Deinonych
Contributor
Yes, indeed! She's awesome.
Saw a couple of Tiger Sharks on our second dive. You can see Jessie getting excited at the beginning of the clip here:
Most Marine Life in Kauai
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Yes, indeed! She's awesome.
Saw a couple of Tiger Sharks on our second dive. You can see Jessie getting excited at the beginning of the clip here:
KauaiScuba
Contributor
Yes, indeed! She's awesome.
Saw a couple of Tiger Sharks on our second dive. You can see Jessie getting excited at the beginning of the clip here:
You were on the tiger shark trip?!?!? Lucky!!!! Thats NOT a normal encounter!!!! I was out there the day after trying to see if they were still around, no luck!
KauaiScuba
Contributor
Jessie has amazing ocean luck! She'll be going out with us tomorrow, woot woot!!!
Deinonych
Contributor
Yes, it was awe-inspiring. We saw another tiger near Fish Bowl the day prior. Kanaloa was smiling on us that week.
Of course! Happy to help any time with any questions. I frequently hear that email are overlooked. They certainly shouldn't be, but reality is reality. The operations that reply same day or following day are usually reflective of the quality of care you'll get.
Updating some dive site info as of the last couple days....
Hale O Honu had 4 frogfish today along with 2 rare Hawksbill turtles! We also had 6 species of nudibranchs and several octopus. Really exciting news is that there are now 2 Dragon Morays at Hale O' Honu! Kinda the Holy Grail of eels here. They've been moving around a touch but we are seeing one every couple days. Generally Koloa Landing is the go to spot for these guys with better than a half dozen around. 3 Fingers reef is the only other reef I am aware of that see's these eels with regularity. As per the usual - there were plenty of endemic fish and some lobster piles. We also had two fairly large leaf scorpion fish. The water has been a little stirred up with rain and swell but was recovering nicely today. Poipu area dive sites have had a little better vis. Zac's Pocket and some of the outer sites off Poipu have had great vis' but considerable swell at points during the day. Great critters at Zac's in particular. Water will "likely" be recovering a little quicker off Poipu than the west side (Port Allen / Kekaha) but we're hopeful that the next couple days that the cleaning trend continues.
Hope you get great responses and help with your bookings. Should you have continued questions please feel to fire me a message. While I mentioned that I am working with Bubbles Below I am more than happy to help regardless of who and where you wish to book. Love to be part of making sure that you have an amazing time on Kauai.
Cheers
A
Updating some dive site info as of the last couple days....
Hale O Honu had 4 frogfish today along with 2 rare Hawksbill turtles! We also had 6 species of nudibranchs and several octopus. Really exciting news is that there are now 2 Dragon Morays at Hale O' Honu! Kinda the Holy Grail of eels here. They've been moving around a touch but we are seeing one every couple days. Generally Koloa Landing is the go to spot for these guys with better than a half dozen around. 3 Fingers reef is the only other reef I am aware of that see's these eels with regularity. As per the usual - there were plenty of endemic fish and some lobster piles. We also had two fairly large leaf scorpion fish. The water has been a little stirred up with rain and swell but was recovering nicely today. Poipu area dive sites have had a little better vis. Zac's Pocket and some of the outer sites off Poipu have had great vis' but considerable swell at points during the day. Great critters at Zac's in particular. Water will "likely" be recovering a little quicker off Poipu than the west side (Port Allen / Kekaha) but we're hopeful that the next couple days that the cleaning trend continues.
Hope you get great responses and help with your bookings. Should you have continued questions please feel to fire me a message. While I mentioned that I am working with Bubbles Below I am more than happy to help regardless of who and where you wish to book. Love to be part of making sure that you have an amazing time on Kauai.
Cheers
A
Hi All,
This post is full of great information. My main question is, if we go in late November 2018 (unfortunately, I have limited vacation time and coming during Thanksgiving week gives me two free days off work because of the holiday, so that means we can stay longer) what are the chances of getting out to Ni'ihau? My main reason for going there is the possibility of seeing a monk seal - are they even around during this time? We have already spent a week diving in Maui and a couple of days in Kona (did the Manta night dive - very awesome, even though it technically wasn't a real dive where we were moving around, just kneeling on the bottom of the ocean floor) so I thought the next place to check out my scuba diving bucket list is Kauia. So to make the most of the visit, I want to go when there is a good chance we will be able to go to Ni'ihau and possibly see a monk seal. I know nothing is a guarantee but I figured all the great dive operators that have chimed in on this post would have a lot of history regarding this bucket list dive I would like to do. There would be two of us diving - myself and hubby, we are both PADI Advanced certified.
Thanks for the help,
cruzbound
This post is full of great information. My main question is, if we go in late November 2018 (unfortunately, I have limited vacation time and coming during Thanksgiving week gives me two free days off work because of the holiday, so that means we can stay longer) what are the chances of getting out to Ni'ihau? My main reason for going there is the possibility of seeing a monk seal - are they even around during this time? We have already spent a week diving in Maui and a couple of days in Kona (did the Manta night dive - very awesome, even though it technically wasn't a real dive where we were moving around, just kneeling on the bottom of the ocean floor) so I thought the next place to check out my scuba diving bucket list is Kauia. So to make the most of the visit, I want to go when there is a good chance we will be able to go to Ni'ihau and possibly see a monk seal. I know nothing is a guarantee but I figured all the great dive operators that have chimed in on this post would have a lot of history regarding this bucket list dive I would like to do. There would be two of us diving - myself and hubby, we are both PADI Advanced certified.
