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Dive under and through this mountain! |
Join Island Divers Hawaii on a three island tour of the Hawaiian Islands with nine dives over 3 days.
Sept 20th to Sept 22nd (Sept 19th 7pm depart)
When: 7pm Thurs, Sept 19th to sunset Sunday Sept 22nd.
Where: depart Oahu at 7pm to Lanai, dive Lanai on the 20th spend the night in Lahaina, dive Maui Sept 21st, sleep in Lahaina, dive North Shore Molokai Sept 22nd, return Oahu at or near sunset
Who: must be at least Advanced certified or have recent diving experience, all dives are drift (or convince Matt you can handle)
How: $750 per person includes 3 tanks a days, weights, and all food and drink on boat
Not included: optional hotel room in Lahaina (you may camp out on Sea Fox if you prefer, but a bed is really nice)
Trip Description
There is no other trip of its kind. This is not just a dive trip, it is a Hawaiian adventure. There are people that live here all their lives and only travel between the islands on commercial jets. This trip is the real deal. Besides diving the backside of Lanai and the north shore of Molokai (no commercial diving at all) you will get to feel and perspective for inter island travel like no other. Viewing the second highest set of sea cliffs in the world and their waterfalls on Molokai's north shore might be worth the trip alone.
Planned dive sites:
Day 1) west side Lanai - arches, fingers, boulders 25-90ft 2) Kalamapau harbor wall - protected site with wall to 120ft 3) Cathedrals - shallow expansive reef with central building sized boulder and a cave with holes for sunlight
Dive Day 2 classic top Hawaii dive sites with huge drop off and chance for all kinds of big animals, last dive of day is the wreck Carthaginian (we may try for Hell Diver this year)
Dive Day 3 1) Elephant Rock - islet off of east Molokai with excellent chance for hammerhead school sighting 2) the Great Arch of Molokai - small island that looks intact on the surface but is in fact an massive arch underwater, you can swim through the island, a little too big to make it all the way around in one dive, but you can try 3) Blue Grotto - ledge at 65ft that drops off into a wall to 100ft and slopes down from there. Lot's of big food fish, some sharks, black coral, schools of reef fish.
How we roll:
The trip leaves at 7pm from Hawaii Kai. We will attempt sleep while motoring slowly to Lanai, after the sun comes up we'll have warm drinks and then start diving. After 3 dives we will cross the channel to from Lanai to Maui drop off tanks for refill and then motor into Lahaina Harbor. There we will offload passengers to the Pioneer Inn about 50 yards from the Harbor. You are welcome to stay on the boat if you like, however, it is not set up for it and it is a bit like camping, no particular space is guaranteed. In the morning we head to Molokini crater for 2 great dives. This site is one of the top dive sites in Hawaii, enough said. Last dive of the day is a wreck dive. We return to Lahaina that night to the same hotel rooms/mooring. The next morning we are outta there early and off on about at 3 hour trip to Elephant Rock, an amazing dive. We then travel down the most beautiful section of Hawaiian coastline; Molokai's sea cliffs, until we get to our second dive site, Leper's Pinnacle or the Molokai Arch, one is a straight drop to 220ft the other a mountain you can swim through. From there we keep heading down the coast to the last dive site, a massive 65 to 130 ledge that goes and goes and then down swell to Oahu usually around sunset. These are the planned dive sites but they are subject to change based on weather.
| View from Kalapapa - North Shore Molokai |
Some thoughts on the roughness of the water
If you are getting this email then you know the Sea Fox is a large dive boat capable of handling the rougher waters between the Hawaiian Islands. She is the only dive boat on Oahu with an USCG oceans route, carrying the proper safety equipment for excursions up to 100 miles off shore. You'll be safe, but if the winds are up the ride could be rough. We will cancel if there is a small craft advisory in effect. You should realize that the open ocean is not for everyone. The best things in life are not always easy, this is a great thing - and it is not easy. The first leg of the trip the boat is pointed into the swell, thus the slow pace and rough passage on the first night. The late afternoon on Maui could be choppy and hours 2 and 3 of the last day ride morning ride up to Elephant Rock could be a bit rough as well. The last day will be mostly down swell and easy and quite nice since while the entire trip is scenic, the north shore of Molokai is one of the most beautiful sections of coastline in the world, with incredible sea cliffs littered with waterfalls, a classic Hawaiian experience that few will get. You will be tired on the third day, but don't sleep until after the second dive, the sea cliffs are incredible!
