Need help-surprise Hawaii trip!

[cavdeb]

Just found out hubby earned a Hawaii trip next month through work. We're staying at the Ritz and we want to get underwater! We'll be on Eastern Standard time, so early morning departures are okay. I've reviewed posts about Maui dive ops, but we won't have a car - will any dive op pick us up/return us to the Ritz? If so, which would you recommend?

 

[diversteve]

I've reviewed helpful posts about Maui dive ops, but we won't have a car - will any dive op pick us up/return us to the Ritz?

I doubt it as most are based in Lahaina which is a pretty good drive from there. I don't think either Lahaina Divers or Pacific Dive will, at least they never mentioned it. You might call SpeediShuttle, they do resort to downtown Lahaina rides. But maybe groups only.

Why aren't you diving with Kapalua Dive? they have a facility at the Ritz.

Prefer not shore dives (hubby is tenderfoot - he finds boat ladders painful in booties!:doh

Old Airport (Kahekili) Beach is a shoredive that's a sandy beach entry. Pacific Dive does scooter dives there. It's just a little south of Kapalua.

I'm guessing Kapalua Beach is also, it's the dive in front of your resort.

fwiw, be sure to take the Ritz Shuttle when you arrive. A cab ride from the airport out to there has to be in excess of $100...

 

[DiveMaven]

Is there any way you can rent a car? They aren't that expensive on Maui and the Ritz is awfully far away from just about everything on the island.

 

[cavdeb]

I will look into the dive shop at the Ritz. It doesn't appear on the Ritz website and I didn't see it mentioned in any SB posts, so I didn't know about it. I'm glad I asked & thanks for the help!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Honestly on Maui you need a car.

 

[cavdeb]

Since the stay is work-related, they're shuttling us everywhere on the company dime. In return, we have to be where they say when they want us. It turned out that we have one afternoon of free time in the stay. We're thinking of doing the shore dive in front of the hotel as suggested by sjspeck. I know it's not the best diving Maui has to offer, but it fits the otherwise tight constraints imposed by the folks footing the bill and at least we got bottom time (such as it is)

 

[DiveMaven]

I think the Ritz is located above DT Flemming beach, which I'm not sure is diveable. Kapalua Bay is a south of the Ritz....and if I remember my distances correctly, you'd probably need some kind of transportation to get there. You might check to see where the Ritz shuttle will take you.

 

[KrisB]

You mention only having one afternoon free -- that limits your options severely for almost all the diving, except probably the stuff at your resort.

You *may* be able to find something that fits your schedule at Lahaina Divers or Maui Dive Shop, but those are the only two I know of that run regularly scheduled afternoon charters. And with the exception of the Manta Cleaning Station, the afternoon dive schedules are generally geared more towards the one-dive intro divers.

If your day off happens to be a Tuesday, you might be able to head out with Hawaiian Rafting Adventures to the Manta Cleaning Station... give them a call and find out. Heck, they're a small enough group they might even be able to arrange some sort of transportation for you.

 

[DiveMaven]

Except if Lahaina Divers goes to Mala Wharf, they will let you go on your own with a simple time limit to be back on the boat. We had a great dive at Mala with them last year and it was a lot of fun to poke around on our own.

 

[diversteve]

I think the Ritz is located above DT Flemming beach, which I'm not sure is diveable. Kapalua Bay is a south of the Ritz....and if I remember my distances correctly, you'd probably need some kind of transportation to get there. You might check to see where the Ritz shuttle will take you.

I missed that, DiveMaven is right, Kapalua Bay is in front of the Kapalua Bay Hotel....haven't been in that area in a few years...it's about a mile from the Ritz.