November Trip to Maui: Help needed in planning trip to another island?

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Codeman00

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Location
Nashville, TN
Hey Everyone,

I'm at the very beginning of planning a trip for me and my wife to go to Hawaii in November for 8-10 days. This is the first time I've been there and will probably be the only time. One of the most important parts of the trip is being in Maui for the Maui Invitational basketball tournament for 3 days (in Lahaina). However, we want to dive while I'm out there and don't know if Maui would be an island I would want to stay at for the entire time or should I stay on another island for diving for 6-7 days and then go to Maui for the other 3 days? I've never seen the volcanoes and would love to do that. We're pretty budget conscious, although I know Hawaii is going to be a bit more than a normal Caribbean vacation. I have no idea the costs to jump islands, etc...especially with our dive equipment.

So knowing that...can anyone suggest what they would do knowing what we are looking for? Would you stay on Maui for 8-10 days or is there better diving on another island that you would prefer that might be less expensive and more exciting?
 
Although I like Big Island diving better then Maui, I would just stay on Maui for your trip. Lots of topside stuff to do, and the diving is great. To help keep cost down, try to do as much shore diving as you can, but make it on the boat at least once.
 
Nothing in Hawaii is inexpensive...on any island. Personally my two choices would be Maui and Kona. You already want to see the volcano and have to be on Maui.

Dives on either island are expensive. In Lahaina Extended Horizons does 2-tanks to Lanai for $149 - $139 for a shallower 2-tank afternoon dive off West Maui. I think Lahaina Divers is slightly less but their website is down. There's a lot of shore diving in West Maui also. Lahaina Divers or Maui Dive Shop in Kahana (near Kaanapali) both rent tanks/wgts. etc. Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Maui, Hawaiian Islands - one good dive in downtown Lahaina not on this list is Mala Pier - Lahaina Divers does it off their boat at night also - much easier entry than the legal entry which requires navigating coral heads at night.

You'll want to do at least one boat dive out to Lanai or Molokini if it works in your schedule. Either the Cathedrals at Lanai or Molokini Crater are the signature Maui dives. The two boat operators are Lahaina Divers or Extended Horizons - Maui Dive Shop keeps their boat in Ma'alea - about 1/2 hr. south of Lahaina. Both operators leave around 7-7:30 and are back by noon.

To save money on Maui, rent a condo and cook some. November is before the Humpbacks show up so although it's "High Season" there's deals. Try one of the huge condos complexes in Ka'anapali - near everything, (including Lahaina) it might be more affordable. Up around Napili Bay also - smaller, older beachfront condos - 15mins. drive to Lahaina. VRBO® is Vacation Rentals By Owner is your starting place.

Or options in Lahaina - Lahaina Shores, Aina Nalu, the Best Western Pioneer Inn... Rent a car, the flights below are predicated on landing at Kahului - on the eastern side of Maui. It's a 30-40 minute drive to Lahaina from there. Cabs are also pricey on Maui. Rent the car before you get there also - it can be a big $$ difference.

I might do 3-4 days on Kona - do the Manta Night Dive, some day dives. To keep costs down there's at least a dozen shore dives also. Most of the shops in the Kona area rent tanks. Condos just south of Kona can be well under $100/nt - again check vrbo.com. We like Kona Diving Company and Jacks Diving Locker also gets a lot of positive comments. Both are in Kona but all the Kona operators keep their boats at Honokohau(sp) harbor just north of Kona so pick one you like. Big Island is also mentioned often. Jacks has a Manta Night Dive video on their website to see what that's about or there's dozens on Youtube.

Volcanoes National Park is at elevation so you need to have 18hrs. after your last dive before the drive up there. We had a red-eye flight back so planned to drive there that morning. You also can't fly between Maui and Kona without following no-fly rules since they pressurize the flights but there's a bunch of stuff to do on Maui.

To take advantage of the shore diving you'd want a car - not cheap either but a lot less expensive if you book in advance. It really is the "Big" Island so everything is a drive. Several hours to Volcanoes Natl' Park - all day to Hilo and back.

[-]Go Airlines,[/-] Hawaiian Airlines, Island Air or Mokolule are inter-island flight options. If your dive gear fits in a conventional suitcase, there is no extra charge to fly it besides whatever their per checked bag charge is.