That being said. The Sea Fox is a day boat, not a liveaboard. You will definitely "earn" this experience with rough open water channel crossings. If you think this trip might be a little too much for you, then it definitely is. Please do everyone a favor and do not book unless you are willing to happily suffer some discomfort for the privilege of doing something unique in all Hawaii. Of course we will do everything possible to make things as comfortable as possible, but mother nature rules this trip.
How to book the trip
Call the shop.
The cancellation policy for the diving portion of our trip is full refund up to 14 days before departure. 50% refund 3-13 days before departure, no refund within 48 hours of departure. Full refund if we cancel the trip due to small craft advisory of course and you will be guaranteed space local diving over the weekend if you want it.
We normally recommend the Pioneer Inn for a hotel in Lahaina, but they are full for the upcoming weekend. You can join the captain camping out on the boat or book any hotel in Lahaina. Trip insurance is a good idea because of the possibility of the trip being cancelled due to a small craft advisory.
What to bring
You will want something warm and something to put your head on the first night while we are underway. Bruce brought a low center of gravity small reclining lawn chair on one trip for the crossing and he looked comfy. Mike brought a waterproof tarp and wrapped it around his sleeping bag and slept on the wet back deck during the crossing. I though he was nuts at the time, but he got up in the morning smiling. By day, you are going to be in your swimsuit. You will want something to wear in Lahaina, but since you won't be in it too long, the clothes you show up in and one more set should do it. Don't over pack. Otherwise, toiletries and sunglasses, hat, sunscreen and towels should do it. Maybe a favorite snack, but there will be plenty of food. Dive computer is good since we'll be doing a lot of dives with the possibility for depth and no nitrox available. Camera for sure, though we'll all share at the end of the trip.
Questions and Answers
This space is reserved for answers for questions I get about the trip, as I get them I will update this website with the answers. Cheers. Please feel free to ask questions, matt@islanddivershawaii.com
1) I don't get seasick, do I really need to take the Dramamine? A: Yes. I have heard "I've never been seasick before" so many times from very seasick people. The reality is that most people have never done a trip like this, and 8 hours in choppy seas at night with no horizon reference is more than most people have ever done before. I take 2 Dramamine for the trip, one that morning, and one right before we depart. I usually don't need it, but why risk it. Drowsy is good at night during the crossing anyway. Why risk it? If you make the wrong decision you will be uncomfortable for another 16 hours. I say take the medication and not need it is better than the other option. However, I don't require it (I probably would if I thought it was legal, lol).
2) what are the accommodations like on the boat? A: you probably shouldn't book the trip if you are thinking along these lines. Accommodations is a strong word for a group of 12 people spread out among the V berth, cabin and back deck. Sea Fox is not a live-aboard, we are faking it because we love this trip.
3) should I get a room in Lahaina? A: up to you, remember that you'll have been on the Sea Fox for about 24 hours with 3 dives by the time we get to Lahaina around 6pm, you'll definitely want the room, but the Fox will probably not have many people on it. It will likely be parked on a buoy right outside the harbor. We'll be leaving the harbor around 6am both days. My suggestion is get the room unless money is tight.
4) Should I get trip insurance? Definitely. I'm guessing there is 10% chance that there will be a small craft advisory for the channel crossing. If so, the trip is cancelled. You are not going to have a problem getting a refund from us, but hotels in Lahaina might not be as understanding.
Call us at 808 423 8222
Email reservations, newsletter comments and suggestions to
info@islanddivershawaii.com
Fax 808 423 8224
Directions to Dive Boat and Hawaii Kai shop:
377 Keahole Street, Honolulu HI 96825
From Waikiki go H1 to 72, go another 4.2 miles, take a left on Keahole (well marked), go over bridge and take a right at the McDonand's. You are in our shopping center! Dive boats are behind the shop.
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