Little dive shop at Kaanapali Beach Club (aka Embassy Suites)

[AZjohn]

I'd highly recommend diving Black Rock as well, but it's south of the Embassy and you'd definitely have to drive. The Sheridan has a watersports kiosk that rents AL64 tanks for like $15 so if you don't want to hike tanks in (like me!).

Dang, I was getting all excited going up to AL80 size tanks in Maui and now I hear AL64... (lol)

The best way to avoid that problem...LOL (quoting myself)

I see says the grasshopper

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Thanks Steve!
Just want to make sure we have easy access in/out. My experiance at Kaanapali Beach club is that the "channel" others have refered to was very easy going out. The intro guide we used had us swim back the same way and the current was really tough to swim against. We were all totally exhausted trying to get back to shore and that really sucked. Have no idea why we were forced to swim back against the rip tide??? I hope to avaid this next time.
John

Let's talk terminology. Rip Tide is not a common phenomenon in Hawaii; our position in the deep mid Pacific gives us a very small tidal change so a rip due to tide usually requires a shallow fringe reef as well as other specific shore and bottom topography.

There are rip currents in Hawaii, mostly due wave action at the shore. A typical shore rip happens at the postcard crescent shaped beach, where the wide rocky points embrace a long piece of the incoming swell. As it moves into the shallows the swell is compressed lengthwise, causing the wave pushing up on the beach to be thicker out at the ends of the crescent. As the wave pushes up onto the beach most of this water is funneled into the center of the beach, where it all turns due gravity and heads back to sea.

A competitive swimmer or surfer is not able to make headway against a rip current, even an accomplished free diver is not likely to return to shore against a rip current. A scuba diver in full dress is like a sail boat in a gale storm, you would just be swept away. The procedure when you are caught in a rip is to swim perpendicular to the current until you are out of the rip, then head for shore.

The conditions at North Ka'anapali beach are typically a surface current due to wind combined with the in and out surge of waves sliding up and down the non crescent shaped beach. The fact that intro divers managed to swim to shore, on the surface I'm assuming, indicates that no rip was happening. The best procedure in these conditions (surface current) is to come back from the dive with enough air in the tanks to stay submerged until you are in water shallow enough to stand up in.

There is an occasional rip at Black Rock, at the point just past where the kids jump off the rock (South Ka'anapali beach). I believe it is a combination of wind, wave and tide, and it is a very small and confined current, but out of shape tourist snorkelers die there every year. The County of Maui and the Sheraton both know about this danger but neither want the liability from even a strong warning; the sign at the end of the beach access path, over 200 yards from Black Rock, has the typically ignored small warning images of possible dangerous ocean conditions.

Even when obese snow birds are suffering heart failure on the surface, Black Rock intro divers are surviving the minor current 25 feet below.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

I think the best way to dive Black Rock is to dive it from the Golf Course. Just drop your gear off at the trail head just up the road a little bit from the round-about. The beach there is a lot less crowded and you can avoid all the people on the beach. Lots of nudis on the walls there with some interesting fish right around the brackish water just after you enter the water. You still may have to pay to park but it's a lot easier than gearing up and walking from the parking lot to the beach and through all the beach-goers. It's definitely an easy dive but if you are freshly minted you may want to hire a guide for a few dives.

I think Mala would be a tough entry for a new diver especially at low tide. It's a great dive but a lot easier at high tide. I have experienced current on Mala especially out near that pole at the end of the rubble.

Sean

 

[DiveMaven]

Dang, I was getting all excited going up to AL80 size tanks in Maui and now I hear AL64... (lol)

I think you misunderstood...or I didn't express it well. The kiosk has AL64s...everywhere else you'll find AL80's. So you can keep being excited, you'll likely enjoy AL80s diving Maui.

Are you booking any charters? I'd really recommend that you do at least one charter to Molokini and one charter to Lanai to dive the Cathedrals.

 

[AZjohn]

Let's talk terminology. Rip Tide is not a common phenomenon in Hawaii; our position in the deep mid Pacific gives us a very small tidal change so a rip due to tide usually requires a shallow fringe reef as well as other specific shore and bottom topography.

