scuba127
Contributor
Heading to Maui in September. I'd be interested in hearing from expirienced Maui shore divers your top 5 Maui shore dives and why they are your favorites. Looking forward to hearing your opinions. Thanks in advance.
Maui Shore Diving
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My top 5 are dives that most would not consider doing, and part of the reason I love those dives is because nobody else dives them. Here are the top, possibly non-guided shore dives I recommend for Sept. visitors.
Moving North to South;
Honolua Bay (long walks, long surface swim), Makuleia Bay (many stairs), Kapalua Bay (long surface swim), Black Rock (medium long walks, sticky parking), Ukumehame Beach Park (long surface swim) - (The North dives require better fitness).
Keawakapu Stairs, Ulua Reef, Wailea Point, 5-Graves (a'a entry), Makena Landing (medium long surface swim), 'Ahihi Cove/Bay (2 sites - very shallow).
Significant South swells would mess up everything from Ukumehame down, good size North swells mess up locations above Black Rock, Black Rock is OK unless swells are big.
Those North dives have no decent showering facilities except for Kapalua Bay. 5-Graves and 'Ahihi also have no showers.
Moving North to South;
Honolua Bay (long walks, long surface swim), Makuleia Bay (many stairs), Kapalua Bay (long surface swim), Black Rock (medium long walks, sticky parking), Ukumehame Beach Park (long surface swim) - (The North dives require better fitness).
Keawakapu Stairs, Ulua Reef, Wailea Point, 5-Graves (a'a entry), Makena Landing (medium long surface swim), 'Ahihi Cove/Bay (2 sites - very shallow).
Significant South swells would mess up everything from Ukumehame down, good size North swells mess up locations above Black Rock, Black Rock is OK unless swells are big.
Those North dives have no decent showering facilities except for Kapalua Bay. 5-Graves and 'Ahihi also have no showers.
Top 5 ... hmmm
(Starting in Lahaina and ending in Kihei)
Airport Beach (just north of Kaanapali)
Mala Warf + the 'pipe'
Ukumehame for the afternoon Mantas
Makena landing/5 Graves (either entry)
I guess that's only 4ish ... it's a toss up for fifth place between Honolua and Ulua.
Have a great trip
Aloha, Tim
(Starting in Lahaina and ending in Kihei)
Airport Beach (just north of Kaanapali)
Mala Warf + the 'pipe'
Ukumehame for the afternoon Mantas
Makena landing/5 Graves (either entry)
I guess that's only 4ish ... it's a toss up for fifth place between Honolua and Ulua.
Have a great trip
Aloha, Tim
My favorite shore dive is the Mala Pier. Entry is a bit of a PITA, but the dive itself has beautiful structure and tons of life.
Second, I think, would be Polo Beach down in Wailea. There are beautiful rock fingers sporting some of the healthiest coral I've seen, although the fish population isn't as high. We always see turtles there, and have seen some cool nudibranchs and octopuses, too. Shallow dive, and the biggest issue is a long walk from the parking area, across the beach to the far end, where the best entry is, and kind of a long underwater swim to the beginning of the structure. There is also an outrigger canoe used by the hotel there that you have to watch for.
Ulua is a great day and night shore dive, with easy navigation and an easy entry, and not too long a walk.
I like Makena with a scooter
We did Ahihi, but parking can be very difficult there, and I didn't find it significantly better than sites further north.
kidspot's site, alohashoredivers.com, has a lot of information about Maui shore dives.
Second, I think, would be Polo Beach down in Wailea. There are beautiful rock fingers sporting some of the healthiest coral I've seen, although the fish population isn't as high. We always see turtles there, and have seen some cool nudibranchs and octopuses, too. Shallow dive, and the biggest issue is a long walk from the parking area, across the beach to the far end, where the best entry is, and kind of a long underwater swim to the beginning of the structure. There is also an outrigger canoe used by the hotel there that you have to watch for.
Ulua is a great day and night shore dive, with easy navigation and an easy entry, and not too long a walk.
I like Makena with a scooter
We did Ahihi, but parking can be very difficult there, and I didn't find it significantly better than sites further north.
kidspot's site, alohashoredivers.com, has a lot of information about Maui shore dives.
StuartT
Contributor
Chocoholic
Contributor
I'll be there in mid September with two newbie divers (hopefully they will be divers by then) and I am hoping to get in some shore dives too. Also looking at dive ops to use as well. We might split our two weeks between either Maui and the Big Island OR Maui and Kauai, still haven't decided.
Are there any stronger currents or surge or anything associated with September diving? Just asking because I've been looking at the Cozumel board and it sounds like downcurrents are a problem in their spring. I don't want to run into one of those if I have the choice.
Are there any stronger currents or surge or anything associated with September diving? Just asking because I've been looking at the Cozumel board and it sounds like downcurrents are a problem in their spring. I don't want to run into one of those if I have the choice.
Maui Bound
Guest
Don't do a lot of shore diving anymore when on Maui (get there every year). However - I do do Black Rock, Old Airport Beach, and Mala Wharf. (have done 5 Graves - very nice). Only 4 but rather go out on the boat with Lahaina Divers.
Enjoy
Enjoy
Maui is a very good place for new divers to learn shore diving - relatively benign surf, surge and current (not non-existent, and it 'can' be problematic on occasion, but rarely so) For most of my dives in the Lahaina area I rarely even checked the surf report as it was almost always diveable (Lahaina is fairly well protected from all but the largest or very unusual swells) I'd say 90% of the year off Lahaina the surf is less than 3ft.
There are a few places where current/surge may be an issue, but most are not in places where newer divers will be. One exception is if you dive the back wall of Molokini (not from shore obviously) there can be some 'fun' upwellings but they will explain the answer to them on the boat - simply swim away from the wall and you quickly leave the up/down current which is caused by the wave action against the wall itself.
There is a bit of a rip current straight out from the old Embassy suites (I can't remember the new name ... Kaanapali beach club???) but there are instructions at the beach for dealing with it - you let it tow you out by the buoy and when returning go 50 yards north or south and another current will tow you back to shore.
The current in Lahaina (not sure about the rest of the island) runs parallel to shore for the most part (tidal current, not including rip currents) incoming tide it runs one way, outgoing tide it switches - it's pretty predictable, I just could never remember which went with which (I'm sure Halemano or one of the Maui instructors will be able to say). Usually much less than 1kt - so except on an unusually strong day it's easy to kick against.
Have fun
Aloha, Tim
P.S. Remember I am speaking in regards to Lahaina-Kaanapali shore diving only.
There are a few places where current/surge may be an issue, but most are not in places where newer divers will be. One exception is if you dive the back wall of Molokini (not from shore obviously) there can be some 'fun' upwellings but they will explain the answer to them on the boat - simply swim away from the wall and you quickly leave the up/down current which is caused by the wave action against the wall itself.
There is a bit of a rip current straight out from the old Embassy suites (I can't remember the new name ... Kaanapali beach club???) but there are instructions at the beach for dealing with it - you let it tow you out by the buoy and when returning go 50 yards north or south and another current will tow you back to shore.
The current in Lahaina (not sure about the rest of the island) runs parallel to shore for the most part (tidal current, not including rip currents) incoming tide it runs one way, outgoing tide it switches - it's pretty predictable, I just could never remember which went with which (I'm sure Halemano or one of the Maui instructors will be able to say). Usually much less than 1kt - so except on an unusually strong day it's easy to kick against.
Have fun
Aloha, Tim
P.S. Remember I am speaking in regards to Lahaina-Kaanapali shore diving only.
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