Recommendations for Maui Molokini backwall?

[kidspot]

... Plus, why would a dive operator not show its boat on its website...

You mean like the pic of their boat on the homepage? Home

And I gotta say that I've emailed 4 ops around here and don't recall hearing back from any of them, I think most ops around here do better with a phone call ... small staff that spends most of their time away from their keyboard? (on the water maybe?)

Either way you won't go wrong with any of the ops you mentioned, so have fun

 

[oboist]

Alright, I went back and read the whole thread, MAN you people really like to talk don't you! Like Scuba and Dreams said, that was 90 minutes of time wasted.

Now I am going to semi-hijack the thread, only because I want an answer, but its not important enough to deserve its own thread.

Last year(June/July) when in Maui I dove the backwall of Molikini several days (I think 3 if memory serves me right), and none of the days was I overally impressed. I dove with one of the mentioned dive ops, had a GREAT time would recommend them to anyone (with experience), but I didn't really see the "it" of the backwall. Now in those 3 days of diving we did a fair amount of the wall, all except the edge closest to Maui.

But I saw nothing "great" or amazing so, did I just really have 3 bad/so so days on the wall, or is the hype really not all that?

Thanks for the hijack.....now back to the bickering.......

 

[DiveMaven]

Oboist, I agree with you about the backwall. It's just never lived up to the hype of a "world class wall dive" for me, and I love wall dives (having done many of them in Belize and the Bahamas)! At Molokini, I prefer the front corners (Ene Nui and Reef's End) and the sloping front of the crater done normally as "reef's end drift" or "reverse reef's end drift".

We were actually on a charter last Christmas where one of the engines was running a little warm one day so they didn't want to take the boat to Molokini. They said they were going to do two S. Maui sites instead and offered to refund money and take anyone back to the ramp who wanted. Nobody wanted to go back and everyone agreed that nobody cared about not going to Molokini. Ironically, that was one of the best charters we did that vacation as we dropped in on five Spotted Eagle Rays on the first dive and a Manta Ray on the second!!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Many regular and semi-regular Molokini divers consider the backside to be something like the 4th, 5th and 6th best dives at Molokini. Reef's End (west submerged rim) is the most beautiful area in many eyes; starting at a sand channel mooring and drifting around the outside (Reef's End Drift) is my favorite dive to lead. Starting at an En'e Nu'e mooring and drifting around the east end (Shark Condo's or Shark Ledges) is my next favorite to lead. For pleasure / photography, I prefer not to drift; Reef's End / Sand Channel / Center Reef, swinging by the big cleaning station at least 3 times.

The dive magazines have been over selling Molokini's backside, because it sells magazines and probably more importantly ad space. The backside is rated among the top wall diving spots in the USA, but the USA has very few good wall dives. A couple hundred miles WNW may be the best wall diving in the USA, and definately the best in Hawaii; Ni'ihau (based on the comments, pictures and video). One of my most memorable dives was on Molokini's backside, when a 20' whale shark cruised through our group to check us out. A very few divers have had humpback whales cruise by and check them out, the holy grail of Molokini diving! When the whales are here, I'm ok with rolling the dice on the backside!

 

[Aspendiver]

Just found this thread, and I'm not willing to read thru 18 pages, but I dived Scuba Shack for four days, including the back wall. Went to the cathedrals with Lahaina Divers. I can recommend both. Backwall was the only drift dive the whole trip, so just for that it was worth it.

 

[DiveMaven]

Even though we all have our favorite dive ops, I always like hearing from people who have good experiences with any op. Glad to hear you enjoyed your dives Aspendiver, that's what it's all about!

 

[ScubaAndDreams]

Does B&B really blend Trimix (looking at their website) Sorry, things to keep in mind should I ever come over to Maui for a weekend...what about doubles, I hear those are impossible to find as well...

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

B&B does blend trimix.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

B&B has some Al-80 doubles they rent with the trimix (as far as I am aware of)

Sean

 

[quietstorm]

You mean like the pic of their boat on the homepage? Home

Lol....whups. My bad.

I will take your advice and call the various ops to see how things shake out. I know I seem to belabor the point (and YES we DO like to talk alot), but I am so eager to make this dive a winner.

As to the backwall, in light of everyone's comments, maybe I need to reconsider. I confess to being a victim of the hype. Reef's end, which I did many years ago, was great then and sounds like it would be a great again. It, too, is a drift dive, non? It was when I last did it.

Thanks again for the comments.