If you had to pick an island....

[tx.lakerats]

I'm heading to Hawaii in Aug (for a wedding) and as one who has NEVER been to any of the islands... what island would you recommend? and why?? PLUS... what is the best island for diving as far as seeing critters..

 

[TwoTanks]

I've only been to Hawaii once, But I loved it. If I went back, I would go to the big Island first. It seems more hawaiian, I guess. With the Lava, volcanos, black sand beaches, lush forests and the waterfalls (which you can only really see on the helicopter tours) Maui was nice too but, it was more developed and I didn't enjoy it quits as much. Kauaii was really beautiful and relaxing but the water has some serious waves. We got on the dive boat on land and they launched it with us on board. The diving was great on all three islands, but the best dive I did was at Kona, the manta ray night dive. We had three huge mantas swooping over us for almost an hour. I did it again just before I left and this time there were 4 mantas.

TT

 

[Hank49]

Picking one island over another in Hawaii is hard. They all are different and they all are incredibly beautiful with their own "feel". Put the names in a hat and draw one. You can't go wrong.

 

[diveloonie66]

I used to live on Maui. My favorite island to visit is Molokai. It's like stepping back in time about 50 years. For diving, I would say you can't go wrong with Big Island, Oahu or Maui.

 

[Shaka Doug]

That's a tough question there! Do you have to pick only one? If possible, try to get to at least two. They are all special and great in their own unique ways. What is your main goal of the vacation? I may be biased but I know from experience that you can have a great time if you come to Maui. It's also a real nice place to have a wedding. There's lots to see and do on all of the islands. Diving here will introduce you to many new critters found only here on our islands. I am very active in Maui shore diving so if you need some specific advice on that subject, PM me.

Good luck with your plans!

 

[mossym]

only been to maui, but i honestly don't think any of them could disappoint you...diving in Maui is unbelievable, it was my first warm water diving, and i loved every single minute of it..

 

[SwimsWithSharks]

My personal preference for diving is the Big Island and Maui. Molokai is a wonderful place to visit but the diving is not as good. I have a lot of information about Maui and the Big Island on my web site (link in signature, non-commercial site) including some good trip reports from different people. Some of the information might help you decide. As one person said, all the islands are wonderful - just different.

 

[KrisB]

I'd recommend going to whatever island the wedding is being held on!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I do love Maui and plan to live there one day. It seems to have, for me, the right balance of rural and amenities.

But you will love wherever you land.

 

[justleesa]

Like the others say it's hard to make a choice as each Island has something to offer that the others don't have. The most well known being:
Big Island - Manta ray dives and walls
Oahu - Wrecks, wrecks and more wrecks
Maui - Molokini

Which Island is the wedding on??