Some comments.
You're staying in Kapalua which is NW Maui. People here suggesting Kihei/Wailea sites are talking about locations
an hour drive south of you. And operators that can't work that area - like Shaka Doug - since he only has a permit for south Maui afaik. I don't even think MDDC gets up that far - their shop is in Kihei.
What you want are West Maui operations. For shore diving, Maui Dive Shop has a location in Kahana Gateway Mall - you'll pass it anytime you drive down from Kapalua to Ka'anapali or Lahaina. In Ka'anapali is Tiny Bubbles - all they do is shore/scooter dive in that general area. They'd be a good choice for Old Airport, Mala Pier or possibly even Kapalua Bay which is a nice beach/shallow shore dive if you wanted a guide initially. Also Scuba Mike guides in that area as well. So do some of the staff from Extended Horizons - one of the Lahaina-based boat dive operators - IIRC they guide most afternoons.
Rental tanks/flags are at the MDS shop in Kahana - their other locations are only snorkel gear now. I've also gotten tanks at Lahaina Divers in downtown Lahaina but it was more due to convenience since we were shore diving in the area. I believe Extended Horizons also has tank rentals. Weights cost extra typically.
So let's talk about dives:
The obvious easy one is Kapalua Bay - it's a shallow dive, good snorkel, excellent beach all in one.
Very pictiresque. Any gplfers? - the Bay Course is the famous one where you drive out over the ocean and the wind brings you ball back to the green.
Just south of there is Napili Bay, I like the north point of the bay there. Also a walk in off the beach entry.
Most Maui beaches are - the beaches are nice and one or both points of the bay have lava formations the fish like. Actually the middle of the bay/beach is less diveable, often pretty sandy and shallow.
Old Airport (Kahekili) is another easy entry and you can park pretty close to the water if there early enough. Sort of SW off the beach is where they used to load the sugar cane ship[s - they dropped lots of stuff in the water. Look for some long poles (masts?) in about 30' and for octopus in the debris field there - even during the day we found 2-3. Just don't stare directly at them or you'll never see them - I spot them with a sideways glance initially.
IDK the current situation at Black Rock, there used to be a dive shack on the beach so you'd drop gear then park in the Sheraton garage and walk balk - Black Rock itself is on the north end of the beach. Some years ago I heard some of the local shops also were dropping gear at an entry point near the golf course north and doing the dive to the south. Tiny Bubbles or Extended Horizons would know where. For the family, Black Rock is almost as good a snorkel but it will be more crowded at the surface. Nice beach with the Sheraton facilities behind it also. We had a decent lunch there once.
As others have said Mala Pier is a good dive. As mentioned the legal entry is on the left side. Likely see a few whitetips sleeping under the pier and lots of fish.
It's a hike down to the water at Honolua or Mokule'ia - like maybe 1/4 mi. downhill. I haven't dove either because of it.
At Olawalu occasionally you see Tigers, they don't bother the divers but snorkelers can look like turtles
. Likely they'll leave when they see/smell you b4 you get close bu
t swimmers have been attacked there.
You mentioned Ulua - fyi that's like an hour drive south. If you are going to do that, dive Polo or Wailea also - at Wailea the beach is shared by the Grand Wailea resort so there's a dive operation there.
Otherwise you'd want to get tanks at Maui Dreams Dive Co or the main Maui Dive Shop - both in Kihei. Of course in that area Shaka Doug is an option with the Dive Bus - I've seen him once at Makena Landing. Or Maui Dreams Dive Co, since they mostly shore dive the area also.
You might want to consider a couple boat dives also - they get you out to one of the other islands and deeper water. Extended Horizons goes out to Lanai (the Cathedrals are the signature dive) and nearby, Lahaina Divers has the bigger boats and does both Lanai and sends a boat south to Molokini every other day which is the other signature dive area.
hfh,
