1st time Scuba Diving. South Maui? B&B - best choice?

[Asian Guy frm OC]

Thanks for the info KrisB and divebuddysean. I'll check with the conceirge service if the Marriot offers any dive specials. If not, I might just have to take your work KrisB and ask if you can teach/show my gf and I the ropes to scuba diving. Thanks.

 

[KrisB]

Conditions were 5-10 feet today... Good thing you didn't do a shore dive today!!

Molokini is the jewel of Maui.. If you miss it you'll regret it!

Also B&B includes gear rental in the price of the boat... Sorta can't beat the price or the experience... I'm diving Molokini tomorrow... I doubt anyone is going shore diving!!

Sean

That is very true -- the conditions on the shore can vary a lot more than at Molokini, and I'm truly not advocating "missing" it. It is, however very difficult to stay within the 40' depth limit for intros and still see the healthy parts that Sean and I are used to... not to mention doing the skills on the descent line.

It's truly best to do Molokini as either the open water part of the Open Water Diver course, or at least as an "excursion dive" after the initial skills are done for the intro experience.

 

[kidspot]

Lots of good ideas - you won't go wrong with any of them.

I watched a couple of folks on a discover scuba dive (try dives) from the boat the other day, the way they worked it was a briefing on the boat, then an instructor and a DiveMaster jumped in with the first student, took them to the mooring line and did the skills with them, then the DM waited with the student, while the instructor went back for the second student and repeated everything with them. They dropped down and joined the DM, who then led another group while the instructor and 2 students explored the edges of Reef's End at Molokini - most in the 30-40 fsw range. They got to see several baby sharks (1-2 ft long) and lots of other critters. I've seen these trips last from 10-50 minutes depending on how relaxed the person was in the water (just don't fall asleep).

The biggest downside I see doing your first dive at Molokini is that it's all downhill from there you get spoiled very easily - lol.

Doing a shore dive has the advantages KrisB listed above, plus if you are prone to seasickness it's a big bonus not sitting on a boat (even in calm conditions) while trying to learn all the new things. I say this as someone who used to feel sick on every boat trip I used to take :S

Either way make sure a boat dive to Molokini is something you try - nothing like flying thru crystal clear water (2-4x clearer than along shore much of the time) and watching the fish down below you and all around you.

Aloha, Tim