Maui Dive Considerations for New(ish) Diver

[chasingbluedragons]

Hi everyone,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster.

The hubs and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in July and have a few days to dive in Maui. We're both OW certified, but only post-COVID have gotten more consistent in our diving. I have 30+ dives and he has 80+ dives, most recently in the Florida Keys last month. We are planning to get AOW certified in late-June before our trip.

I've been reading a lot about the more advanced dive sites, mainly the Molokini Backwall and the Hammerheads. I understand what makes these more advanced dives are the tough surface conditions for entry/exit, potential for a current, and need for good buoyancy control.

Would these dives be too tough for newly minted AOW divers? We are planning to take the peak buoyancy and drift electives for sure. My husband has done some drift diving in the Maldives and we both have recent live boat dives, but of course we want to dive within our limits. Not having taken AOW yet, I'm still trying to figure that one out. He's ready to go. I am a more conservative diver since I am newer to the sport, but recognize the best way to get better is to dive more in different conditions.

Our plan was to book the more advanced dives, since space would be limited on boats, then assess after AOW and rebook if necessary. We've booked with Dive Maui for Hammerheads and Maui Dive Shop for Molokini. There is also the potential to book a private dive master, which might give us (read: me) more peace of mind.

Any guidance or additional insight on the dive conditions and operators for those two dives would be greatly appreciated!

Many mahalos in advance.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Definitely join the Maui Mantas group on FB: Maui Mantas | Facebook

There's some easy shore diving, like Mala Pier (an excellent dive site btw) to help you get adjusted.

Sign up for the snorkel report here: Maui Snorkel Report - The Snorkel Store. It is an excellent source of information about conditions on the west side of Maui.

 

[covediver]

You might check out Extended Horizons for Lanai diving from Maui. They are great at working with all kinds of divers.

 

[chasingbluedragons]

Definitely join the Maui Mantas group on FB: Maui Mantas | Facebook

There's some easy shore diving, like Mala Pier (an excellent dive site btw) to help you get adjusted.

Sign up for the snorkel report here: Maui Snorkel Report - The Snorkel Store. It is an excellent source of information about conditions on the west side of Maui.

Thanks!

 

[chasingbluedragons]

You might check out Extended Horizons for Lanai diving from Maui. They are great at working with all kinds of divers.

Thanks! They seem like a great shop.

 

[ScubaSandbug]

When you go to the shop, make sure you ask about best times to go diving in different places throughout the day. The trade winds come in, and they with underwater currents can make for a not so good dive.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I'd avoid the hammerhead dive: The current there can be substantial and might be seriously disorienting for a newer diver.

Molokini back wall is fun and would work if you've got good buoyancy control. Experience doesn't matter as much as ability in this case. If not, it could be deadly.

I'll second Mala Pier for a decent shore dive. The cathedrals at Lanai would be fine.

 

[Eric802]

Mala Pier is a great dive. Easy, and you'll see plenty of turtles and probably a couple white tip reef sharks. I really liked the First Cathedral at Lanai as well. If you do the Cathedral, I'd suggest finding a boat that's a six-pack; I did it with about 12-13 other divers and that kind of dampened the experience.

 

[chasingbluedragons]

I'd avoid the hammerhead dive: The current there can be substantial and might be seriously disorienting for a newer diver.

Molokini back wall is fun and would work if you've got good buoyancy control. Experience doesn't matter as much as ability in this case. If not, it could be deadly.

I'll second Mala Pier for a decent shore dive. The cathedrals at Lanai would be fine.

Thanks for the advice. The hammerheads are probably coming off the table this trip. We are doing the Mala Pier for a night dive, so deciding what might be another good day dive option. Cathedrals, perhaps.

 

[chasingbluedragons]

Mala Pier is a great dive. Easy, and you'll see plenty of turtles and probably a couple white tip reef sharks. I really liked the First Cathedral at Lanai as well. If you do the Cathedral, I'd suggest finding a boat that's a six-pack; I did it with about 12-13 other divers and that kind of dampened the experience.

Thanks. Do you know which outfits do a six-pack boat by chance?