Frequently Asked Questions

We dive daily at Molokini Crater and along the Makena Coast of Maui because they offer two diverse environments and types of sea life.

While there are always variables that may effect the length of the dive, (depth, air consumption) we typically do the first dive for 30-40 minutes and the second dive is 45 minutes to an hour.

We always recommend that you bring at minimum your personal gear—fins, mask and snorkel, however we will provide them if you do not. While it is always best to have equipment that you are familiar and comfortable with it can be cost prohibitive to bring your own.

No, we do not provide Nitrox, but you are welcome to bring it if you want to pick it up from a dive shop the day before. When you call to book your reservation, we can let you know where you can get it. Please note that even if you are using Nitrox, we dive to the Dive Tables in terms of time/depth.

The water temperature off Maui ranges from 74-82 depending on the time of year you are diving. We provide 3mm shorty and long wetsuits. We have a direct link to the current weather forecast on our Maui Weather page.

No, you do not have to be certified to dive. However, we no longer offer Introductory Dives as of June of 2013. The requirements to do a Discover Scuba dive are that you are a comfortable swimmer, speak and understand English, are in good medical health with no medical problems, and are not on any prescription medications. You must also not go to elevation after you dive for a minimum of twelve hours—meaning no helicopter, airplane, zipline, or driving up Haleakala.

We do supply gear when needed—Aqualung BCD’s and Sherwood regulators. The fins we provide are fitted warm water fins (not the kind needing boots). We do not supply computers, however, these are led dives, guided by the dive tables.

We operate out of the Kihei Boat Ramp (located across the street from a condo at 2777 South Kihei Road). You will meet the boat on truck and trailer in the parking lot at 6:30am. You will be back on the dock around 11:00 am.

Scuba Diving on Maui from a boat costs approx. $124-164. We also offer Private Charters. Discounts are also available for repeat and frequent divers, kama’aina and Military.

There are a couple of options if you don’t have your card. We can go online to verify you but we will need to know your certifying agency (PADI, NAUI, etc), your full name and your birth date. In the event we are unable to find proof of your certification, we will ask you some dive safety questions to verify that you are certified and that you remember the relevant rules to dive safely. If you are able to satisfactorily answer the questions, we will have you sign a verification form and we will take you diving.

No, I’m sorry…ours ran off with someone’s regulator to live happily ever after in some foreign country. However, let us know the problem and we will let you use our gear.

There are actually two questions here—how many CAN your boat take and how many will be on the day you are diving. The boat can carry up to 12 divers or 19 snorkelers based on a complex Coast Guard calculation. Anytime there are more than six, we have two dive leaders so that there are a maximum of two small groups of 6.

The minimum introductory diver needs to be 10, however this should be a mature enough ten-year-old to sit through a class, pay attention and follow important safety guidelines.

The only requirement is that you do not go to elevation AFTER you dive so it doesn’t matter what you do prior. Flying into Maui and diving immediately is fine. It is important to keep in mind that one can go to 10,000 feet on Maui by car so after you dive, plan on staying under 1000 feet in elevation for a minimum of 18 hours.

We offer an 11:15 am-3:30pm trip based on request and weather. We are happy to customize our dive time for your group whenever possible on a private charter basis.

The only additional fee is a 7.166% tax (4.166% sales tax and a 3% Harbor’s Fee).

If you haven’t been diving in two or more years, we reserve the right to determine whether you are ready to dive on both dives AND whether we are comfortable diving with you. In the event that we do not feel it would be safe or wise to take you on the first dive, we will provide you with basic instruction as as a refresher, have you snorkel and then take you on the second, shallower dive.

We do not rent cameras, however, we do offer photo packages. For $85, you will receive a CD with pictures from your dive as well as the best of the best stock images from many years of Maui Diving!

The summer months, June-August, and the Thanksgiving, Christmas—New Years, and Spring Break holidays are the busiest times of year on Maui.

Yes, we are happy to accommodate families with certified divers, snorkelers and passengers. Since we are limited in the number of people we can take, and due to insurance liability issues we do still charge a fee for non-divers but we do offer discounts whenever feasible.

You can absolutely dive while on your period. The sharks are not a problem as it takes a LOT of blood to attract a shark. A bigger problem is that there is not a head (bathroom) on the boat, so it may be best to plan your dive carefully.

