Makena Landing Closing to Divers???

[drmndiver99]

Aloha,

I heard from a buddy that the County of Maui is looking to close Makena Landing to divers and other use. I have going to this sight with Shaka Doug of Shaka Divers for years now. Has anyone else heard this and does anyone know why???

This sight has ample parking, showers, bathrooms and has been very asafe. The operators that use this sight have done so in a safe and considerate manner fro years.

What say you oh dive community of Maui???

Bill B[/-]

 

[KrisB]

Well, just a quick note -- the County doesn't have much to say about it. It's a State Beach Park.

And, yes, the rumour is that it may be closed to *commercial* use -- i.e. no kayak tours launching there or paid-for scuba tours.

However, I'm sure there'll be plenty of notice -- things don't move that quickly around here!

To speak of your comments, however -- the concerns that have caused this are:
1. there is *not* ample parking. It can be more difficult to find parking there than even at Ulua Beach Park.

2. there may be some safety concerns. Whenever there are missing divers or divers that get into trouble from shore dives in South Maui, they often seem to be in the Nahuna Point area (i.e. the area dove from either Makena Landing or 5 Graves). It seems people don't respect the caves enough to realize they can get into serious trouble if they're not careful.

 

[drmndiver99]

Thank you for your thoughts and information. I have never had any parking problem's here at day or night. Maybe I'm just lucky. I have had great experiences seeing rays, turtle, sharks and frog fish all on the same dive. As far as safety. It seems that only allowing a qualified dive guide to bring divers through would be the way to keep that in check. If they eliminate the ability for dive instructors and other qualified guides to show divers the safe way to dive these areas, they are merely guaranteeing the lack of safety
Aloha and keep Makena open!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Shaka Doug]

Aug. 31 is the scheduled closing date for commercial use at Makena Landiing. We'll see if that really happens. I would hope it doesn't.

Doesn't make sense, really. Makena Landing has been a commercial area since the 1800's!!! It has always been a busy place. Some people on the internet are trying to say that the reef there was killed in 1999 when a heavy rain silted up the bay. I remember that rain and the silt. I was there. It certainly wasn't good but the reef did not die completely. Now someone is trying to build a subdivision right across the street from the showers. What do you think will happen if that developer allows run-off into the water? They'll say the reef was already dead and it's no big deal. I know for a fact that the reef is definitely NOT DEAD! I dive the place every single week. Want to see pictures? Video?

There has been a complaint made that the commercial activity in the area has been increasing.
There has also been a complaint that tour busses have parked near someones home in the area.

Yeah? So what? Haven't you noticed people in the area of Maui are increasing? Haven't you noticed this island is getting more and more crowded every day? Who are these poor people going to complain to when the bulldozers, stone crushers, cranes and work crews show up and tear up the place in a few weeks? Who will be able to point out reef destruction after construction run-off gets into the water? I mean, how can you kill a reef if it's already dead? What gives these people the right to tell the county what to do about legally permitted CORA people? I'd take the divers and kayakers over the development and construction any day.

Those of you who care about this, please make your opinion known. If nothing is done, we will lose this spot to BIG BUSINESS and the Mega-Rich and it will be just another sad story of how Maui is getting taken over by developers and the locals are getting swept under the carpet.

 

[KrisB]

It's been commented by many that Maui County is one of the least-friendly areas to run a small-business. This isn't just tourism-related businesses, either... look at the family-run convenience/general stores that have closed -- the Suda Store, Nagata's... but large companies like ABC come in and add more stores.

As for Makena Landing, it just doesn't make sense. The County has no jurisdiction over that park -- which, actually, is part of the problem. The County has decided to revamp their policy on commercial beach permits, which has awoken the State's ears to the fact that the County was naming Makena Landing on the permits... to which the State seems to have said "wait... you mean *we* could be making some money off this?" Unfortunately, they're even further behind the County as far as having a workable permit process.

Speaking of which -- it's apparent that safety is *not* the primary concern of the County. They are currently moving to further restrict commercial users. The safety issue here is twofold -- it means you will have more people in the water without trained professionals (since they couldn't find an opening that fit their schedule), and at many of the beaches, the only people you can count on to have water rescue and CPR/First Aid abilities are the professionals that are taking students there.

 

[Charlie99]

Doesn't make sense, really.

It's Maui.

This will put the professionals that follow the rules out of business, while the fly-by-night guys that "accept donations" rather than officially charging for services will continue to operate as usual.

 

[KrisB]

It's Maui.

This will put the professionals that follow the rules out of business, while the fly-by-night guys that "accept donations" rather than officially charging for services will continue to operate as usual.

Charlie, I truly expected more from you.

