Maui Diving Resources

Maui, Hawai'i is very nice place to dive - there is lots of shore diving from white, sandy beaches and there are many dive operators competing to take you to attractive locations like Molokini atoll or the Lanai Cathedrals. There are several marine reserves where there are plenty of fish and turtles, free from attack by spearfishers, fishermen and aquarium trade hunters. I hope the following list of resources will help people who intend SCUBA diving around Maui. You can also get an idea of what it is like from this small sample of dive reports. Please let me know if you are aware of other resources which should go in here, or if you spot any mistakes. The usual disclaimer applies - these resources are as accurate as I can make them, but I am not responsible for any problems you encounter as a result of errors.

Charters & Commercial Guides
Dive Shops
Snorkeling
Emergencies
Marine Life
Places to Stay
Usenet News Groups
Weather & Sea Conditions
WWW Sites
Other, non-Maui, Resources

Books & Magazines

'The Diver's Guide to Maui' by Chuck Thorne. Available at most dive shops in Maui, or write to him directly at:

Maui Dive Guide
PO Box 40
Hana, Maui, HI 96713
hanacave@maui.net
Enclose a check for $10.95 ($8.95 + $2.00 P&P within USA) - Prices correct in early 1998.

Maui Dive Guide. A free guide produced by, and available from, Maui Dive Shops. The Maui Dive Shops also sell dive site guides to the most popular sites, that you can take underwater with you.

The Maui Register. A free directory that includes tide tables.

We love this book. Having spent over a year in Hawaii I wanted something that went into Hawaii's undersea world in a bit more depth (sic). This was just what I was looking for. It describes the different underwater habitats, how they were formed and what lives there. For me it achieves a very nice balance between informative and accessible. A very satisfying read.

Charters & Commercial Guides

Brad Varney
B&B SCUBA, Azeka Place, Kihei
Tel: (808) 875-2861
Fax: 808-875-9752
E-mail: bvarney333@aol.com
Brad likes early starts and, if you go with him to Molokini, you'll be there before 7.00am and have moved on by the time the crowds get there. Charlie does night dives - he's great!
Web: http://www.bbscuba.com/

Dive Maui
Lahaina Center, 900 Front Street, #J6
Tel.: (808) 667-2080
E-mail: info@divemauiscuba.com
Web: http://www.divemauiscuba.com/

Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures
Kihei
Tel.: (808) 879-3584
E-mail: edrob@maui.net
A knowledgeable operation that gets consistently good ratings from divers. Ed is great to talk to - he travels widely and is a very fine photographer.
Web: www.mauiscuba.com

Michael Miller
Happy Maui Diving & Tours
840 Wainee Street - Suite 106
Lahaina, Maui HI 96761
Phone: (808) 669-0123 Fax: (808) 669-7800
E-mail: mmiller@maui.net

Mike & Pauline Severns
P.O.Box 627
Kihei, Maui
Hawaii 96753
Phone: (808) 879-6596
E-mail: severns@mauigateway.com
I hear good things from other divers about this operation. I intend diving with them the next time I am in Maui.
Web: http://www.mikesevernsdiving.com/

Pacific Dive
150 Dickenson Street
(The Old Captain Nemo's Building)
Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii 97671
phone: (808) 667-5331
Fax: (808) 667-6996E-mail: scuba@mauigateway.com
Web: http://www.mauigateway.com/~scuba/

Scuba Gods
2130 South Kihei Road
Kihei, Hawaii 96753
Web: http://www.scubagods.com

Scuba Shack
2349 South Kihei Road,
Kihei, Hawaii 96753
(In the ABC Store Complex, across from Kamaole Beach Park 1)
Reservations: Toll Free 1-877-213-4488,
Retail Store: 808-879-DIVE
E-mail: wetanku@maui.net

Water Fantasy Diving
phone: 808-385-3483
http://www.waterfantasydiving.com

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Dive Shops - Equipment sales and rental, Air fills, Repairs etc

There are many more than those given here, but I know these to be reliable:
B&B Scuba. Azeka I Shopping Center, 1180 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei, HI 96753. 808 875-2861
Capt. Nemo's Scuba Shack. 150 Dickenson Street, Lahaina. 661-5555
Dive Maui. Lahaina Square, Lahaina. 667-2080
Maui Dive Shop (various locations including) Azeka Place, Kihei. 879-3388
Pacific Dive Store. 1993 S. Kihei Road, Kihei. 808-667-5331 (Lahaina store)
Scuba Shack. 2349 South Kihei Road, Kihei. 808-879-DIVE

Snorkeling

The Pomacanthus Snorkelling Guide to the World's Coral Reefs - Maui

Emergencies

Ambulance 911
Coast Guard (on Maui) 244-5256
DAN - International number for diving emergencies + 41 1 14 14
DAN - US American number for diving emergencies + 1 919 684 8111
Hana Medical Center 248-8294
Honolulu Rescue Control Center (808) 546-7109
Hyperbaric Treatment Center, 42 Ahui Street, Honolulu, O'ahu (808) 523-9155
Maui Memorial Hospital (has a small, hyperbaric unit) 244-2404

