January 25-28th; where to go in HI?

[Ann Marie]

OK, I've posted a similar post in the Conch Diver's thread because I'm interested in either Hawaii or Florida.

You see, I have just got to take a short trip. I don't want to dive my drysuit and my skin is drying out in this weather.

I'm looking at departing 1/24 to arrive either that night (Thursday) or Friday morning. I'll then probably do a redeye coming back to California. I want to dive, dive, dive!

I've visited Hawaii, Maui and O'hau and dove off Hawaii but I'm open to going anywhere.

I'm concerned about weather and dive conditions; I don't want to take the chance of going somewhere only to get blown out.

Help!!

 

[Teamcasa]

I vote for Kona! I just love diving there.

 

[friscuba]

You run the risk of getting blown out any given day in January at most spots due to the occasional northwest swells that tend to pop up early in the year. Some years the Kona operators are able to make it out every day, other years they might see up to 10-20 days over the course of a winter most operators will cancel on, and it all happens around then usually.

Probably your best bet for guaranteed OK water conditions would be south side Oahu, but I wouldn't comment on the actual diving other than the only dives I've done out of Hawaii Kai I felt were not up to Kona standards. Maui might have some protected spots in the winter, but I'm not really up on that.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

South Maui usually has an entire week of only Molokini diving every few years and possibly a few 2-3 day Molokini only's per year. Then there are a handfull (or 2) of wind/swell days per year when Molokini is not dove. Since we just had the week long event my odds say a week's stay end of Jan is a good bet for dive, dive, dive. Factor in the humpback whales you will see (from surface) and hear (while underwater) along with an aquarium dive (tiger shark, hammerheads, sandbar, grey, black and white tip reef, an agressively affectionate spotted eagle ray and more) in case I'm completely wrong.

 

[Ann Marie]

Aquarium dive sounds fun.

How's the diving on Molokini? Does it usually have condition issues during January?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Fun and expensive; I have not dove the Maui Ocean Center yet, just talked to others and looked at pictures. I hope to talk one of my customers into taking me this winter!

Molokini almost always has better than 100' vis (99%). The shallower inner crater has a thousand snorkelers overhead from ~ 8:30 - 11 AM, but dive boats typically do deeper areas at earlier times. You will hear humpbacks underwater and you will probably see them from the boat all three transits. Every winter a lucky few dive groups see humpbacks underwater! Almost all divers at Molokini see white tip &/or grey reef sharks. Manta rays, eagle rays and hawksbill turtles are also seen (20-10%), even rarely whaleshark, Hawaiian monk seal or retired suicide bomber bottlenose dolphin! There's also lot's of interesting activity among the mostly drab hard corals and many endemic fish not seen anywhere else in the world.

Second dives are typically somewhere along the South Maui shoreline, to see some green sea turtles and a wider variety of underwater formations. Most dive charters end by 10:30 AM and you can grab tanks locally for some nearby shore diving. For the more adventurous, there are a number of operators who lead scooter dives and a few who do kayak dives. One of the reasons Wailea/Makena is the most expensive resort area in Hawaii is because it has more of the postcard Hawaii weather than just about anywhere in the state. Most visiting dive instructors don't stay in Wailea/Makena, they just hit the beaches, restaurants &/or dive sites.

There are also many dive sites off West Maui, including Lanai (with friendly spinner dolphin). I will let one of the west siders chime in if they so chose.

 

[Ann Marie]

Thanks so much for your input. We've decided on Hawaii over Florida (since I plan to go there later this year); now it is just deciding on the island!

 

[sharrell]

OK, I've posted a similar post in the Conch Diver's thread because I'm interested in either Hawaii or Florida.

You see, I have just got to take a short trip. I don't want to dive my drysuit and my skin is drying out in this weather.

I'm looking at departing 1/24 to arrive either that night (Thursday) or Friday morning. I'll then probably do a redeye coming back to California. I want to dive, dive, dive!

I've visited Hawaii, Maui and O'hau and dove off Hawaii but I'm open to going anywhere.

I'm concerned about weather and dive conditions; I don't want to take the chance of going somewhere only to get blown out.

Help!!

We will be staying at the Waikaloah Hilton and diving with Jack's Diving Locker, a great operation, from January 14, 2010 to January 24, 2010. I am also concerned about the diving conditions around Kona in January. Any advice?

 

[Teamcasa]

The diving in Kona is just wonderful in Winter.
If you are really lucky, you will also see or at least hear the whales.

 

[*dave*]

I'm with Dave. I'd rather shore dive Kona than boat dive the other islands. Plus, the Manta Night Dive and Blackwater Dive can't be missed.