Shore diving

[kcwdad]

My wife and I are diving Maui Aug. 8-15 and looking for advice on shore diving so we can plan boat and shore dives, and also decide where to stay. We're both PADI Advanced, although it's been 2 yrs since last dives. We're coming mostly for the critters -- seeing them and learning about them.

- Is shore diving usually a group thing or is there an easy way to hook up with locals on our own? How big are groups? (We don't mind doing our own thing a few times, but want help finding critters and learning more about them. And it’s usually more fun diving with others.)

- Or should we consider a "private" guide (wouldn't that be more expensive than boat dive)?

- How does logistics work, e.g. tank exchange? If group, are those provided on a van? If we're getting from a shop, is this a quick in/out? Do we need a license?

- What is cost of shore (guided group, guided "personal") vs. boat?

- I don't have any navigation experience (certified 10 yrs ago and sucked at it then)... assuming we're not being stupid or careless, do we have reasonable shot at coming up w/in 100' of dive flag (for our own safety from boats, if not from local laws)

- Are best sites scattered about, or is either West or South considered "better"? We might stay in Kihei condo close to boat ramp for 1-2 boat trips to Molokini, but could make same argument for Ka'anapali and Lanai. We're not beach-and-pool types, will want a quiet outdoor spot to read/relax, walk to restaurants (or short drive with easy parking). And need to be close (short drive) to world-class resort where our non-diving friends can stay (and where we might come to mooch of their posh amenities!)

- What is best way to pick where to dive (online? book? check w/ guide based on day/weather/recent sightings?)

- Any must-dive sites? Any to avoid?

Thanks!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

For shore diving it's hard to beat Shaka Divers as he's a very experienced top notch dive leader. I've sent him a few people who've all returned very happy with their experience. For self guided shore dives on Maui I'd take a look at Shore Diving for some basic info. It's pretty easy diving there. For boat dives I'll always go out with B&B Scuba. One of the finest dive ops anywhere and believe it or not, the most reasonably priced on the island.

 

[nescubasteve]

I just returned from Maui and had some great dives. My sons and I dove with both Shaka Divers (shore dives) and B&B Scuba (boat dives). We are repeat customers and always have had great dives with them.

And both are very reasonably priced (I think they both have their prices listed on their websites that Al provided).

Steve

 

[Hawaii Scuba Divers]

I also think that Doug and Brad are good picks for your Diving needs.Start with Shore Dive to get back into Comfort Zone then Book Boat trip and Enjoy the Crater..

 

[DiveMaven]

If it's been 2 years since you've been diving, you might consider doing a refresher at home before heading for Maui. If you have your own gear and you can hit a pool and check out your gear and practice skills prior to your trip, it might save you some potential heartache when you arrive.

Shaka Doug has an outstanding reputation for exceptional service, so you just can't go wrong diving with him.

 

[Shaka Doug]

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the kind words from you all. It goes a long way and it helps me keep my ax sharp too, if you know what I mean.

KCWDAD you ask a lot of good questions. I'd recommend that you set some dives up for the first or second full day you have here. Then you can get acclimated, take advantage of water conditions, and achieve a high comfort level with your diving skills. Then you will be able to tackle some more advanced dives and really get the most bang for your buck. If you have your own gear, be sure to set it up and try it out back home. Turn it on and see that everything pases inspection. It's not as fast and easy as you'd think to get repairs or parts here.

I could go on and on with stories of folks who I've seen come here to dive on their own and each one would have it's own little set of problems and dissapoinments to go with it. Having a local guide on a dive ANYWHERE that's unfamiliar to you is just good sense. Just yesterday I watched a group of four divers show up to dive. They were setting up and realized they had no dive flag. The Enforcement Ranger was in the parking lot watching them. They decided to send a guy to go back into town to get a dive flag. He ended up going to two different shops to find one. Finally after about an extra hour of waiting around they made their dive. By that time the water conditions had already deteriorated and visibilty had dropped about 50% throughout the site. If they had me or someone else escorting them, they would have had a better experience, no doubt about it.

When you come to a place like this, every dive is a once in a lifetime experience ready to happen. Why take chances on it being just so so? Most excursions are small groups to begin with. I usually limit mine to 6 plus me. Some people might like to go private and pay extra to insure they get to go at their own pace, work on their skills, shoot photos or whatever without having to be bothered by 'strangers'. It's really up to you to decide if you need that. I find diving with others is one of the best ways I've ever found to make new friends.

There are lots of accessible shore dives. Most are either south of Kihei or north of Lahaina with a few exceptions like Oluwalu. Conditions vary constantly. Some are easier than others to navigate. Each site is unique, each day is unique, each diver is unique. Ultimately what you're looking for is a great dive experience. Please allow one of us to help make that happen for you.

If you have friends coming along that will be in a high dollar resort, you should find out which one it is. Then you could more easily decide if you will stay in Kihei or Lahaina. Both places have plenty of condos, etc. to stay at that are just minutes from the luxury hotels.

How much diving do you plan on doing? There are dozens of great sights here. Each one could be well deserving of several individual dives to really be able to appreciate it. To find out what conditions are doing and where to go, call one of us and we can tell you what the water trends have been and also what the forecast is. Those of us who dive here daily have a good handle on it.

I hope you enjoy your trip to Maui. It was a pleasure to answer some of your questions. Thanks for posting here in our Ohana all the way from Washington. I'm sure everyone would like to know how things turn out for you.