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Marine Life

'Hawaiian Coral Reef Ecology' by David Gulko. Mutual Publishing.
'Hawaiian Reef Animals' by Edmund Hobson & EH Chave. University of Hawaii Press.
'Hawaii's Fishes' by John P Hoover. Mutual Publishing.
'Hawai'i's Sea Creatures - A Guide to Hawai'i's Marine Invertebrates' by John P Hoover. Mutual Publishing.
'Pacific: An Undersea Journey' by David Doubilet (pages 35 - 47). Bulfinch Press.
Turtle Trax at http://www.turtles.org

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation has extended to Maui. In collaboration with on-island partners, the Hawaii Coral Reef Network, Project S.E.A.-Link, the Maui Community College Marine Options Program, and the Division of Aquatic Resources at the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, REEF has compiled a new set of survey materials. The new scanform, underwater paper, color ID card and training curriculum are available from their online store. For more information, go to: http://www.reef.org/

You can order these books from

Places to Stay

Banana Bungalow is an inexpensive place to stay that advertises itself as welcoming divers and their gear. I haven't stayed there, so if you have, please let me know about it.

Beachhouse in Kihei is an inexpensive, two bedroom condo which has links to a dive operation, offering discounts when you stay there. Contact the owner at offshore@maui.net

Scuba Shack also do accommodation. You can see their properties, located on the south west coast of Maui, at http://www.scubashack.com/accommodations.php3

Usenet

There are a number of people who regularly visit rec.scuba.locations who are knowledgeable about diving Hawai'i generally and Maui specifically.

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Weather & Sea Conditions

Water temperatures range from the low 70s F (about 22 Celsius) in January and February, to the low 80s F (about 30C) in August and September. A full 2mm wet suit is likely to be adequate for most people. In summer, I am comfortable in a T-shirt.

There is an overall westerly movement of water around the Hawaiian islands. This is modified locally, particularly by tidal currents. The difference between high and low tide is approximately 2 feet (0.6m). Tidal currents can sometimes move faster than people can swim, so it is a good idea to consult tide tables before diving.

If you are planning on doing a lot of shore diving, it is also worth noting that in winter, it is quite common to have long periods of high surf, particularly on the north and west shores, which make shore diving entries and exits more difficult, and sometimes impossible.

Glenn James weather report and sea conditions for divers
Marine Forecast 877-3477
Maui Recreational Forecast 871-5054 & 877-5111

Weather conditions in Maui

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WWW

Alohacyberian's Maui Information page
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
International Shark Attack File - As the name suggests, this site is about shark attacks. Administered by the American Elasmobranch Society and the Florida Museum of Natural History, the International Shark Attack File is a compilation of all known shark attacks. Besides general information for the curious, a wealth of useful information and interesting summaries are offered here. The site provides geographic summaries of attacks (Hawai'i has 5% of the world's attacks), statistical trends of shark attacks since 1900, annual worldwide shark attack summaries (including the 2000 summary), and much more. We should all note the page of tips on how to minimise the risk of an attack.
Johann & Sandra's Maui, Hawaii - A comprehensive travel guide to Maui with a personal touch. You'll find Hawaii books, photos, trip reports, a message board, recommendations and reviews, scuba diving information and more.
Maui Hawaii Activities Mall - Listing all Water, Sky, and Land Activities available on Maui, Hawai'i
Our dive reports
Snorkel Maui - This site includes a printable fish chart, fish list, fish quiz, how to ID a fish, snorkeling faq, snorkeling books, links and maps.
Snorkelling Hawaii Insider's Guide: Maui - This site includes detailed information on some of the most popular snorkelling (and scuba diving) sites on Maui.

Other, non-Maui, Resources

Over the years we've read a lot of guide books to Maui. Most are fine, but Jerry and Janine Sprout's 'Maui Trailblazer' is our favourite.

It covers the usual resort and tourist areas, but also includes places most tourists never get to. If you have visited Maui as often as we have, that is a big plus. It includes clear and concise driving directions, and trail descriptions.

The book includes:

* 137 hikes and strolls: tropical rain forests and remote valleys, coastal bluffs and lava tubes, Haleakala caldera and the Hana Highway, waterfalls, pools, beaches.

44 snorkeling beaches and reefs, including the places tour boats go.

16 spots to kayak or canoe the coast

38 beaches for surfers, including board, body and boogie, plus windsurfing hot spots

10 maps and more than 200 photographs

A Resource Links section covering travellers' needs with addresses, weblinks and phone numbers.

Diving

DAN - The safety organisation for divers. The DAN America office is located at The Peter B Bennet Center, 6 West Colony Place, Durham, NC 27705.
Tel.: (919) 684 2948.
Fax: (919) 490 6630.
E-mail: dan@diversalertnetwork.org.
Web site: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/

Bubbles Below - Kaua'i and Ni'ihau
An O'ahu diving link
Tides Online - The National Ocean Service (NOS) Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) web site posts tide tables and tide charts for more than 3,000 U.S. locations. Search by state or region to pinpoint the tides and predicted water levels for your next dive outing.