Maui Dive Trip Tips

[Sasquatch]

Maybe I'm just tired but I've had enough searching on the web for tips on the smart way to do Maui. I'm going to beg some knowledge from my fellow SB members. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction after I explain what I need. What a drag sifting through the advertisements. There's got to be a better option.

Here's what I need:

I'm going to Maui for my next dive trip. Never been there but everybody I know has and I believe it's an awesome place. Any hoo since I've never been there I thought I'd go. Currently unemployed I was thinking about leaving next month (yes, in the summer...off season? Some savings?) Since I can't work I may as well not work where the diving is plentiful. Or, I may go in October to witness my brother getting hitched. Or, I may do both.

My frustration is such that I'm not sure what my itinerary should be. Or what day of the week is best, least expensive, for flying over. I'm not too worried about accommodations as long as they are fairly quiet and safe. My mission is to do some quality diving not lounging around my hotel room.

It sounds like Lahaina is the town I want to stay in and beyond that I don't have a clue. There are some detailed recommendations about dive operations here on SB but are there any real seasonal values to be had? I want the inside scoop if anybody thinks they have a handle on that.

Any thoughts? Flights? Hotels? Other lodging options? Seasonal? Good food spots? Good drinking spots?

Please don't make me go to a travel agent.

Any tips?

 

[Shaka Doug]

I'd recommend staying in Kihei over Lahaina. It's more central to the best diving and other activities. There are lot's of bars for nightlife in Kihei too.

Tues - Thurs usually are the cheapest travel days with the airlines. You can get a great deal on a rental car at Kihei Renta-Car.

 

[KrisB]

"Off-season" doesn't include the summer months -- October is more likely to fall into that. You'll find cheaper prices in April/May (after Easter), too.

This looks like a pretty good deal still:
Maui Vista Resort Kihei Condos Hawaii

I have dealt with this rental agency (and stayed at the Maui Vista) and was very impressed, especially for the price.

And I'm with Doug -- stay in Kihei... usually cheaper, more central, and stuff.

 

[diversteve]

Go onto Expedia or Travelocity. Both have an option for booking flights if your days are flexible. As a quick check, I looked at SFO-HNL on Jul13, returning on Jul21, the fare was $441 w/tax on Northwest. From HNL to Kahului Maui on either Go Airlines or Hawaiian is $86 r/t or $100 with tax. I've been to Maui six times, we've always found it cheaper to fly thru Honolulu.

There's not really anywhere to stay in Lahaina except for one small motel (Lahaina Inn) and (I think) a couple B&B's. There's also an older Best Western nearby. Notice that most of the hotels listed for the Lahaina area are actually on/near the beach just north in Kaanapali - a lot of big resorts in are in that area. If you stay in Kaanapali, you're in the tourist area so will pay for it. Probably nothing for much under $150/nt or more.

You might be able to find condos for rent just north of Kaanapali - before you get to $Kapalua$ - for around that, the advantage would be you'd have a kitchen to cook as food on Maui is extremely expensive. We stayed in that area once, it's quiet but a short drive to anything.

btw, Summer's not off-season there, fall is. Summer is when all the tourists bring their kids there.

I'd stay down in Kihei, it's a lot less touristy and some of the better shore diving is close by. There's a lot of condo complexes so with competition and since most of them are on the other side of the road from the beach, they're more affordable. I've stayed in three areas on Maui, Kapalua, Maalea and Kihei, (Kaanapali was too touristy) I'll go back to Kihei...

For shore diving, Besides going out with Shaka Doug, Maui Dreams used to have a buddy signup sheet. And Doug's got scooters...

And if you want to dive Molokini (You DO!!), the boats leave from the Kihei ramp. Try Ed Robinson's, Mike Severns or B&B Scuba.

You'll realistically need/want a car. Especially to drive up to Lahaina to look around - it's about 45min. Or the volcano on a non-dive (think elevation) day. And you'll likely fly into Kahului so you need to drive across Maui to Kihei. Check out the Maui Ocean Center one day also, it's in Maalea. You can even dive with the Tigers in their big tank but it's about $200.

For the other really good diving, find someone going out to Lanai. The Cathedrals are the other must do dives. It might be easier to find someone leaving from Lahaina for that, Lahaina Divers or Extended Horizons are options. Allow an hour for the drive up from south Kihei.

