Lihue , Hawaii ????

[oldschoolto]

Ok guy's and gal's....

I was just given a all paid trip to Hawaii... Fly out of JFK on the april 13 and return april 20... The hotel is in Lihue... I didn't get the name of it yet... What's the diving like that time of year ? I'm a old , old northeast wreck diver... Wife is a fairly new diver ( OW ) she really likes shore diving as she can go at her own pace... I don't push... Any lead's on dive shops and gear rental... What wet suits to bring ? First travel trip off mainland... Thanks for any help....

Jim...

PS : I'm good at buying beer....

 

[theduckguru]

A good shore dive location is Tunnels Beach and Fathom 5 will fix you up for that. Water should around 70F.

 

[diversteve]

You're kind of in the middle staying there, since Lihue is the east side. Tunnels is on the north shore, Fathom Five (actually their other company Ocean Quest) does guided shore diving there. It's a good idea to find all the "Tunnels" once with a guide. Bring a light, some of the tunnels (lava tubes) are fairly long and some have octo's etc. on the roof. Welcome to Fathom Five Divers Ocean Quest Watersports

South of where you're staying Koloa Landing is the other better known shore dive. It's an old boat ramp so an easy entry. I've heard it called the best south side shore dive. Not a lot of depth, it's pretty far out to break 50'. Lots of eels and usually a turtles are seen. Scuba Diving with Seasport Divers 808-742-9303 It's near Poipu Beach - a nice snorkel.

Both FF/Ocean Quest and Seasport Divers have shops in Poipu. Seasport also has a satellite shop in Kapaa - just north of Lihue. Probably the closest place to you for tank rentals if you're going on your own nearby. The closest site to you is Ahukini Landing. (If you see any ammo in the water there, consider it live. - it was dumped off ships there.) Not the easiest entry though - it's over rocks (lava) and it's sharp.

Here's a list of other shore dive options: Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Kauai, Hawaiian Islands I wouldn't try Sheraton Caverns from shore though, there's occasionally people rescued there by boat, they get out but can't get back in. It's the signature Kauai dive though so do dive it with FF or Seasport. Lots of big turtles in the collapsed lava tubes. Good dive...

 

[AquamanKauai]

Aloha!

Diving is great in April! The Humpback Whales will be gone for the most part and the Niihau season will not have opened regularly just yet but the south side of the island will wide open. The signature dive on the south shore is Sheraton Caverns. It's an awesome dive and excellent for all experience levels. Numerous turltes, octopus, frogfish, nudibranchs, eels, endemic fish species, giant porcupine puffer fish, and lots more. A whitetip reef shark was there all day today as well. Many of the dives are short trips out of Kukuiula harbor in Poipu which is a short dive south for you.

April waters will just be starting the warming trend but will still be low 70's. Bring a full 3mm at least and a 5mm if you have one. Always lean on the side of being warm. Lots of divers under dress here with their exposure protection and get uncomfortable with the cold late in dives. It is subtropical and not quite as warm as other true tropical areas.

While I personally work at Seasport divers, I can help you with any questions about you visit and diving here gladly. I also work closely with Fathom Five and can give you a point of contact over there as well. We are a small but cooperative and friendly dive community here and happily help each other out.

Send me a personal message here if you like and I can respond to any questions you may have about your visit to the island. I'd be happy to do whatever I can to provide you with tips/help to make sure your visit is a fantastic one. It doesn't have to be dive related either. I've lived here almost 15 years and can provide you with some insight.

Happy to have you visiting in April!

Best of ocean wishes and hope to hear from you soon!

A

 

[Hawkwood]

Aloha!

....
While I personally work at Seasport divers, I can help you with any questions about you visit and diving here gladly. I also work closely with Fathom Five and can give you a point of contact over there as well. We are a small but cooperative and friendly dive community here and happily help each other out.

....

A

Nice!

 

[oldschoolto]

Aloha!

Diving is great in April! The Humpback Whales will be gone for the most part and the Niihau season will not have opened regularly just yet but the south side of the island will wide open. The signature dive on the south shore is Sheraton Caverns. It's an awesome dive and excellent for all experience levels. Numerous turltes, octopus, frogfish, nudibranchs, eels, endemic fish species, giant porcupine puffer fish, and lots more. A whitetip reef shark was there all day today as well. Many of the dives are short trips out of Kukuiula harbor in Poipu which is a short dive south for you.

April waters will just be starting the warming trend but will still be low 70's. Bring a full 3mm at least and a 5mm if you have one. Always lean on the side of being warm. Lots of divers under dress here with their exposure protection and get uncomfortable with the cold late in dives. It is subtropical and not quite as warm as other true tropical areas.

While I personally work at Seasport divers, I can help you with any questions about you visit and diving here gladly. I also work closely with Fathom Five and can give you a point of contact over there as well. We are a small but cooperative and friendly dive community here and happily help each other out.

Send me a personal message here if you like and I can respond to any questions you may have about your visit to the island. I'd be happy to do whatever I can to provide you with tips/help to make sure your visit is a fantastic one. It doesn't have to be dive related either. I've lived here almost 15 years and can provide you with some insight.

Happy to have you visiting in April!

Best of ocean wishes and hope to hear from you soon!

A

Thank-you for all the info and your warm welcome to the Island.... As soon as I get a little more Info I'll get in touch with you.. It looks like a small Island and driving can be that bad... I need to drive 200 miles to get to a city with more then 25,000 people in it... Looking forward to the trip....

Jim...

 

[bbarada]

Fathom Five is better than Seasport Divers. If you want the best, go with Bubbles Below. I've been with all 3 operators.

 

[lonebrave]

Fathom Five is better than Seasport Divers. If you want the best, go with Bubbles Below. I've been with all 3 operators.

What is it about each that makes you say that? Truly curious, as I'm planning a trip for this summer.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Fathom Five is better than Seasport Divers. If you want the best, go with Bubbles Below. I've been with all 3 operators.

I've done business with FF and SD, though FF was an actual charter while SD was just renting tanks. I read enough negative reviews about BB dealing with the sort of holier than thou/know it all dive guide attitude that I didn't want to chance it, but there were also a ton of rave reviews.

FF was solid overall but I had enough annoyances that I won't be trying them for Niihau. Specifically, I got a snotty attitude from--and charged for a piece of rental gear I wasn't given and said I didn't need (mask) by--the kid running the register when I checked in. Older lady sitting in there with him was nice, however. On the charter itself, their Octopus Whisperer guide was a fun guy and the diving was good. What sealed my opinion of them, though, was when the DM/mate insisted on scooping up my assembled rig while loading the boat, only to drop it ing hard into a metal tank holder with high raised dividers--smashing my H wing between the steel backplate and metal dividers in the holder. I spent the ride out to the first site grinding my teeth over the potential pinch flat to a not-so-easily replaced Pioneer wing, and laughed at the DM when he tried to make me take off my gear and hand it up to him before climbing back aboard after each dive. Not a chance, pal.

I went to SD for tanks and advice on diving some spots around Princeville on my own, and the guy I dealt with just couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. While that's no guarantee that I'll like diving with them, they're definitely the ones I'll try for my first Niihau trip this year.

 

[bbarada]

Seasports Divers put my BC in the van under other heavy gear on the way to the boat. They allowed a diver to go on the dive that only had done one open water dive 10 years before. We as a group had to go way early when he had trouble with his gear and was an air hog.

Bubbles Below runs a great operation and Linda is a very savvy marine biologist. She can show you lots of stuff.