Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui
Best Scuba Dive in Maui
Mala Wharf in Lahaina is the best scuba dive that Maui offers! You can dive Mala Pier two ways, from a boat or walking in from the beach. No matter how you enter, both paths lead to adventure for scuba divers, snorkelers, and free divers. But, this dive site only got that way when the existing pier collided with Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Maui is home to some great dive sites, but few offer a history like this former recreational, commercial, and military harbor in the heart of Lahaina.
You might hear Mala Wharf called Mala Pier or simply Mala. As a dive site, this underwater wreckage offers adventure for every scuba diving skill level because the depth of the sandy bottom ranges from 10 to just 30 feet. The shallow nature of Mala also makes it excellent for snorkelers. Ask your dive instructor about this spot when you feel ready to see the resident alongside !
The location is slightly off Maui’s beaten tourist path, yet easy to find because it sits immediately south of the concrete canal next to the Lahaina Cannery Mall. As you approach the boat ramp there are restrooms and showers on the left. Parking for scuba divers is behind the restrooms in the adjacent dirt lot. That means you’ll have to turn your vehicle around to drive out and around the corner into the back dirt lot! Put your scuba gear on in the parking lot and walk to the beach entry along the pier’s south side.
A Short History of Mala Wharf
US Navy sailors walking down the street near Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Maui during the 1930s.
The original concrete pier was built in 1922, featuring steel reinforcements to disembark passengers and load goods from large commercial steamship vessels. But, shortly after construction, the companies using the pier found Mala Wharf to be entirely inadequate for servicing large steamships. This logistical error did not initially spell the end of Mala Wharf as a commercial harbor, as smaller vessels began using the sturdy structure to shuttle passengers, pineapples, and agricultural freight. At its commercial height in the 1930s, Mala Wharf famously became a small harbor for Humpback Whale hunters! In the 1940s during World War Two, Navy sailors used the pier to access Lahaina town!
Everything changed about Mala Wharf as a commercial harbor when Hurricane Iniki wrought tremendous havoc in September 1992. The hurricane brought winds peaking at 150 MPH. Strong waves, 30-foot surf, and powerful wind gusts sent most of the pier’s structure to the sandy bottom. The resulting destruction ended Mala Wharf’s commercial use in Lahaina.
The collapsed concrete pilings now serve as an excellent home for numerous White Tip Reef Sharks, Hawaiian Green Turtles, and colorful schools of fish! These species thrive amongst the corals and vibrant sponges. You can arrange a Maui scuba diving tour to experience these underwater animals and see what has become of Mala Wharf. Scuba divers might even find the elusive frogfish!
Mala Wharf in Lahaina, Hawaii provides the best scuba diving in Maui! You can reach the dive site by boat, but Mala Wharf is famous as a shore diving site. Here scuba divers park in the dirt lot behind the public restrooms. You walk from the dirt parking lot to the beach along the pier’s left or south side. You walk along the dock keeping as close to the structure as possible and waiting until you are standing in water at least chest-deep before putting on your scuba fins. Keep your fins up as you kick on the surface to deeper water. When you reach the end of the existing pier structure, look for boat traffic. Mala is a popular spot with numerous snorkeling boats and catamarans looking to anchor in the mooring field.
If you get lost driving your rental car trying to find this dive site, remember that Mala Wharf sits immediately south of the concrete canal near the Lahaina Cannery Mall (Safeway Supermarket).
The Hawaiian islands are undoubtedly an enchanted place on Earth. In Hawaii, you find active volcanoes, snow-capped volcanoes, tropical forests, and an underwater playground that can forever live on in your dreams. So book online with our Lahaina dive shop when you are ready for the best Maui scuba diving.