Maui Dive Review

[DiveMaven]

Al, you are in a totally different league than me!! You think that 4 dives per day is a minimum....

In all seriousness, we really enjoy diving in the morning while on Maui. Gives us time to do other things in the afternoon, or just hang out by the pool and soak up the sun.

 

[DiverDebbie]

I agree totally about diving in the morning and having the afternoon to do other stuff. We did the touristy things too, like the road to Hana and went up Haleakala. I admit getting up at 5 am for boat diving was a bit earlier then we preferred, but it sure is nice to have the whole day ahead. Plus the conditions tend to be better in the morning.

<sigh> I miss it already

 

[nescubasteve]

We are taking our first trip to Maui in March (from 3/10/06 until 3/19/06). We are staying at Papakea (near Kahana?). Trying to get some diving in out of Kihei (B&B, Ed Robinson's or Mike Severns). I am in the process of making those reservations.

My question is: Does it really take an hour to get to the Kihei boat dock at zero-dark-thirty in the morning to make the 0545-0600 departure time?

Thanks,
Steve

P.S. Based on the comments on this board, I may try to squeeze in a dive at the Maui Ocean Center. I just started as a volunteer diver at the Omaha Zoo (diving with the penguins this Sunday), so it sounds fun (and much warmer).

 

[DiveMaven]

You should plan on at least 45 minutes to get from Kahana to Kihei. It is a one-lane road that can get pretty trafficky at the strangest times. It likely won't take you that long at 5:30 in the morning, but you're far better off to be early than late.

This is exactly the reason we dive with Lahaina Divers....it's only a 10 minute drive from Kaanapali, and that includes parking.

 

[DiverDebbie]

I agree with DiveMe... better to allow more time just in case, but I found that it took much less time in general than the guide books say to get any where (and the roads to Hana and Haleakala weren't nearly as "treacherous" as they're made out to be). It took us half an hour to get from Lahaina to the Kihei ramp, and about 15 minutes to Maalea for our trip to Lanai (for 6:30 am), as we didn't encounter much traffic... but with all the people diving, fishing or heading to Haleakala at an ungodly hour for Sunrise... DiveMe's right... you can encounter traffic at strange times!. Both have free parking available, but the earlier you are the closer you can park. Rergardless, you can unload your gear then go back and park. It's all nice and easy.
In fact... funny thing about parking... everyone warns how expensive and hard to find parking it is in Maui... esp. around Lahaina and Kaanapali. It does get busy in Lahaina, but we always managed to park in a 3 hour lot on front st. and never had to pay for parking. Around Black Rock is another story. We wanted to do a night dive there, but parking at whalers would be quite a hike with gear down the beach. A guy at the MDS there told us of a lot, but we couldn't find one single spot... or one that wasn't reserved for guests. We could've dropped our gear, left me with it in the dark, had him drive back to Whalers and walk back and meet me... but after driving around in circles awhile we'd had it. So, thought we'd go to old airport beach (which was a nice little day dive)... but they close the lot when it's dark.... grrrr.... we brought the full tanks back and never did the dive.
Then when we got home we'd arranged for Kevin's truck to be left in a lot for us ahead of time (since we wouldn't be in and through customs until 2 am) We thought that so clever... wrong!... we paid almost $36 for parking at the Vancouver airport for about 6 hours !!! ...and they say Maui is expensive.... welcome home to Vancouver !!!!!

 

[Shaka Doug]

Aloha Debbie,

Glad to see your report about your Maui dives. We had some pretty good dive days last month even though we did get some rain. Too bad we didn't get a chance to get together for some bubbles this time around. Let me know when you'll be back!

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka!

 

[Peter Guy]

Can't wait to get back! TSandM and I will be back in Kihei for a week (or so) the end of January -- staying with my Dad who lives about 5 minutes from the Kiheir boat launch!

We hope some of the locals will be willing to shore dive with us. Some friends (very beginner divers -- as if the two of us aren't) will be meeting us for several days -- and those days will be our Molokini/Lanai days.

Just hope the weather is good.

BTW, we both have 3 mm suits that were perfect for July -- should we add 2mm hooded vests for January?

 

[Charlie99]

We are staying at Papakea (near Kahana?). My question is: Does it really take an hour to get to the Kihei boat dock at zero-dark-thirty in the morning to make the 0545-0600 departure time?

It'll take an hour IF you take the Kihei exit and drive the whole length of S. Kihei road rather than continuing on the highway towards Wailea and exiting at Keonekai Rd, just after milemarker 9.
Kahana to the Kihei boatramp via Keonekai will be 45 or 50 minutes in the early morning.

 

[DiverDebbie]

Aloha Debbie,

Glad to see your report about your Maui dives. We had some pretty good dive days last month even though we did get some rain. Too bad we didn't get a chance to get together for some bubbles this time around. Let me know when you'll be back!

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka!

hey Shaka Doug,
Yes, too bad we couldn't get together for a dive. I don't know where the time went. The first week I mostly hung our with my friend. I didn't rent a car as she insisted on driving me around... and took me to meet up with Tim... but I didn't want to ask her to drive me to Kihei. The rain wouldn't stop me from diving (we dive in the rain all the time here), but the surf and swell did. When Kevin came in and we did a dive through a bit of surf and with ripping current we decided it wasn't worth the risk. I was actually thinking I'd give you a call and see about having you do a video for us... after I read a post about you offering that service. Such a great idea. We have lots of pictures, but a video of us diving together would have been great. But alas.. the time flew and before you know it we were already heading home...
As for when we'll be back to Maui ....who knows. First on my agenda is to go back and finish the IDC and IE... as we're talking seriously of moving away somewhere tropical to work as instructors. This vacation stuff just doesn't cut it. It's torture having to return to the cold wet north. Change has been a long time coming. So now begins the research into visas and possibilities...

Mele Kalikimaka to you too!... and to all the others lucky enough to spend Christmas in the Hawaiin sunshine. I hope ours is at least white and not just wet!