CORA Compromise Proposal - # of Permits; South Maui
Because there is no apparent or practical limit to the number of commercial groups on a given day at either Ulua or Makena Landing, there is very small pressure on Keawakapu, Wailea, Polo, Palauea and Maluaka (as in nearly none). The reasons for this are only partially due to to the less than accommodating locations and or facilities. The fact is those sites are hard to market as paid tours because for the most part the diving is mediocre or scooter only to get anywhere better than mediocre. Ulua and Makena Landing are where the guests want to go diving most, so not being able to operate at both will effectively kill customer loyalty.
If the South Maui operators are willing to follow the rules with regard to transportation, parking, record keeping and employee certification, as well as business conduct, location and insurance, they ought to be able to offer South Maui shore diving. Same for the West Side. The economy/demand is evidently supporting too much use in some areas, but we don't even know what use the current rules for scuba are causing because there has been no real enforcement of the current rules!
From a standpoint of marketing Maui to tourists, we might consider thinning the ranks of the providers to those best maximizing return on the product. Looking for best guest satisfaction with the smallest negative impact on the resources and existing community; the resorts already have diving operators with loyal and demanding captive cliental, the dive shops all have significant client lists and the established independents have their loyal fans too. The charter boats operators all have permits for Molokini, does a Molokini permit preclude them from shore permits?
There are 4 South Maui dive shops; 3 own boats, and the 4th is the shore diving specialist but just started managing at least one dive boat. There are currently 4 South Maui resort operators, with one's owners also owning a Molokini boat. Then there are the established independent instructor/guides who definitely will not survive without offering the full gamut of South Maui diving.
Perhaps 2 dive shops get full South Maui shore permit and the other 2 get half permits. Same with the resorts; 2 get whole permits, the other 2 get half permits. Then perhaps 6 independents with 2 getting full permits and 4 getting half permits. With opposing schedules include Keawakapu/Makena Landing/Polo and Ulua/Maluaka/Wailea, operators with scooters could reach all the good terrain each day while spreading out the land load. Seems ownership of scooters is nearly a prerequisite for consideration as a viable operator.
Night diving needs to be allowed on a regular schedule, not as a special one day event permit; maybe only half the operators can offer night dives a couple nights per week. Group sizes might be compromised to 6 guests / leader or agency standards, whichever is less. The main way residents get da kine deal is group rate!
In South Maui, that would severely reduce use in the most used areas and possibly motivate more artificial reef projects while still allowing for a solid, viable professional dive community. Finally, you should seriously consider making these permits transferable, in some relevant limited way. As long as the new owners can follow the rules and stay in business the permits should walk hand in hand with a dive business, just like a liquor license to a bar or restaurant.
If you can't follow the rules and lose your permit, another member of your peer group could upgrade or a new peer business could apply to fill the void (dive shop, resort operator, independent). Without permits some businesses might not survive. A qualified replacement business should be considered to maintain permit numbers unless continued activity use caused degradation of resources continues. To ensure park usage properly reflects the system, strict enforcement and adequate maintenance needs to happen, something that is currently lacking.
If there is still degradation from this initial level of restriction, a further reduction in usage could be appropriate. Maybe the dive operators would have a little motivation to do more to reverse impact if they are threatened with stricter limits, like hiring the personnel that goes the extra mile. If we just eliminate most operators, there will be just be less qualified leaders to help. Let's work together to make things better, not against each other!
2 dive shops with full permits - one A the other B
2 dive shops with half permits - one A the other B
2 resort op's with full permits - one A the other B
2 resort op's with half permits - one A the other B
2 unaffiliated with full permits - one A the other B
4 unaffiliated with half permits - two A other two B
Annual renewal could be for alternate schedule; every other year Ulua is Mon, Wed, Fri.
A schedule is use of; Ulua/Maluaka/Wailea on Mon, Wed, Fri, Keawakapu/Makena Landing/Polo Tue, Thur, Sat.
B schedule is use of: Ulua/Maluaka/Wailea Tue, Thur, Sat, Keawakapu/Makena Landing/Polo Mon, Wed, Fri.
Full Permit is up to 3 groups/vehicles using Beach Parks at any time (max 2 per Beach), with 6 guests max per group.
Half permit is one group/vehicle using Beach Parks at any time, with 6 guests max per group.
There would be 14 operators permitted to use South Maui Beach Parks, but only 7 operators permitted in each Park any given day. Everyone would have multiple site locations daily and everyone would be allowed to operate at every site, just on alternating days. That would be 10 groups/vehicles max in any Beach Park at any time (accommodating up to 60 guests). Any version of the rules that includes trading current permits for new one beach permits will result in more than 14 operators permitted to bring at least 28 groups/vehicles into Ulua on any given day (accommodating > 220 guests @ 8 guests max).
I can't imagine someone that clueless but from the client perspective (especially the low buck chaser) the tan guy with the glasses and confident attitude is 'good enough'. He's lucky it wasn't even worse.
