Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
flag. As with snorkeling, dive spots along the northern section of the island will be largely
inaccessible during winter due to large surf. Summer is the best time for diving up north.
KAPALUA, NAPILI, AND HONOKOWAI
Dive Sites
The best shore dive in West Maui is Honolua Bay, although slogging all of your gear
down to the water can be an exhausting undertaking. If diving from shore, you will want
to launch from the center of the beach and hug the right side of the bay where the reef
drops off into the sand channel. Maximum depth here can reach about 40 feet, and you can
expect to see green sea turtles, a wide variety of reef fish, or even have rare encounters
with spinner dolphins. Of the boats offering dive trips to Honolua Bay, Hula Girl (808/
665-0344, www.sailingmaui.com ) offers scuba diving as an add-on to the regular snorkel
charter, although most dive charters head elsewhere along the West Side.
For a beginner-friendly introductory dive, Kapalua Bay can offer everything from a
shallow dive of 25 feet to a more advanced dive of 40 feet rounding the corner toward
neighboring Namalu Bay. Unlike at Honolua there are showers and facilities here as well
as an easy, sandy beach entry.
Dive Operators
The largest dive operation on the Upper West Side of the island is Kapalua Dive Com-
pany (1 Bay Dr., 808/669-3448, www.kapaluadive.com , 8am-5pm daily) at the northern
end of Kapalua Bay. Introductory beach dives are offered at 10:30am for $85, or you can
increase your dive area by taking a scooter dive into neighboring Namalu Bay for $125.
To get to areas usually inaccessible from shore, there are also guided kayak dives which
depart at 7:30am for turtle-laden areas such as Hawea Point, although inquire at the shop
about availability. Those wanting to get certified on vacation can also work with the PADI-
certified instructors. Occasional night dives are also offered.
Down in Honokowai, Tiny Bubbles Scuba (3350 Lower Honoapi'ilani Rd., 808/
870-0878, www.tinybubblesscuba.com , 8am-5pm daily) operates shore dives along the
West Maui coast. Under the lead of the vivacious and knowledgeable instructor “Tim-
merz,” all of the instructors for Tiny Bubbles have been diving the Maui shoreline for
over a decade and are acquainted with the nuances of Maui diving. Introductory courses
are $109, and certified divers can partake in a private, guided beach dive for $89. Night
dives and scooter dives are also offered. Depths on these shore dives rarely exceed 35 feet.
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