2 Questions about Maui

[Daebado]

Starting preparations for a possible trip to Maui April of 2021 and at this point just have a couple questions:

1. Is April a good time to go to Maui or is there a better time of year to consider?

2. Are the Manta night dives worth doing from Maui or do you need to go to the Big Island to really experience these properly and/or more reliably?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CCS]

Two great questions. I'm on Oahu, but dive off of Maui often. April isn't a bad time to dive on Maui, but May-Sep is the best time if you're diving on the west side. If you're looking to do a Manta Dive, it's definitely worth hopping over to Kona on the Big Island and linking up with Jack's Diving Locker. They literally wrote the book on Manta diving in Hawaii.

 

[sea_ledford]

I don't believe there is a manta night dive on Maui. I know there is a manta cleaning station that is hit or miss, and is probably ecologically sensitive enough that it doesn't need to be turned into a significant attraction. Generally shallow, poor vis, and if the mantas aren't there, not very exciting.

The only reason to not go in April is if seeing humpbacks is a priority. April is probably a little late in the season. If you are not constrained to standard school year vacation times, the first 2 weeks of December is typically slow so everything will be less crowded. Of course all typical things are out the window these days...

 

[peterak]

They literally wrote the book on Manta diving in Hawaii.

There's a book?

 

[Daebado]

I don't believe there is a manta night dive on Maui. I know there is a manta cleaning station that is hit or miss, and is probably ecologically sensitive enough that it doesn't need to be turned into a significant attraction. Generally shallow, poor vis, and if the mantas aren't there, not very exciting.

Thanks! The more I research, the more that seems to be an accurate description.

The only reason to not go in April is if seeing humpbacks is a priority. April is probably a little late in the season. If you are not constrained to standard school year vacation times, the first 2 weeks of December is typically slow so everything will be less crowded. Of course all typical things are out the window these days...

I wouldn't mind seeing the whales but it's not the primary reason we are going. I understand the seas can be quite a bit rougher in December (albeit not 100% of the time) which could prohibit some of the diving we want to do, which IS one of the primary reasons we are going!

Guess I'm going to have to figure a way to get my wife to stay on the Big Island for a couple days of the trip. Man, this is getting expensive, fast!

 

[DiveMaven]

April’s a really nice time to dive Maui. We are there every April and definitely enjoy hearing the whale song and seeing the whales (sometimes under water!). We’ve always had really good luck seeing Mantas in Maui and really enjoy the natural encounters we have with them. Hopefully things will be a little more normal by April and you can enjoy a trip to the islands, regardless of which one(s) you choose.

 

[Steve Eady]

Aloha
Personally I would come in march if you can. The Whales will still be here in full force. As far as the mantas, we see them fairly consistently. We scooter dive to cover a lot of area with decent success. They use lights on the big island to attract them. We do our dive in the afternoon which seams to work out better.
Mahalo
Scuba Steve
Maui Dive Connection
Www.mauidiveconnection.com

 

[Daebado]

April’s a really nice time to dive Maui. We are there every April and definitely enjoy hearing the whale song and seeing the whales (sometimes under water!). We’ve always had really good luck seeing Mantas in Maui and really enjoy the natural encounters we have with them. Hopefully things will be a little more normal by April and you can enjoy a trip to the islands, regardless of which one(s) you choose.

Thanks for the info, that's great to know!

View attachment 593908 Aloha
Personally I would come in march if you can. The Whales will still be here in full force. As far as the mantas, we see them fairly consistently. We scooter dive to cover a lot of area with decent success. They use lights on the big island to attract them. We do our dive in the afternoon which seams to work out better.
Mahalo
Scuba Steve
Maui Dive Connection
Www.mauidiveconnection.com

Thanks, SS! Whales would be very cool to see so maybe moving it up to March is the right thing to do. How's the weather and water temp that time of year?

 

[Steve Eady]

Very nice that time of year. Water around 77-79 77 was the coolest i got all winter

Mahalo
Scuba Steve
Maui Dive Connection