Maui Scuba

Background on me:

1. 24 years as a PADI DM
2. I would like a dive op recommendation for Maui (I am staying in Kihei)
3. I would like an op that catered to advanced divers
4. I'm spoiled and I want small groups - under 10 per boat

I have scuba'd in Maui before and recall a good experience with ERDA... Would anyone recommend them?

Also, what are some no-miss sites? I do not keep a logbook anymore, so I can not tell you what sites I have been to but I do recall the backside of Molokini.

Thanks guys

MC

PS - the GF is coming with me and it's her 1st trip there - is the Old Lahaina Luau the best one on the island?

I'd highly recommend Mike Severns for you. They tend to attract a more experienced crowd, and although I can't remember how many divers are on the boat, if there are novices, they separate them. I really enjoy the fact that Pauline, who owns the company and often goes out on the boat, is co-author of one of the guides to marine life of the islands. There is an emphasis on showing you unusual endemic species, and there are critter ID materials on the boat. They tend to book up very quickly, though.

Another trip I really enjoyed this last time was going out for an evening/night dive on the Carthaginian and the Mala Pier. The Mala dive is one of my absolute favorite Maui shore dives, but the entry involves wading through a lot of coral heads, and would be gnarly at night. Doing it off the boat solves that -- and the Mala Pier ROCKS at night!

For your GF, do Ulua Beach. Easy entry and not too long a walk in gear. The inshore reef is fun but surgy, but when you get out to the outermost point of the reef, if you have good viz, you'll be able to see the outer reef, which is a little deeper (25 to 40) and quieter, and has quite a lot of stuff to see.

We always dive with ERDA and I definitely recommend their advanced charters on Sundays, Tuesdays (3 tank), Wednesdays (with Ed himself), and Fridays. The Tuesday and Wednesday dives are pretty much guaranteed advanced dives, with the Sunday and Friday charters being almost always advanced. You don't say when you're going, so if it's low season and they cannot fill the boat with advanced divers, they'll turn it into a regular charter...but they always divide the groups by experience level, so you still have an advanced dive with good bottom time. The Tuesday 3-tank charter has only 10 divers on the boat, with 12 on the other days. On all charters, when divers get low on air they're sent back to the boat, with a max bottom time of about 60 minutes or so.

As far as "don't miss" sites, that totally depends on what you like. The DMs on a charter will definitely know where to find the good stuff and what sites you're odds are better to see something.

I agree 100% about TS&M about Mala Wharf, definitely one of my favorites, but a long drive from Kihei. A couple of my favorites in S. Maui are Makena Landing/5 Caves (if you're good on air you can do both), and Ulua. Both easy shore diving sites with bathrooms and shower facilities. For both, you want to go early (before 8:30) since the parking lots fill up.

The Old Lahaina Luau is definitely one of the two best in the island chain, and I always recommend it highly for folks who have never been to Hawaii. I was just there a couple of weeks ago with a friend (who had never been to Hawaii) and it was just as good as I remember it from years ago. The food was very good, the drinks were good (but a bit weak), and the service and show were excellent.

Thanks you guys!

I will be in Maui 9/1 to 9/10. All I have booked is the condo and the flight... I had emailed a lot of operators including B&B, tiny bubbles, maui dive shop, lahaina divers, extended horizons, erda to name a few... Sounds like I may have it narrowed down to 2 shops now...

What I am into is seeing the big stuff - especially sharks, mantas, eagles, turtles and such... Yes, I'm an adrenaline junky and once I saw the 10 ft Caribbean reef sharks in Belize's great blue hole last year, I want more... Which is why I contacted Lahaina divers... But no way am I getting on a boat with 24 people, LOL

Anyways, keep the tips coming...

Also, I have read elsewhere that the Haliakala bike tours are not recommended anymore due to the # of accidents that have occurred?

