Finding shorediving buddies on Maui

[Scot M]

I'm going to be in Kihei and Kaanapali the first week in December. There is great advice all over this board about choosing dive operators. My problem is that my dive budget is going to run out long before my dive time or appetite. I'd like to do some (free) shorediving, but none of my travel companions dive.

Here in southern California, there is a very active shorediving community. On any given weekend, there are several groups that a visitor could hook up with to go diving.

As far as I can tell, there isn't anything similar in Hawaii. Maybe you all just like to lie low since you have even more tourists than we do (who, me?). Do you have any suggestions, other than paying a dive shop $80 for an "official" shore dive?

Scot

 

[Uncle Pug]

I will be there during the same period and there is a possibility that I might be coerced into doing a shore dive.

 

[KrisB]

Maui Dreams Dive Co. in Kihei maintains a buddy book -- they might be able to help you out.

 

[diversteve]

Do you have any suggestions, other than paying a dive shop $80 for an "official" shore dive?

Scot

Down near Kihei, you'll probably be able to find someone at Wailea Beach that you could join. While we were there there was at least 10 other small groups of local resident divers on a weekday morning. Get there early for parking, it's a small lot and fills up fast. Due to Hawaii's public beach access rules, there's a resort right next to it that shares the beach, you can get air at their diveshop there right off the beach. If you stayed beachside of the first reef, you could probably do it solo, my log has it at 43', there's usually snorkelers or other divers out there too.

I also vaguely remember seeing a local divers bulletin board either at Lahaina Divers or Pacific Dive in Lahaina Town. I think it was probably Pacific Dive, we did a scooter dive with them to Airport Beach, they do more shore dive stuff than some of the other dive ops. Don't know if there's any dive buddy ads though.

You can save a little $$ by going with Shaka Divers or Maui Dreams, they both specialize in shorediving. PM Shaka Doug on this board or http://www.mauidreamsdiveco.com/enter.html

Also some of the beach sites on the north side are really shallow if you are comfortable going solo. You'll be diving with snorkelers in 20-30' of water. Black Rock at the Sheraton is one site, there'll be dozens(hundreds?) of snorkelers and other divers there. Olawalu beach is another, but the viz can be average there, and there's supposed to be Tigers out further there at times, they're attracted by the runoff.

 

[Scot M]

Thanks for the tips, everybody. I'm taking lots of notes. Between Uncle Pug (who I'm about to PM), others who PMed me, and your suggestions, I just might get to dive every day. Woo hoo!

I'll only be in Kihei for a couple of days. I'm going to book a dive with B&B and also do a cattle-boat snorkel trip to Molokini with my whole travel group. Most of my free time (12/6-12/9) will be in Kaanapali. I'm planning to book a trip to Lanai with Lahaina Divers, so I'll check to see if the have a bulletin board. If not, I'll figure out where Pacific Dive is and check there.

I had to laugh at the thought of hundreds of snorkelers at Black Rock. My family and I will be among them every day we're there. Our kids, then aged 4 and 6, learned to snorkel at Black Rock a couple of years ago and swimming with the turtles at Black Rock is now among the family legends.

 

[boomx5]

I will be there during the same period and there is a possibility that I might be coerced into doing a shore dive.

Hmmm...I must have forgot to tell you that your going to be shore diving with me...I can't believe I forgot to do that.

 

[diversteve]

...also do a cattle-boat snorkel trip to Molokini with my whole travel group...If not, I'll figure out where Pacific Dive is and check there.

I brought my gear with on a cattleboat trip (the big catamaran with the slide) and dove with a buddy I met on board. We swam back towards Maui and saw 2 whitetips resting in the sand flats, while all the snorkelers ruined the viz in the crater.

Pacific is on Dickenson. It's a street that bisects Front, near where the Lassen and Wyland galleries are. The diveshop/travel agency is about a block up on the right.

 

[Brandon]

Re: Pacific Dive.

Those directions are spot on. It's about a block and a half ahead on the right. Lahaina Divers is a block up on the left.

Been to both... never saw a buddy board... course... i probably wasn't looking.