First off, fly-by-night is pretty strong term to use towards those of us that are newer than 3-4 years to the Maui diving scene. (New permits haven't been available for the last 3-4 years). Furthermore, if we teach for fun, yet accept a gratuity, you're saying that somehow makes us less than professional... incidentally, we're still following the rules.

Oddly enough, the only people I've ever heard take issue with this plan are a vocal few on the board that are looking to smear some of us -- other local instructors agree that this permit stuff is silly, and any way around it is awesome. Everybody seems to agree that there's more than enough business to go around -- at least everybody that's providing quality instruction. And my students love that they get to decide whether the course had the expected value *after* they do the diving.

The true problem children are the ones that completely thumb their noses at the permit rules. They operate just like a dive shop, charging money for the dive / course, despite not having a permit. Sometimes they hop on over to MM14 (Olowalu) or other State rights-of-way to do the dives, as it's State land and permit rules are not yet being enforced by the State. Other times, they just go diving at the usual sites, hoping to not get caught. These are the ones that are short-changing their students and not in the public best-interest.

 

[Shaka Doug]

It sickens me Charlie. You're absolutely correct.

You know something interesting about Makena Landing? Someone started to build a house down there about 4 years ago. Right next to the parking lot. It took a few years to complete, like close to three. Well, before, it was just nice natural land and it was rough. It was also peaceful and tranquil. So, during the first year of construction there was earthmoving equipment digging, compacting, leveling, hammering, sifting, you name it. It was very loud and obnoxious and it was dusty too. You could hear the noise of the machinery even while under water! You probably dove there while this was going on Charlie. It took over a year just for the earth work alone!!! One house.

So, anyway, they ruin the setting; they gave us a couple years worth of trucks, crews, noise, pollution (I'm sure you all know that construction is one of the number one sources of pollution on the planet!) and they really made an eyesore of the area for a while. Oh yeah, the construction crews parked in the Makena Landing Parking Lot and hogged up a lot of the spaces for eight hour shifts five days a week. The sign says 'Parking for Beach Users Only'. So, whatever, no one made them leave, no one from parks department ever said anything.

Every one who uses Makena Landing for any type of enjoyment puts up with this scenario for about three years. All the while we are still doing tours there. So guess what? The construction finally ended about a year and a half ago. They end up with this monster house and no one even wants it! It's been sitting there, For Sale, unoccupied for over a year now. No one has moved in. No one has even bought it as far as I know. What I hear is that the price keeps coming down. Why did we have to endure that annoying three years if it was not going to be utilized as planned? Obviously we didn't need this particular house that bad!!

Now someone wants to put in a whole new bunch of mansions right across the street from the bath house and shower? The pink boundary markers are fresh and abundant. I don't know why we have to build this area up right now. There's a huge development going in nearby, immediatley south of the Maui Prince Hotel. (I forgot to mention, the Maui Prince Hotel is the caretaker of Makena Landing) Who's going to live there? Can I live there? Can you?

I've been here a while and I see lots of homes that are vacant and unused. Kind of a waste if you ask me. Watch what our economy does here on Maui over the next few months. Stores are closing. I just heard Sharper Image at our mall is closing. I know lots of retailers paying sky high rents in the local shopping centers and several are on the brink of closing shop. At this time, I cannot for the life of me understand why my government wants to put me out of business too. We already have a existing business partnership going on ten years now. I have always done as they've asked of me. It's not right. They make money when I make money. Now we both get less money. That's not the economics I was trained in.

Isn't it the Fly-By-Night guys who got us here in this mess in the first place?

If anyone wants to help, there's a group forming. It's called the Makena Landing Diving Association. PM me if you want to know more info or with ideas on how we'll be able to deal with these new proposed changes. It's an important issue for a lot of reasons. The next beach they take away may be yours!!

 

[KrisB]

Isn't it the Fly-By-Night guys who got us here in this mess in the first place?

By the story you've told here, most of the complaints about Makena Landing issues have likely come actually from construction, something completely unrelated to the ocean recreation side of things, whether recreational, fly-by-night or completely permitted commercial ventures.

Noise, lack of parking, disruption of a natural, serene environment... all those are the chief complaints anyone has given to motivate the tightening of commercial permits at the beaches.

Oh -- just one other thing to add, Doug. I heard a rumour last month that the Maui Prince is going to be completely redeveloped starting sometime in the next 12 months...

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

It sickens me Charlie. You're absolutely correct.

...

Stores are closing. I just heard Sharper Image at our mall is closing. I know lots of retailers paying sky high rents in the local shopping centers and several are on the brink of closing shop.

...

Isn't it the Fly-By-Night guys who got us here in this mess in the first place?

Just a small correction; Sharper Image lost a class action suit over the Ionic Breeze and their woes are Nation wide. They have closed nearly a hundred stores and the rest are in the process of closing; the Maui Sharper Image would have closed no matter the economic situation.