I just ran a quick comparison - it is Substantially cheaper for you to fly to Maui first, then Kona, then home. Here's an example for the first 10 days in Nov.
Capture.jpg

Oops - I cut the price off but it was $1421pp. This price allows you to keep moving back to Nashville non-stop with short layovers. If you want to overnight somewhere along the way, the best price was $1215pp.

Routing thru Kona first the best price I could come up with without an overnight layover was $2715. The cheapest with an overnight layover on the return was $2400. The routing was worse, to get from Kona to Maui you had to go thru Honolulu. You're fighting the clock so that last flight home is long and connections either way.

I use this website - it's the same information found on Google Flights since Google owns it. Also Kayak.com and multiple others. You just can't book anything on the Matrix site. Matrix - ITA Software

Have a good trip. Hawaii diving is substantially different than the Caribbean since the substrate is volcanic.
 
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IMO for only an 8-10 day trip, doing more than one island will require too much time spent traveling. You'll be constantly packing and unpacking, checking in and out of accommodations, driving to and from the airport, getting rental cars, spending far too much time at the airport, and basically lose a couple of days of your trip.
If it were me, I would spend the entire time on Maui and maximize my activities there rather than wasting time traveling.

I recommend that if you choose to save money and shore dive, you either hire a guide for the first couple of them, or you find an experienced local or SB member who is on island to hook up with. Hawaii topography is hard volcanic rock and hard corals, and the best marine life can be tough to find and/or see if you don't know what you're looking for. IMO an experienced eye can make the difference between a dive where you see nothing or everything. It's almost a guarantee that those who come back from Hawaii and say the diving is terrible that either they had an "underwater tour guide" or no guide at all.
 
... Go Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Island Air or Mokolule are inter-island flight options. ...
Good, detailed response from diversteve, but a caveat. Go Airlines is about to stop going: go! airlines to end Hawaii operations in April | More Local News - KITV Home

As for whether to stay on one island or visit others, it depends on your preferences. You mentioned the volcano, and to my mind it is a worthwhile visit. I always suggest doing part of the visit in the evening, so you can not only see the plume, but also the glow.
diversteve mentioned one of Big Island / Kona's signature dives - the mantas. Another is dark-water diving. Called various names by different operators, they take you into deep water at night, tether you to the boat and you watch all the strange critters normally found only at great depth. see for example: Black Water Night Dive see pelagic fish off Kona Hawaii's magic coast line Scuba Hawaii
 
We just did the same thing in Feb. Only we were on Maui 7 days, then Kona 7 days. The diving is much better on the Big Island. So if you are only on Maui for 3 days, I would go to Kona. Mokulele does the hop several times a day for much less than Hawaiian Airlines. However, they are much smaller planes!
There is some good diving on Maui, but much better and more diving on Kona, especially shore dives. On Maui, do Molokini Crater, back wall. Do Mala Pier from shore. 5 caves is a good dive, but with much surge, the vis can be poor. I did find 3 frogfish there, even with reduced vis.
On Kona, do the manta night dive. Do Place of Refuge. Do Old Airport. Many do dives.
Good Luck!
 
Wow everyone...that's much more information that I expected...and very appreciated. Exactly what I was looking for...its appreciated. Let me digest all of this and I'm sure I'll have some more questions. Thanks!
 
I talked it over with my wife and I "think" we've decided to go 10 days....with 3 in Maui for basketball and seeing the island...and 7 days on a dive island. That would be one jump from island to island and that's it. If so, what is the best and most reasonable island for diving that I should look at if its not Maui? I guess I need to take in to consideration being able to fly in, lodging, car rental, dive costs, etc.
 
Cody, I think we met diving with Ocean Frontiers on Grand Cayman a few years ago.
For a dive vacation in Hawaii, I would definitely chose the Big Island over Maui.
My wife and I have been going there for Christmas for over a dozen years, and love it. There is lots to do in addition to the diving.
We have used a number of dive outfits there, and while they are all good, we have been really happy the last three years with
Kona Diving Company.
There are a number of great water front condos along Alii Drive.

Have a great trip.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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