Franko's Maui Dive Map, The Valley Isle
Printed on waterproof, rip-proof plastic. Available folded or flat laminated (like a placemat)
Map size: 14" x 21"
FM-MF (Folded $6.00) ISBN 1-931494-12-6
FM-ML (Laminated $10.00) ISBN 1-931494-37-1
Franko's Dive Map of Maui
This is the third of four in my original series of Franko Hawaiian dive maps, which also includes Franko's Dive Map of Kauai, Franko's Dive Map of Oahu, and Franko's Dive Map of Hawaii. This one, I think, is the best, probably because the underwater scene is so fantastic in Maui. Diving Maui is an amazing experience whether you are snorkeling in the shallows of Olowalu Bay on a balmy summer day, or if you are scuba diving amongst sharks, manta rays, and a myriad of tropical fishes early on a winter morning at Molokini Island. Maui is a place where you can snorkel during the humpback whale season and hear them singing their magnificent underwater songs as if you are close to them - and you just might be close! Over the sounds of the whales you might hear the clicks of spinner dolphins as they discuss their next aerial twirling leaps out of the water.
Maui provides rich snorkeling experience even right in front of the hotels and condos on the West Shore from Lahaina to Kapalua or South Shores from Kihei to Makena. Just across the street from your condo in Kihei you can wade in at Kamaole Beach Parks I, II, or III and have an immediate encounter with Maui's beautiful underwater life. Or, you can go to seemingly remote spots on the top end of Maui's West Shore and have a snorkeling or scuba experience that is 100% different than the last. The variety in and around Maui's waters is astonishing and could keep you busy for years. And if that is not enough, there are 15 miles of reefs along the northwest side of Lanai, where snorkel tours have endless choices to let their customers take a plunge into crystal waters full of green sea turtles, all kinds of fishes, and the sounds of whales.
Franko's Dive Map of Maui is a beautiful shaded relief map showing the majesty of Maui's vast upcountry and its miles of coastline. The island of Maui rises up out of descending hues of ocean blues like a 700 square mile jewel. The deep and steep valleys of “The Valley Isle” can accurately be seen on the map. Just as accurately, you can follow the roads all around Maui as this map serves as an excellent road map as well. From the airport at Kahului you can follow the roads to all parts of Maui. The road goes eastward to the famous Road to Hana, southward to Kihei, Wailea and Makena, and westward through Maalaea, Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kahana and Kapalua. You can also find your way to the West Maui Mountains and the Iao Valley, or to Maui's awesome Upcountry where classy homes dot the hills around Kula, cowboys hang out at Makawao, and farmers grow lavender and grapes for Maui's winery at Ulupalakua Ranch.
Of course this is still a dive map. Thus there are dozens of dive sites for scuba divers and snorkelers to find and explore. However, I am and ocean lover not restricted in my activity to diving. Well, Maui has its great surfing as well. In fact, there are a few surfing breaks offshore that rival any of Hawaii's great surfing. Oahu, of course, is the king of the surfing world. But Maui's great surfing deserves recognition, and many of my map customers have requested that I include surfing spots. Yes, I also love the surfing in Maui, and thus this map also features over 30 of Maui's most known and notable surf spots.
Eventually I realized that Maui is such an amazing island, with so many things to see and do that I also had to create a second Maui map. Franko's Dive Map of Maui does a fabulous job at showing off what I love about Maui the most, but there is a need for a second Maui Map. So, in case you need to know all of the great things to see and do on Maui - including its top few diving and surfing spots, plus 100 more things to see and do, you ought to have a look at Franko's Guide Map of Maui.
