Feedback on Maui Dive Sites

[Eric802]

I found a few places that will book a dive to Mala, so I assume it won't be restricted.

It’s a great, easy dive.

 

[FreqFlier]

I'd say Turtle Town near Makena is worth diving or at least snorkeling
Turtle Reef on the west side.
Cathedrals dive is great, but we did 3-tank Lanai drift dives few times and it was awesome.
Carthaginian is probably a bit too deep considering your experience.

 

[SmashMonkey]

OP. Hawaii diving is usually not super challenging, however to make the most of it, I would recommend both divers take AOW and nitrox (sometimes there's a discount if taken together), either before or during the trip, to unlock the better dive sites and extend NDL. There's many fantastic sites, like the Cathedral lava tubes (bring a dive light), and endemic wild life that you only see in Hawaii so make the most of it. For extra points, before going, learn about the humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, the state fish, and look for them everywhere you go. If you get a chance to dive 1st Cathedral, ask the guide to show you the shotgun exit.

 

[Hired Muscle]

I was so disappointed with the diving in Maui. The reefs were in bad shape, and there was limited sea life. I have been diving a long time, and it was disappointing on a scale I find it hard to explain.

Cathedrals II was beautiful, but it was the exception. After two days of diving, we cancelled our next four days of diving and went to Hana and did other land activities, which were great. I wish I had come here before our trip to ask for recommendations.

 

[coldwaterglutton]

Molokini is an amazing dive site. You can't miss it.

It's also the place I came close to buying it. As a novice scuba diver - circa 30+ years ago - I went there on my honeymoon. Saw a hammerhead and started swimming down in that clear clear water to take a closer look. Since I was young and strong it seemed like an OK thing to do.

Suddenly I felt high, really high. It took my last cogent thought to realize I was narced and needed to swim upwards. I did a reasonably paced ascent and was filling OK again when I looked at the gauge at 110 feet. The max depth needle indicator was at 155'. Took my time getting to the surface and made a few safety stops on the way, so no deco issues thankfully.

That experience tempered my youthful invincibility quite a bit, and the cautionary memory has guided my diving to this day.

 

[kinoons]

Thank you for the response. This has been helpful. I didn't even think about the seasick aspect of the boat ride back!

The boat ride from molokini isn’t too terrible most days.

OTOH the ride from Maui across to lanai can be brutal if the seas are not in your favor.

 

[Ubu]

I found a few places that will book a dive to Mala, so I assume it won't be restricted.

It’s open and quite nice. It’s an second dive for other dives, but, it’s also a really easy shore dive. No bathrooms but there is running water for rinsing.

 

[justinthedeeps]

I was so disappointed with the diving in Maui. The reefs were in bad shape, and there was limited sea life. I have been diving a long time, and it was disappointing on a scale I find it hard to explain.

Cathedrals II was beautiful, but it was the exception. After two days of diving, we cancelled our next four days of diving and went to Hana and did other land activities, which were great. I wish I had come here before our trip to ask for recommendations.

Lots of human and heat impacts, especially near any developed/commercialized shoreline, and especially leeward in Hawaiian Islands. Wastewaters, automobile runoffs, herbicides, invasive microbials, sunscreens etc choke what used to be pristine waters.

Then you have the aquarium collectors taking all the fish that should be left to recover and clean the reefs.

But there are spots. Will you visit them on a quick dive trip? Maybe.

Easier to just grab a snorkel/fins/mask (**and a long sleeve hooded shirt/leggings, instead of sunscreen**) and enjoy some of the better managed reef snorkeling preserves that are still left. (They were all doing even better during the COVID shutdowns..)

Hawaii coral ecosystems will continue to lurk and survive in places where people (or lava..) can't ruin them.

It takes more effort, DPVs and CCRs, gnarly roads and entries, dangerous surf conditions, or very long boat rides to places the companies don't find convenient to bring thousands of people.

The only fresh and happy Pocillopora coral I see anymore is off Hilo, or anywhere there is fresh windward sea & fresh water mixing. I've seen fresh baby corals sprouting right out of the new lava sand in the new flow zones (Pohoiki)

 

[kinoons]

It’s open and quite nice. It’s an second dive for other dives, but, it’s also a really easy shore dive. No bathrooms but there is running water for rinsing.

There used to be restrooms at mala - I’m assuming the fire destroyed them?