First trip to Maui in Feb

[Montana Diver]

I did my OW cert with B&B. We did an introductory Discover diving off the boat for the first dive and then a skills OW dive. I did 6 dives to complete my OW requirements, 4 boat dives and 2 shore dives. I started with one other student and competed my cert with private instruction from Brad, the owner of B&B Scuba. I have had the opportunity to dive with all his instructors and enjoy the uniqueness of all of them. Stan is a great diver and instructor. Last year he was so proud of his new Aqua-lung legend reg that he insisted I breathe off it. Stunning reg, perhaps a little pricey for me at $1000, but it really breathes easy. zAThe other instructor I dive with, Dave is just a great all-around guy and diver. He took me on my first night dive.

Upon completion of my OW, Brad invited me to accompany him on the deep dive with his AOW class. Brad is a great guy, but a very serious diver. I believe he teaches classes all the way through Helium mix technical dives. Great team, fast boat and first to Molokini every day.

I will do my nitrox dives with him this year to complete my nitrox cert.

Dennis

 

[ruchi]

Hey. I actually called them again, and this time she told me 2 from shore and 2 from boat(turtle reef).. it was the right person who i spoke to this time .. thank you

---------- Post added January 27th, 2013 at 10:12 AM ----------

Thank you Any recommendations on underwater camera???

---------- Post added January 27th, 2013 at 10:15 AM ----------

Thank you everyone Any suggestions for a good, not very expensive underwater camera for scuba and snorkel?

 

[freewillie]

For the price I hear the GoPro can't be beat, but I haven't gotten into photography yet. You might get better response in the underwater activity section with photography forum.

 

[DiveMaven]

I don't mean to be a downer, but IMO a new diver doesn't have the bouyancy control to be able to take pictures without touching anything or silting up a site. The task loading that happens when you add a camera to a dive, is far more than a new diver should consider IMO. New or inexperienced divers should instead spend time working on their skills, their breathing, and their bouyancy control, while enjoying their dive. Ask if there's a photo pro on your boat and buy a CD of photos from them, which often will include pictures of you! Just my opinion.

 

[freewillie]

Lahaina Divers had a dedicated dive master to take photos. For those who wished to have pictures taken they simply identified themselves on board and were paired for the dive. Cost was $65 for a disc. I actually shared the cost with another friend who was diving with us bringing the cost down and we got some really nice photos.

 

[ScubaSherrill]

We are in Maui every year (for the last 8) and primarily shore dive, so no worries on whether or not it's worth it, shore diving rocks in Maui! We love Mala Wharf, although it's a long walk through the shallows if you enter on the "legal side" which is to the left of the pier and not through the traffic lane. We have a place at the Westin Villas on the north side of Ka'anapali and dive that reef (old airport) daily, if the surf allows. There's a public park just to the south (with showers) so you can enter there--the reef runs about a mile on up the shore to the north.

I know that they offer a certification course at the Westin Villas, if you're looking for another option. I believe it's 5 Star Diving, I'm sure you could easily find out by contacting the Villas (not to be confused with the Westin Hotel in Ka'anapali).

Be aware that you are heading to Maui in the wintertime. The weather can still be a bit unpredictable and the water might be a bit rough--pray for good weather. Regardless, there will be whales, and lots of them. We prefer the smaller boats for whale watching, they seem to get to the heart of the action faster and you can get a closer look at the whales. We've used Capt Steve's in the past.

Other recommendations: Feast at LeLe (awesome luau, small venue, drinks included, very romantic). For lunch, we love Mala Ocean Tavern (great burger and adult mac and cheese). Dinner and drinks as the sun sets at Merriman's in Kapalua is really nice. Enjoy Maui, we always do!

 

[Shaka Doug]

Lahaina Divers had a dedicated dive master to take photos. For those who wished to have pictures taken they simply identified themselves on board and were paired for the dive. Cost was $65 for a disc. I actually shared the cost with another friend who was diving with us bringing the cost down and we got some really nice photos.

$65? Wow! I only charge $40 and I give my guests pics and videos... (not a bunch of stock photos either). You get the photos from your dive and it's custom made and super awesome... maybe I should raise my prices??

 

[pjhansman]

maybe I should raise my prices??

I vote no....at least for a few weeks

 

[freewillie]

$65? Wow! I only charge $40 and I give my guests pics and videos... (not a bunch of stock photos either). You get the photos from your dive and it's custom made and super awesome... maybe I should raise my prices??

Only if I get "grandfathered" rates if we dive with you!

 

[TSandM]

I think a mixed class, with a day of shore diving and a day of boat diving, would be just about ideal. That way, you get some experience with surf entry, and you do your first two dives in a setting where, if there are any problems, it's easy to abort or restart, and there is no time pressure. And you also get the experience of diving off a boat, and doing real direct ascents, and reboarding. That's a lot of good stuff to have under your belt.

Once you are certified, there is a LOT of good shore diving on Maui, and again, it's less expensive than the boats, and frees you from time pressure to the same degree. I love the Mala Pier dive, which is shallow and sunlit and has an AMAZING density of life. Check out alohashoredivers.com for information on other Maui dive sites (also shorediving.com).