Thanks,

Mark

You pretty much covered them all. Maybe look at Hawaiian Rafting Adventures. They're in Lahaina though. Their smaller boat is 6 divers max afaik. They only go to Lanai.

Maui Diamond II runs a smaller boat out of Ma'alea also - IDK anything about them - except that Maui Dreams Dive Co. and at least one Lahaina operator also book them.

There's also Manta's often seen at a cleaning station off Ukemehame Beach now. Several operators go there - I think from Kihei. My buddy dove there with ERDA once. Saw three near dusk.

See if you can find somebody doing the west Lanai dives - Lahaina Divers does it - those are advanced drift dives. They also do the Molokai Hammerhead trip once a week. You may appreciate their bigger boat on the ride over there but IDK how many they take.

Scubahawk27 here on SB does private scooter dives also. I've heard that's a pretty good time. We did it with Pacific Divers b4 they closed.

mcohen1021:

Which is why I contacted Lahaina divers... But no way am I getting on a boat with 24 people, LOL

Click to expand...

There has never been anything close to 24 divers on the boat to Molokai for the Hammerheads on the 3 trips I have made. You can call them and they will tell you how many are on the boat. It is definitely a must do dive in my book for Maui.

The only manta I have seen on Maui, we saw in 20 feet of water off Ulua Beach! Sharks, you can commonly see at the Five Graves site (Makena Landing), or at Shark Cove in Lahaina. Turtles are everywhere.

I've had many great trips to Lanai with Extended Horizons, also enjoyed South Maui diving (inc. Molokini) with Ed Robinson's, both these operations use boats that hold 12… Heard very good reports about B&B and Mike Severns. Lot's of shore diving as well, Black Rock, Airport beach and another vote for Mala wharf. A great shore diving option is scooters, went out with Scubahawk last on my last visit—well worth it. All these recommendations have me thinking about planning another trip!

So, I was going back through my notes...

I did hear back from Extended Horizons, but the reply I received sounded a bit smart alecky... I’m not one to flaunt my experience as a DM.

I just say I am one so someone would understand my desire to be grouped with other highly experienced divers... Don’t get me wrong, just like anyone, I love to see the big stuff still, but I also love to see the little stuff... Example, In April I tried to show my GF a cleaner wrasse swimming in and out of a groupers mouth, no matter what I did, she didn’t get it lol... That is why I love the small boats and small groups... I realized that on a boat with 16 divers in Cozumel I was seeing less and less because the more seasoned I became, the more I desired to bring up the rear of the group... By the time I got to where something ‘cool’ was, it was already scared off. I think it’s the cattle car aspect topside that drives me a little batty as well.

Then I heard back from Tiny Bubbles... No offense to them, but I could not pay $150 for shore diving regardless of if it was private, when I could do it myself for virtually free.

Maui Dive Shop told me a max of 21 divers on a boat with a 7:1 ratio. No thanks.

I did really like ERDA’s reply – very detailed and as i said before I scuba’d with them just after 9/11/01. That was a great trip as hardly anyone was traveling at that time... I figured the security would be at it’s greatest right after the attacks, so I was more confident nothing would happen.

So, still in the running:

B and B Scuba limits their boat to 12 per their website, their email reply to me was a 4:1 ratio... They have a 5:45 AM meet up time at the Kihei boat ramp (ouch!)...

Also still not yet eliminated is Prodiver Maui – They only take 6 certified divers – I love that...

So, any opinions on B&B and Prodiver? Compare/contrast to ERDA or Mike Severns?

And I might just might book 1 day of scuba to go with Lahaina Divers to go see the hammerheads...

Hammerheads > Large Groups (so I think)

Thanks again guys

Pro diver is also good. Went with them once. Ditto to the above replies. Pro diver also leaves early as do all the boats from the Kihei boat launch. This is to avoid the almost daily trade winds that tend to pick up late morning. That way you are back at the dock usually by 10:30 ish unless doing the ed's 3 tank that gets back around 1.