Maui / Kona / Oahu - Feb/Mar - Trip Planning Suggestions?

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Location
Alexandria, VA
# of dives
50 - 99
My husband and I (both AOW divers) are looking at a Hawaii trip for February or March. Welcome suggestions for when and where to go as we consider our itinerary.

Are weather and dive conditions substantially better in March vs. February?
How about whale watching in Maui in one month vs. the other?
Must one go to Maui for humpbacks, or are the other islands equally reliable in terms of being able to see them in such abundance?

I've been diving in Kona and really liked it (incl. manta ray night dive) so would enjoy going back. Would go again with Kona Diving Co - superb boats and service.

Other than going to see the humpbacks, don't necessarily need to go to Maui ... unless the diving is well worth it?

We would probably want to go to Oahu as well since my husband lived there for some years as a kid (Camp Smith - marine brat) and he'd like to go back for nostalgia reasons. Worth trying to do some diving there?

We also enjoy shoreside exploration ... hiking and nature and such.

If you had 7-10 days, how would you split up the time?
 
I have been diving at Maui, Kona, and Oahu in late March a few times. Last time I was in Maui, saw humpbacks and heard their calls while taking an intro freediving class. The Pacific Whale Foundation monitors mentioned it was their last weekend monitoring as the whales were about to migrate away.

If I had 7 to 10 days, I would pick one island and stay there. It would be either Maui or Kona for diving. Oahu diving is OK, Maui and Kona are better. Also, if you are in Honolulu, the traffic to get to the better diving leaves a lot to be desired.

If you go to Maui, check out the Aquarium near the airport. Well worth a visit.

If you go to Kona, a manta night dive is a bucket list activity as is a trip to Volcanoes National Park on the other side of the island. If you are dioing a lot of diving, check your tables for change in altitude to get to Volcanoes.
 
I'd go for late March, 5-6 days Maui (Molokini and both Cathedrals boat dives, Ulua Beach and Makena Landing shore dives etc.), 3-4 days Oahu (out of Hawaii Kai and Kewalo Basin harbors, mostly wrecks, some reefs)
 
Are weather and dive conditions substantially better in March vs. February?
I found weather conditions in February and March for Oahu, Maui, and Big Island to be consistently sunny and very nice. Dive conditions during those months are quite good and calm also, especially on the leeward side of the islands.

How about whale watching in Maui in one month vs. the other?
Must one go to Maui for humpbacks, or are the other islands equally reliable in terms of being able to see them in such abundance?
Peak of whale season in Maui is mid-January to mid-March. The whale sightings occur with very high frequency. You can see them doing all the whale things like tail slaps, fin slaps, spouting, and breaching. And you can hear them singing if you're diving or snorkeling. Maui has the advantage over Oahu and Big Island of higher elevation overlooking the channel at the southwest portion of the island. Highway 37 parallels the shoreline overlooking the channel with a great viewpoint at Ulupalakua Scenic Overlook. You can get your fill of whale watching here with binoculars and a picnic set. South of this point is MauiWine (formerly Tedeschi Winery), a very interesting winery.

Other than going to see the humpbacks, don't necessarily need to go to Maui ... unless the diving is well worth it?

We would probably want to go to Oahu as well since my husband lived there for some years as a kid (Camp Smith - marine brat) and he'd like to go back for nostalgia reasons. Worth trying to do some diving there?
You ought to check out Camp Smith with your husband and see some of his old haunts. Be prepared for a maddening time finding parking on that installation, though!

I think the scuba offerings out of Maui (Kihei) are better than Oahu. FreqFlier listed the options in post #3. Diving on the wall side of Molokini Crater while listening to whales singing is quite an experience. Conditions for February and March on Oahu are too rough on the North Shore for shore diving. And the shore diving on leeward Oahu and/or the wreck diving out of Kewalo Basin and Hawaii Kai are not that interesting IMO.

We also enjoy shoreside exploration ... hiking and nature and such.
Some really interesting options for shoreside exploration.

On Big Island, you have the green sand beach that's not far from the southernmost point in the United States. Then the famous black sand beach and plenty of hiking options in the national park. If you're fortunate and the lava is flowing you can hike out at night to see that. It's in the eastern tip of the Big Island around Pahoa.

On Maui, lots of shoreline exploration options. And lots of hiking options in Haleakala National Park.