Thanks for the help,
cruzbound
Jasonvg
New
I wanted to post a brief dive report here, since I found this board, and this thread in particular, so helpful in guiding my diving choices for my vacation last week. I scheduled a dive through "Explore Kauai Scuba". Couldn't have been happier with that part of the experience. Really great and friendly service. My dive leader Nick really knew the marine life. They were very proactive in returning my calls and making arrangements.
Unfortunately, I dove on a day a storm was coming through the island (10/23/17) and the conditions were terrible. High surf, deteriorating visibility. To Explore Kauai's credit, they told me when I was scheduling that they knew conditions were not likely to be good, but given my schedule constraints they were willing to give it a go.
Conditions limited the diving options to their shore dive at Koloa's Landing. I was less excited about a possible shore dive, but after diving it, I would love to go back. It had ample sea life with an easily accessible reef in the 40 to 50 foot depth. There is an concrete boat ramp area that makes access relatively easy.
Compounding the weather issues, I developed ear problems about 15 minutes into the first dive. That cut short the first dive, and prohibited anything more than a quick attempt at a second dive. In hindsight, I think it was the start of a sinus/ear infection and not caused by the diving.
Even through those complications, Nick did a great job. He was patient. Provided helpful advice. He did a great job of managing both me and the other diver on our dive. He was encouraging and willing to work within my limitations without being pushy.
Even in the 10 minutes or so of actual dive time, we saw a dragon moray eel, sea turtle, trumpet fish. I also really enjoyed the introductory lecture on the fish in the area.
I'll look forward to someday getting the chance to make another attempt at diving Kauai and in the meantime would definitely recommend Explore Kauai Scuba.
Unfortunately, I dove on a day a storm was coming through the island (10/23/17) and the conditions were terrible. High surf, deteriorating visibility. To Explore Kauai's credit, they told me when I was scheduling that they knew conditions were not likely to be good, but given my schedule constraints they were willing to give it a go.
Conditions limited the diving options to their shore dive at Koloa's Landing. I was less excited about a possible shore dive, but after diving it, I would love to go back. It had ample sea life with an easily accessible reef in the 40 to 50 foot depth. There is an concrete boat ramp area that makes access relatively easy.
Compounding the weather issues, I developed ear problems about 15 minutes into the first dive. That cut short the first dive, and prohibited anything more than a quick attempt at a second dive. In hindsight, I think it was the start of a sinus/ear infection and not caused by the diving.
Even through those complications, Nick did a great job. He was patient. Provided helpful advice. He did a great job of managing both me and the other diver on our dive. He was encouraging and willing to work within my limitations without being pushy.
Even in the 10 minutes or so of actual dive time, we saw a dragon moray eel, sea turtle, trumpet fish. I also really enjoyed the introductory lecture on the fish in the area.
I'll look forward to someday getting the chance to make another attempt at diving Kauai and in the meantime would definitely recommend Explore Kauai Scuba.
Explore Kauai Scuba and Nick are a pretty much a sure thing even in less than desirable conditions at Koloa Landing. Small - very personal - and most importantly a safe dive company. As the newest dive company on the island you won't likely experience a fresher sense of passion and effort on the part of a dive company.
I encourage everyone to do a little research before picking a dive company anywhere they travel. The effort is sure to reward you. Undercurrents is the best - as it is a review coming from mostly experienced divers with expanded knowledge. Trip Advisor is good for a general idea. Scuba board is for sure a great reference as it is generally gets reviews from invested divers. As I often say .... Hawaii is loaded with amazing instructors and Divemaster guides. Depending on your experience and desires, with a little communication and research you are sure to find a company and guide that is best for you.
Utilize PM's (personal messages) to ensure quicker responses here. Nick and I both will get back to you right away for sure. Scottie the Duck from Oahu and others are fantastic about communication as well and happy to help.
Cheers and happy dive planning
A
I encourage everyone to do a little research before picking a dive company anywhere they travel. The effort is sure to reward you. Undercurrents is the best - as it is a review coming from mostly experienced divers with expanded knowledge. Trip Advisor is good for a general idea. Scuba board is for sure a great reference as it is generally gets reviews from invested divers. As I often say .... Hawaii is loaded with amazing instructors and Divemaster guides. Depending on your experience and desires, with a little communication and research you are sure to find a company and guide that is best for you.
Utilize PM's (personal messages) to ensure quicker responses here. Nick and I both will get back to you right away for sure. Scottie the Duck from Oahu and others are fantastic about communication as well and happy to help.
Cheers and happy dive planning
A
KauaiScuba
Contributor
Those darn ears somedays!!! Thank you for the nice review. I'm glad we got you some great marine life sightings before the ears escalated. It was great meeting and diving with you. I could tell you were bummed on your ears, but hey, it happens to all of us at some point. I would be stoked to have another opportunity to dive with you in the future and hope for nicer weather next time too! Once again, thanks for the kind review and "A Hui Hou" my friend! -Nick
KauaiScuba
Contributor
Aloha cruzbound!
Winter conditions (north swell) usually keep us away from the normal Niihau dive sites this time of the year. There are definitely in between times we can get out there, but in the winter monk seals are usually gone during this time. We do have the option of going to South Point, Niihau (opposite end of Niihau) and have had great luck with finding monk seals here in the winter, due to being away from big surf. We always don't go when the trade winds are cranking, which is fairly common. I'd suggest if you are coming for Thanksgiving either way, to give me a shout when time gets a little closer so we can start looking at what the weather will look like. Feel free to direct message me on here if like.
O yeah, how could I forget?!? Everyone has been seeing humpbacks around the islands already!!! Getting over to Niihau may possibly get you some rad encounters, at least from the boat or who knows, we do get swim by's underwater out there in the winter if you're lucky!
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