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Hawaii bound and need tips

LeviT

LeviT

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Ok, this might not happen if we don't do well on out taxes next month but just in case I need to start planning now. The game plan as of right now is that I'll get scuba certified between now and July so that my son and I can scuba dive where ever we end up going to in Hawaii (my son is already certified).

Questions:
Assuming I get certified, what are the top places to scuba dive on?

Assuming I don't, where are the best places to snorkel?

Just as general first time Hawaii goers, where would you suggest to stay in Hawaii?

Thanks in advance!
 
We enjoy Maui. Lots of beauty and outdoor stuff to do. Snorkel or dive Molokini, Turtle Town or Arches, Honolua Bay. On a snorkeling trip on the Pacific Whaling Foundation boat, we had great snorkeling, saw spinner dolphins, turtles, and humpbacks. Awesome trip. Also snorkel the Mile 14 marker on the way to Lahaina. You'll have a blast. Good father son bonding.
 
I'm more of an Oahu person myself but if you're looking for somewhere to scuba I think Maui is much more better than Oahu. Molikini is a cool place to snorkel. In Makena there's a place called "fish bowl." I believe you can no longer walk to fish bowl so you'll have to kayak or swim there. I've never been to the big island but I've heard that place is good and they also have the manta ray night dive.
 
Thanks guys. For those that don't know me, it'll be myself, my wife and our son that's 16 and our daughter who will have just turned 18.
 
Best diving I have EVER done in my life was off of Kauai! There is a dive shop called "Bubbles Below" http://bubblesbelowkauai.com/ that is fantastic.

They are one of Two dive shops allowed to dive off the coast of Niihau (island about two hours off of Kauai). It isn't exactly beginner stuff, however you can talk to them about getting you out there. They liken Niihau to the Gillapagos as it is so far away from........well.......EVERYTHING! The Topography is unbelievable and they have a special Anthias that ONLY live in Hawaii at approx 120' down a wall. They also have large Munk Seals that are very endangered and they love to swim with the divers. They are HUGE and make this crazy grunting noise when they are swimming with you. Caves and swim throughs that are fantastic with Reef sharks hiding in the shadows. Rent a light and have FUN!

Not a lot of coral in Hawaii in general. Maui does however have night diving with the the Manta Ray's. Can't argue with that. They sink ya to the bottom with weights......give you a giant light that you aim straight up to attract all the krill and the Rays just glide right over you...........doing loop after loop and literally touching your body as they glide over you. Sorry, I get a bit excited about diving.

Anyway, check out bubbles below. They are a great dive shop and VERY eco-friendly. Their goal is education about Hawaii's specific troubles and unique sea life. Lot's of reef sharks and they have a turtle dive right off Kauai that was CRAZY cool. Turtles way bigger than me, and at one point I counted 12 that I could see at one time. Unfortunately this is due to a sugar cane factory that drains fertilizer into the ocean causing massive algea that the turtles like, but it was still amazing. They also have a TON of Octopi! Ok, nuff said. If you have any questions, you can PM me. I have done a lot of diving, but can't wait to go back to Kauai!
 
I snorkeled on 3 islands places there.
Oahu - hanluma bay, big nice place, lots of fish, waaaaay overcrowded, water tastes like sunscreen
big island - cook's monument (kayak only). Very nice, almost no people. Pretty big, some fish, a big drop. Just a very nice place overall.
kauai - 2-3 places on north shore, all within 30min of driving. Very calm, not crowded, very nice fish. I saw divers there. And a shark.

I also snorkeled maybe a dozed random beached. All nice but nothing spectacular. The thing is you can get lucky and bump into turtles, flying fish, etc
 
Kona coast is the bomb.
One of the top ten dives in the world is diving with the Manta rays.
http://www.bigislanddivers.com/MantaDive.html
There are several snorkel/dive spots that are very accessible from shore.
Highly recommend.
Stay anywhere. It's paradise after all.
 
