Thanks for the above replies, very appreciated. Before the thread has a tendency to take an unnecessary direction, let me clarify that I'm not needing recommendations on how to travel, or what not to bring with me. I've never been to the Hawaiian Islands before, and thus I had no 1st hand knowledge of the region, the dive operators, dive sites, water conditions, etc.
Here's where I'm at so far:
Water temps in the mid-high 70s
Lot's of neat things for us to do when out of the water
Visibility somewhat unpredictable, varying between 50-120+ ft
Calmer water to the south, more active waves to the north
I'm reading up on the dive operators that advertise at the
Hawaii Scuba Diving - Complete Guide to Diving Hawaii link provided above. I'll call a few for more details, but wondering if any members on the forum have specific recommendations for 1 or the other. From what has been posted so far, I might look into the Ocean Legends link that was provided, and avoid the SeaBreeze outfit.
The dive companies listed on the Hawaii Scuba Diving - Complete Guide link above include the following:
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Dive Companies : |
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| Surf-n-Sea
We specialize in small group tours catering to the specific needs of our customers, from seasoned veteran divers to first time divers. We will provide each diver with the maximum enjoyment possible and memories that will last a lifetime! Introductory... [More] |
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| Aaron's Dive Shop
Aaron's have a variety of different boats, but our specialties are the 6 -12 passenger boats, which allow our customers the greatest flexibility, comfort and diving possible 365 days a year. We are a full service PADI 5 Star IDC Center, ready to serv... [More] |
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| Hawaii Nautical
Hawaii Nautical provides the utmost service and quality, aboard our fine dive vessels that offer comforts and luxuries uncommon in the industry. Itineraries include the West Side along the Ko Olina coast, and also the south and east shores of Oahu ne... [More] |
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| Alex's Aquatic Adventures
Aloha and welcome to Alex's Aquatic Adventures I look forward to taking you on an amazing adventure SCUBA diving in the crystal clear blue waters of the beautiful island of Oahu Hawaii. My name is Alex Mason, I am a PADI Master Instructor which is... [More] |
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| Dive Oahu
Aloha! Whether your just visiting the island or you call O'ahu your home, Dive Oahu will give you the best dive experience around. We dive beautiful sites all around the island from shallow reefs to deep wrecks. We have daily boat charters for certif... [More] |
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| OahuDiving.Com
Let Oahudiving.Com take you on an adventure of a lifetime. We dive daily to all points of Oahu making us Oahu’s truly only island-wide dive operator/dive certification company. Our dive locations are all chosen carefully using the latest weather info... [More] |
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| Waikiki Dive Center, LLC
The Only Way to Dive Hawaii Since 1979! If you're want to dive Oahu for the first time or the 1000th time, we are ready to take you diving. We have our own USCG certified boats, a PADI 5 star rating, and excellent instructors ready to explore the u... [More] |
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| Honolulu Scuba Company
Join Honolulu Scuba Company for some of the best scuba diving the Hawaiian Islands has to offer. Located on the island of Oahu, our custom built dive boats and our friendly, knowledgeable crew will delight you with the best dive sites on the island. ... [More] |
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| Deep Ecology
Established in 1996, Deep Ecology is a full-service, five-star PADI Dive Center located on Oahu's famous North Shore in historic Haleiwa. Our history includes ghost net recoveries and over 50 endangered Green Sea Turtle rescues, resulting in the crea... [More] |
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| RainbowScuba.com
Oahu's lowest price leader for quailty scuba diving boat charters & PADI Scuba certification, 7 days a week. Explore Oahu's Ship wrecks and turtle reefs aboard the 40' catamaran. 100% saftey record, Waikiki beach hotel pick up, and Free underwater ph... [More] |
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| Ocean Legends Hawaii
No worries diving with aloha! Ocean Legends is a full service PADI dive center, offering the full range of PADI certifications at most competitive prices. Also a TDI and IANTD Platinum Training Facility, we offer technical and Rebreather diving. Di... [More] |
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| Pearl Harbor Divers
Welcome to Pearl Harbor Divers: Your friendly, full service local dive shop. We offer training from beginning SCUBA to Instructor and beyond. We also offer technical and rebreather diving and training. Pearl Harbor Divers has daily boat charters... [More]
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Does anyone have any 1st hand experience, good or bad, with any of the above outfits that they would like to recommend for or against, or any others not on the list? Thanks again for all the help so far.