West Maui Black Rock shore diving?

[jo8243]

Hi, we are going to Maui next month and are staying at the Sheraton on Ka'anapali Beach/Black Rock. I understand that Black Rock is a good shore dive site. How difficult is the entry here? Do many of the resorts near black rock (such as the sheraton) do any group/guided dives here?

Thanks!

 

[MakoSince70]

Hi, we are going to Maui next month and are staying at the Sheraton on Ka'anapali Beach/Black Rock. I understand that Black Rock is a good shore dive site. How difficult is the entry here? Do many of the resorts near black rock (such as the sheraton) do any group/guided dives here?

Thanks!

Sept of 2000 we did the Black Rock dive. Out of around 18 dives on Maui during the vacation, we rated this dive at the top. We discussed the dive with a local instructor at one of the Maui Dive Shops and followed her instructions. (You may want to hook up with a local to see if conditions have changed from 2000).

We made our entry from the Golf course. Black Rock juts out into the ocean forming a small peninsula. The Golf course touched one leg of the peninsula with the other being the Sheraton's beach. We entered at the Golf course because the local instructor indicated that there would be a slight current that would carry us around the point to the hotel beach. The day we made the dive, there was no current.

Enty was a simple walk from the beach into the ocean. There were no waves the day we went. The black volcanic rock forms a mini wall dropping around 35 ft to a sandy bottom. Lots of fish, several turtles. As I recall we never exceeded 40 ft and made the dive around 60 min. Visibility was excellent. We took our time. About the time we were beginning to wonder where the hotel beach was, you could tell we were approaching due to sand ripples and a slight surge. Then we saw beach snorkelers followed by swimmers. The beach crowd was a little surprised to see 4 black clad divers suddenly emerge. Exit was a simple walk up the beach to the Sheraton hotel. Hotel employees were obviously used to divers.
You will not require a guide. Just continue to follow the black wall until you arrive at the beach.
The four of us continue to talk of this dive. We have promised ourselves to do it as a night dive if we ever manage to return to Maui.

Please, if you make the dive, let me know how it goes.

And, if you enjoy the shore dive, get a shore dive map from Maui Dive Shop. There are several excellent shore dives. An added bonus is that the cost is only the price of a rented tank and air.

 

[jo8243]

Hey, thanks for the great write-up! I just called the Sheraton (where we are staying) and they actually have a dive shop and will do guided 1-tank dives at Black Rock, day and night. I intend to do both!

Right now they said the conditions are 10' viz, which apparently happens sometimes during the winter for a few days and then clears up to 100' viz on a good day. I'm hoping for good conditions while I am there!

We're going in early Feburary so I'll find this post and write up my dives when we get back.

BTW I see you are from the Keys. I was just down there in December and dove Looe Key Reef and the Christ of the Abyss.

 

[Charlie99]

Just a few additional tidbits ...... Sheraton has a dive operation right at the beach. You can rent tanks and weights there. They also do a few guided dives each day, but they typically just do an out-and-back from the beach on the south. The northside golf course entry to southside beach exit is a better dive if you have reasonable air consumption rate (45-60 minutes at 30' average). IIRC, they have only AL63 tanks. If you are solo, you need to get your tank from the Maui Dive Shop in Whaler's Village since the Sheraton shop won't rent you a tank w/o a buddy.

Black Rock is one of the more popular night dives.

The beach in front of Sheraton dive shop is usually pretty well protected and the exit area up near the base of the rock is often nearly flat even if there is a pretty good swell. The golf course side is usually rougher.

The current is usually south-going, but reversed currents aren't all that uncommon. Just be prepared to do an out-and-back if you are bucking the current after a golf course entry.

 

[boomx5]

We stayed at the Sheraton about a month ago and did a number of dives at Black Rock. The entry is super easy...even with surge. In fact, my 11 year old and I did 7 dives at Black Rock and he had no problems whatsoever.

Also, I didn't rent anything from the little shack at the Sheraton since it was like $15.00 for a tank rental...for one dive. You can run down the street and pick up gear from any of the other shops there and save yourself a bunch of money. We actually took everything and only rented tanks and some weights for him.

I also wouldn't waste my money on a guided tour of Black Rock since all you have to do is follow the reef and it's almost impossible to get lost. The diving there is very relaxing and we were getting at least 60-75 minutes of bottom time since it's also pretty shallow. There are a number of sea turtles, a lot of fish and we saw a school of Dolphins out there one day.

Here's a couple of pictures we took with one of those $10.00 underwater cameras.

 

[MakoSince70]

BoomX5,
If I am not mistaken, the picture of you and your son on the surface, you are facing the Sheraton beach and that is the black rock point in the back ground.
Great dive for a new diver to gain confidence that they can dive on their own. I agree, try it without a guide.
Wish I had seen the dolphins.

 

[boomx5]

BoomX5,
If I am not mistaken, the picture of you and your son on the surface, you are facing the Sheraton beach and that is the black rock point in the back ground.
Great dive for a new diver to gain confidence that they can dive on their own. I agree, try it without a guide.
Wish I had seen the dolphins.

Yeah...that's the tip of Black Rock right off the beach in the background. It was really a great dive for my son since he's still so new to the sport. He was getting over an hour on a 63 cuft tank, and one day we did a 75 minute dive which told me he was very comfortable.

 

[jo8243]

Thanks for the info everyone. I would do the dive on my own but I won't have a buddy with me, so I'll have to use the guide as a buddy (unless I meet another diver at the sheraton who wants to go with me). I don't like doing solo dives.

 

[boomx5]

Thanks for the info everyone. I would do the dive on my own but I won't have a buddy with me, so I'll have to use the guide as a buddy (unless I meet another diver at the sheraton who wants to go with me). I don't like doing solo dives.

PM Kidspot. He lives up the street from the Sheraton and may be available to go diving. He may be able to take you over to Airport beach and do a dive or two there also.

 

[kidspot]

I'm always interested in diving with other SB members . . . so yeah - drop him a line - lol

Good seeing pics of you and your son Scott.

Aloha, Tim