 

[Sasquatch]

Oh, this is great stuff! Thank you for raising my IQ on this area. Now, in three posts, I've got some flight, car, condo, dive op, seasonal information that is more than just a start on my plans.

Insider information is the only way to go!

 

[kidspot]

You can also check VRBO is Vacation Rentals By Owner for places to stay on Maui. Lahaina also has Lahaina shores, but as noted above it's going to cost more because it is the "waikiki" of Maui.

Lots of good shore diving up in the Lahaina area, so a car is going to be nice for that as well.

While summer is peak season, with tourism off so much you may still find some good deals. I heard of a guy getting a room in Waikiki a couple weeks ago for $44/night ... they really want to get folks coming again.

have fun

Aloha, Tim

 

[TSandM]

I second Tim's recommendation for VRBO. A lot of homeowners have cottages or MIL apartments that they rent, and some are quite nice. Having a kitchen will save you money in the long run, as well as time and convenience, especially for breakfast and lunch.

Unless the winds are wrong, Maui is a great place to do a week of cheap diving. The shore diving is very good and access is easy. If you stay in Kihei, Ulua Beach is a great day and night dive, and the next one down (which I believe is Polo Beach) is a fabulous dive if you walk all the way to the north end of the beach for entry. We rent our tanks from B&B Scuba in Kihei, and I can't say enough about what good folks they are.

If I were going to do just one day of boat diving, though, I'd skip Molokini and get on a boat to Lanai.

A car is really just about a necessity, because everything is pretty spread out. Driving up to Lahaina to do the Mala Pier dive is WELL worth your time, and in good conditions, Honolua Bay is great, too. Check out kidspot's website, alohashoredivers.com, for great information on Maui shore diving.

Edited to add: There is a small soft cover book that the dive shops carry called something like Maui Shore Dives. It has excellent information on the sites, including compass headings to reach the best areas of reef.

Although the corals near shore are often not in great condition, and not terribly colorful, I still love Maui shore diving because you can easily do more than an hour on an Al80, in less than 40 feet of water, and have a great dive.

 

[Rescue Diver68]

We rented a studio condo at Lahaina Shores through it's owner on Vacation Rentals by Owner website. We had an Ocean front condo with all the amenities. It a great location to be able walk all over Lahaina which is a great town. We did rent a car to get to Lahaina from the airport and left it parked most of the week exept to go to a few touristy spots. We used Lahaina Divers and would probably not use them again. I think they are good for newbie divers who need to be herded around but I prefer a more laid back style than they offer. I wouldn't be caught dead on a Lahaina Divers boat with the French instructor who works there. He can suck all of the relaxation and enjoyment out of a dive quickly with his abrubt and bossy style of leading dive.
PM me if you have any specific questions about Lahaina area of Maui. Its a great destination.

 

[howard4113]

I'll third VRBO - just got back from 2 weeks, 2br condo in Kihei Shores (Kam3) for $65/night. Maui cruisers has cheap cars Maui Car Rentals, Local Style Cheap Maui Car Rental, Discount Maui Car Rentals from Maui Cruisers.
If you're going to have a car for more than a few weeks - you might look into buying one. Get a tank card at Maui Dreams and you can shore dive for $4. Boat dives are expensive. You might be able to make friends with a local boat owner. Kayak diving is great all along the west and south shore. You could probably pick up a kayak off craigslist for the price of a boat dive and sell it when you leave. It's possible to kayak to Molokini - but you better start EARLY or risk getting blown to Fiji.

Mark

 

[socaldiver]

I agree with the other posts that normally you could get a better rate in the off season which generally starts after Labor Day.

With that being said, the islands are hurting for tourists so I would suspect you could get some nice deals by negotiating once you pick the area/lodging you are interested in.

For car rentals I would also use Kihei Car Rental.

Other websites you might look into are:
Hawaii vacation rentals,vacation homes,villas,beach rentals,house rental,condos and beach houses in Hawaii.

more hawaii for less - hawaii for less - hawaii 4 less

Here on the north side of Kihei there is Nona Lani Cottages, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii - Happy Valley Hale Hostel, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii . They are nice looking from the outside, grounds are well kept and they are just across the street from the beach (although it is not the best beach for diving).