Oahu has decent hiking available but not as interesting as Maui or Big Island. Finding parking on Oahu is a PITA with either you're fighting crowded parking lots or parking along the street in some residential neighborhood.

If you had 7-10 days, how would you split up the time?
If I had a week then I would dedicate the time to just Maui or Big Island. A week on Maui is quite a lot of time for a more relaxed pace. You will need the week on Big Island as getting to and back from the points of interest eats up a lot of time. If I had 10 days I would do a week on Maui or Big Island then three days on Oahu. Oahu has its own things to offer. Consider this: when the locals living in Hawaii want some action they leave their respective islands and spend some time in Oahu and Honolulu.
 
Just my .02, 7-10 stay on one island. As between Maui and Hawaii, I'd pick Maui, primarily as you are very likely to hear or maybe even *see* humpbacks (still a dream of mine). The drawback for me is the cost of boat diving. We're going late Feb and a 2 tank dive to Lanai or Molokini runs $240-270 p/p. While you do get a "free" whale watch and a better shot at seeing them I'd think, that's a lot of dough. We really liked Maui Dreams for a boat despite all that. Great op and enthusiastic DMs.

Last time we were there the best dive we did cost $20 for tank and weight rental from Extended Horizons (RIP) at Mala Pier. Would like to do this dive at least twice this trip. Other shore dives we've done are Ulua, Makena Landing and Wailea beach.
 
If you've got 7-10 days, IMO, stay on one island. Besides round trip travel from the U.S., you lose a day for round trip travel between islands unless you do a one-way itinerary, i.e., home-Maui-Kona-home. And you need to factor in your no-fly time limits after diving. A few years ago, we did 16 days split between Lahaina, Maui, and Kona. It was the perfect amount of time to travel between islands and get in plenty of diving and sightseeing. And we did the one-way itinerary to avoid extra flight time.

I agree with others. Oahu is a PITA. If whale watching is a priority, Maui (and specifically Lahaina) is the place to be in February, not March. I've had my best whale watching experiences in Lahaina in February, and you can hear them sing while diving. Keep your head on a swivel, because there's so many, you don't know which one to look at. I don't know the progress of rebuilding in Lahaina, so your choices may be limited as a tourist for hotels, restaurants, diving, and whale watching. But you could stay in Kihei and make the drive over.

IMO, Kona has the best diversity of diving and topside activities, and while there are whale watching tours, you won't see as many as you do in Lahaina, but you can occasionally hear them sing while diving.
 
Checked earlier in the week, Lahaina still closed. Boats will leave from Kihei boat ramp or Maalaea
 
I live in Oahu. I recommend splitting time between Maui and Kona/Big Island. Humpback whale watching is the best in Maui, preferably February over March. I personally think whale watching is best from a raft since you're eye-level and you'll see more because the rafts are more maneuverable and can thus move faster toward whale action (I'd estimate seeing 10-20 whales per 90-120 minute tour in February which is peak season): Whale Watching Maui & Snorkeling Tours - Hawaii Ocean Rafting or Maui Whale Watching Tours and Snorkeling - Closest Encounter (HVG for 15% discount). Recommend diving Molokini (including backwall if you can), Lanai, and Mala Wharf while on Maui. Kona diving is the best diving in Hawaii in my opinion. If Kilauea is still erupting, I would recommend a day trip there.
 
Hiking up to lava flows at night was one of most memorable things I have done in Hawaii. Highly recommended if the conditions allow it.
 
Not sure if you've booked your trip already, but if seeing humpbacks is your primary goal, then definitely Maui will be the best place for that. The other islands get them as well, but not in the same numbers. Also, Kona's diving is amazing for most of the year, but the north swells that come through in the winter (like the ones hitting right now) mean that a lot of diving gets cancelled, especially the manta dive. The harbor and the manta dive site both face northwest, so they are really susceptible to the winter swells. Most of the best dive sites are kind of off limits during this time, unless you get lucky with the weather. However, if you're looking for other things to do, big island does have it all! The volcano has been very active lately. Going up to Mauna Kea is always incredible, especially when it's snow covered. Lots to see and do if you're not just diving the whole time. Do note that if you do dive on big island, you have to wait to go most places, as it gets to very high elevation very quickly.
 

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