Niihau is simply a must do in Hawaii

[AquamanKauai]

Aloha to those on the islands and those on the big big isle as well (that's the mainland for those of you in Iowa).

As a long time DM in the islands I wanted to offer help/information to anyone who has planned or will plan a trip to Kauai with the potential of diving the island of Niihau.

For those of you that wish to see the best that Hawaii has to offer - THIS IS SIMPLY A MUST DO DIVE TRIP! As a guide traveling there twice a week on 3-tank trips I still find it hard to sleep the night before. Only one month into the season with another 2 solid months to go I am already wishing time would slow!

For anyone who lives here in the islands dive pro or otherwise - If you ever plan a trip to Kauai in the summer months feel free to send me a message. I wish everyone could experience what I have the opportunity to see every trip out to this amazing spot! Certainly no instructor/DM in Hawaii should leave prior to diving this location. One of 100 reasons I could give would be the chance to dive with the endangered monk seals! If I start talking about them in this post it will last chapters - but hey, it's a chance to dive with an endangered seal that could be gone in our lifetime!

Tourists planning a trip that are interested in a full day advanced trip can also count on a day that they will not ever forget! You'll get everything you've imagined and then some.

Anyway, I wanted to post and offer help/information to anyone who I may be coming to the islands. I really wish everyone could see just a glimpse of what I get to experience on a weekly basis during the summer months. Those of us here on the island of Kauai who are lucky enough to guide Niihau all love it second to none - and love the opportunity to share it with others.

Best from the islands. Hoping to see you underwater someday soon!

Message me with any questions you may have - but I dive 6 or seven days a week so please be understanding if it takes a couple days to reply

 

[Shaka Doug]

Thanks for the post. I didn't realize it was a summer only kind of thing. That's good to know. When does your season actually end? I might have some free time after Aug. 31st. (Thanks to the County of Maui Parks and Recreation folks.)

What kind of regulations are there for you to bring charters in to Niihau? How's the crossing? I'd love to check it out.

My buddy saw two monk seals today but I won't say where they were. Somewhere around south Maui. How many do you usually encounter on a typical dive there?

 

[blesi varney]

Hi Doug, I bet I know where they are. I saw them, too.

 

[Teamcasa]

Here is a short video I shot last week on Niihau.

 

[fisheater]

Great video! Ni'ihau is definitely on my "must do" list for any return to Kauai.

 

[nshorez]

its quite an expense, and besides the novelty of the location, looks a bit rocky, like lanai lookout, i'm curious if the dives though, are where one may see the grey reefs sharks in hawaii, is what i've heard, that and backside of molokini on maui, which is likely more accessible ?
ahuiho

 

[Teamcasa]

We saw several reef sharks. Many were small 3'-4' and very shy, most stayed just out of decent camera range. The area we dived was Lehua, the small crater just off the tip of Niihau. It was rocky but magnificent in its own way. The leather coral was very vibrant and healthy as was many other corals. The fish life just danced around us, the color was just splendid.

Maybe it is a touch novel but a dive I will never forget.

 

[kaimanu]

Aloha! Niihau is still remote enough to have positive encounters with marine life with them in charge. It is a dive destination where the marine life often checks us out underwater, and that is rare in the world! If you do not dive predating on visions and instead attempt to bring life to you, it often works! Niihau/Lehua diving is world class topography underwater with vertical walls, and unbeatable lava tubes. Habitat brings in the life, food source promotes life to proliferate. If divers wish to see gray reef sharks, May is the pupping season, so Niihau offers visions of schooling pups yearly with larger ones in the distant. Larger predatory sharks can often be seen in late May, when their food source, (pups) are more abundant, or during the winter. Bubbles Below offers Niihau charter year round weather dependent. My favorite time to dive there is Feb./March. There are many mantas and humpback whales during that time frame. If divers wish to see larger gray reef sharks, the Mana Crack/NaPali Coast trip is a good one to think about.

 

[twhi]

Well, I must agree - Niihau is spectacular.
But one day trip is simply not enough.

My dream would be to find a charter to go over and stay for two nights - - make a long weekend out of it and explore the place.

There used to be lots of gray reef (big boys) action at the south tip of Niihau.
And how could you not go back to places like Vertical Awareness again and again.

Great video Teamcasa. What /where is the music from?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I have been itching to dive Ni'ihau ever since I heard it was happening. I do get to see grey reef sharks fairly regularly when I get out to Molokini. I think we see more grey's on the ends of the crecent; reef's end and shark ledges (condo's). My last grey encounter was actually at the sand channel near reef's end (~80 fsw), technically inside Molokini. It was only 6' or so I'd guess.

Hopefully there are bigger ones when I finally get to Ni'ihau!