shops so you can get tanks from them.

I would recommend a shore dive from Honolua Bay, up north on 30 past Kapalua - keep going, road narrows and you will see first Slaughterhouse Bay - some steps going down there - I haven't dived that one, but other folks say it is nice too. Honolua is the next area. You will see cars parked along the road. Parking is hard to find there and don't leave anything valuable in your rental car. It's a bit of a hike down to the entry, especially with gear on. It's a rocky entry but not hard if you are careful.

Down in the south - Wailea area you have Ulua Beach which has a nice reef and easy entry, but when I was there the south was getting a bit of surf and vis was not very good. Probably not worth the drive from Lahaina considering that.

I would definitely try a night dive - contact Extended Horizons or Maui Diving and they can provide guides for you along with all equipment for the night dives.

Maui Diving will also provide a guide/instructor for shore dives if you like and I think they are cheaper than some other places, but you will want to shop around.

Enjoy your trip.

adjuster-jd once bubbled...
I also did a dive to Molokini with Maui Diamond II from Maalea, ..These folks were really nice.

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Unfortunately, they are also the ones the left 8 divers in the water for 5 hours in February.

I did a dive to 1st Cathedral at Lanai with Extended Horizons from the Mala ramp in Lahaina. Relatively short boat ride from there and no more than 6 divers per guide. Since the sea was a little rough that day, and some folks on our boat were sea sick, .

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Extended Horizons is a 12 px / double 6 pack with lots of room. Hawaiin Rafting is another good operation out of Mala ramp, but their rigid hull inflatable is a lot rougher ride than Extended Horizons. The 40 minute ride back from Lanai can seem awful long if the tradewinds have kicked up the sea before your return.

Lahaina Divers, out of Lahaina harbor has bigger boats and even better ride, but they are classic cattleboat. They also use weird AL72 tanks that are 6.9" diameter (same as AL50, smaller than AL80) and I hate adjusting my BC tank strap away from the permanent kink at 7.25". They are used to dealing with inexperienced divers, as is Maui Dive shop.

Mike Severns and Ed Robison, both out of Kihei boat ramp uniformly get rave reviews. The only complaint I have ever heard about Severns operation is they guy that complained "I kept wanting Pauline to finish the biology lesson so we could just get into the #@*& water!"

My overall favorite on Maui is Prodiver, out of Kihei. 808-875-4004 The owner Pierre runs it as a 6 pack, although his 34' boat is certified for more. He starts off at 6AM from the Kihei boat ramp and is the first one out to Molokini. Great attitude. Nice slow dive pace. He encourages divers to spread out along the wall rather than bunching up. Good at adjusting the day's dives to match up with the skill levels of the divers onboard. Getting back early is a big benefit when you are with a non-diving spouse. Often, my wife would still be just finishing breakfast when I got back to the hotel at 10:30AM.