Afternoon Diving in Maui?

[Razz]

My wife and I are going to be in Maui arriving on March 20th and leaving for home to MN on the 26th. She has done 8 prior dives and I have done 12 (all in the Carribean). We will have four days that would be open for diving on the 21-24th. We will be staying at the Westin in Kaanapali. Unfortunately, I will be attending a conference in the mornings but will have the afternoons free.

Are there any recommended dive ops that offer afternoon dives? I see that most places offer morning dives. Another thought would be a twilight/night dive. Does one require special certification in order to do this? Thanks for any assistance.

-Mark

 

[merxlin]

Try Lahaina Divers. They do afternoon and evening dives and will help new divers. Lahaina Divers Also only about 10 minutes from you in downtown Lahaina.

 

[Shaka Doug]

I love afternoon dives. If you know the places they can be awesome. They can also be really blown out so be sure you leave yoursefl some options.

 

[diversteve]

Extended Horizons is another option in that area. They do easier dives in the afternoon. However their boat leaves at 12:30PM. They also do night dives nearby.

Lahaina Divers boat also leaves at 12:30 except for their 1PM Carthaginian Dive. But the wreck is around 100' and unless they've changed recently is only once per week. They also do a 4PM Twilight/Night Dive. Lahaina has a couple of big dive boats.

When the tradewinds pickup in the afternoon, most diveops stay closer to the Maui coastline instead of crossing over to Molokini or Lanai.

You don't need any special certification to night dive - although I'm sure it's offered as a specialty - but you should do it with a DM/Instructor the first (couple of) times as there are different signals/methods used since you can't see each other behind your lights. Maui is a great place to night dive, with a full-moon you almost won't need a light since the water is so clear. But you should have one plus a backup per person. You can rent them if needed.

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

missed you by that much! I am going tomorrow, the 11th, and coming back the 20th. sorry we couldnt hook up. From what i gather if you dive with a company on a regular dive and show your experience, they dont require a night specialty card.

 

[Razz]

This forum is great! Thanks to all who have responded. My wife and I are in our early 40s. I was in Hawaii when I was 17 and she has never been there. Our kids are not going to be going on this trip (thank goodness for grandma). We are getting very excited. It's hard to believe that we are going to be leaving in a week. We will be in Waikiki for the first few days. I talked with Gabe Scotti with Kaimana Divers earlier today and booked a couple of dives with them for the 18th and 19th. I'll check out the recommendations that you guys have mentioned. I hope to be able to set something up for our time in Maui by the end of the week. I'll see if I can talk my wife into trying a night dive. As recommended, if we do, I will hire a private DM.

-Mark

 

[hecker-the-wrecker]

its tough to dive later in the day due to the winds that pick up after the morning. we have gone on two morning shore dives which were excellent! If you are in the Kihei area, red hills and Ahee he are both great. I plan on going out with ed robinsons also for the three tank adventure and the night dive on thursday. I will let you know how it was. I dont think i would night dive without a guide.
P.S., Where in the frozen expanse of Minnesota are you from? We are from Brainerd.

 

[Razz]

We reside in Albertville near the outlet mall. We've decided to forgo the afternoon diving while on Maui. We have 2 days of diving already set up while we are in Oahu before we head over to Maui. I am considering a night dive, however, while on Maui. I talked to Michelle with Scuba Shack. They will do a 2 tank night dive close to where we will be staying at the Westin. The group will be small. I was told that Jim Dingman would likely lead the dive. They require a minimum of two. So, if it's just my wife and myself it would just be the three of us. The first dive is at twilight and the second at night. I think it would be nice to get a feel of the location first and then see how the sights change as night takes over. Sound ok?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Please post at least a quick trip report of your Maui dives

 

[Charlie59]

On Maui the wind picks up and afternoon diving can be tricky. Lahaina Divers does some dives in areas protected from the wind and they are a nice group of people. I usually play hooky from the annual meeting I do there so I don't miss the best diving.

Have fun. I know how hard it is to have fun there.