Maui Boat Diving

I'll be in Maui, at Kihei, for three diving days (Sept 6-8), and staying in a condo close to the Kihei boat ramp. After reading lots of posts, I'd like to ask the experienced Maui hands if they please might comment on the following summary of Maui dive ops and sites, and answer a few questions.

1. Boat Dive Sites. The various sites at Molokini are the "best" boat dives at Maui (obviously, a subjective judgment, and not counting Lanai). The weather is such that you probably don't know which site(s) you'll dive until the boat leaves the ramp, or maybe after it arrives at the site. The "back wall" in particular is very weather-dependent.

2. Dive Ops. Ed Robinson, Mike Severns and B&B Scuba are all very good. B&B leaves earliest and returns earliest, but everyone usually is back by 12:30. Mike Severns has more biology lessons.

Weather-permitting, do the dive ops tend to stay at Molokini for two dives, or go to another site for the second dive? I got that impression from B&B's website, and wonder if that is the usual procedure for most ops.

Do the three ops above let you dive your air, if you wish to do so and have a computer?

Anything else that is really important?

Thanks for the help.

Dove Mike Severns last March. Day 1 too much wind for Molokini - we went down south past La Peruse bay. Great dives up against the lava flows. Day 2 Molokini Crater for one dive, excellent criter and terrain briefing. We left for dive 2 as the wind came up and 10,000 boats full of snorkelers arrived. Dive 2 was the wreck of the St Andrew. Lots of turtles on the wreck. We pretty much dove our air and computers. DM made sure we were close to the boat about the time some folks ran low. People went up as they needed to.

I was impressed with Severns as a quality operation with excellent DM and briefings, but not too much mothering.

Dove Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures (ERDA) last April.

Day 1 - was scheduled for Lanai trip, but viz was ~15-20' so we decided as a group to go to Molokini Backwall. Two great dives (both on the back wall), except I was in over my head for my experience at the time -- not their fault, I had requested the backwall, too.

Day 2 - Dusk/night dive. ERDA does a 2-tank night dive, with a light supper served between dives. The first dive is at or just before dusk, then during the SI you get to watch the sunset and hop in the water for a night dive. Great dive -- they even arranged fireworks for us [no-longer] night-dive virgins. (well, at least that's what they said -- I think it was the Grand Wailea putting them on for some of their guests). Both dives were inside the Molo crater (Reef's End mooring)

Day 3 -- first dive was to Molo crater (Reef's End again) -- good dive, but nothing out of the ordinary. Second dive we went over to Pinnacle Point (south of La Perouse). If the conditions work for this site, YOU MUST DO IT! There was very little activity (just ERDA's two boats in the area) and the fish were not used to divers which was neat to observe them in their natural habitats. Also, we saw spinner dolphins on the way there.

ERDA is a quality operation, too -- they highly recommend Mike Severn's and establish the difference as being with the biology briefings -- ERDA takes 20 minutes to go over some of the fish that might be seen and the signs they'll use for them. MS apparently gives hour-long briefings. Not bad -- just depends on what you're looking for.

Valwood1:

The weather is such that you probably don't know which site(s) you'll dive until the boat leaves the ramp, or maybe after it arrives at the site. The "back wall" in particular is very weather-dependent.

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The nice thing about Molokini is that you can almost always find a side of it that is suitable for diving.

Whether or not you go to the back wall is more dependent upon what sort of divers you have on the boat than the weather.

Valwood1: Weather-permitting, do the dive ops tend to stay at Molokini for two dives, or go to another site for the second dive?
Most dive ops tend to do one Molokini and one dive over towards shore to see the turtles. After a heavy swell that messes up viz near shore, then both dives will be at Molokini. A lot depends upon the conditions that day, and what the customers are requesting.

Valwood: 1Do the three ops above let you dive your air, if you wish to do so and have a computer?
Air is much more common than nitrox. A lot of the operaors have computers on their rental gear. The Molokini dives are generally multilevel and air works well. Near shore dives like Red Hill and Turtletown are very shallow and air is fine. Air NDL is generally only a problem on the 65' St. Anthony's wreck or on the tank&landing craft dives with Mike Severns.

I agree with the responses so far. I've done 4 trips to Maui (doing a 5th in February) and use Ed Robinson every trip.

As Charlie said, you can pretty much always find a side of Molokini that is diveable. We have been lucky that we have always been able to do the backwall (we usually go in February).

As far as the second dives...Ed Robinson will usually do at least one (conditions permitting) on Molokini. Their second and third dives may be another site on Molokini or something closer to shore, but rarely are any of their dives something that can be done as a shore dive. Most of the cattle ops will do a dive inside Molokini, with a second dive at Turtle Town (also called 5 Graves and 5 Caves), a very popular shore dive.

I've heard nothing but good things about Mike Severns as well, but can't speak from experience.

You'll find that most ops only supply air. They allow you to dive nitrox if you wish, but you'll have to get it at a dive shop. The exception being B & B, who have nitrox and timix.

hth

It's been a couple of years sense I've been to Maui but from the 'ol memory bank,
1. yes, you are pretty much on, dive site choices depend on the weather, usually wind conditions. As far as I know most ops do one dive at the crater and then move on to another site, maybe because by the time of a second dive there are A LOT of boats, divers and snorkelers in the area and it's time to move on.

2. I haven't been out with any of these guys, but Mike S. is highly respected and recommended.

I do belive most dive ops have computers but if your not too deep they will let you dive your air, again depth, conditions, experience of others in the group.


I'll be in Coz when your in Maui, let's send each other good vibes thru the seas.
have a great trip, Aloha
the shark

I love B&B Scuba as I've said many times here and yes most of the operators go to a second site. Personally I wouldn't be interested in diving the crater at molokini as it's more of a cattle boat destination. But the back wall, sharks condo and reefs end (at the edges) are fantastic. A second dive closer to shore is usually whatever they feel will be the best going for that particular day. They all talk to each other on the radio and try not to overcrowd any single site.

I'm jealous

All 4 times I dove with B+B we were already on our way to the second location when other operators were still arriving at Molokini. They have a great repoire with customers. I'm not saying anything bad about other operators as I haven't dove with them. The saying "if it aint broke, don't fix it" comes to mind. But if nothing else go for their sandwiches!

Backtanner:

All 4 times I dove with B+B we were already on our way to the second location when other operators were still arriving at Molokini. They have a great repoire with customers. I'm not saying anything bad about other operators as I haven't dove with them. The saying "if it aint broke, don't fix it" comes to mind. But if nothing else go for their sandwiches!

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Those sandwiches were something we looked forward to each day. They just hit the spot.

Valwood1
I came back two weeks ago from staying in Kihei, Maui for a week of diving each day. I enjoyed a few shore dives (90 mins per dive) at Ulua Beach, Mokapu beach, and Makena Landing. These were nice & shallow where I could take plenty of time to check stuff out. I liked the boat dives with Ed Robinson's the best because of the close proximity to shore (early & short boat rides), the variety of types of dives (drift, regular & deep) and creatures seen (some quite unusual to the area). I got lucky booking with Ed's because this was only after getting my reservation dropped last minute by B&B scuba. B&B had a shortage of divemasters apparently.

Ed Robinson himself was on the boat one day I was there and was as expected - very pleasant. I was impressed with the divemasters and the knowledge imparted during the pre / post dive briefs regarding the creatures. The dives were all geared to what people on the boat wanted to see. Back Wall was excellent! A school of 21 juvenile (3 feet long) white-tip sharks swam near us. I was in heaven each day of that trip.