Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
or mixed gases, this is the deepest dive available anywhere in Maui County, although you
should still stay within the recreational dive limit of 145 feet.
Even though diving at Molokini offers a chance of seeing sharks, if you want a 100
percent guarantee of diving with sharks, the most unique dive on the island is offered at
the Maui Ocean Center where you can go diving inside the shark tank. As part of its
Shark Dive Maui program, certified divers are able to spend 30-40 minutes surrounded by
various species of sharks, some of which can include hammerhead and tiger sharks. The
dive has a maximum limit of four divers, costs $199, and is only offered on Monday, Wed-
nesday, and Friday mornings. The cost includes the tank and the weight, although divers
will need to provide the rest of their gear. Although diving at an aquarium might seem like
cheating, even some of Maui's most seasoned divers claim it's a great dive. More than just
a novelty, this is your best opportunity to be completely surrounded by the ocean's most
feared and misrepresented creatures.
One of the island's newest wreck dives is a Helldiver WWII airplane which was aban-
doned by a pilot on a training run off Sugar Beach. When the pilot ejected, his plane sank
in 50 feet of water, and for the better part of 60 years this plane sat forgotten in the mud-
flats off Ma'alaea. When a local fisher tipped off a Kihei dive instructor that there was
probably something down there, the exploratory dive mission yielded a historical discov-
ery which is now property of the U.S. military; divers aren't allowed to touch or enter the
aircraft. While there isn't an overwhelming amount of marine life here, this is a unique
dive you won't find in many people's logbooks. There aren't any regularly scheduled trips
to the Helldiver, but many South Maui operators periodically plan excursions to the site,
so inquire about when the next outing might be.
Rental Operators
The only retail operator in Ma'alaea that rents out dive gear is Maui Dive Shop (300
Ma'alaea Harbor Rd., 808/244-5514, www.mauidiveshop.com , 6am-6pm daily) in the
Ma'alaea Harbor Shops. Although most dive operations will furnish their own gear, this is
a good place to pick up equipment if you're diving at the Maui Ocean Center, are planning
a dive off a nearby shoreline, or need some accessories such as a flashlight or a knife.
Dive Boats
Although most Molokini dive boats depart from the Kihei Boat Ramp, two that depart
from Ma'alaea Harbor are the 48-foot Maka Koa which is operated by Maui Dive Shop
(808/875-1775, www.mauidiveshop.com ) as well as the 40-foot Maui Diamond II (Slip
23, 808/879-9119, www.mauidiamond.com ). Maui Dive Shop offers two-tank trips to Mo-
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