Which two islands for calmest waters and best time of year?

[tarynandkelsey]

Hello,
We are considering going to Hawaii this summer/fall to do some diving. We are used to diving in the Caribbean, my boyfriend gets violently seasick and we have heard that if he has problems there, he will be miserable in Hawaii, is this true? He has tried every method (scopolamine, dramamine, bonine, relief bands, seabands, phenergan, bananas, pancakes, blah blah blah) and just grins and bears it (or not so much grins but does bear it as a necessary evil for diving). We also love to surf so we will go anyway and just do shore diving if we continue to hear what we've read...that the conditions are not amenable for his seasick ass. I hate seeing him miserable and will deal with annoying surface swims and such but am hoping for an expert opinion...all the dive shops on all the islands i've called have given contradictory opinions: "summer is best," "you can't predict the marine conditions in Hawaii", "It'll be fine if you take medication", "If you get seasick stick to the Caribbean", "Big Island is best unless there's Kona winds", "The trip to Molokini from Kihei (sp?) on Maui is calmest", "Don't go diving on the south shore of Kauai in the summer", "Don't go to Kauai in the winter at all", etc. etc. I'm confused. We would prefer to go to somewhere other than Oahu because we don't like crowds and have heard all the hotels are in Honolulu and besides we will go in the summer/fall where from what I've heard the North shore is flat (we are both good surfers). But if summer in Oahu is flat and the dive sites are off the North shore (not what I've heard however) we won't rule it out. I'm just generally flying blind here. We want to do two islands, hopefully one where there is some surfing available even if we have to drive to the other side of the island (I know this isn't a surfing board but just putting it out in case there are some divers and surfers on here).

We both are okay divers, not amazing. Have around one hundred dives under our belt. Good on buoyancy, comfortable with depth and skilled at entry/exit even in waves and current (yes we like our shore dives). Coming from the east coast so this trip will be at considerable expense and time yet I am very excited about all of the underwater life unique to Hawaii. We can go anytime from late June to mid November, two islands, twelve days. The worst experience my boyfriend had seasick wise was in Key West when we dove the Vandenburg shipwreck (sp) and in Puerto Rico going to Desecheo Island. Anyone been to these places and can put the situation in perspective?

Thanks for your advice, I hate putting him through this torture and yet vastly prefer boat dives to shore dives.
Taryn

 

[Altamira]

We dove Maui (shore dive at Black Rock) and Kona last week (boat dives, but fairly close to shore), and the seas were very calm. However, I know that is very wind dependent. On the days we dove, the winds were out of the N & NE so we had no problems with the motion. I also understand the farther you get from shore on those islands, the more bounce you can expect and I suspect some of the local DMs will chime in with a lot more indepth info.

 

[TSandM]

I don't know very much about the other islands, but there is a LOT of shore diving on Maui. As long as the surf isn't up on the west or south sides (which, in my limited experience, is uncommon) there are a lot of places you can do a nice reef dive and see many of the same things you will see in Molokini. In fact, my favorite all-time Maui dive is the Mala Pier in Lahaina, which is a shallow shore dive with tons of structure and an amazing variety of life.

 

[scottitheduck]

There are a few veterans of multiple islands that post in this forum. I've been diving Oahu daily since 2005 and honestly it sounds like shore diving would be your best option. I think you could have a great time staying on the North Shore for some diving and surfing south shore breaks in the summer. You could do 2 days of diving at Shark's Cove/3 Tables/Firehouse and even the Haleiwa Trench then give the surfing a go for a few. To get more shore diving in with relatively calm conditions, Kona would be my next choice.

It sounds like you have a very extreme case of seasickness on your hands and that being said, AM dives in Maui might work (winds pick up in the afternoon) or boat diving on Kona. Would only boat dive Oahu if winds are 0 to 8 mph and that's maybe what 10-20 days a year Ohana???

Others should chime in soon!

ALOHA!

 

[DiveMaven]

I wish it were so easy to recommend certain times of year for calm conditions, though I will say that the times we've been to Maui in the summer have been more consistently calm. On calm days, the water seems more like a lake than the ocean, and boat rides are very smooth and comfortable. No guarantees, and most boats have a 24 hour cancellation policy, so there's always a bit of a gamble involved.

 

[Steve Eady]

Just go to Maui and go shore diving, there are tons of great places to go. And yes Molokini from Keihi wouls be pretty easy and short boat ride. But I would just go shore diving and enjoy.

