Molokini vs Lanai

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Scotttyd

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Location
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Staying in west Maui - if you only had one day diving - which location would you hit up? I personally prefer photogenic critters over dramatic landscapes - so I am leaning towards Molokini - also value longer bottom times as well.

thanks

PS I will be there the last week in April if any locals want to hit up some shore diving one day as well
 
For photogenic creatures I think you'd probably have more choices off Lanai, if you go to Molokini I'd suggest diving the front side or reefs end.
 
Truly where you need to go is Red Hill if you want lots of critters to photograph. We arguably have at least 50 dives at Red Hill and on our last one (in Dec) we saw: 3 frog fish, a Flame Angel, two Dragon eels, turtles, a white tip shark, a mantis shrimp, a spotted Eagle Ray, about 4 different types of nudibranchs, and many different types of fish. Granted, that was a pretty epic dive, but truly we almost always see frog fish, nudibranchs, turtles, different types of eels, and often sharks, and mantis shrimp. We've also seen Hawaiian Sting Rays and Manta Rays there as well, and we've been on a charter where the other group saw a Tiger Shark!

Ed Robinson's (our preferred operator) will go there when conditions allow, and will take requests from divers. First dive is usually Molokini, which would tick one of your boxes. Even better, if you could dive on a Tuesday, you could do an advanced 3-tank charter. My favorite three tank charter is: Molokini, 85 Foot Pinnacle, and Red Hill. If you do a 3-tank day, pay extra for Nitrox, otherwise save your money, you'll have 60 minute bottom times without it.
 
Oh man is miss Maui. It's been almost 2 years now. I just gotta get back
 
Lanai Cathedrals are beautiful, abundant life, fewer tourists and snorkelers, nice boat ride
 
Tdallen - approximately how deep and how long were your dives at Lanai? I just booked with Extended Horizons today. Did you get to dive either of the cathedrals?
 
Just dove both locations. Do NOT dive Molokini back wall if you want critters. There was one frogfish, and 100 of the same nudi and nothing much else lol. Inside the crater was nice, but I think lanai'i had a lot more life. To be honest the dive where we saw the MOST life on Maui was the Mala Pier. It's a shore dive or a boat dive...but it's covered in stuff. COVERED
 
I've dived both. I would go to Lanai. Molokini back wall is grossly over rated as a world class wall dive, the inner crater and Reef's End can be good.
 
Tdallen - approximately how deep and how long were your dives at Lanai? I just booked with Extended Horizons today. Did you get to dive either of the cathedrals?
Hi - 71 feet and 49 minutes (air limited), and 63 feet and 60 minutes (planned maximum dive time). We dove Wash Rock and First Cathedral. Extended Horizons promotes a nice, slow paced lingering style of dive that really lets you have fun and observe. Now that I look at my dive log, my dives at Molokini were at similar depths.
 
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