Advice needed - Napili, Maui

[caveseeker7]

Planning a trip to Napili, Maui.

Any recommendations (or warnings) in regards to dive shops, operators and dive sites?

TIA

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/Maui/index.htm

I like Honolua up close to where youre staying.

 

[ctmax]

Planning a trip to Napili, Maui.

Any recommendations (or warnings) in regards to dive shops, operators and dive sites?

TIA

Kapalua bay is awesome. Dive shop right there on the beach Kapalua dive company took care of everything I needed. Even gave, yes gave, my wife snorkel equipment to use while I was diving.

Great spot, even better shop.

 

[DiveMaven]

If you want a charter closest to where you are staying, look to Lahaina Divers or Extended Horizons, both in the Lahaina Town area. If you don't mind getting up very early and driving down to the Kihei area, check out B&B, Mike Severns, and Ed Robinsons for charters. There are far more ops that go out of the Kihei area, but these seem to be the 3 that rank the highest.

Best recommendation is take a charter out of Kihei to dive Molokini crater and book a charter out of Lahaina for Lanai dives. If you've never done any diving in Hawaii, keep in mind that the trade winds pick up around noon and conditions deteriorate as the day goes on. Morning diving is preferred to afternoon, especially the charters out to Molokini and Lanai.

 

[caveseeker7]

Great, thanks guys.

Anyone else want to chime in?

 

[ctmax]

I went on a charter with Lahaina Divers to Molokini Crater and can't say enough about that operation. You have to dive the crater if you are going to be there, but other than the Reef Shark I saw more sea life in Kapalua bay than in the crater. Man I want to go back!!!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Unless you like very very long boat trips don't do a molokini charter out of Lahaina. You'll get there last, have last pick of sites to dive and of course eat up most of your day. I use B&B and it's just 15 minutes to the backwall and you're back at the dock by 10am with plenty of time to do shore dives or whatever.

 

[ctmax]

Unless you like very very long boat trips don't do a molokini charter out of Lahaina. You'll get there last, have last pick of sites to dive and of course eat up most of your day. I use B&B and it's just 15 minutes to the backwall and you're back at the dock by 10am with plenty of time to do shore dives or whatever.

No doubt! The drive to B&B just wasn't worth it for me, I would have spent more time on the road than the boat. The boat ride wasn't bad, kind of fun actually, but my wife would have preferred the 15 min trip. Last pick of sites?? Are the any bad spots??

 

[DiveMaven]

We usually dive with Lahaina Divers since we stay in Kaanapali Beach, but this upcoming trip we're going to brave the drive down to Kihei and do Molokini with B&B. We've always enjoyed the boat trip to Molokini from Lahaina, but we're excited about diving some new sites with B&B, and we're looking forward to longer bottom times with them.

LD's longer boat ride out to Molokini means a shorter SI due to time schedules to be back at Lahaina for the afternoon charters. LD usually limits bottom time to about 40 minutes max (if you're diving a computer), and we've yet to get one of their AL72s down below about 900psi.

We are, however, booking 2 Lanai charters with Lahaina Divers since we prefer them to Extended Horizons.

 

[caveseeker7]

Thanks again, folks.