Steve

 

[friscuba]

Shore diving on the islands is a possibility. For boat charters, Kona's your best overall bet. The boat dives I've done in south Maui have been glass flat at 7am, but by 10 am it gets pretty darned rough a lot of the time. Boat dives I've done out of Lahaina have been pretty choppy the whole day, not sure if it was just the days I've done it. I'm not experienced enough on Oahu or Kauai to even make a stab at a comment. Kona is only generally only an issue when the winds are heavy and not in traditional tradewind patters... the trades generally do not effect Kona south of the aiport to any extent because there's a couple of large volcanoes that block them. We get a lot of odd wind patterns right about this time of year, the summers and early fall are generally peak tradewind seasons and usually are quite flat here as we're in the lee of the mountains.

That said, bonine, one pill the night before and one pill in the morning a couple hours prior to the charter does it for most anyone. Taking it just before a charter does squat for many people, it's gotta get into one's system to really work. If he did it with the dosage schedule I recommended earlier, he's one of only a handful of people I've seen it fail on.

 

[diversteve]

There's a lot of relatively easy entry shore diving off Maui. Mostly beach entries with parking nearby.

As others have mentioned, when the trades pickup mid/late morning, the return boat ride from either Molokini or Lanai is not something your boyfriend will enjoy. We dove Sharkfin off Lanai one very calm morning - water like glass, the boat moors in a small sheltered bay - by the 2nd dive nearby people were getting sick on the boat during the S.I. And we were on a good sized Maui Dive shop boat. Lahaina Divers has the biggest boats afaik - a couple of 36' Newtons. They make the crossing a little smoother.

Molokai dives are a very rough crossing also. And live drops so rougher when there.

The backside of Molokini tends to be a little rougher - it's often a live drop as well. Bigger swells hit the backwall and are dispersed around the crater - makes inside the crater (closest to Maui) generally pretty calm. From higher in Kihei you can see Molokini fairly well so it's a pretty short trip over on a fast boat.

Mike Severns and someone else in Kihei leave really early in the morning to try to beat the conditions coming back in if you want to try Molokini. Some of the front sites moor in the shelter of the island so are usually pretty calm - lots of snorkelers go there to nearby locations. Others on the tip can be a little more active.

There's some big surfing at Honolua Bay - it might be in the late fall/winter though. They also surf at Olawalu. And you can dive there also. There's also been Tiger Sharks spotted there in the past several years - I haven't been there recently. If you kitesurf they do that off Paia on the northshore - just off the beach from Mama's Fish House - IDK the beach but you can briefly see it in their resort video.

I've been to Maui at least 1/2 dozen times. Mostly in the summer but once in fall. It's been my experience that conditions are calmer in the summer - one trip it was so placid we were wishing for A/C in the condo - no breeze at all for about 3-4 days.

Kauai to the south - Poipu area - is generally calm as it's sheltered by the island. Not surprising that both Seasport and Fathom Five both have a shop there. Seasport has slightly bigger boats - the day we dove Sheraton Caverns it was smooth as glass - in late October. It's a great dive and visible from shore so it's a short ride out. Koloa Landing is also a good shore dive nearby.

The north side gets rough in the fall/winter, all north side dive operations shut down then. And Ni'ihau - although a fabulous dive is a very rough crossing on a good day. So probably not something to consider for your bf.

Shore options for all the islands: Scuba Shore Diving Region: Hawaiian Islands

 

[smellzlikefish]

Others have covered it well here. I'd edge more for Big Island because the southern Kona Coast is just one big lee with near pond-like conditions for much of the year. Plus if boats are still a problem, you won't have any trouble finding new shore dives. I recently spent five days there with two dives per day and didn't shore dive the same place twice. Maui can be awesome, but my best Maui dives have been from boats that tend to get kind of rocked once the winds pick up in the pm.

 

[Silver_Diver]

Maui is usually calm in the morning before the tradewinds pick up, especially in the summer. If you want to be on and off the boat quickly try Makena Coast Charters as they leave from Kihei boat ramp at 6:30 and usually get back around 11:00. But that limits you mostly to only diving Molokini and a few offshore reefs. Boats leaving Maalaea take over 2 hours to reach Lanai, so if you really want to do it I recommend using Lahaina Divers since we can cut that time in half or more. There is a TON of great shore diving here, just remember to bring you booties as many entries require walking over sand and rock. If you need a guide for the shore diving you can send me a message and I can point you in the right direction.

The Big Island is very similar in that their tradewinds pickup in the afternoon. However, they don't funnel through a valley like on Maui, so they are often less dramatic. If you're going to dive Kona the same rules apply: go early in the morning and get out before noon. I honestly have to say that barring a few very specific dives (manta ray, blue water, black water) the shore diving in Kona is often better than the boat diving. The south shore has some of the easiest entries and most beautiful reefs, and because they sit in the lee and are surrounded by bays they often remain calm and clear even later in the day. However, northern sites like Puako will get mucked up and can be dangerous in the afternoons with wind chop.