Please tell me where to go. er stay.

[MauiScubaSteve]

With regard to Molokini, opinions vary with regard to what is the best dive there. It is true that the wall portion of the backside is one of the top wall dives in the US. It is also true that wall diving is not great in the US so many divers do not consider Molokini to be a World Class wall dive. If I'm the guide, Dec through Feb I'm ok with the wall due to the outside chances of seeing whale shark or humpbacks and always hearing the humpbacks. It's a long shot but my whale shark dive was a great dive. The rest of the year small white tip reef sharks are the highlight.

Personally, I consider the wall portion of the backside to be the 4th best dive at Molokini. Reef's End drift is my favorite due to the variety of terain and higher percentage of seeing cool animals. Often, the current does not wrap around so it's Reef's End / Center Reef / Taco Flats (for those good on air) again with lots of cool animals. I've seen big manta rays quite often on both those dives and nearly always nice sized white tip reef sharks. Tied for 2nd in my book is Shark Ledges / Condos, a deep drift around the east point. I have had a nice size grey reef shark cruise through my group, with other grey and white tip reef sharks all around us.

Truth is it's hard to go wrong at Molokini, due to the 100ft + vis, and if they don't take you to the backside it could be a good thing. Because of Molokini, I recommend South Maui for trips like yours (back by 10:30).

 

[billtodive]

Thanks for all the info. Molokini wall dive will be on the list.
Halemano, you suggested "South Maui". Is that a dive op you are suggesting?
I'll need to figure that out also....

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

South Maui is a region, including the small town of Kihei, the over-developed resort area of Wailea and the over permitted but not built out yet resort area of Makena. There is a good guide book called Maui Revealed, available at Amazon, which many people find un-baised and valid with regard to recomending opp's.

I work at the most reasonably priced resort in Wailea, guiding dives at Ulua Reef, one of the best shore diving spots on Maui (conditions permitting). I encourage you to come down to the Scuba Center at the Renaissance and visit. Our full set rental is $40 and there are guided options that include post dive jacuzzi with beverage service (spouse included - beverage extra).

Many nearby condo dwellers like not only the convienience and amenities of the resort locations but also the quality of the product. In general, you get what you pay for. Unlike the sentiments of our low budget snowbird SB poster, higher price does not indicate pursuit of dishonest gain. Our guests very often buy the picture disk, give a generous tip and recommend us to their friends, which would not happen if our love for diving wasn't infectious.

Here are a couple of recent dive photo albums (try the slideshow);

Reef Dive with box jellies at start.*

Scooter Dive with lionfish at two locations.*

*no stock photos, all taken on those dives, unpermitted uses not allowed.

Even if you just come by to chat, look forward to meeting you in person.

 

[bobmaggi]

I thought they were tearing down the Renaissance for something bigger and better? Maggi

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

The Renaissance is scheduled to close Jan 17th. According to my bosses, if we were going to be extended again it would have been Oct 17th so it looks ominous. Starwood has secured the permits for demolition, but how they are allowed to start in the rainy season is beyond me. Does anybody remember when the aquarium project ran into the winter and tons of red silt washed out into Maalaea Bay.

To my knowledge they do not have construction permits yet, but Maui's planning commission rarely says no to large corporations, maybe never. With all the new building in Wailea, a little more silt on the reefs wiil hardly be noticed. I fear that I will retire to Costa Rica and tell stories of the old days when Maui had good shore diving.

What Starwood is planning is not bigger and better, it's more expensive, more exclusive and more profitible. Since time share is not allowed in Wailea, they propose less than 100 multi-million dollar single owner units to be run as high end resort accomodations when the owners are not here. The Maui Onion will be sorley missed!

I have never been a big fan of Jean-Michel Cousteau but if he would come in and save us from the wrecking ball I would eat crow and work hard to make his new dive resort successful. Today is the start of my campaign, I will start a new post.

 

[bobmaggi]

I thought I had read somewhere ( Maui News? ) that a very high end resort was going to be built. . . I remember in the early 80s when it was just the Wailea Beach Resort and, while stationed on Oahu, we stayed there for $50/night including a rental car! Oh my, how the times have changed, but it is still our favorite hotel there. ..

 

[calscubagirl]

If you go to Mauirevealed.com, click on "aerial photos of resorts." It'll show you which resort/properties are ocean front, beach front or across the street from the beach. You can click on which ever island you want to look at. You'll need a password to get on the review sites (meaning you have to buy the book "Maui Revealed") but, you wont need a password for the Big Island or looking at the aerial views on all the islands. The site will also take you directly to the site of the resorts. It's a fun site to look at. I've made decisions on places to stay based on this site.

I suggest buying one of the Revealed books, especially if you've never been to Hawaii. It's got all dive ops in the book. In fact my favorite dive boat is listed #1 in Maui Revealed