Maui dive advice

[Oside Jimc]

Just got home from Maui yesterday, spent the last 10 days just up the street from the GW. Dove with KrisB from the board (HIGHLY recommended!) and had a GREAT time. While Molokini is a no brainer I don't discount the shore diving. Diving at Ulua this week we saw lots of good stuff, and for a nice parting gift I had a manta swim within 3' of me on my "going away" snorkel at Ulua yesterday morning.

I also dove with Ed Robinsons & on the Maui Diamond II, both nice operations but the DM II is a bit too much boat ride IMO. On the 3 tank with Ed Robinsons I was getting chilled by the end of the last dive in my 3mm full suit.

I'll be posting a full trip report with some pics after the brain damage from my 1am arrival at home wears off.

 

[dwm1]

Really looking forward to that, My wife doesnt dive but we usually snorkel together when we go on vacation. How is Molokini? What kind of marine life can we expect to see?

Doug

 

[Oside Jimc]

How is Molokini?

Lovely to snokel, awesome to dive.

What kind of marine life can we expect to see?

Snorkeling you'll see lots of coral and reef fish, maybe small jacks. Diving you see more of the big stuff like sharks, rays, big Ulua.

My wife doesnt dive but we usually snorkel together when we go on vacation.

Be sure and get up and do a snorkel together at Ulua one morning (Just a short walk down the sidewalk from the GW). Morning is when some of the more interesting things are still out to play. My wife spent about 15 minutes watching a octopus out hunting in about 4 feet of water just yards off the beach, also a moray out on the prowl.

 

[bobmaggi]

One last thing most of my diving has been done in a lake in West Virginia with 10 to 15 ft of visibility, with the excection of 6 dives in Key Largo, so even the worst shore dive for you guys is going to be great for me.

Doug

Once you dive in the super visibility of Hawaiian waters, you won't want to dive anywhere else! Have Fun! Maggi

 

[DStack]

We were just in Maui Aug 29th through Sept 8th. We too were new divers with only 6 dives in a quarry here in Chicago. We were staying in Kanaapali but drove to Kehei four seperate days to dive. Seeing as this was going to be our first time diving in salt water, we wanted an operation that was a limited number of divers to divemaster. So, we choose B&B and could not have been happier with them. My wife was VERY nervous our first dive and they took extra special care of her. They are also one of the very first boats out in the morning and you feel like you got the whole reef to yourself. Orignially, we were only going to dive one day with them but before we left the parking lot, we decided to stop by the shop and book the next day we had so much fun. The staff is great and the homemade cookies, fresh pineapple, and sandwhichs hit the spot on the way to the second dive. Second dive is usually closer to shore and equally as good.

We also did 2 days of shore diving with Shaka Divers and had a blast. Doug is a great guy and takes you to some great spots. These dives were not as early in the morning but just as good as the boat dives. Saw turtles every time and even got to get into a cave with with some whitetips. Our first day we did two dives and the second day we just did one as the swell was to big and Doug called the second dive. That I appreciated almost as much as the 3 dives we got, because I knew he was doing it for our best interest.

If we can ever scrounge up the cash to get back, we will be diving with both of them again, but more days under water next time and less touristy crap

 

[chez BA]

I have had nothing but a great time each trip I've taken with B&B. It's relaxed but also mindful of safety. They'll mix up the destination for the second dive after your Molokini dive. The early departure is nice so that you still have plenty of the day to enjoy the GW. Once your wife discovers the spa there, you won't have any trouble getting a hall pass to go recreate, it will be her new definition of heaven. I love that I can get 3 boat trips for every 2 spa days that my takes at the GW.

 

[diversteve]

I kind of like the shore dive at GW. It's not a great Maui dive, but is an easy entry off the beach. Your wife can snorkel out there also.

If you go out to the point on the south side, there's a few overhangs in about 40' of water or less. Full of coral and other stuff. I saw a whole group of pipefish? (those long skinny vertical ones) and my family saw turtles surface there later in the day while snorkeling. Somebody said there's a small wreck out there somewhere but we never saw it.

It's been a few years but I think it's this dive: Scuba Shore Diving Site Page for: Wailea Beach of Maui, Hawaiian Islands

 

[nelsonrl]

We just got back from Maui. These were our first dives since getting certified. For our boat dives we used prodiver maui. They were great. Small groups (8 people) on both boat dives with two dive masters. Boat captain and dive masters were a great help for a couple of rookie divers.

They leave from Lihue (about 15 minutes from your hotel) and made the whole experience a real pleasure. First dive of the morning if to Molokini and second to one of several areas closer to the beach. Our second dive on the first day was Red Sand Beach and the second was 5 Caves.

We dove the front side of Molokini on day one and around to the back side on day two. Can't say enough about our experience. Saw turtles, eels, sharks, octopus and more fish than I can name.

We also did a beach dive at Ulua - start early the waves get rough in the afternoon - at least for beginner divers.

It was certainly enough to get my wife and I hooked.

 

[dwm1]

We'll I made it home last night after a week in Maui. All I can say is WOW. I only got to do one trip on Tuesday the 9th I went out with Makena Coast to Molokini and then to the St Anthonys wreck, both dives were awesome. We snorkeled at Turtle Town, Molokini and at Wailea Beach also awesome. During the week in addition to all the colorful reef fish I saw Turtles, ells, a spotted eagle ray, a dolphin(from the boat but so close I could almost touch it) and a White tip reef shark. The shark being my favorite. Sadley enough someone told me in the next few years they would probably be endangered also. Once again It was a truly beautiful place that I feel lucky to have seen, I also hope return and do more diving and I hope that the sharks and turtles are still around.

Thanks Everyone

Doug

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I saw a whole group of pipefish? (those long skinny vertical ones).

...

Somebody said there's a small wreck out there somewhere but we never saw it.

...

It's been a few years

There are probably a few pipefish around Wailea Point (south of Wailea Beach), but they are very hard to find; they are smaller than a coffee stirrer.

It is more likely that you saw; needle fish, trumpetfish or cornetfish. The trumpetfish is perhaps the most likely to be vertical in the water.

The St. Anthony wreck is west north west from Ulua Reef.

You are obviously overdue for your Maui fix.