Great diving and surfing on one island?

[vtadiver]

Hi everyone, well I've never been to Hawaii, which is strange because I live in California and I love to dive and surf.

So I'm going for the first time in about a month with my girlfriend and I would love to find a place that has the best of both worlds. We're only there for a little over a week so I want to make the most of it.

If anyone could help me narrow down which island would work best that would be great. Also, she surfs a tiny bit but can't dive due to a medical condition. But she loves Hawaii and is happy by a beach or snorkeling.

Thanks!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

September is not much of a surf month in general; summer south swells tapering off probably and winter north swells not kicking in yet probably. The Big Island probably has the least chance for good surfing and has the least beaches.

Kauai has more rain and more river runoff so the water is not as clear traditionally, but we are in a drought so the water may be nice for snorkel/dive. It is out in the middle of the big blue, so any swell makes some surf, and there are some really beautiful beaches.

Oahu and Maui have neighboring Islands that can block some swells, but Oahu has more consistent surf and a couple days ago the north shore looked like fun waves on the news. The snorkeling is not as good as Maui in general because there is more hunting and urban runoff from over a million people (residents and tourists). Maui could have ok but not as good surf as Kauai and Oahu, but better snorkel/diving, and better beaches than Oahu.

 

[vtadiver]

Hey thanks for the advice on surf spots. Yeah, I'll probably be there in the second week in October, so hopefully there will be some surf. As far as diving goes though, in a general sense, is there a common favorite island for diving? I've looked into it a bit and it seems maui is pretty good.

Just trying to narrow down between these islands. I'm thinking of avoiding honolulu and the main tourist spots if possible... cant wait to go!