Suggestions for Diving Maui

[Al Mialkovsky]

Newer divers often express happiness with those cattle boats. They also would express happiness with an operation like B&B, they just don't know better

 

[DiveMaven]

Lahaina Divers does an excellent job with beginning and occassional divers...they just really aren't for the more experienced diver IMO. Beginners are their niche on Maui, and I don't know that they try to say they are anything else.

We dove with them last week (we just got home) and had good service as always. They left us alone to follow the DM loosely, which was exactly what we wanted. The service is definitely less personalized that other boats, due to the number of divers on the boat, but they are extremely safety conscious and run a good operation.

The highlight of our trip with them was definitely spending the morning chatting with Wyland about his experiences with Blue Whales in the Sea of Cortez though.

 

[LeslieCSCE]

Contact B & B scuba divers in Kihei for a GREAT dive boating experience!
They are awesome!

 

[Got2dive]

Another great shop in Kehei is Scuba Shack (www.scubashack.com). Although they leave early right from the Kehei boat ramp, they are usually the 1st boat out to Molokini. We were usually back at the dock by 11 and still had the rest of the day to enjoy Maui. I've dove with them on two separate trips there, each time spending 3-4 days diving. They've always been professional, fun and friendly. Never crowded on the boat either. Warm water showers after the 2nd dive too. If you need equipment, theirs is always new and in good condition.

 

[HeyJT]

Hey Ya'll,

Great ideas on what to do and perhaps avoid... I'm not one for cattle cars and would like to be challenged. For the last few months I've done about two dives a week; both beach dives in all conditions..., as well as boat dives.

For those of you offering to go diving with me, I will send you a message when it gets closer to flying over to Maui. It woud be nice to hook up with divers who know the hot spots in and around the island.

**Another question: I have a 3/2 full wetsuit. Should that be enough or should i also bring gloves and a hood? I'm used to diving SoCal waters at around 60 degrees. As for other equipment, i plan on bring everything but the tank and weights.

 

[KrisB]

Hey Ya'll,

Great ideas on what to do and perhaps avoid... I'm not one for cattle cars and would like to be challenged. For the last few months I've done about two dives a week; both beach dives in all conditions..., as well as boat dives.

For those of you offering to go diving with me, I will send you a message when it gets closer to flying over to Maui. It woud be nice to hook up with divers who know the hot spots in and around the island.

**Another question: I have a 3/2 full wetsuit. Should that be enough or should i also bring gloves and a hood? I'm used to diving SoCal waters at around 60 degrees. As for other equipment, i plan on bring everything but the tank and weights.

If you're used to doing 60 degree water in your 3/2, then you should be fine here -- our water temp ranges from at the lowest 72/73 in the winter to 84/85 in the summer. Those are the widest you'd see, anyways.

To add to Got2dive's thing -- yes, Scuba Shack is a decent op. However, only the gear on the boat is new and in top shape -- their shop rental gear is sometimes not in that great of shape.

Additionally, I can't recommend their boat trip for attractive women. There is a high probability you will be treated "special" by the captain/owner...

 

[HeyJT]

Actually my 3/2 suit is for warmer water. I dive in SoCal with a 7mil.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Another great shop in Kehei is Scuba Shack (www.scubashack.com). Although they leave early right from the Kehei boat ramp, they are usually the 1st boat out to Molokini. .

Pro Diver is usually first, B&B is never further back than second and Scuba Shack is about a half hour to an hour behind them. Not a big deal but Pro Diver and B&B are done never later than 10am.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Prodiver and B&B are first out of the ramp/harbor ~ 6am. If the second dive is the St. Anthony, after an 80ft Molokini dive, you will be back before 10. If the first dive is shallower/longer followed by Red Hill drift you will be back closer to 11, especially if there are whales during transit.

HeyJT, you didn't mention when you would be on Maui. If you are here during a busy period there are usually 2 and sometimes 3 trips per boat per day. I like to take pictures and the 2nd trips have much better light for ambient photography. The real reason for the early first trips is to mostly beat the trades on the second trip.

My most fantastic trips have predominantly been seconds and the few fantastic first trips had crappy photos. Sometimes the wind howls on the way back to the ramp but winter has much less wind than summer and my mom skied a lot of moguls the winter before my birth so our mildly rough tradewind seas are no problem for me.

To each his own.

 

[webbah]

Pro Diver is usually first, B&B is never further back than second and Scuba Shack is about a half hour to an hour behind them. Not a big deal but Pro Diver and B&B are done never later than 10am.

B&B was first on Dec. 22nd when we dove with them. We then did Red Cliff and I believe were back on shore in the car by around 11:00 or so.

Others have mentioned newer divers being catered by Lahaina Divers. I'm a newbie - had 10 logged dives before my last trip and finished with 20. So - major newbie here. I felt that B&B catered to our needs much more. Brad was very helfpul - giving me tips on how to utilize my air better. Which reminds me - I wish we would have done Molokini later in the trip after I felt more comfortable in the water - as it was our first dive - going to 88ft. - I lasted only 28 minutes. By the end of the trip - I was down for 65 minutes at 5 caves - which I realize is very shallow - but still good for me.

Lahaina didn't seem to give much of a rip - even about the reefs which was disappointing. Saw a few fins hit the coral and such and not a word was spoken about it. Was a shame.