New Divers, First Time to Maui

[EDUNER]

My wife and I are new divers, well not really new, just inexperienced. Been certified for six years but only dove twice in Cozumel other than our check out dives. Life has made it difficult for us to go diving since.

Anyway, we are headed to Maui on June 6th and would like to know which dive ops to use for inexperienced divers. We have all our own equipment already.

Also, we have .5ml shorties, is this sufficient for Maui in June?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[DiveMaven]

You might be a bit chilly in a .5 mil shorty, but it really depends on your cold tolerance. Who you dive with depends a bit on where you're staying.

If you're staying in the Kihei area, check out Shaka Doug or Maui Dreams for shore diving, and B&B Scuba for boat dives. If you're in the Lahaina/Kaanapali area, check with Lahaina Divers for boat diving.

These operators seem to be the most recommended on island for the newer or less experienced diver.

 

[EDUNER]

Is it recommend to book these dive trips in advance or can I wait until I get there?

 

[Shaka Doug]

My recommendation would be to book in advance and also set up your dives for the first part of your stay rather than wait till the last days. You never know what water conditions will be like this far in advance. They change quickly and you could miss the best days if you wait. Last week was lousy; this week had about 100 foot viz yesterday and today was already dropping to about 70 -80'. In the summer months we are more prone to south swells which can really mess things up some days.

 

[DiveMaven]

I agree with Doug about booking in advance. Besides the weather conditions that Doug described, boat operators usually need to have a minimum of divers to go out, so if you wait until the last minute, you might find the boat wasn't full enough to keep the charter and it was cancelled...however, had you booked in advance, you might have made the difference in numbers.

 

[TSandM]

I would second Dive Maven's recommendations. I think B&B does a really good job with new or inexperienced divers. But I'd also give some serious thought to doing a bit of shore diving, if the weather permits. Shore diving is much less expensive, and can be just as much fun -- many of the shore diving sites are second sites for the boat operators, anyway.

 

[WoodyLompoc]

If you are going to be staying in West Maui, June is the perfect time. All the sites in this area should have only minimal swells.
I wouldn’t suggest using much less than a 3 MM full. I use a 3/2 there in June, but my wife and son prefer their 5’s as they always get cold.
I only had about ten dives in before my first Maui trip, but the conditions were perfect for learning shore diving techniques. We learned from our own mistakes, but you may want to pay a guide on your first couple of dives. If you pay someone to take you on a shore dive (in the west) I would suggest you do Mala Ramp and / or Black Rock. These are a bit harder to do on your own. Once you have done these, you can do many of the fun (and easier) sites on your own. You can work your way up on difficulty (IMHO) on the sites: 1) Airport Beach (Kahekili Beach Park) 2) Kapalua Beach 3) Honolua Bay. I do love the South Maui sites too, but have no luck there in June. Maybe someone like Shake Doug can guide in the south during this season, but I would not advise an inexperienced shore diver to try them on your own if the swell is up.
Just my two cents, but whoever’s two cents you take, you can’t go wrong diving Maui to get your feet (fins) wet as a newer diver.
Oh yes, stop by Maui Dive and Surf Shop (they are all over the island) and get the free diving and snorkeling magazine. It has tons of sites listed with descriptions and maps.

 

[WoodyLompoc]

Oops, make that Shaka Doug, not ShakE Doug.

 

[beepbird]

What is interesting is that the dive shops will tell you to wear whatever you are comfortable with in the 77 degree waters, but all of the DMs on the boats wear 7 mm wetsuits. It all depends on how much you plan on diving.

Yes, I made 7 dives last week in Maui. 5 shore dives and 1 - 2 tank boat dive. Even in lousy conditions per Shaka Doug, it was still better than home.

 

[EDUNER]

Wow, thanks for all the info everyone. I'm thinking I will book an early trip with Shaka Doug, then do a boat dive with Lahaina a couples of days latter. This will leave me time to book another trip with Shaka if we choose.

Doug, do your tours include wetsuits?