Some people come to Maui for the sole purpose of plunging into the tropical Pacific and exploring the underwater world. You can see the great variety of tropical marine life (more than 100 endemic species found nowhere else on the planet), explore sea caves, and swim with sea turtles and monk seals in the clear tropical waters off the island. We recommend going early in the morning. Trade winds often rough up the seas in the afternoon, so most dive operators schedule early morning dives that end at noon, and then take the rest of the day off.
Unsure about scuba diving? Take an introductory dive; most operators offer no-experience-necessary dives, ranging from $95 to $125. You can learn from this glimpse into the sea world whether diving is for you.
Everyone dives Molokini, a marine-life park and one of Hawaii's top dive spots. This crescent-shaped crater has three tiers of diving: a 35-foot plateau inside the crater basin (used by beginning divers and snorkelers), a wall sloping to 70 feet just beyond the inside plateau, and a sheer wall on the outside and backside of the crater that plunges 350 feet. This underwater park is very popular thanks to calm, clear, protected waters and an abundance of marine life, from manta rays to clouds of yellow butterfly fish.
Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures (tel. 800/635-1273 or 808/879-3584; www.mauiscuba.com) is the only Maui company rated one of Scuba Diver magazine's top 10 best dive operators for 5 years straight. Ed, a widely published underwater photographer, offers specialized charters for small groups. Two-tank dives range from $110 to $120 ($5-$15 extra for equipment); his dive boats depart from Kihei Boat Ramp.
If Ed is booked, call Severns Diving (tel. 808/879-6596; www.mikesevernsdiving.com), for small (maximum 12 people, divided into 2 groups of 6), personal diving tours on a 38-foot Munson/Hammerhead boat with freshwater shower. Pauline Fiene-Severns is a biologist who makes diving in Hawaii not only fun but also educational (check out her spectacular underwater photography book, Molokini Island). In her 25-plus years of operation, the company has been accident-free. Two-tank dives are $120 (with equipment).
Stop by any location of the Maui Dive Shop(www.mauidiveshop.com), Maui's largest diving retailer, which offers everything from rentals to scuba-diving instruction to dive-boat charters. They'll give you a free copy of the 24-page Maui Dive Guide, which has maps and details about the 20 best shoreline and offshore dives and snorkeling sites, all ranked for beginner, intermediate, or advanced snorkelers/divers. This operation has locations in Kihei at Azeka Place II Shopping Center, 1455 S. Kihei Rd. (tel. 808/879-3388), and at the Kamaole Shopping Center (tel. 808/879-1533); in Lahaina at the Lahaina Cannery Mall (tel. 808/661-5388); and in the Honokowai Market Place (tel. 808/661-6166). Other locations include Whalers Shopping Village, Kaanapali (tel. 808/661-5117), and Kahana Gateway, Kahana (tel. 808/669-3800).
Ed Robinson, of Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures, knows what makes a great dive. Here are his favorites on Maui:
Hawaiian Reef -- This area off the Kihei-Wailea Coast is so named because it hosts a good cross-section of Hawaiian topography and marine life. Diving to depths of 85 feet, you'll see everything from lava formations and coral reef to sand and rubble, plus a diverse range of both shallow- and deep-water creatures. It's clear why this area was so popular with ancient Hawaiian fishermen: Large helmet shells, a healthy garden of antler coral heads, and big schools of snapper are common.
Third Tank -- Located off Makena Beach at 80 feet, this World War II tank is one of the most picturesque artificial reefs you're likely to see around Maui. It acts like a fish magnet: Because it's the only large solid object in the area, any fish or invertebrates looking for a safe home come here. Surrounding the tank is a cloak of schooling snappers and goatfish just waiting for a photographer with a wide-angle lens. It's fairly small, but the Third Tank is loaded with more marine life per square inch than any site off Maui.
Molokini Crater -- The backside of the crater is always done as a live boat-drift dive. The vertical wall plummets from more than 150 feet above sea level to around 250 feet below. Looking down to unseen depths gives you a feeling for the vastness of the open ocean. Pelagic fish and sharks are often sighted, and living coral perches on the wall, which is home to lobsters, crabs, and a number of photogenic black-coral trees at 50 feet.
There are actually two great dive sites around Molokini Crater. Named after common chub or rudderfish, Enenue Side gently slopes from the surface to about 60 feet, then drops rapidly to deeper waters. The shallower area is an easy dive, with lots of tame butterfly fish. It's also the home of Morgan Bentjaw, one of our friendliest moray eels. Enenue Side is often done as a live boat-drift dive to extend the range of the tour. Diving depths vary. Divers usually do a 50-foot dive, but on occasion, advanced divers drop to the 130-foot level to visit the rare boarfish and the shark condos.
Almost every kind of fish found in Hawaii can be seen in the crystalline waters of Reef's End. It's an extension of the rim of the crater, which runs for about 200 yards underwater, barely breaking the surface. Reef's End is shallow enough for novice snorkelers and exciting enough for experienced divers. The end and outside of this shoal drop off in dramatic terraces to beyond diving range. In deeper waters, there are shark ledges at varying depths and dozens of eels, some of which are tame, including moray, dragon, snowflake, and garden eels. The shallower inner side is home to Garbanzo, one of the largest and first eels to be tamed. The reef is covered with cauliflower coral; in bright sunlight, it's one of the most dramatic underwater scenes in Hawaii.
La Pérouse Pinnacle -- In the middle of scenic La Pérouse Bay, site of Haleakala's most recent lava flow, is a pinnacle rising from the 60-foot bottom to about 10 feet below the surface. Getting to the dive site is half the fun: The scenery above water is as exciting as that below the surface. Underwater, you'll enjoy a very diversified dive. Clouds of damselfish and triggerfish will greet you on the surface. Divers can approach even the timid bird wrasse. There are more porcupine puffers here than anywhere else, as well as schools of goatfish and fields of healthy finger coral. La Pérouse is good for snorkeling and long, shallow second dives.
