Shore/Night diving in Maui - Questions

[Lottifish]

Hello All,

I'm going on some shore dives in mid-September with Shaka Doug (the afternoon/night dive combo) and I was wondering what I should expect the waves to be like.

I haven't done any shore diving since my cert dives. The waves were big and I got tossed quite a lot and I'm hoping Maui's shores are a little calmer...any thoughts?

Also - what's night diving like? This will be my first night dive and I'm nervous. Especially since it will be dark and I'm not a big fan of big waves.

(Lol, can you tell I'm a little nervous?!)

 

[adjuster-jd]

Typically you would be going out early in the morning when the ocean is calm so you should not have to worry much about waves. The night dives can be exciting - you will see many things you would not normally see during the day - free swimming eels - perhaps some octopus, different stuff than the way they appear during the day. Doug will take good care of you.
Enjoy Maui - the shore diving is great and very easy.

 

[Shaka Doug]

Aloha,

We will have to wait and see what the waves are like. You really can't tell this far in advance. It could be flat or rough or anything in between. Rest assured I would not take you out if the waves were dangerously big or sea conditions were not favorable. One of the greatest benefits of doing my twilight 2 tanker is that you get to experience the conditions first hand at that site immediately prior to making the night dive. That gives you the perfect opportunity to see if things are suitable or not. We can always pull the plug and bag it if it's not to our liking.

Night diving is pretty much the same as day diving, just darker!! All your basic diving skills are the same. I always suggest you should be extra cautious with three things:

1. Pay closer attention to gauges...no surprises on air or depth; know where you're at.

2. Be cautious of the reef. Be careful not to get too close, you could wind up kneeling on urchins or other delicate/fragile or hazardous things. Watch where you're going.

3. Do not get separated from the group. It gets extra dark when you venture off by yourself. There's safety in numbers so stay together.

Night diving has it's scary moments; that's part of the thrill. Move slowly, steadily and use your flashlight effectively. You will see many things that you would not see in the day time and probably a lot fewer fish. I like to say "The creepy crawlies come out at night" you'll see more shrimps, crabs, eels, snails, lobsters, octopus, squids and jellies at night than in the day. I've made hundreds of night dives, I really love night diving. Stick close by me and you have nothing to worry about...except maybe becoming addicted to night diving!!!

See you soon!!