Hawaii Recommendations

My wife and I are thinking of a trip to Hawaii this coming October. We've
been to Oahu before, and want to go another island this trip. What do folks
here recommend? What island offers the best dive opportunities? Any
recommendations on dive operations that have given you good service (or to be
avoided)? How 'bout recommendations on a hotel or place to stay?

Thanks!

-Tim

On Jun 16, 11:14*am, t...@sdd.hp.com (Tim McDonough) wrote:

> My wife and I are thinking of a trip to Hawaii this coming October. *We've
> been to Oahu before, and want to go another island this trip. *What do folks
> here recommend? *What island offers the best dive opportunities? *Any
> recommendations on dive operations that have given you good service (or tobe
> avoided)? *How 'bout recommendations on a hotel or place to stay?

I like Maui. There's decent shore diving and good to great diving
around Molokini, plus several excellent dive operations. A lot of the
diving is out of Kihei, where there are all sorts of condo-type
accomodations and resorts nearby.

Try googling the topic. It's been discussed quite often.

Tim McDonough wrote:
> My wife and I are thinking of a trip to Hawaii
> this coming October. *We've been to Oahu before,
> and want to go another island this trip. *What do
> folks here recommend? *What island offers the
> best dive opportunities? *

If you're interested in "stuff other than diving", the volcano on the
Big Island has been very active this year, so that might be worth
consideration. Here's some relevant links:

Park open/closed status (SOx levels have been causing some closures):

http://www.nps.gov/havo/closed_areas.htm


http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/

which links to:

http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/maps.html
http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcam.../havoalert.cfm


Finding "walk out to see" lava:

http://www.lavainfo.us/
http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/02...the-lava-flow/
http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lavaflows.htm


Guidebook updates:
http://www.wizardpub.com/bigisland/bigupdate.html

Also, if you're thinking about taking a chopper flight for lava
viewing, I'd recommend booking whatever helicopter flight you plan to
take to be during the earlier part of your stay, because weather - or
customer - cancellations can happen at any time, and then you're left
without the time to rebook...they won't fly unless they have a full
load.

Similarly, be aware that it takes a good chunk of time to drive around
the Big Island, so you might want to split overnights between Kona and
Hilo, particularly if you want to take a morning flight out of Hilo
airport (closer to the Park & lava = slightly better and cheaper).
The Chopper company we used, out of Hilo, was:
http://www.tropicalhelicopters.com/hilo_adventures.php

...as they offered a "door off" flight in a Hughes 500, which gives
excellent views. FYI, there's a similar company in Kauai that does a
doors off on a 500 that's also a blast through the canyon & old lava
cone...can't recall offhand what their name was, but they're the only
company that flies out of the airport next to Port Allen on the
southside.

-hh

[Default] Thus spake Greg Mossman <mossman@qnet.com>:

>On Jun 16, 11:14*am, t...@sdd.hp.com (Tim McDonough) wrote:
>
>> My wife and I are thinking of a trip to Hawaii this coming October. *We've
>> been to Oahu before, and want to go another island this trip. *What do folks
>> here recommend? *What island offers the best dive opportunities? *Any
>> recommendations on dive operations that have given you good service (or to be
>> avoided)? *How 'bout recommendations on a hotel or place to stay?
>
>I like Maui. There's decent shore diving and good to great diving
>around Molokini, plus several excellent dive operations. A lot of the
>diving is out of Kihei, where there are all sorts of condo-type
>accomodations and resorts nearby.

We were in Maui last month. I personally like Mike Severens, we've
gone out with them about a dozen times.

One strong recommendation. Don't do the bike ride down Hale'akala.
I've been told that the ER gets 2 to 3 visits a week from people who
take a tumble and that there are probably twice that number who don't
need treatment.

I have the souvenier splint and a CD full of x-rays. Maui Memorial
Medical Center ER is a crap place to spend 5 hours of your vacation.
Your second day of vacation.