There are rip currents in Hawaii, mostly due wave action at the shore. A typical shore rip happens at the postcard crescent shaped beach, where the wide rocky points embrace a long piece of the incoming swell. As it moves into the shallows the swell is compressed lengthwise, causing the wave pushing up on the beach to be thicker out at the ends of the crescent. As the wave pushes up onto the beach most of this water is funneled into the center of the beach, where it all turns due gravity and heads back to sea.
.

Thank you for explaining the difference between a rip tide/current. All I can tell you is we were hitting it between at a depth of 15-20 feet as we swam on the bottom of the channel going towards the beach. We were just following behind the instructor/escort and I quickly noticed wasn't going forward anymore. I then started to swim as hard as I could and would only make a little progress forward. The girl that was also on the intro dive started to lose it and the instructor had to grab her and actually pull her along the last 50 yards before it was shallow enough to stand up. The girl broke down on shore and I just knelt down on the sand to catch my breath thinking to myself what the hell was that all about...

That would have been my last experience diving but we all had an intro boat dive lined up for the next day we couldn't get out of. Thank God because that boat dive was awesome experience compared to that (several people who work on that boat post here on SB). It gave me enough good experience to pursue getting my OW cert and continue learning how to dive.

I think you misunderstood...or I didn't express it well. The kiosk has AL64s...everywhere else you'll find AL80's. So you can keep being excited, you'll likely enjoy AL80s diving Maui.

Are you booking any charters? I'd really recommend that you do at least one charter to Molokini and one charter to Lanai to dive the Cathedrals.

(lol) No I didn't misunderstand you, just thought it was humorous that most places I have read about in Hawaii have AL80's for $5 (love it) and that place you mentioned is $15 for an AL64. But I understand someone needs to get paid to sling those tanks around.

Yes, we are doing at least one boat dive and the two places you mentioned would be my two top choices. I have been reading a lot of post here on SB and seems to be many great dive companies Maui. I think we will focus on a boat those services just divers, not snorkelers. Also I think a drift dive around the reef end sounds the best but probably will depend on conditions the day we go???

All info is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
John

 

[DiveMaven]

Reef's End (or Reverse Reef's End) drift dives are pretty standard fare at Molokini. I'd really recommend you make the drive down to Kihei and catch a boat at the Kihei boat ramp to Molokini. You can easily make your request of the captain/crew for Reef's End, most captains are happy to accommodate requests if they can.

As far as it being the "best", that's pretty subjective. It's definitely one of my favorite dives at Molokini since it has a lot of variety and we usually see a lot of critters, but we've had days where Reef's End definitely was NOT a great dive either. Honestly I wouldn't get too hung up on which site you go to, just focus on picking a good operator for you and you'll have a great time.

 

[AZjohn]

Reef's End (or Reverse Reef's End) drift dives are pretty standard fare at Molokini. I'd really recommend you make the drive down to Kihei and catch a boat at the Kihei boat ramp to Molokini.

Hi DiveMaven,

I know Kihei is closer to Molokini but not sure it's the best for us. I personally enjoy a long boat trip around the west side of the island, mostly in February when we have the whales playing around. I mean I know sometimes it can get a little choppy later in the day but never seen it real bad yet (knock on wood).

I just kind of get burned out doing that long drive to Kihei or Wailea. Much rather just take a spin down to Lahaina and then sail around to the south unless I missing a bigger issue.

Thanks,
John

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Ummm if you take the long boat trip to Kihei you'll discover that you'll be among the last ones there. That can make a difference to where you'll be able to dive. You very well will probably end up with a crater dive, which isn't all bad but, it isn't the same. Winds come up, water comes up and dive quality goes down.

 

[AZjohn]

Ummm if you take the long boat trip to Kihei you'll discover that you'll be among the last ones there. That can make a difference to where you'll be able to dive. You very well will probably end up with a crater dive, which isn't all bad but, it isn't the same. Winds come up, water comes up and dive quality goes down.

Hi Al,
So are you saying I want to find the earliest boat out of Kihei in order to get the best dive site and conditions? I think I found one that leaves like at 5:30 or some ungodly hour of the morning (I'm supposed to be on vacation.....lol)

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Well John 5:30 to someone from AZ should feel a lot like 8:30.

But do what you want. I've done them all and I'd rather be finished with two great dives by 10am and off for more adventures myself.