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Maui Dive Sites: Shore vs Boat Diving

Maui scuba diver enters Mala Wharf in Lahaina

How to Scuba Dive in Maui

Maui dive sites give scuba divers the option of excellent shore and boat diving! Shore diving is easy. You put on your scuba diving equipment and enter the ocean from a local beach. In Lahaina, there is no need to wake up early for a boat charter to discover the best of Maui underwater.

Even as a seasoned PADI scuba instructor, my first shore dive was in Maui. I had worked for many years on different scuba diving boats, so I didn’t even consider the idea of not boat diving! I thought, inevitably, all of the best underwater life is found far out at sea. But, wow, I was wrong! Scuba diving from the beach can be Maui scuba diving is best experienced from the shore!excellent, and it is suitable for both certified and beginner divers. Anyone over ten years old can scuba dive in Maui at dive sites like Airport Beach in Kaanapali and Mala Wharf in Lahaina.

The island blessed my first Maui scuba dive. I easily entered the ocean in Kaanapali from the beach on a calm day. I put on my dive mask and fins and then descended underwater. Within 10 minutes of combing over a good stretch of the colorful Hawaiian coral reef, a huge coastal Manta Ray appeared in about 20 feet of water. The significant visitor had a wingspan of at least 10 feet! I hovered over the coral reef, mesmerized by the grace and movements of the Manta Ray. Then I spent an incredible 20 MINUTES swimming alongside her. She slowly cruised over the coral reef and continuously examined my alien presence. This scuba dive immediately erased any potential doubts I had about Maui shore diving. Amazingly, it was the first dive that my future husband and I had ever done together. It felt like Maui had opened her arms and at that moment Banyan Tree Divers Maui was born.

But how does scuba diving from the beach compare with boat diving? Our answer always centers around the specific needs of each diver or group. For example, when someone needs to experience being on a dive boat and diving deeper than 80 feet, then boat diving checks the boxes! We would refer certified divers to any of the three local dive shops with a boat in Lahaina.

Shore diving wins most of the time because scuba divers get flexible start times, coupled with convenient and easy access to all of the marine life. You see more Hawaiin Green Turtles shore diving in Lahain than boat diving anywhere in Maui! Plus, even introductory divers can experience Maui’s number one scuba location, the excellent Mala Wharf in Lahaina. Mala Pier has a maximum depth of 30 feet.

Dive Sites from Shore and Boat

Maui dive sites feature vast stretches of fringing coral reef stretching along the south and west-facing coastlines. When dive conditions are calm, you can see the intricate coral formations right through the ocean. Over 20 percent of the 90-plus Hawaiian coral species are endemic, and almost half of the coral species are considered reef builders instead of the soft corals found in today’s more ancient reefs.

Extensive exposure to El Nino storms has limited the development of coral reef varieties. Four robust coral species dominate 75 percent of the reef biodiversity throughout the Hawaiian islands. As one of the most isolated marine ecosystems globally, 25 percent of Hawaii’s fish species are endemic. You can scuba dive near fish that you cannot find anywhere else on Earth.

Shore Diving in Maui

You do not have to venture far from your Maui hotel to scuba dive amongst this incredibly unique ecosystem. Most dive spots require a short walk in your scuba equipment, minimal surface swim, and begin in 10 feet of water. An array of fish greets you during your first few breaths, including Longfin Bannerfish, Triggerfish (the Maui scuba divers surfacing under Mala Wharf.official state fish of Hawaii), Pufferfish, colorful Parrotfish, and many varieties of Wrasse.

Turtles make frequent companions during most Maui scuba dives! Plus, at every dive site, there is an abundance of moray eels, unlike anywhere else. Of course, you can visit Mala Wharf in Lahaina, where it is almost guaranteed to see White Tip Reef Sharks lying along the sand.