>
>Try googling the topic. It's been discussed quite often.

what island?

"Tim McDonough" <tmm@sdd.hp.com> wrote in message
news:g36aig$90e$1@epgc969.sdd.hp.com...
> My wife and I are thinking of a trip to Hawaii this coming October. We've
> been to Oahu before, and want to go another island this trip. What do
> folks
> here recommend? What island offers the best dive opportunities? Any
> recommendations on dive operations that have given you good service (or to
> be
> avoided)? How 'bout recommendations on a hotel or place to stay?
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Tim

Partially based on feedback here and talking with friends and some web
searching we've decided to head to Maui. We've got our flights scheduled,
and a car reserved, now we just need to make lodging reservations (we've been
looking at vrbo.com) and hopefully get some dives planned/reserved. Any
recommendations on dive operations that folks have had good service from (or
are to be avoid) would still be most welcome!

-Tim

"D" <d@cox.net> writes:
>
> what island?
>
> "Tim McDonough" <tmm@sdd.hp.com> writes:
> > My wife and I are thinking of a trip to Hawaii this coming October. We've
> > been to Oahu before, and want to go another island this trip. What do
> > folks here recommend? What island offers the best dive opportunities?
> > Any recommendations on dive operations that have given you good service
> > (or to be avoided)? How 'bout recommendations on a hotel or place to
> > stay?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > -Tim

[Default] Thus spake "D" <d@cox.net>:

>what island?

I don't think he knows. I personally like both Maui and the Big
Island, specifically Kona. Maui has slightly better diving, but I
feel like Hawai'i has more land type things to do. For whatever
reason, the condos are cheaper, but the hotels are more expensive.

>
>"Tim McDonough" <tmm@sdd.hp.com> wrote in message
>news:g36aig$90e$1@epgc969.sdd.hp.com...
>> My wife and I are thinking of a trip to Hawaii this coming October. We've
>> been to Oahu before, and want to go another island this trip. What do
>> folks
>> here recommend? What island offers the best dive opportunities? Any
>> recommendations on dive operations that have given you good service (or to
>> be
>> avoided)? How 'bout recommendations on a hotel or place to stay?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -Tim
>

On Jun 20, 12:04*pm, t...@sdd.hp.com (Tim McDonough) wrote:
> Partially based on feedback here and talking with friends and some web
> searching we've decided to head to Maui. *We've got our flights scheduled,
> and a car reserved, now we just need to make lodging reservations (we've been
> looking at vrbo.com) and hopefully get some dives planned/reserved. *Any
> recommendations on dive operations that folks have had good service from (or
> are to be avoid) would still be most welcome!

I've used Ed Robinson's for multiple days on three separate trips
there, suffering the long drive down from the Lahaina/Kaanapali area
each time (morning departure times for almost all Maui dive boats are
brutal). Our last time with them wasn't as pleasant due to the
departure of my very favorite DM in the entire world, Amy. Still,
it's a classy operation and their 3-dive "advanced" trip is great.
According to the website, they have a new "advanced" program with Ed
himself returning to dive with most of the trips. Having never met Ed
in person, that alone would be incentive for me to make a return
visit.

Dillon personally vouches for Mike Severns and I can second that, at
least reputation-wise, Severns comes even more highly recommended than
Ed Robinson. Yet another excellent choice would be B&B Scuba, a
personal favorite of several island residents I know. I'd have tried
both of these outfits were it not for the great trips I had with Ed.

I did a night dive once with Maui Dive Shop and it surprisingly wasn't
as bad as expected. Still, it's a cattle-boat operation strictly
geared toward new divers and if you have more than an iota of
experience, you'll resent the hand-holding and airhog-limited diving
with them.

I've also been diving with Extended Horizons out of Lahaina which
primarily runs trips over to nearby Lanai island. While my first trip
out with them didn't impress me much, I found the service of the crew
and spotting abilities of the DM to be first-rate on my second try
with them a few years later. That trip unfortunately was cut short
when Janna found herself being chewed by a vicious little moray, but I
can now attest that they do a great job handling marine emergencies as
well. I'll be back to try them again sometime, hopefully soon.