We typically do the first dive at Molokini to a depth of 80-85 feet, and then continue the dive at multi-levels with the majority of the dive being in 60 feet of water. The second dive is usually along the south coast of Maui in 40-60 feet of water.

The prices quoted include: tanks, weights, equipment if you need it, instruction if you need it, a friendly and knowledgeable Dive Master or Instructor to lead your dives, two dives for Certified Divers and one dive for Introductory divers, the boat charter to and from the dive sites, refreshments: soda, juice, water, muffins, pineapple and chips.

You don’t need a dive buddy to dive with us because we will be diving in small groups of no more than six, led by a dive master or dive instructor. If necessary, we will assign dive buddies on the boat.

Yes! We do offer dives along the Back Wall of Molokini on Tuesdays and Fridays, our Expedition Dive Days.

The Humpback Whale population on Maui peaks from December through April. It is illegal to dive with the whales—unless they choose to dive with you, meaning that you are already in the water when a whale swims up. While this is rare, it does happen at least once or twice a year. We always whale watch during this time of year and love it.

The most common sharks you are likely to see on a dive off of Maui are White-tip reef sharks. They are not harmful at all and are beautiful and graceful to watch. On occasion we also see Grey Sharks, which are also great to watch and pose no threat to divers. The Tiger Shark is the one that occasionally attacks swimmers, but has never been reported to harass divers and in fact, when approached underwater, often turns and swims away. There has never been any evidence of a Tiger Shark attacking a SCUBA Diver. There are Hammerhead sharks at various parts of the island, but are not seen on dives at Molokini or the Makena Coast.

Please check our cancellation policy here.

Oddly enough, we get asked about everything from sunscreen to tourist tips but rarely are we asked about our safety policies and record. We have been in the dive business for nearly 30 years and have an immaculate safety record. While having fun and exciting dives is a high priority, the safety of our guests is our number one priority.

For the most part, most of the dive boats offer a pretty similar dive profile with a few variations. However, what makes or breaks your experience is the crew. Makena Coast Dive Charters is owner-operated with the same owner for nearly 30 years (Captain Steve Hogan) and the crew are all experienced and excellent both in the water, with the boat duties and customer service.

It is very important to be in good medical health and fitness when diving. If you have suffered any significant medical conditions, had a major decrease in fitness, or have been placed on medication you should get clearance from a doctor. If you are an introductory diver we will require you to fill out a medical form that states that you are in good health and not on any medications. If you are having cold symptoms, it is best to wait until you are healthy to dive.

No, it is not advisable to dive while pregnant, but you can snorkel!

It is not a good idea to dive with a cold as it can make the dive uncomfortable, clearing the ears challenging and make the cold worse.

No, you do not want to block the ear canal when diving.

You can, but it takes a little more awareness to keep your contacts from washing out.

We often get calls from divers who haven’t been diving in many years and our policy is that if you haven’t been diving in two or more years you MAY need a refresher before we take you on a dive. If you haven’t dove in four or more years you likely WILL need a refresher. In addition to the length of time since your last dive, the variable really has to do with how many dives you have under your belt, how comfortable your are and how much you remember. Consequently, anticipate that we will be asking you questions about your dive history when you call in to book the dive.

All dive sites are weather conditions permitting. Call 808-874-1273 for information and reservations for Maui’s best Scuba Diving! Please keep the time difference in mind! We are 2-3 hours earlier than the west coast and 5-6 hours earlier than the east.

The only additional fee is a 7.166% tax (4.166% sales tax and a 3% Harbor’s Fee).

Yes! Our frequent Diver Program! If you are a frequent diver and would like even better discounts, you can pre-purchase 20 dives at $100 per dive and then use those dives over the course of the year. (Good for any day. No refunds for dives not used and the 48-hour cancellation policy still applies.)

Yes. You must live within the state of Hawaii and show proof of address for Kama’aina or prove Military or Veteran Status for 20% discounts off of our original prices.

Yes. We do not raise our prices during the holidays like the airlines and hotels do, we do not discount during that time either.

We have adorable upcountry Maui accommodations at the perfect elevation to go diving and still be able to go home! Makena Coast Dive Charters Reviews