Where to in Maui?

[MikeMeagher]

Seems like my wife is sold on the idea of taking a June trip to Maui. So... while I'm there I've got to make a dive or two at least. Anyone have any recommendations regarding shops / boats to take to Molikini or other sites?
Any suggestions on good snorkeling areas to take my two young boys?

[ljjames]

I dove out of Scuba Shack when i was there... super fast boats... great captain. shop is small and actually doesn't seem to charge "tourist" prices (as in for little items i needed, the prices were same as back home)

http://www.scubashack.com/

[Scuba Skaughtie]

We stayed in Kihei and dove with Ed Robinson's group. Great experience. The boats were clean and not crowded, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Next time we will dive with thermal again.

There is also great shore diving on Maui. Mala warfare and 5 graves/ 5 caves are great.

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[MikeMeagher]

Thanks everyone for the info. Seems were going to do two weeks in Maui. Keep the dive site recommendations and shops coming.

[Jeremy]

Lahaina divers is great. Did Molokini, turtle town, and the Cathedrals with them and had a blast

[LCF]

Mike, as an experienced diver who really likes sea life, I'd highly recommend the Mike Severns boat to you. Pauline, who runs the boat, is co-author of one of the guides to Hawaiian marine life. The focus of the dives is unusual endemic species, and they have a lot of ID materials on board. They tend to attract a more experienced and solid clientele. It's my favorite boat on Maui.

There is also VERY good shore diving that's easy. I don't know where you are going to be staying, but in the Kihei/Wailea area, Ulua and Polo beaches offer very nice reef diving, and good opportunities for turtles. If you're staying in Kaanapali or near Lahaina, the Mala Pier dive is not to be missed. The legal entry is a PITA, but the dive is worth it. The pier, which collapsed in a hurricane, offers a ton of structure that shelters all kinds of critters. I have seen sharks every time I have dived here, as well as turtles and large schools of various kinds of fish. The swimthroughs offer great photographic opportunities. This is a really fun dive with a max depth of about 25 feet, so very sunlit and picturesque.

If you need any more information about shops where you can get gear and the like, please feel free to PM me. My in-laws live on Maui, and I have done a lot of diving there.

[kdupreez]

This thread a while ago has some pretty good Maui Dive site and info...

Maui Dive Sites and Dive operators

We've dove Maui about 4 times and its an awesome Island for shore diving!!

Have FUN!! and Drop me a PM if you want to borrow my Chuck Thorne book..

Koos

[MikeMeagher]

Wow thanks for the good info everyone. This is the sort of word of mouth recommendations that is really appreciated.
I didnt realize theres some shore dives, so I suppose I'll now be doing more dives than previously expected. Guess I'll take my gear with me.. and for sure my video rig. Were staying in the NW area of the island, but will for sure have a cal.

[Gooch]

TONS of really good shore dives- just do them early before the trades kick up and make it rough. Ed Robinson and Mike Severns if you want to go out to the crater or dives far from shore. We used Maui Dreams based on reccomendations from friends and they were really awesome. My personal fave dives were - Mckenna Beach, Ahihi Bay, 5 Graves (kinda part of Mckenna if you go far enough around) and there was a little local park that has a site called White Beach- it was a hoot! In Maui Dreams, they sold a little locally published book on shore dives and it was very good. Next time I go, I will do the backside of Molokini Crater and Marty's Reef as a night dive again- it was mind blowing!

[nightop]

Mike, as an experienced diver who really likes sea life, I'd highly recommend the Mike Severns boat to you. Pauline, who runs the boat, is co-author of one of the guides to Hawaiian marine life. The focus of the dives is unusual endemic species, and they have a lot of ID materials on board. They tend to attract a more experienced and solid clientele. It's my favorite boat on Maui.

There is also VERY good shore diving that's easy. I don't know where you are going to be staying, but in the Kihei/Wailea area, Ulua and Polo beaches offer very nice reef diving, and good opportunities for turtles. If you're staying in Kaanapali or near Lahaina, the Mala Pier dive is not to be missed. The legal entry is a PITA, but the dive is worth it. The pier, which collapsed in a hurricane, offers a ton of structure that shelters all kinds of critters. I have seen sharks every time I have dived here, as well as turtles and large schools of various kinds of fish. The swimthroughs offer great photographic opportunities. This is a really fun dive with a max depth of about 25 feet, so very sunlit and picturesque.

If you need any more information about shops where you can get gear and the like, please feel free to PM me. My in-laws live on Maui, and I have done a lot of diving there.

I 2nd Mike Severns. Did 3 days with them in late April. Great crew, great dive site briefings...yummy sticky buns for the SI.

[MikeMeagher]

Appreciate the info. I booked a dive with them today.

[clongdon]

I am going to Maui in a few weeks and still need to book a charter. I was hoping you could tell me how your experience went with the Mike Severns boat and crew. Sounds like they come highly recommended. Any other info. you can share about Maui would be greatly appreciated as well!

Thanks a bunch!

[clongdon]

I just called them and sadly they don't take snorkelers, I have some non-diving people going with me and want them to come along for a fun day. So, if anyone can suggest another dive charter that would be awesome!

Thanks!

[ironheadjane]

We totally loved Mike Severns Diving, just to put that out there. Also, we stayed at the Aston Maui Hill, which was just about perfect. It's condos, and they are a little retro, but clean and with a kitchen and grills outside. It's also a 10 minute walk to the boat ramp! For us, it was ideal because we bought groceries and coffee, would get up at 5:30, make and eat breakfast, get our snorkel kits (we left our dive gear with the boat) and head down the hill to the boat. The boat was back by lunch, so it meant we had the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted! This was probably one of the best dive vacations I've had. It was also a nice walk to the beach, where we would play in the water and body surf for hours. There are other, fancier places to stay that aren't too far from the boat ramp, but we really couldn't beat the location.

[renoun]

I just called them and sadly they don't take snorkelers,

In the past Scuba Shack has taken snorkelers. They run a ~35' jet boat from the Kihei ramp. They guy that owns the shop is from Marysville.