As I have learned from experience, it turns out that the number one thing to see or do on Maui is the underwater. Snorkeling may be the number one activity in Hawaii in general, but most specifically for visitors to Maui. So whereas Franko's Guide Map of Maui captures Maui's real essence, this map captures the part of Maui that I really love the most - the underwater. Of course, everyone knows that I am an ocean nut, and that is part of why I love Maui's scuba diving and snorkeling. Franko's Dive Map of Maui shows the viewer most of Maui's most popular diving and snorkeling destinations, gives you the locations on the map, and guides you with a description. I've noted that diving in the same spot several times, I could describe the experience rather differently each time. Maui diving is different in different weather and at different times of day as well. I would suggest that you use this map of Maui diving and make mental notes or a journal to create your own memories of the many dive sites. In a way, this map is my own journal of Maui. Also, Franko's Dive Map of Maui is a good check list for divers and snorkelers.
When developing this map I didn't dive every single spot in Maui in every different condition (that would take a life time). However, I did tap into the vast knowledge of Maui's numerous dive experts from its many scuba and snorkeling shops. In fact, a special thanks goes to my fellow Los Alamitos High School alumnus, Rachel Domingo of Maui Dreams Dive Company of Kihei. Rachel not only encouraged and helped me with her immense enthusiasm and knowledge of Maui's wonderful diving, she also provided fabulous underwater photography of fish and turtles on this and other maps that I produce. Maui's dive scenery is so photogenic and Rachel is a master at photographing it! A few little photos on my Maui dive map hardly show you the scene though. You must go to Maui now and you must get wet! Yes, go right now! Well, if you don't go right this minute, after you study Franko's Dive Map of Maui (especially if you buy a laminated flat map and place it on your table to study while you eat every day) it will magically cause your goal of going to Maui to come to fruition. It is the Franko's Map effect - it actually causes you to go to your dream destination! You know, I've been studying Maui myself lately. I think I'll have to go check the airlines schedules and start planning my next visit to Maui, The Valley Isle.
As you might guess by looking closely at the details on this map, I love Maui and I love Maui diving. People in California where I live seem to say the word “Maui” rather often when they talk about dream destinations. I'm frequently asked which of the Hawaiian Islands is my favorite. The Hawaiian Islands are so different, and yet they have much in common. It is really impossible to say which Hawaiian Island is my favorite, just as it would be for a parent to say which child is their favorite. Well, if Maui was my child, I would have to say I love her very much, and she is my very favorite for many reasons, but I would also have to say that my children Oahu, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai, and my big one, Hawaii are also wonderful, and I love them just as much, but for all kinds of reasons. Locals and visitors often say, “Maui, no ka oi”, which means “Maui is the best”, and it is. It is the best Maui in the world! Although it is indeed impossible for me to say which Hawaiian Island is my very favorite, it is just as hard to say that Maui is not my favorite. How can a place on earth get more beautiful than Maui? How can a place on earth be more lovely and enjoyable? I indeed love Maui, and this map, I believe, captures the idea that for Maui lovers, Maui no ka oi. Also this map definitely shows that Maui diving (and surfing) no ka oi!
Franko's Dive Map of Maui Side 1:
Franko's Map of Maui, The Valley Isle was begun as a first edition in the year 2000. I later changed the name to Franko's Dive Map of Maui, because I also introduced a map called Franko's Guide Map of Maui. I wanted a clearer distinction between the two, and thus the name change. I remember coming to Maui in 2000 to explore and to ask questions amongst the local experts. I had printed out a prototype Franko Map of Maui and I expected that I could get a lot of editing and help on site. It was a new concept for Hawaii to have Franko Maps. In fact, most of the maps in the world at the time did not show the technical beautiful shaded relief of the mountains, nor did they show dazzling colors as inspired by the island and its environment. In fact, I had never seen a really colorful, beautiful map like this until I created my first “dive map”, which was Franko's Map of Santa Catalina Island. This California island map was followed by Franko's Map of Channel Islands, and then others.
When I made the Catalina map I was already dreaming of making a map of Hawaii. It turned into individual dive maps for Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii and Maui, then fish cards for Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii, Lanai, Molokai and Maui, plus a surfing map for Oahu, and Guide Maps for Kauai, Oahu, Hawaii and Maui. Along the way I've produced several tens of thousands of customized fish cards for major resorts, such as the Ko Olina Marriott in Oahu and the Westin Maui in Kaanapali, as well as the Maui Ocean Center, who also had me make a Hawaiian shark identification card. A few of the sharks for that card appear on the maps now.
