-=> Quoting Bill Crisman to All <=-
 BC> I will be going to Maui next month and I would like to know if anyone
 BC> has any info on dive locations, any dive info, or any other info about
 BC> Maui that would be helpful. 
The most convienient beach diving is at "Airport Beach", a county park
just north of the Kaanapali resort complex (north of Lahaina). Note:
Airport Beach is a local name, I can't remember the "official" name
of the park, but any local dive shop can tell you how to get there.
There are some beaches along the highway south of Lahaina that are
also nice, but maximum depth along the western coast of Maui at the
popular beach diving sites is rarely more than 25 feet. There is another
small county park beach south of Kehei, called "The Shark Caves" or
"The Five Graves", again, I can't remember the "official" name. This
site features some shallow caverns along the shoreside cliff just
north of the beach entry, that sometimes harbor white-tip reef sharks.
Note: if the prevailing wind is out of the southwest, which is often
the case in autumn (hurricane season), the Shark Caves dive site can
become too rough for safe diving, since it faces southwest. On our
last trip to Maui, August 1994, we drove to the Shark Caves five
mornings in a row and it was always too rough (8 foot breaking surf).
For Boat diving, the best site I know of is actually on the south side
of Lanai, about a 45 minute boat ride from Lahaina. Ask the divemaster
on your boat to take you to "The Cathedrals". It's an area of old
lava tubes and caverns that is quite nice. Lahaina Divers on Dickenson
Street offers 2 and 3 tank trips that include The Cathedrals.
If you are bringing your own gear, I recommend having it serviced before
you leave if it has been more than a year since the last time. I had
problems with my regulator and had some difficulty finding a shop
that had the right parts and know-how to repair it. Have a nice trip!
And when you're planning your next dive trip, try Cozumel...I have
had two wonderful dive vacations there at a price comparable to Hawaii,
with much better reefs. Hopefully, Hurricanes Opal and Roxanne haven't
damaged the reefs!
... Coral reefs hate standing ovations.
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