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Actually most don't. They leave from the Kihei ramp about 10mins. south.
Maui Dive Shop keeps their big boat there and Maui Diamond is there also but the operators you often read about here - Ed Robinsons, B&B Scuba, Mike Severns and several others - the Kihei ramp.
One snorkel/dive option is the big cat Pride of Maui from Ma'alea - but the dive price is higher and they moor for the snorkelers so you have to swim to the better stuff. They do lunch also and put metal stairs into the water so it's easy to board.There's also a slide...
Stop by Maui Dreams Dive Co. in Kihei - they specialize in shore diving. Also have tank rentals - and flags - but over 2 weeks it's cheaper to buy one.
The Maui Dive Shop in Kihei also has a tank fill card. A ccuple of their locations also rent tanks but not all of them. If you manage to get north to dive Honolua or Napili - they have a shop at Kahana Gateway - just off the road you'll be on.
Mala Pier is one of the better dives - often sharks sleep under it. The legal entry is to the left of the boat area - google it for pictures. Extendded Horizons shop is a couple blocks away - they also guide in the afternoons - mornings they're on their boat to Lanai.
Old Airport is kind of mixed - with scooters you can get out to the deeper reef - otherwise it's sort of plain. One interesting area is a little off the beach to the south - the sugar cane ships used to load there so there's debris in the water. We saw several octopus living there.
Black Rock at the Sheraton is another pretty shallow dive. In the heart of Ka'anapali so crowded with tourists/snorkelers.
The Maui Dive shops have a free shore dive handout. This is dated bud some hasn't changed - Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Maui, Hawaiian Islands
Plan on 45mins. between South and West Maui - maybe a little less from Ma'alea. Almost anytime as the resort employees going to work in Ka'anapali go early.
Olawalu can be a thrill also if the Tigers are there. If not, you'll see their lunch - turtles.
Once you move to the Four Seasons - dive the nearby beaches - Ulua, Wailea, Polo. The resort is on Wailea - we've stayed in the condos next door. We like Wailea - it's interesting along the south to the point where there's some lava outcroppings around 50' There's an endemic trigger found there unique to the area. Lots of puffer families also. The Grand Wailea has a dive operation on-site but boat dives from that area are at the ramp - 10 mins? north, My friend said Polo is better than Wailea.
I've only seen a DLNR agent once at Wailea - checking flags as divers exited. As mentioned in the previous post - there's often 3-4 floating in the same general area and not moving much...I did see a sailboat go over once but I was out deeper and heard the pump.
To dive Lanai you'll have to drive up to Lahaina. Lahaina Divers has 2 big boats, Extended Horizons a smaller one or Hawaiian Rafting a big zodiac. We watched them get tossed around at the Cathedrals once although it was calm u/w.
The West Lanai drift dives Lahaina does are also good. We dove the outside of Sharkfin - a drop with some collapsed lava tubes. Kicking my brains out to go forward I look over and there's 4-5000 Butterflies/Moorish Idols effortlessly riding along. And 1/2 dozen white tips cruising the edges. Back inside the bay the newer divers went right up to the island wall and found octopus in small caves.
I believe that dive and further west Lahaina wants AOW or equivalent although I didn't have it at the time. And they let me/instabuddy go on our own. There's site descriptions on their website - or Trilogy's - the sailing people. They have the concession for Four Seasons Lanai guests.
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