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My family and I will be in Hawaii (cruising) this December and my wife and I would like to get a couple of days of two tank dives in on a couple of the islands. From the little research I've done I understand that December means rough waters for a lot of the popular dive sites, so I want to try to find where the best sites will likely be.
We'll be cruising in and hitting the following ports (as listed by the cruiseline):
Hilo
Honolulu
Kauai
Lahaina
My wife and I are both very new to diving (we certified and have done a couple of dives in Mexico) and so would likely want to keep to pretty basic dives. My wife is very nervous about having no bottom beneath her as well as sharks (so we'd like to avoid those two as possible). She would also love to be able to see sea turtles one of our dives.
That all being said, any suggestions as to which dive shops we should look for, on which islands we're most likely get the best dives in December, and any other tips for divers new to both diving in general and Hawaii as well?
How long will you be in each port? That will be an important factor in your decision.
Right off, I'd say Hilo is probably not a good one for new divers. Not very many folks dive over on that side, very few dive shops etc. I have not dove there myself, just going on previous posts here on ScubaBoard.
If you have enough time in Honolulu, many operators offer shallow/shallow afternoon dives in Waikiki that cater to new divers. I would recommend Gabe of Kaimana Divers Kaimana Divers: SCUBA Diving in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, Waikiki. He is an excellent instructor and loves to dive. If you do a search on ScubaBoard, you will find many glowing reviews of his service. Conditions are usually good on Oahu's south/southeast shore (Waikiki and Hawaii Kai) in December. The monster waves are on the North shore There are quite a few shallow dive sites in Waikiki or Hawaii Kai area that have turtles. Generally, white tip reef sharks are the only sharks I ever see when diving (and not very often). They are shy and rest under ledges during the day.
You could also do guided shore dives in Kauai at Koloa Landing. It's a very easy, shallow dive with a lot to see. Conditions should be good there that time of year. There are many operators who go there.
I'm not that familiar with the shallower Maui dive sites to make any recommendations there.
Whatever you decide, I hope you and your wife have a wonderful trip.
Here are the times that we can get off of the ship and the times that the ship leaves...so depending on how far away the dive site is from the cruise port, I figure at least one hour padding in each direction would be the minimum.
The biggest problem with your times in port are that most dive operators depart between 6-6:30am from the Kihei boat ramp (45 min. from Lahaina). If you want a boat charter and don't want to have to rent a car, you might check with Lahaina Divers and see if they accommodate cruise ship divers, as their boat departs at 7:00am from Lahaina Harbor, which is where your tender will dock.
Otherwise, I'd say you need to plan on doing shore dives and get in contact with Shaka Doug or Maui Dreams, and rent a car to drive down to the Kihei area.
Have you checked with your cruise line? Every cruise I have been on offers dive trips through the ship. The cruise line contracts with local dive operators to provide dives for their passengers including transportation to and from the dive boat.
I have never been on a Hawaii cruise, so maybe they don't do that there...
You'd have to check with individual operators to see which ones do afternoon dives. Because of Hawaii's location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the trade winds pick up around noon and make being on the water less than enjoyable. The water can be very rough, which is why boat diving is focused on early morning charters to get back to the ramp around noon.
I do know that Lahaina Divers has afternoon charters (again, you wouldn't have to rent a car) where they go to in-shore sites near Lahaina (mostly), often diving Mala Wharf, which is an excellent shallow dive. The biggest problem with LD's afternoon charters is that they put their Discover Scuba folks on the boat, which can lead to a crowded boat and flailing "divers" in the water (not the most fun IMO).
I'm not sure if Maui Dive Shop has afternoon dive charters, but they would depart out of Maalea Harbor, which would require you to rent a car.
Honestly, if you're looking for a hassle-free way to spend your day in Lahaina and still dive, consider spending the morning enjoying town and hopping on the afternoon charter with Lahaina Divers for some shallow in-shore diving. You'll likely see a turtle (or two or three), and the only possibility for a shark sighting would probably be a nurse shark laying on the bottom. Might not be the "best" diving, but I'll bet you'd have a great time.
Ya, we checked with the cruiseline and although they've had scuba excursions available on our last two cruises (caribbean and riviera) they don't have any for this cruise. It may be because all of the diving is in the morning and leaves to early for their schedule.
@ DiveMaven,
Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware that the afternoon ocean was choppier than the morning. Good to know.
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There are quite a few shallow dive sites in Waikiki or Hawaii Kai area that have turtles. Generally, white tip reef sharks are the only sharks I ever see when diving (and not very often). They are shy and rest under ledges during the day. 
