Dive ops on Molokai?

[Lucy's Diver]

Anything active now?

I know Bill Kapuni apparently used to have a one boat operation, but I can't find anything recent on the internet or this board.

I am vacationing with my family in September, 3 of us are divers, we've already done the Big Island and Kauai, we're looking for the Maui or Molokai area. Some of us really want the non commercial off the beaten path kind of thing, but if there is not a reliable dive op on the island I won't stay there. Also one of the three of us has to rent all the gear. Reliable is important, for my part I'd rather go with a larger dive op that won't leave us high and dry of one boat engine or one compressor goes belly up.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

No idea about diving there, I came across this.

Here is one link

 

[Cacia]

There is a dive shop on the main street (Molakai)

 

[KrisB]

Al's link is to the same shop Catherine and I are speaking of.

Here's what I know from talkin' story with them about a year ago.

Their rate card / schedule is here:
http://www.molokaifishanddive.com/activities-matrix.pdf

And they seem to have come down in price since I last looked.

If I remember correctly, they have two boats, one typically going to the 'Barrier Reef' off Kaunakakai / the entire south shore, the other shooting up to the prime diving on the north side, weather permitting, 2-3 days per week.

They have a minimum of four guests in order to run the charter -- so you may end up paying for an extra seat in order for it to run on the day you (and your two companions) are booked for. They were pretty clear on not running at all without the minimum.

Even if all you want to do is the north shore diving, you have to do a checkout with them on the south (calmer / easier) shore first. They *MAY* accept an instructor card as proof of that capability, but they also specifically noted that some areas like Japan crank out too many poor instructors for them to honour them always.

I don't know the size of the behind-the-scenes operation, but can tell you that the storefront is also the General Store.

On the other hand, there are plenty of operations to choose from on Maui -- some of them even doing an occasional run to Molokai, if the conditions are right on the same day that the divers' experience levels are right. But you're not exactly off the beaten path for the most part.

Perhaps consider a few days on Maui, and one or two on Molokai? There's a ferry from Lahaina to Kaunakakai that runs twice daily.

 

[Hakuna Matata]

Keep us informed, I have the boat to provide the type of trip your looking for.

Jack

 

[Lucy's Diver]

Due to vacation logistics regarding non-dive activities, we are spending the whole week on Maui.

We are going to do a good amount of diving with B&B, but are there dive ops that regularly go to Molokai? Perhaps the Lahaina area?

Also are there any dive operators in the Hana area?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Extended Horizons goes to Molokai on the very rare days when passengers and sea conditions allow it. There is no way to predict when that will happen, other than going out with them often.

 

[finluca]

My wife and I did our very first ocean dives in Molokai. We did a couple of boat dives with Molokai Fish and Dive and they were great. We also tried some shore dives and got a taste of some big waves and currents. I have a few underwater pictures here: Hawaii 2005 - a set on Flickr but most are our touristy pictures. If you go you have to take the mule ride down to the leper (Hanson's disease) colony.

 

[JennyWren]

I'm going to Molokai from May 4th-11th, just got my PADI cert here on the Big Island. Anyone else have suggestions? I'd like to do at least a couple more dives before I head back to the mainland, but I want to go with a shop that makes me feel comfortable (I'm not a nervous diver but I am NEW!).

 

[hi_diver]

The Molokai fish and dive company is good. Like someone said they dont operate the charter without four people minimum. I think we paid $200 a head and we went over to the pinnacle. Great dive beautiful underwater terrain. I think they are the only dive operation in Molokai.