Where should I go diving in Maui? (Kihei and Ka'anapali)

[minimalistdiver]

Dear Forum,

I will be in Maui for a week starting on August 7th.

What are a couple can't miss places that I should definately go.

What dive company should I contact to join a group and rent my tanks and weights ect?

I am used to diving in colder water in the Lakes in the North West, or Catalina Island. So I normally use a 7mm suit.

What suit should I buy? a 3MM?

Thanks for the advice

 

[Keith.M]

I think a lot depends on where you are staying.

I dived there in September 2012. I was staying up in Kaanapali and I used Lahaina Divers. Unfortunately I only had time for one day of diving and we just did the collapsed pier and "turtle reef" Which is essentially any area close to shore with some structure.

I would have liked to have gone and done the Cathedrals on Lanai or the Hammerhead dives off of Molokai.

If I had been diving out of Kehei, I think I would have tried Ed Robinson from all the kudos I have seen for that op here on SB.

---------- Post added July 29th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ----------

I was using a 2mm shorty and could have used a little more. The 3mm should be plenty.

 

[minimalistdiver]

I just called Ed Robinson's place, and I will probably go with them to a place called Molokini. And they recommended I should call a company called Extended Horizons to go to a place called the Cathedral.

 

[DiveMaven]

Both good choices. The water should be 79-80 degrees and you can rent a wetsuit from both operators to avoid the cost of buying one.

 

[diversteve]

Both are "signature" Maui Dives. Extended Horizons only dives Lana'i - the Cathedrals and other sites. It's a wet ride back as their boat is smaller. The other option in Lahaina with their own boat(s) is Lahaina Divers. They have 2 big Newton dive boats so will have more divers on-board typically. One DM per 8 divers is the law. One advantage they have is they do both dives on alternate days - they have the range to run to Molokini also. I got lucky and caught a trip with them with 8 divers. Not likely in August though.

Molokini is a 1/2 sunken volcanic crater. Inside is really fishy diving - the snorkel catamarans go there and tourists feed them. The better (and deeper) dives are off either point. The Backwall is an advanced dive, often a live drop with some current. It's pretty vertical and the hard bottom is about 350-400' down. Better chance to see bigger stuff there although we've almost always seen white tips inside the crater resting in the sand heading back towards Maui.

You might want to book boat dives before you get there also.

Other options for Kihei dive operators are B&B Scuba and Mike Severns. I like B&B and Ed Robinsons equally, never dove with Severns but they have naturalist DM's so you learn stuff on the ride. The B&B's - Brad and Blesi - are nice people. They check-in early though - 5:45.

Where are you staying? It makes a difference since the drive between Kihei and Kaanapali is about 45mins. Notice the departure times (5:30-6:30AM) for the Kihei boats - they do that to beat the tradewinds coming back which pick up late morning. One road and even early morning it's busy with resort employees getting to work. Lahaina Divers checks in at 7am, the Advanced Lanai dives at 9am. They also have an afternoon dive. Robinsons does a 3 tank Advanced Dive if you've got the cert. or experience.

There's good shore dives in both areas also. In Kihei there's Maui Dream Dive Co. or Shaka Divers. Shaka Doug is on the board here. Both do escorted paid shore dives. B&B, MDDC or any of the Scuba designated Maui Dive Shops (not all of them) rent tanks/weights. MDDC at one time had a buddy sign up sheet also. If interested maybe call and get added to it b4 you get there.

In Lahaina, Lahaina Divers also does shore diving. They also do the "collapsed pier" (Mala Pier) mentioned above at night from their boat. The legal entry there is difficult around the coral so it's an easier way to dive it. Another option for guided shore dives in that area is Tiny Bubbles Scuba.

Here's a list of most of the shore dives: Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Maui, Hawaiian Islands

In August I'm in a t-shirt and boardshorts. But that's me even when others are in a 3Mil, I don't get cold. And I do a lot of dives per day.

 

[TSandM]

There is good boat diving and good shore diving on Maui, and as has already been stated, a lot depends on where you are staying and what you like to do.

If you are staying in the Kihei/Wailea area, Ulua Beach is a lovely shore dive. There is a lot of reef right along the point, but if you cross a short sand channel, there is a whole bunch of reef a little deeper, that can keep you busy for longer than an Al80 will last. Polo Beach, on the far right-hand side, opens into a bunch of rock fingers covered in healthy coral. I always enjoy diving there. Mokena Landing offers an easy entry and a very manageable surface swim to great structure and lots of critters, including cavities often occupied by white-tipped reef sharks.

In the Lahaina area, the Mala Pier is a fantastic shore dive. Someone above dismissed it, and I find that difficult to believe. It has fabulous structure and swim-throughs. There is frequently at least one shark hanging out on the north side, and schools of fish as well as nudibranchs and oddities to be found in the wreckage.

Boat diving is fun -- in the Kihei area, the boats almost always do Molokini as a first dive, and then come in to the inshore reef for the second. From Lahaina, you can go across to Lanai and do the Cathedrals and the pinnacles. Boat dives are expensive, and we pretty much stopped doing them unless the surf is up, because you see many of the same animals from the shore. You've already had a number of boat operations recommended to you. Our favorite is Mike Severns, because the owner is co-author of one of the guides to Hawaiian marine life, and there is a strong emphasis on unusual endemic species on their dives.

 

[levergun]

Well,
Lahaina must dives are, Mala day or night as a shore dive is a must, last year they did an alternate entry on the right side of the boat ramp. Black rock is a great night dive, must of seen 40 eels.
Another option is to dive with Kevin at Diving Maui Aloha Dive Center as he does beach dives at a very reasonable rates. Last year with Kevin the most divers on any trip I had(4 dives) was four. Let me dive my air.

 

[roll_tide_daniel]

Forgot something

I just got back from Maui and did 5 shore dives as well as Molokini. I dove with Mike from NeverDry divers (NeverDry Divers, Scuba Diving in Maui, PADI Courses). Had an awesome time. He's a fantastic guide, will pick you up at your place for a tiny fee and will handle all your equipment needs. A super nice guy that will put you on some great spots. Where ever you go/ whomever you dive with, I would definitely go with a guide, as it is a vastly different place to dive than anywhere else.
I also recommend Mala pier at night, but do not do the right side entry as Levergun has described, as they have recently outlawed that and levy a pretty sporty fine. Makena Landing (5 caves/ graves), and Oluwalu Beach (Mile 14) were some of my other favorites. Mala also gave me my favorite pic from the trip which I have shamelessly included below.


Also make sure to go to Maui Dive Shop to pick up a copy of their free "Maui Dive and Surf Magazine." It has tons of info as well as great maps of all the shore dives, and the routes most commonly used on them.

 

[scubahawk27]

I would definitely go to B& B Scuba in the Azeka Mall. They have the best deal on tanks. Get a 10 tank deal. BTW the owners names are Brad and Blesi.

 

[DiveMaven]

As you can see, there aren't really any bad choices for dive operators on Maui. One thing I'll suggest is that you make sure you're diving with an experienced dive guide who can show you all of the endemic creatures Hawaii has to offer. Hawaii's location in the Pacific ocean makes it a challenging environment for marine life and it's isolation has resulted in nearly 30% of the marine life being found ONLY in Hawaii and nowhere else in the world.