On Jun 19, 4:20*pm, Dillon Pyron <invaliddmpy...@austin.rr.com> wrote:

> One strong recommendation. *Don't do the bike ride down Hale'akala.
> I've been told that the ER gets 2 to 3 visits a week from people who
> take a tumble and that there are probably twice that number who don't
> need treatment.

Bikes scare the crap out of me, after a couple traumatic accidents in
my youth. Therefore, my mountain descent was several hours of sheer
terror, worsened because we exceeded the 25mph speed limit that they
were supposed to enforce, hitting close to 40 in some stretches.
Still, we went with supposedly the safest operation at the time and
they did a great job protecting us from other cars and the equipment
worked as it was supposed to. I didn't fall. Never again, though.
It's much more relaxing diving with killer sharks and morays deep in
treacherous waters.

> I have the souvenier splint and a CD full of x-rays. *Maui Memorial
> Medical Center ER is a crap place to spend 5 hours of your vacation.
> Your second day of vacation.

Ouch. Though I have "been there, done that" at the Maui ER thanks to
Janna's confrontation with the moray. Only 4 hours, and fortunately I
wasn't the one being "worked" on.

[Default] Thus spake Greg Mossman <mossman@qnet.com>:

>On Jun 20, 12:04*pm, t...@sdd.hp.com (Tim McDonough) wrote:
>> Partially based on feedback here and talking with friends and some web
>> searching we've decided to head to Maui. *We've got our flights scheduled,
>> and a car reserved, now we just need to make lodging reservations (we've been
>> looking at vrbo.com) and hopefully get some dives planned/reserved. *Any
>> recommendations on dive operations that folks have had good service from (or
>> are to be avoid) would still be most welcome!
>
>I've used Ed Robinson's for multiple days on three separate trips
>there, suffering the long drive down from the Lahaina/Kaanapali area
>each time (morning departure times for almost all Maui dive boats are
>brutal). Our last time with them wasn't as pleasant due to the
>departure of my very favorite DM in the entire world, Amy. Still,
>it's a classy operation and their 3-dive "advanced" trip is great.
>According to the website, they have a new "advanced" program with Ed
>himself returning to dive with most of the trips. Having never met Ed
>in person, that alone would be incentive for me to make a return
>visit.

Our first trip to Maui we went out with Mike. Ed's boat was there and
the two were chit chatting away. Pauline said something along the
lines of "they're the second best operator on the island". I won't
quibble one-two. Of course, this was when Mike had an 18 ft Whaler
with two 120 HP Mercs and Ed had a 22 ft RIB with two 135 HP Yamahas.

>
>Dillon personally vouches for Mike Severns and I can second that, at
>least reputation-wise, Severns comes even more highly recommended than
>Ed Robinson. Yet another excellent choice would be B&B Scuba, a
>personal favorite of several island residents I know. I'd have tried
>both of these outfits were it not for the great trips I had with Ed.
>
>I did a night dive once with Maui Dive Shop and it surprisingly wasn't
>as bad as expected. Still, it's a cattle-boat operation strictly
>geared toward new divers and if you have more than an iota of
>experience, you'll resent the hand-holding and airhog-limited diving
>with them.
>
>I've also been diving with Extended Horizons out of Lahaina which
>primarily runs trips over to nearby Lanai island. While my first trip
>out with them didn't impress me much, I found the service of the crew
>and spotting abilities of the DM to be first-rate on my second try
>with them a few years later. That trip unfortunately was cut short
>when Janna found herself being chewed by a vicious little moray, but I
>can now attest that they do a great job handling marine emergencies as
>well. I'll be back to try them again sometime, hopefully soon.

When were you there? It seems that operators in West Maui come & go.