I also want to add that Big Island (and Kona specifically) is my fav place. Very laid back and relaxed, exactly how I liked it.
North shore of Kauai is similar.
Other places were too crowded and touristy.
 
i have only been to oahu and maui, and i have to say Maui is da bomb! I have been there two years in a row. Costco is a block from the airport so buy some food for your condo. I have found that you dont have to pay to go on snorkel excursions, I walked across the street from our condo in kihei and saw all of the same coral and fish that we saw on the boat. I think the snorkel gear was bout 25 bucks for the week. One of my favorite things to do there didnt even involve the ocean. Mt. haleakala state park is beautiful. I have heard the sunrise is breathtaking but you have to wake up at about 3 or 4 in the morning to drive up there ( maybe an hour drive). We prefer going up around noon, then hike down the trails, it feels like you are on another planet. Then go back to the car an eat a packed lunch and then watch the sunset. I think it only cost 10 bucks for the car to enter the park. Bring a jacket and pants for the top of the mountain as well as some hiking shoes. Then theres the road to hana but due to a certain someone getting carsick i havent been able to take that drive yet. Im sure you'll have fun regardless of what island you choose, its hawaii!
 
Thanks everyone. We had a family meeting last night and we MAY end up changing gears and going to Florida...... sigh.... if we end up going to Florida I can see us spending all our time on land..... We'll see...
 
Levi, if you still have Hawaii as a possibility I can add the following:

The water sems to get warmer and the coral growth more significant as you head from northwest (Kauai) to southeast (Hawaii). Although the SE islands are newer in age, I found the most spectacular coral colonies and life along the lower half of the Kona Coast (from the Waikoloa area parks about 20 mi north of the airport down to Cooks Monument area). We took a snorkeling cruise down to the Cooks area (Kealakekua Bay) and that was really cool.

Maui was OK, and there is a very nice park at the NW end of the island by Kapalua. Otherwise it was neat, but nothing to blow off your socks.

Oahu is really, really developed and if you're looking for a nice natural setting you're better off on one of the other islands. Hanauma bay used to be a nice, protected snorkeling bay with tons of fish and plenty of rocky areas (no coral) many years ago. However, as of 15 years ago or so it has become over-run and as someone else mentioned, it smells like a big hot tub of sunscreen.

Kauai is really nice, especially on the far north coast as you proceed counterclockwise around the island. There are some amazing tidal flats beneath the Princeville hotel where I've done some great collecting, and Hanalei Bay is stunning ... nice wide beach with mountains in the background. If you continue on the road past Hanalei to the end of the road, there's a couple nice reefs out there but nothing like Kona / Cooks.

Hope this is helpful ... on the collection reference, I've done collecting at multiple points on three islands (Hawaii, Maui, Kauai) and enjoyed them all with the Princeville Hotel flats being my favorite. However, to get the stunning visuals I would go first to the Kona Coast and possibly Molokini as I've heard that is neat.
 
In a family situation, first trip - I would recommend Maui by a mile.
Maui has a bit of everything. Decent snorkeling. Volcano. Hikes. A bit of night life. Shopping. A bit touristy, but not horrible.
(The even have a submarine underwater tour if others don't dive)
Florida has Disney world for the kids of course. And an airboat through the everglades is fun. But otherwise - ehh.
The snorkeling we did in Florida was not great, but it was murky due to recent storm.
Oahu is way overcrowded.
The big island and Kauai are very nice for adults, and probably my personal favorites. But not so great for kids.
Molokai was boring for everyone other than a couple of short rainforest hikes.
 
patchin said:
John
My son will be going to Oahu in a couple months. What outdoor stuff do you like to do there?
Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...

Surf of course! 8) Diamond Head is fun to hike and there's a few other places for hiking. Snorkeling is ok there. Hanauma Bay is where most of the tourist go. They also have shark diving and sky diving in the north shore! When my kids get older I'm definitely gonna try that! :D
 
tip?

Yah, Sunscreen & sun projection :)

Do not go to Waikiki... and DO NOT swim in the little lagoon by the hotel with the double rainbow on it... the lagoon is breeding ground for little painful jellyfish and the locals beat the signs into the sand :lol: they hurt!
 
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