Need advice for diving in Maui as single diver

[vani28]

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning on going to Maui in early January and want to get some quality diving in.

I'm going to be going by myself (first solo vacay ever!)... so far I've been looking at Ed Robinson's diving and Lahaina divers ... would one over the other be better in terms of friendliness/quality of dives/cost? I'm 25/F .. does one outfit tend to be more "young" compared to the other?

also, any recommendations on hotels/hostels? I was thinking of staying at the banana bungalow since its cheap (so i can spend more money on diving ) and will hopefully be able to meet people to hang out with... or are there any spots the divers in maui tend to congregate to?

thanks!!!
Vani

 

[Shaka Doug]

Aloha Vani,

Banana Bungalow is decent for a hostel. It's not exactly close to any diving so be sure you have a rental car reserved. My guests yesterday told me they had to wait two days for a car to become available and it was costing them $125 a day! I thought that was kind of pricey but it is peak season so I guess that's the going rate.

I know a lot about shore diving so if you need some advice on that feel free to contact me. I can also help steer you in the right direction for your 'other than diving' fun!

Happy holidays and good luck with your plans!

 

[diversteve]

Banana Bungalow is in Wailuku, which is the locals town and a good 1/2 hr. drive from either Lahaina or Kihei - maybe 45mins. with traffic. So a car would be a given.

otoh, you probably won't find anything as reasonable anywhere in the Lahaina (resort) area. So maybe with a good deal on a car it would be a good option. You might find some less expensive small condo options in South Kihei but you're still looking at probably $100/nt or more.

We've dove with both ERDA and Lahaina. In my experience neither one is "younger" than the other but you'll probably see more experienced divers with ERDA. Lahaina gets more of the tourist crowd imo, based on two trips I took with them. otoh, Lahaina's big 46' Newtons make the crossing easy, especially the return late morning. Especially if you catch a mid-week trip, once we only had 12 on the boat.

You might also consider diving with Doug - he runs the Divebus in South Maui.

Non-dive, IMO, the Lahaina/Kaanapali area tends to have more nightlife. Although there are a few local hangouts along the main road in Kihei that get busy some nights - esp. when there's a band. Remember that nightlife on Maui can mean a luau also...lol. If there's a "diver's hangout" on Maui, I've yet to find it.

 

[DiveMaven]

Diversteve said it well. We dive with both ERDA and LD....ERDA to Molokini and S. Maui sites, LD for trips to Lanai.

 

[drmndiver99]

One can never go wrong with Doug C and Shaka Divers. I too did my first solo vaca. on Maui some years ago and must say that Shaka Doug made the trip!! This guy will make newbies feel welcome and comfortable and give the seasoned diver a tour of all the best Maui has to offer. He can certainly advise you on all the who's and what’s. We call him the unofficial Ambassador of Aloha. If possible, go for a scooter dive. I was lucky enough to see four bottlenose dolphins and 2 mantas one scooter dive with Shaka D out to Marty's reef.

That one was a life changer!!!

Happy Holidays and aloha.

 

[bc1954]

I would second the motion for Shaka Doug C had a great time, as well I was by myself and what more could you ask for but to have your own divemaster to show you around.

 

[muddiver]

I dove with Lahina Divers last month and for the most part everything was good. It's a cattle boat, the dive is "follow the guide" so being a single diver is no problem.

I also highly reccomend Mike Severns diving because they have a small = faster boat. The crew also seems more knowledgable of the local marine life and the Divemaster's briefing focuses on that. Their trips are worth the zero-dark-thirty wakeup.

 

[KrisB]

Consider too, the fuel expense.

Last I checked, the hostels on Maui were not THAT cheap. And, being in Wailuku, they're far away from most of the tourist activities (e.g. nice beaches, most diving, etc.), so by the time you factor in the $3.67/gallon on fuel, you'll eat up the price difference pretty quickly.

I'm not sure of your exact dates, but there is a swing dance workshop on Maui in mid-Jan (16-17 weekend, I think), so if you're looking to meet some people and that's your thing, I can get you more info on who to contact.

 

[Huck BB62]

It'd be the Kihei launch area in the morning!!! Now that you bring it up, it is strange how there's NOT a diver community thing going on. It'd be a great place for it. I would absolutely love for one of the oceanside condos to cater to divers with a rinse area, drying/storage area. Some places have the diver thing going on pretty well. Surprisingly, Maui doesn't.

I dove with B&B a lot last month. They're pretty good. They're VERY early though 0530 check in time, and more conservative on their trip planning. I have to admit to being pretty disappointed in getting a backwall trip planned only to have it scrapped. Others still did it that day, they chose to not. I have EXTREMELY limited and valuable dive time.

On that topic, what I consider is rough conditions is obviously not what others do. I heard people complaining about the most minor of weather conditions. I think if everyone had to dive off of a small sailboat in 5' seas once, they'd have a re-calibrate their rough condition meter forever! I'm no advocate of doing anything dangerous at all. If they have people to assist in readying and steadying divers, I believe consideration should be made for folks wanting to maximize their experience levels.

I like being near the Kihei ramp when I stay at Maui. It makes those trips so much more fun.

 

[robint]

So is there an inexpensive place to stay in Lahaina or Kihei? Like the OP, we are going to dive.
We don't need a pool or ocean view, just the basics work fine for us as long as it is clean and convenient to diving.