If you travel with family members who are not scuba divers, you can still go shore diving without leaving your family for the entire day. Shore diving in Lahaina provides the convenience of scuba diving near your Maui hotel. You don’t have to spend your entire day dedicated to a boat diving excursion. Also no boat, no sea sickness. Instead, you can complete two shore dives before lunchtime.

Maui’s coral reefs remain my biggest concern about scuba diving near countless hotels and cruise ships. Sadly, worldwide the majority of coral reefs sit in peril. While Hawaiian coral reefs are not exempt, they are certainly not experiencing devastation like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The nearshore ocean cannot take the stress of modern-day life. Agricultural Runoff, rising ocean temperatures, land development, overfishing, massive tourism, and even sunscreen contribute to coral reefs’ degradation. You can see this destruction throughout the Hawaiian islands, no matter if you choose shore or boat diving, or both.

When you encounter any swath of compromised coral reefs, use the opportunity to generate underwater awareness. It is essential to link how human behavior affects this delicate system that provides comprehensive coastal protection and millions of dollars in yearly revenue. Sometimes one must experience an issue firsthand to care about it, pay for it, and hopefully do something about it. Coral reefs worldwide tend to remain healthier in undeveloped areas, of which few remain. However, these areas worldwide experience challenges of their own, such as extremely unregulated gigantic-sized commercial fishing practices.

Boat Diving in Maui

You can access most Maui dive locations from shore, but everything else requires a boat. Maui’s two famous boat diving spots are the crescent-shaped Molokini Crater (between Maui and Kahoolawe) and Lanai’s Cathedrals. The island of Lana’i sits closest to Maui divided by a fairly calm channel. Advanced divers can also visit Molokai for the opportunity to experience some of the best Hammerhead Shark diving in the world. Go Hammerhead diving in June to see 100 sharks!

Scuba diving by boat near the island of Lanai provides impressive rock formations, where you can experience kicking your fins through small caverns and lava tubes. It is pretty exhilarating to be out on the open ocean and descend into an abyss of geological formations that a limited number of people will ever get to see. However, the excitement of exploring depths of up to 130 feet makes that post-dawn check-in worth it. Eels, nudibranchs, frogfish, spiny lobsters, and the occasional turtle or white-tip reef shark bring a delicate balance of sea life to the impressive underwater topography.

Molokini Crater could be Hawaii’s most frequently visited snorkel and scuba dive site. A variety of boat charters with novice swimmers and snorkelers dominate the coral reef inside the crater. Luckily scuba divers can escape the crowd! When the current is not pumping, your instructor can lead you to explore the outer edges of the crater rim. The deeper depths in this area thrive with schools of triggerfish, parrotfish, and damselfish. On calm days scuba divers with advanced certifications can dive Molokini Crater’s backside. The back wall drops to about 200 feet making it an ideal playground for experienced scuba divers.

Just outside of Lahaina, Maui scuba divers craving a wreck dive get to visit the Carthaginian. Resting at about 100 feet, the intentionally sunk Carthaginian was laid to rest in 2005. Since then, it has amassed new coral colonies that attract big schools of fish, Nudibranchs, and White Tip Reef Sharks. You might even see a passing Humpback Whale here in January or February.

The Hawaiian islands face exposure to extreme weather conditions. All islands in the chain are profoundly affected by trade winds and swell. When you go boat diving, remember Maui’s ocean can be rough. All scuba divers prone to seasickness must consider preventative measures before getting on the boat.

Your Best Scuba Experience

If you want the best Maui dive experience but still can’t decide between shore and boat diving, go for both options! One day you can beach dive around Lahaina, and the next you can descend a mooring line near Lanai. Without a doubt, scuba divers encounter a great variety and abundance of sea life at every Maui dive site.

But no matter where you scuba dive in Maui, please remain mindful to respectfully experience Hawaii’s marine life.  You can take beginner lessons or begin a PADI course, but leave Maui’s ocean as untouched as you found it!

Coral breaks easily! Please don’t avoid the coral reef with your fins, boots, feet, gloves, hands, or head I guess.

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