| Maui is Great! Vacation rentals Maui bring you the | | | | experienced divers. Note that dives along the |
| best scuba diving adventures! The scuba diving | | | | back wall of Molokini are "drift dives" with a slight |
| off of Maui's Southwest coast is one of my very | | | | current. |
| favorite locations. In particular, the famous Molokini | | | | Lesser experienced divers might want to choose |
| marine sanctuary, a partially sunken volcano | | | | operators like "Maui Dive Shop" or "Scuba Shack". |
| crater, is a magnet for marine life. Its backside is | | | | These folks are more conservative and will make |
| a vertical wall that drops to 300', and its interior | | | | you feel more comfortable if you're a new diver |
| offers nice sloping ridges that run from snorkeling | | | | or have been out of the water for a while. First |
| depth down to 130' plus. There are also great dive | | | | dives often start inside the Molokini crater and |
| sites along the coast off Wailea, many of which | | | | follow a 50' to 70' profile. |
| are deep like the 110' "battleship" site (it's not a | | | | What Does It Cost? |
| wreck.) | | | | Scuba diving in Maui is generally expensive |
| How it Works: | | | | compared to other locations in the Caribbean (just |
| Most of the scuba operators launch their dive | | | | like everything else.) Single day, two-tank dives |
| boats from the Kihei Boat Ramp near Maui condo | | | | can run from $100 to $125 per person, and |
| rentals each morning. The ramp is on the South | | | | three-tank "adventure" dives can go up to $160. |
| side of Kihei just North of Wailea. There is a public | | | | Most operators only have small discounts, if any, |
| parking lot there that fills up pretty fast, so get | | | | for multi-day packages. As usual, tipping the crew |
| there early. You'll see most dive boats getting | | | | is as appropriate as your enjoyment level was. |
| setup to launch between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. | | | | When is the Best Time to Go? |
| Some operators may want you to come to their | | | | Late January through March is the peak of the |
| dive shop first, while others will just meet you at | | | | "high season" because of the Humpback Whale |
| the ramp. Most operators get back by noon or | | | | migration there. It's rare to see a whale while |
| 1:00 p.m. | | | | you're underwater, but every scuba trip is a |
| Choosing a Dive Operator: | | | | whale watching trip as well. While diving, you can |
| Which operator you choose should depend mainly | | | | hear the whales singing very clearly. Water |
| on your experience level. Some operators like | | | | temperatures in the winter are about 74 degrees |
| "Mike Severns" and "Ed Robinson's" cater to the | | | | F, so a 5mm to 7mm wet suit is a must. |
| very experienced scuba diver. They typically take | | | | Vacation Tips: |
| up to a dozen divers at a time, often diving in | | | | If your trip to Maui is centered around scuba |
| two groups (each led by a Divemaster.) First | | | | diving, stay at a Maui vacation rental on the south |
| dives are often to 130', and a dive computer is a | | | | side of Kihei. There are lots of accommodations |
| must to maximize your multi-level bottom time. | | | | across the street and just north of the boat |
| Pauline Fiene, a marine biologist with over 20 | | | | ramp - just get in touch with us for the latest |
| years of experience diving off of Maui, runs "Mike | | | | information and best deals. If you're staying in |
| Severns". Her knowledge of the unique species | | | | Lahaina or further north, expect to get up at 4:30 |
| found only in Hawaii is tremendous, and you can | | | | a.m. to make it to Kihei on time. To relax after |
| expect her to personally show it to you (as | | | | diving, drive south and check out McKenna Beach |
| Divemaster) about every other day. The rest of | | | | (aka "Big Beach") or the adjacent and infamous |
| her crew is great as well. They really understand | | | | "Little Beach" (if you have the nerve. |
| customer service, and again, cater to the highly | | | | |