Scuba Diving FAQ

No, you do not need a scuba certification to try diving. So if you want to see Maui underwater, Banyan Tree Divers offers the Discover Scuba Dive for $99 per person. Your cost includes equipment rental, basic scuba diving theory, shallow water skills practice, and one shore dive!

If you want to learn to dive on Maui, we also offer the PADI Open Water Diver certification course, which takes as little as 2 days.

Yes, advanced planning is helpful to secure your preferred date and time, especially if you will be completing a dive course. Banyan Tree Divers is a mobile Maui dive shop however, so we do offer a degree of flexibility and can often accommodate last-minute bookings. So call us at (808) 446-6099, even if you want to start diving today!

Yes. All your rental scuba diving equipment is included in the price. We even provide boots and open-heel fins!

Yes, Banyan Tree Divers focuses on Maui shore diving in Lahaina. You do not need to get up early and spend more than half a day boat diving to see the best Maui dive sites. In fact, most of the dive sites utilized by boat companies are accessible from a Maui beach. If you want to experience diving on Maui like a local, then let Banyan Tree Divers show you our favorite spots with the convenience of parking your rental car and entering the water.

Yes, absolutely. We will complete the PADI Referral course with you. All you need to do is provide Banyan Tree Divers with your online PADI e-Learning course results and referral paperwork proving completion of your 5 confined training sessions from your previous instructor. We pro-rate the cost of your course cost accordingly.

The best way to make a reservation is on our website or by calling (808) 446-6099. Book now to secure your Maui diving trip with us!

Yes, Banyan Tree Divers has teamed up with a top Maui boat companies, Dive Maui and Makai Adventures, to provide high-end private boat diving and snorkeling excursions. We visit Maui diving locations such as Molokini and Lana’i as well as others in Lahaina, Kapalua and Olowalu. Contact us for more information about private boat diving.

Most PADI scuba certification courses can be completed in two to three days, with the exception of PADI Scuba Diver, which only takes one day. PADI Open Water Diver requires a minimum of two days.

For certified divers, the next step is earning your PADI Adventure Diver certification or PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification. These training dives focus on developing your skills allowing you to explore specific aspects of diving. The Adventure Diver course is a combination of any three training dives from the full PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course and may be completed in one day. The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course comprises of five dives and requires a minimum of two days to complete. For this course, both the Deep and Navigation dives are compulsory. The three remaining dives are electives, such as Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist, or Underwater Photography. The Advanced Diver course is a prerequisite for the PADI Rescue Diver course, and the training dives may also be applied toward PADI Specialty Diver ratings. For more information about courses beyond the Advanced Open Water level, please check out our individual course pages, and contact us directly for further information and scheduling details.

We are lucky to have excellent dive conditions all year round. Yes, it’s always possible to dive here! An exceptionally special time to dive is when thousands of Humpback Whales migrate home to Maui. Scuba diving with us during the six months from December to May is the best time if you are to have a chance of witnessing this amazing spectacle. The whales safely spend the winter months here, mating, giving birth, and socializing, while we enjoy listening to their songs throughout every dive! 

Diving in large groups can lead to hazardous interactions with Maui’s marine environment. So to provide the best service and safety, as well as protect our amazing ocean we keep our group sizes small. Beginner groups are max 4 divers and we have private diving available for groups of mixed comfort levels.

No. There are no hidden costs and all dive equipment is included. For some courses, there are additional fees for manuals/ e-Learning. If you are not sure of the total cost, feel free to double-check with us before you book.

Yes, absolutely! If you are PADI certified and forgot to bring your certification card, then it’s easy to look up your PADI profile online. We recommend you download the PADI app on your phone, so your proof of certification is always with you!

If you were certified by a scuba organization other than PADI, and do not have your card, please provide your logbook as documentation. If you are unable to produce either a logbook or card, then you may still dive. We simply conduct a Scuba Refresh Dive tailored to your current ability.

Yes! Guests of any certification level may dive together because Maui scuba diving sites allow us to keep dives fairly shallow. Most of the time you will reach a maximum depth of about 40 feet.

Our Maui dive shop operates a 48hour cancellation policy, so if you need to cancel prior to this, you will receive a full refund. Cancellations within 48hours are not eligible for a refund. Cancellations due to poor weather conditions are at the discretion of Banyan Tree Divers.

If you are at least 10 years old and stand to be in good medical condition then you will most likely NOT require a doctor’s clearance to scuba dive. All non-certified divers and those enrolling in PADI certification courses will be required to fill out a medical statement. If you must answer “Yes” to any medical questions, then a clearance from your doctor will be necessary before you begin scuba diving on Maui with us. Please note that for professional-level courses like the PADI Divemaster program, a signed medical form is mandatory.

Preview the medical questionnaire.

One dive requires a minimum surface time of 12 hours before ascending to altitude (above 1000ft). After two or more dives, a minimum surface time of 18 hours is recommended.