What's your Hawaii Dream Tour ?

[Nikki McAllen]

Such good information came from even just a few posters about a Pacific Dream Tour I thought to ask the same for Hawaii. Considering the great cost of travel, housing and diving I would love input as to which sites are board favorites.

In support of Scubaboard by adding honest content I must say I've found disappointment researching Hawaii Diving. I didn't expect the quality as equal to the Coral Triangle but am less than impressed with what I've come across. Many poor quality photos even at big-shop websites makes me wonder what the experience is like. Some boast of 50 meter vis without a single photo approaching that. Sadly I found lots of fish-holding and fleeing-turtle photos.

So if someone had only 10 days to dive in Hawaii, what sites would you recommend ? I'll pick through and choose a shop based largly on the photos they represent themselves with.

Thanks !

 

[Crush]

I'll let you know in a week...

 

[DeputyDan]

I have only dove the big island of Hawaii.
Really enjoyed it and would go back.

We used Hawaii Scuba Diving | Manta Ray Night Dives | Scuba Diving Packages | Kona Honu Divers as our dive shop.

They were good for what I wanted - my youngest was 14 the time and we did our AOW with them.....

One consideration about lodging - we rented a condo for a couple of weeks - almost none of the Condos have air conditioning - we did not know this and it was miserable for the most part. if you are staying in a motel room - this probably won't be an issue!

The coral in Hawaii is all hard coral - not alot of color, no soft stuff, very colorful fish, lots of crown of thorns!

 

[oldnotdead]

Have fun!
I know only diving on Maui. There are some must see trips there: Molokini, Lanai, Molokai. Lots of great shore dive spots, just get a local map or check ShoreDiving.com.
OND

 

[diversteve]

When are you going? If it's summer, I'd recommend Ni'ihau diving from Kauai. It's probably the most dramatic diving in Hawaii. But it's a long rough ride - late spring to early autumn. At Sheraton Caverns off Poipu (south Kauai) big turtles are almost a given.

From now to about March the Humpbacks are off Maui - you could see them on the surface but will probably hear them singing near Molokini. Shark Condos for sharks and the St. Anthony near Maui for turtles. If you shore dive, Mala Wharf is good. Although some areas can be a little sparse - it is a volcanic substrate - I've also dove areas where you can't see the bottom for all the staghorn coral.

Hammerhead Shark diving with Lahaina Divers off Molokai is another option from Maui. Video:
Molokai Scuba Diving

The Cathedrals off Lanai are interesting dives. Not exactly abundant fish though. At Sharkfin we dove out from the pinnacle to about 80' there must have been 500 Moorish Idols in one area and all sorts of butterfly's and triggers nearby. And octopus in the wall just offshore. There's some nice dives off Lanai.

I've been in the clearest water in my life off Maui. Viz was so outstanding that we were straining to see farther. Almost vertigo inducing. The DM estimated it at 200-250'. For reference I've been to Bonaire and Grand Cayman.

Big Island you've got the Manta night dives and the Black Water night dive. Both thrill for different reasons. I read about somebody doing the pristine North coast there also off a zodiac - that might be interesting.

With 10 days I'd do two islands. The local flights go high enough that you need a day off (18hrs.) b4 flying inter-island. Personally I'd dive Maui and somewhere else. Another thing to watch is that any of the volcano/helo tours also are to elevation.

 

[smellzlikefish]

Diversteve had some great ideas, I'll just add two more.

I mentioned Molokai on your last post for the big pelagic stuff, hammerheads, and other toothy critters.

I'd also suggest you do a blackwater dive while on Kona. It is a pelagic night dive where you witness the vertical migration of the deep scattering layer. You'll get to see all kinds of pelagic critters you've never thought about before and in splendid, night-glow colors. Salps, pelagic cephalopods, larval crustaceans, ctenophores, larval fish, myctophiformes, plus the chance to encounter some truly unusual sharks (threshers, cookie-cutter, oceanic whitetips, etc.)

 

[lommnb]

i never been to Hawaii but in my mind it is a paradise .there have the golded beach blue sky blue sea pleasant climate and so on
it is my dream to live there

 

[farsidefan1]

Second the manta ray dive off the big island. It has got to be on any list of Hawaii top dives. A night dive that will blow your mind!

 

[ron_cooper]

I will be doing the Kona Aggressor in Feb. Will have lots of shots afterwards. Just hope they aren't of the fish swimming away.