Excellent Places To Scuba Dive On Maui - Molokini Crater

Overall Rating = 3.75 out of 5

Molokini Crater is one of the best dives if not the best dive in Maui County. This scuba diving site can't be accessed from shore is at the remnants of an extinct volcano. The crescent of the volcano "cone" rises above the sea approximately 165 feet. The small island is located in Alalakeiki Channel between Maui and Kahoolawe islands. The inner dive sites on the crater face to the north and are only 25 minutes from the Wailea side of Maui. For those who happen to be curious about some history regarding Molokini Crater there is a brief article written by Edward L Caum, entitled "Geology of Molokini" and published in 1930. There happen to be a couple of "plate" photographs incorporated into the article and it is interesting to contrast the older images with the crater today. Molokini Crater has been a Marine Preserve(MLCD) since the summer of 1977 and has probably the most untouched hard reefs in Hawaii and is a amazing place for underwater photographs.

The ride from Lahina Harbor takes about 45 minutes and if you tend to become sea sick, it is advisable to drive about forty five minutes or an hour to the Wailea side of Maui where you can take a quite straightforward boat ride to the crater. Lahina Divers is one of the recommended Scuba Diving Operators on the island but when you choose to go with them you have to take a 45 minute boat ride to the Molokini crater. If you desire you can use a scuba diving operator which departs from the Wailea side of Maui. If you happen to be staying in Wailea this would positively be the recommended approach, even though the boats are inclined to be smaller and there is one operator on that part that a lot of divers simply refer to as the "Scuba Nazi". The key is to be sensible vis--vis the dive operator that you choose. Be positive that you read the reviews and the gear utilized by each of the dive operators. The v-hull boats which leave The Wailea side of Maui may be fairly cramped if the number of scuba divers is greater than ten on the boat furthermore on many of these boats there is not much if any room to move about.

The Dive

Access - Moderate to Moderately Difficult to reach the site; boat only (You should not take a boat from Lahaina if you get seasick - 45 minute boat ride);
Depth to 125+ft
Visibility - good to excellent
Current - mild to extremely strong at the edges of the crater
Marine Species variety - good; normally White-tip Reef Sharks at about 110 feet on the eastern side of the volcano
Reef health - good to very good

Scuba Diving Molokini Crater is definitely the top boat dive on the Maui. You need to go to Lanai or Molokai to find better deep water dive sites. The clarity of the water all around you is generally very good at Molokini and there are a a number of dive sites on the crater both on the exterior of the crescent-shaped crater and on the interior of the crater.

The Back Side - Outside or on the back of the crescent, Tako Flats - Inside on the western side of the crescent, Enenue - Inside eastern tip of the crescent, Reef's End - Far western end of the crescent and Middle Reef - Inside just to the east of the middle of the crescent and closer to the cone

When scuba diving inside the crater one of the best spots is on the eastern edge of the volcano - Enenue. On this dive site at roughly 120 feet there is a succession of overhangs that have a tendency to house several White-tip Reef Sharks. While you are swimming down to "shark condos" and back up after visiting the "condos" there is a great assortment of marine animals. You can discover Butterflyfishes, Wrasses, Damselfishes, Eels, and Crustaceans all around the crater. You will also see sea turtles on a normal basis and on a very uncommon occasion Humpback whales are seen by divers at the crater.

The current may be quite strong on the outside edges of the crater, so you should not go outside the crater for any reason if your group is scuba diving the "inside". The current flowing past the outside edges of the crater will take a diver quite far in an extremely short time. Because of this you are required to have an emergency flotation device for this dive site and be familiar with how to operate it. If you are diving inside the volcano you will hardly ever have a great deal if any current and even if the ocean is choppy the cone of the volcano protects the inner scuba diving sites very well.

In sandy areas around the volcano you may frequently find Freckled Snake Eels, as a result take your time on this dive and also make certain you "look" into the vast expanse of the ocean away from the volcano where you can often see different varieties of sharks and during an especially great dive you may even see a Humpback Whale. When you happen to be scuba diving in whale season (December to April/May) make sure you pay attention for the whale song. In February to around April you can hear literally dozens of whales singing to one another. It surely makes the dive much more compelling.

Check out additional underwater images on Smeltzer's website or visit his blog or follow him on Twitter @ images2inspire. The pool is open...