Suggestions for Maui

[B4UDIVE]

There were dolphins spotted off Black Rock and at Airport Beach yesterday (Kaanapali area) where they hung out for about 15 minutes. A few snorkelers actually took underwater photos of them; however, they did stay quite a ways off shore. Swimming with Dolphins on Maui, is kind of a "hit and miss" thing. None here are kept in captivity (thank goodness). Just this week, Extended Horizons (dive operators out of Lahaina), posted great pictures of their divers with a pod of dolphins off Lanai on their FB page.

 

[mohave_steve]

As for swimming with dolphins, I don't know of any there, and I am not a fan of them to begiith (see The Cove to see why).

When I was in Lahaina, I had just gotten in the boat after a dive and a school of maybe 200 spinner dolphins came by. I jumped back in and swam with them as they passed me by. That was the kind of dolphin experience I prefer.

+1000!

I had a similar experience at Honolu'a Bay. Minus the camera. The dolphins were a little curious as they passed me by and a couple approached me within 2-3 feet. Was amazing.

WARNING: Lahaina Divers!!!
I did my very first dive with them. A 30 minute intro dive and the experience led me to a life long addiction with no known cure

Have fun!!!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Here is my #1 recommendation for your #3

A visit to be thankful for - Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor's Information - The Maui News

 

[bmrwizard99]

#1 Dive, Dive Dive.
Check out some great shore dive sites at :

Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Maui, Hawaiian Islands

My favorite sites are all by Wailea (5 caves / 5 graves, Makena landing, White Rock Beach, Ulua Beach etc.). I'd highly suggest a local DM. My fav by far for newbies and experienced guys is Shaka Doug Corbin. I've heard great things about KrisB, Ed Robinson and B&B but no personal experience.

I've done the boat dives and I get better value for my $$ by engaging a local DM to show me around and doing shore dives. Other than a Whale Shark or a giant Manta that you may occasionally see on the backside of Molokini, you can see pretty much everything else from a shore dive off Maui that you will see on the boat dives.

#2 Do the road to Hana (most of a day trip). especially if you are going to have an overcast day.
The road to Hana is a neat experience but make sure you go buy a CD and listen to it or you will miss so much. You can pick them up at just about every souvenir shop. Lots of 1 way bridges, breathtaking scenery, great eucalyptus trees, etc. etc. Very windy road so don't let the kids play on the DS on the way down and pack some gravol for people in the back

#3 Top of Mountain Haleakela
The trip to the top of Haleakela Mountain is pretty cool and if it is clear and you are there at sunrise, its supposed to be spectacular. Bring a heavy jacket as its cold up there!

#4 Hit the lava flows on the way to Black Rock Beach (south east side of island past Wailea).

#5 Take a surf lesson near Kehei

#6 Head to the North Shore (not far from the airport and you will pass it on your way to Hana). Stop here and watch the local surfers, wind surfers, kite surfers etc. They are amazing and the waves will be big on this side of the island in January.

#7 Go to a different beach each day. We still do this every time in Maui and its really what makes Maui special to me. Different reefs, different beaches.

#8 Watch the whales. From every beach, from your balcony.

#9 Book your return trip for next year...

 

[DiveMaven]

Keep in mind that KrisB no longer lives in Hawaii.

 

[GrandCanyonDiver]

Let me throw one more +1 for Lahaina divers. I was just on Maui last week. I was the only diver in our group, and I was determined to do my first post-OW class dives on this trip. It's why I got the cert to begin with! I was all scheduled with another operator out of Lahaina for a morning trip, and they called me 40 mins. before departure and said they were cancelling. I had called Extended Horizons the day before so I called them, but their boat had already left. I hopped on the internet to see who I could find that had afternoon dive charters going out that day. I ended up calling Maui Dive Shop to see if they had one of their boats going out, and the guy on the phone said that they book every company on the island at no charge to the customer. Wish I had known that before I left...anyway...they confirmed that LD was going out in the afternoon so I jumped on it.

I know my dives were probably not the best sites on Maui, but I didn't care. The weather was windy that day so the boat stayed fairly close to shore and the dives were shallow at 35 ft. or so. But the crew were awesome, Captain Dan knew what he was doing, and I scored my first two logged dives.

One thing: Lahaina Divers' afternoon dive charter is called "Turtle Reef." A local at the marina asked where I was going and I told them that and they looked at me funny. I learned when I got on the boat that "Turtle Reef" is wherever the captain feels like going that afternoon. Since the afternoon winds, etc. are unpredictable, he picks the dive sites based on conditions for safety. But they almost always find someplace to dive, so they said.

I thought it was fantastic, and everything went great. They gave comprehensive site briefings, I buddied up with someone from the boat, and off we went. The DMs had a group of discover scuba people, and there were six of us certified people. Less than 15 in all on the boat.

 

[altaskier]

Glad you got your first post-certification dives in! Now you are hooked!

 

[bwickett]

Funny you should ask! I just returned on Friday from Napili Bay.
Free Diving Report: I include free diving as the water is so warm you can hold your breath long enough for lots of photographs. Friday, I walked over the rocks to Kapalua bay. Since I only had an hour or so until departing for the airport, I did not take along my camera. Instead I hovered, perfectly still, for at least a half an hour. It was a real treat. The reef fish population was good and included a cruising barracuda. That was on the south side of the beach. Usually, the north side of a bay like Kapalua is more clear, and I've been there many times.
If you have a car, drive north two more coves to Hanaloa Bay. Hike through the jungle to the rocky beach. It's a wonderful reef, though a bit over-used these days.
SCUBA: Get on the boat with Extended Horizons. They will take you over to Lanai to some outrageous diving. The crew is wonderful, and you'll be spoiled forever. On Monday we heard whale calls throughout the dive, and spent time inside “The Cathedral”. They also lead night SCUBA dives from the shore at Black Rock. Another great boat dive is Molokini, especially the back side. It's a wall dive with lots of wildlife, often including sharks. Finally, there's a good shore dive I believe is called "Seven Caves". You enter the water at Makenna Landing and explore to the right (West.) In any case, you're going to have a great time and I wish I could go back!

 

[PriusDrIVER]

I'm going to tag along on this thread, hope the OP doesn't mind.

My wife and I are going to Maui next week, I am the only diver as she determined that breathing underwater was "unnatural" and not her thing. I plan on bringing most of my own gear, just as soon as I bring any of it it means checking a bag...and the bag cost the same full or empty.

I have ~60 dives under my belt and have my "master diver", for what that is worth. Most of my diving has been in dark and cold waters of Canada or in the Puget Sound in my dry suit. I just haven't been in the water in a year, darn work getting in the way...

I will only get 1 "day" of diving, so likely a 2-tank trip. I'm not sure I can convince my wife to let me make 2 2-tank trips. We are staying at the RC in Kapalua, so leaving out of Lahaina is definitely easier but I will have a car so Kehei is also a possibility.

In looking at Lahaina Diver's schedule it appears I could either do Molokini or Lanai with them. I figure if I do take a boat from Lahaina to Molokini that the trip would be a "free" whale watching trip, so it doesn't bother me to spend time on the boat...unless I'd get better diving otherwise.

So, if any of you that have been could do a single 2-tank trip which would you pick? Molokini or Lanai? Or should I really just be bartering for both.

We fly in on the 11th and depart on the afternoon of the 16th.

 

[Bappelt]

If you only have one day, go to Lanai. You'll see a lot more than at Molokini. If you have two days, do both. The visibility at Molokini is usually pretty good and you see can some different things there. Depending on where you go on Lanai, it could be either a moored site or a drift dive. Lahaina Divers can let you know which trip is which if you have a preference.