Just want to say thanks.....

[pjhansman]

...to the Army Corps of Engineers for the best shore diving in Maui.

Spent the morning diving the old Mala pier. In spite of wind warnings and a bit of precipitation, it turned out to be a great dive day. Viz was good and with the exception of 5 or 6 turtles, and a pile of fishes, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

 

[swampbug3]

Im going to be in Maui this March with gf we plan on getting out OW certification there After you mentioned this dive i looked this dive up and it looks like a good one for beginners as for a shore dive. thoughts?

 

[DiveMaven]

Lahaina Divers regularly takes their Discover Scuba and certification divers to Mala, so as long as you stay out of the inner parts of the wreckage, you'll be more than fine there as a beginner. The entry isn't as easy as it might appear at first look, so you might want to pick an easier site until you have a bit more experience carrying, walking, and entering the ocean in full scuba gear.

In S. Maui, Makena Landing is a super easy entry and navigation, as is Ulua. For West Maui, Airport Beach is super easy, and if you do a group shore dive, Black Rock is excellent.

 

[Shaka Doug]

Mala is a very cool dive!

 

[Mustang29]

Im going to be in Maui this March with gf we plan on getting out OW certification there After you mentioned this dive i looked this dive up and it looks like a good one for beginners as for a shore dive. thoughts?

Mala is a great dive site. The entry can be a little schetchy. The south side entry is a looong walk out on shallow dead coral, followed by slipping into shallow live coral, not good. The boat ramp is an easy entry, but is illegal, also not a great choice. We found walking out the jetty about 3/4 of the way to the end of the intact portion of the pier, then slipping in under the pier, and heading out the south side to be the best approach. A dive tool or two is a must, there is lots of heavy fishing line around there. Be wary of the surge if it is breaking at all on the jetty. My son & I both only had about 8 open water shore dives when we did it, and had no issues.

If you really want some good insite to shore entry, take a dive with Shaka Doug at 5 Graves. He does a great pre-dive. Showing the do's & don'ts, and exactly why. 5 Grave can be a really difficult entry and exit if not done correctly, and Doug makes it easy, even during pretty good swells.

 

[pjhansman]

We entered the water on the "beach" to the right of the boat launch and stayed on surface (with a flag) across the boat launch area. Easy entry and great dive.

This is the common way to enter and there are no signs posted to indicate that it isn't allowed.

 

[BUGBAGGER]

We entered the water on the "beach" to the right of the boat launch and stayed on surface (with a flag) across the boat launch area. Easy entry and great dive.

This is the common way to enter and there are no signs posted to indicate that it isn't allowed.

Unfortunately it is illegal to swim in a marked boat channel with or without a dive flag.

 

[pjhansman]

Guess we were lucky then. 'Cause the other entries suck.

It's interesting to note that on one of our dives, there was a Maui Sherriff's truck right at the launch....and they didn't appear to care. Probably a CG function anyway.