Scuba Diving in Hawaii
Contrary to what many people believe, you don't need to be a certified scuba diver to enjoy Hawaii's underwater world. While certified scuba divers do have more options, numerous companies offer introductory scuba dives which include a brief training session and a guided dive usually lasting around 45 minutes to an hour.
5 Star Scuba on Maui
One company that does a fine job is 5 Star Scuba on Maui. They bill themselves as "Maui's Resort Diving Specialists" because they operate from locations at seven of Maui's top resorts: the Hyatt Regency Maui, the Royal Lahaina Resort, the Sheraton Maui, the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas and the Whaler on Ka’anapali Beach in West Maui and the Marriott Wailea Resort and the Maui Prince Hotel in South Maui.
Complimentary Scuba Orientation
For first time or occasional divers nothing could be more convenient. Dives take place right near your resort and the time commitment is just a couple of hours rather than a half day or more. 5 Star Scuba offers complimentary scuba orientations in the pools on most days. This is the perfect opportunity to see if scuba is something that may interest you.
Pool Clinic and Introductory Dive
Visitors who want to take the next step and actually venture into the ocean can sign up for a pool clinic and introductory dive. In the pool (or shallow water if the pool is unavailable) you'll learn basic scuba technique and skills and proper handling of the equipment. If both you and the instructor are comfortable with your ability, you will then head for the beach and ocean for an introductory dive.On the morning of my dive at Sheraton Maui, there were only two of us signed up, myself and another diver who was certified but who hadn't dived in many years. Since both of us had dived before, our instructor, Lionel, was able to tailor his training to be more of a refresher course which allowed more time for our actual dive.
Lionel is a very experienced dive instructor. Originally from France, Lionel worked many years in Tahiti before coming to Maui. Lionel is also an expert underwater photographer who brings his camera on each dive and takes photos of your actual dive.
Black Rock Scuba Dive
Our dive was at Pu'u Keka'a, better known as Black Rock, which protrudes into the ocean right at the Sheraton Maui. Black Rock is the site where ancient Hawaiians believed that their spirits "jumped off" or left this world. This area is the site of one of the last volcanic eruptions on Maui. Snorkeling and scuba diving is especially good in this area as you'll quickly see by the large number of folks on top of and under the water.I've dived at several other Maui locations and, quite frankly, the variety of sea life at Black Rock surpassed what I've seen anywhere else. During the course of our dive we saw thousands of fish, green sea turtles, a moray eel and even a black tip shark. The current swimming northward around Black Rock is challenging. It's not a particularly easy swim, but the rewards make it well worth while. The maximum depth is only between 30 and 40 feet, so the pressure is not an issue.
As we returned to shore, my fellow diver was greeted by his girlfriend and he surprised her with an engagement ring that he pretended to have found while diving. Lionel graciously took their video camera and filmed the proposal and her acceptance to a round of applause from everyone else on the beach.
5 Star Scuba’s Other Offerings
In addition to these introductory dives, 5 Star Scuba also offers numerous dives for certified divers including night dives and underwater scooter dives. They also offer Open Water Certification Classes whereby visitors can obtain their PADI/SDI certification. These classes include all equipment, certification kit, book and other materials, instruction and four dives. Prices for the full course including all dives begin at $449. For visitors who have completed their classroom work at home and arrive with a referral, they offer the four dives required for certification for $269. These prices are as of September 2006 and subject to change.From our experience, 5 Star Scuba totally lives up to its name. For more information you can visit their website at www.5starscuba.com. You can view some of Lionel's photos taken on my dive in my 5 Star Scuba Photo Gallery.
