Hawaii Diving Advice

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PepperDM

Registered
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
56
Reaction score
1
Location
Alberta
# of dives
200 - 499
We are going to Maui August 1-8th 2015 then Oahu August 9th until the 14th and are wanting to do some warm water diving. That being said, as I have only dove prairie cold water in Alberta Canada (barely above freezing, 10 ft vis if you are lucky...usually less with only an old engine block to see) I was hoping to get some advice and answers to a few questions before we go.

Our Skill Level -
I am a PADI registered but non teaching DM. While I have quite a few dives under my belt, I've not dove for a while (3 years) nut plan on taking a refresher and spend some a fair amount of time in the pool before I go.

My friend who will be diving with me is O/W but only has about 10-15 dives (all warm water) under his belt so we are not looking for anything too difficult or outrageous.

The questions I have about both locations are....

1. Are there any dive operators to avoid? If not, are there any that are recommended? We are staying at the Maui Condo Car (Aug 1-8) in Kihei but I know NOTHING about Hawaii including where that actually is!!

2. If we decide to do a few shore dives, is there anything I need to know other than dive when the tide is coming in. Any places to avoid or any must dives (shore of otherwise) while there? I am really hoping to dive the Cathedrals!!!

3. Bring your own gear or rent?

Anything else anyone can think of or is wiling to offer is greatly appreciated as well. Thanks for the help!!

Cheers,
Dean
 
Hey there, I'll be in Maui from Aug 2 - 16. I'm in Kihei across from Charley Young beach. I was there in 2011 and did my diving with B&B scuba and thought they were great. One of the things I really liked was that a lot of the operators leave the dock at 6:00 am to beat the crowds, you're done 2 dives by 9:30 so you have the rest of the day to enjoy the island. Diving was pretty good and averaged about 45 mins on the first dive and 60 on the second.

I brought everything but wetsuit and BCD but their gear seemed brand new.

The boat leaves from the south end of Kihei, just south of Kamole III beach.

If I knew the shore dive sites well I'd ask if you wanted to join me but I haven't done them before.

You'll love it there.
 
The questions I have about both locations are....

1. Are there any dive operators to avoid? If not, are there any that are recommended? We are staying at the Maui Condo Car (Aug 1-8) in Kihei but I know NOTHING about Hawaii including where that actually is!!
Kihei is referred to as South Maui. Boats from there leave from the Kihei Boat ramp and go to Molokini Crater to dive - straight out around 30mins. depending on the boat speed. Inside the crater is protected and there's a lot of decent shallower diving. Near the point(s) can be trickier conditions. More advanced diving is done on the Backwall, that may include live drops/pickups with no hard bottom. (it's there - just 300+' down)

Most return back to the Maui coast line for the 2nd dive before the tradewinds pick up late morning since boat size is limited to what they can trailer into the ramp - although they're still in the 30+' range or more. There are quite a few boat operators working in that area. B&B Scuba, Ed Robinson's or Mike Severns are all on my short list - there's at least 4-5 others. Might want to make reservations, Maui was busy once late July - we actually couldn't get a ride in the area.
2. If we decide to do a few shore dives, is there anything I need to know other than dive when the tide is coming in. Any places to avoid or any must dives (shore of otherwise) while there? I am really hoping to dive the Cathedrals!!!
There's also a lot of good shore diving there off the beaches - if you wanted to start/do your refresher there. Polo, Ulua, Wailea, Makena Landing, 5 Caves are all good sites in the area. Often the best diving is at the rockier looking points on either end of the beach. At Wailea for example we found the best diving at the south point.

Maui Dreams Dive Co or Shaka Divers do escorted shore dives in that area - there's others also. Maui Dreams or one of the nearby Maui Dive Shops are a good place to get tanks. Or B&B Scuba.

The Cathedral's are off Lana'i to the north. None of the Kihei boats burn the gas/time to go there. So for that you'll have to drive to at least Ma'alea or likely Lahaina. I believe Maui Diamond II still goes to the Cathedrals from Ma'alea harbor - otherwise Lahaina Divers, Extended Horizons or Maui Rafting Adventures out of Lahaina harbor all do. Your buddy won't have any trouble diving the Cathedrals - there's a lot of "outs" at both of them. They take newer divers there all the time.

Plan on a 45minute drive to Lahaina - there's one road and a lot of resort employees on it early morning. Ma'alea is about 10-15mins. from Kihei or less.
3. Bring your own gear or rent?
I bring mine. But I don't pay baggage fees on my first bag from here. All the operators rent it also - a couple may include it, I've never asked.
 
For Oahu, I suggest you give Hawaiian Diving Adventures and Kaimana Divers calls. Both run their own boats as well as having insight about other sites around the island.
 
Thanks for all the advice so far, I can't wait to go as I've been looking at some of the pictures on the internet....WAY different that diving here!!!
 
It's hard to find a truly "bad" dive operator in Maui, which is a good thing. B&B was mentioned for their early launch time, but since not everyone on vacation wants to get up super early, I wanted to mention that Dive & Sea meets later in the morning at 7:30...2 hours later than B&B. They have an exceedingly comfortable boat that is rated for 12 divers, but they only take 6. Very personalized service, fantastic owner, really good DM, and provide an excellent experience from start to finish.

You also can't go wrong with Makena Coast Charters, ProDiver, Mike Severns, and Ed Robinson's IMO. Frankly, the only boat operator I can't recommend is Scuba Shack.

For shore diving, check with Shaka Doug and Maui Dreams. The shore diving can be amazing and a knowledgeable guide will make your experience 100x better than going out on your own IMO. I think that unless you're experienced diving in Hawaiian waters and know what to look for that hiring a guide or hooking up with someone experienced, you'll miss 90% of what there is to see.
 
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