Anyone have any contacts for a DM on Lanai?

[chepar]

Jeez - excuse my grammatically incorrect thread title. Can't seem to edit it.

Does anyone HAVE a contact for a DM on Lanai?

My family is planning a short weekend golf trip over to Lanai (one night) in August. Staying at the Manele Bay. I'm rather ambivalent about going (I don't golf) and right now am waffling between caving into family pressure because everyone is going or staying home and saving some money. If I can do a couple of dives there, the trip becomes much more attractive and will probably sway me in the direction of going.

I talked to the hotel concierge and apparently the 2 tank boat dives are scheduled on days that I will not be there. Not to mention it is $179 for a 2 tank dive - :11: I guess they're quite aware they have a captive audience.

I emailed Sail Trilogy, who appears to be the only operator on the island, but have not yet heard back if I can schedule 2 shore dives on a Saturday afternoon.

So . . . does anyone know of a DM that I can hire to buddy with me for a couple of shore dives? Alternatively, how's the snorkeling from shore? If it's good then it might be an acceptable alternative to actual dives.

 

[justleesa]

edited Sorry I don't know anyone over there...

 

[humanFish]

Sorry, you are out of luck as far as I know. I was there 2/05, and used Sail trilogy, although it seems their prices have gone up. Your only hope is to contact this company:

trekmaui@maui.net

the guys name is Mikey. He can rent you tanks and maybe a wetsuit and weights. I used a couple tanks there in Manele Bay, and then got in trouble with the Ranger for not having a dive flag. No ticket, just a warning...and I really didn't have any idea I needed a flag.

Honestly, Manele is a decent place to snorkel, and diving adds little value as it only gets about 30' deep out there. I've heard the diving is better out at the harbor, not the regular small boat harbor, but the one where the big boats come in. The snorkeling everywhere on the island is great.

You could always fly dive out of Maui one morning, then take a later ferry over or something.

BTW - Lanai is beautiful, if you can dive the cathedrals it's really fun and unique. I snorkeled with about 200 wild spinner dolphins there...all to myself....they come into the small boat harbor and the bay. Check out my gallery, I posted some photos of them.

let me know what Mikey says...

 

[chepar]

Thanks for the edit, Leesa!

humanFish- thanks for the suggestion. I've emailed them and hopefully they know of someone. I checked out their website, and it says they have "guides", though the link for diving guides seems to lean more towards instruction rather than just a guide to show you the different sites.

Thought your pictures were great - looked like the dolphins were really close. I've read hotel reviews where several other people said they were able to snorkel with the dolphins. Since the bay is a marine preserve, even if I don't get to do any diving, the snorkeling sounds good.

 

[sea nmf]

Cheryl,

If you go and want to pack my dive float, let me know.

-becky

 

[Cacia]

Cheryl, that "lighthouse" is a great dive.

 

[chepar]

Catherine - is the lighthouse a shore dive?

I got an email back from Sail Trilogy today - looks like they're adding a Saturday 2 tank charter to their schedule. I'm assuming afternoon, since I specified that in my email and they said I was "in luck". I have to call their reservations number to get more information.

Is Mikey from trekmaui@maui.net the same Capt. Michael Jones from Sail Trilogy? I'm thinking it is the same guy since Sail Trilogy seems to have the monopoly on the dive business on Lanai.

Anyway, now I just have to digest the idea of paying over $180 for a two tank dive.

 

[humanFish]

Catherine - is the lighthouse a shore dive?

I got an email back from Sail Trilogy today - looks like they're adding a Saturday 2 tank charter to their schedule. I'm assuming afternoon, since I specified that in my email and they said I was "in luck". I have to call their reservations number to get more information.

Is Mikey from trekmaui@maui.net the same Capt. Michael Jones from Sail Trilogy? I'm thinking it is the same guy since Sail Trilogy seems to have the monopoly on the dive business on Lanai.

Anyway, now I just have to digest the idea of paying over $180 for a two tank dive.

Nope, Mikey is the farthest thing from a company like Sail Trilogy as you can get. His business is home based, he is a local of Lanai.

He's really nice, fair, and very accomodating.