Franko's Dive Map of Maui, side 1, was and is a completely unique depiction of one of the most beautiful, popular islands on earth. The shaded relief that my techniques created, first with my California dive maps and trail maps, and then with my Hawaiian Islands maps, depicted the islands in a new, interesting and extremely pleasing way. It was technical art - where Franko, the ocean engineer could join abilities with Franko, the artist and ocean lover to become Franko, the cartographer. It is difficult for an engineer naturally interested in quality control and perfection to do an artistic project and actually be pleased with it. However, taking my original printout of sides 1 and 2 of this Maui map proved that my maps were really unique and the interest was high. Help was easy to come by as the proud Maui folks gave me their support.
This map was done with a lot of perspiration and a lot of inspiration. Even though most people would not consider my trips to the Hawaiian Islands as real “work”, I really worked hard on this! But Maui turned out to be so inspiring! When I was at home on my computer looking at Maui and then applying the colors and captions on Franko's Dive Map of Maui, I must admit that I was dreaming of Maui the whole time, and that the colors and all were truly from the inspiration that comes from Maui herself. It is hard to say that I really “worked” at all. The Valley Isle was such a beauty and joy to ponder or explore. The captions of the dive sites on this map began with personal diving and snorkeling, but eventually were aided by many local Mauians.
I remember my first snorkeling venture into Maui's crystal waters. It was at Ahihi Cove on South Maui, just south of Makena. My wife and I parked just off the narrow road and waded into an underwater masterpiece. I wound up having a fabulous two hours in the water! I saw 100 plus species of fish, lots of invertebrates, corals, sponges, and enjoyed the alluring song of the humpback whales, which were playing in the waters just offshore. And this was just one tiny little spot out of many of Maui's dive sites that I would put on the map. What I saw was in the way of fish life was basically just what I depict on the map.
My experience from California dive maps was that I wanted to put the fish on the map too. I wasn't even familiar with what we call a “fish card” at the time, but I began putting kelp forest creatures on my California dive maps, and logically began to insert drawings (and some computer-modified photos) of Hawaiian reef creatures on the Hawaiian maps. By the time I did this for Maui I had already completed and was selling Franko's Dive Maps of Kauai and Oahu. I merely took most of the same fish and placed them on the Maui map. The shape of the island and the number of words that I put on it to describe the dive and surf spots made me put some of the Hawaiian reef creatures on side one, the Maui side of the map, and some more on side two, the Maui County side of the map. Anyway, my exploration of Maui's dive spots began at little Ahihi Cove, and then went from there. The following description that is on my Maui dive map is for Ahihi Cove. It is brief, which is typical of my dive site descriptions on all of my dive maps. It is brief simply because I have so many spots to describe and I use up all of the space I have. My description of Ahihi on the face of the map reads like this:
AHIHI COVE 5' - 55'' (1 - 9m) Beg. - Int.
Rocky beach entry. Usually calm, protected cove.
Some of Maui's best snorkeling. Huge variety
of corals & fish. Moray eels. Starfish. Urchins.
Lots of sea shells. Marine Reserve
To this date I have not changed the description, although each time I have gone there it has been different, in that there are continually different fishes you'll see and the currents and weather make changes constant.
In the days of my dive map exploration I went to a few more sites as well. La Perouse Bay is one of the most interesting places to dive or snorkel in the world. In December 2004 I snorkeled there alone on a day when a powerful north wind was blowing over Maui. This was about the only diveable place on the whole of Maui that day. Its location is such that the massive Haleakala volcano blocked the wind. I entered the water at La Perouse that afternoon via some slippery rocks by the parking lot. I accidental cut my toe on the rocks (so be careful there!). Because of this little cut and the bleeding, I had a huge barracuda (like 40 or 50 pounds!) following me. I didn't even know I was cut at the time, but there he was, following me all over the place, sniffing the blood, I guess. Finally, I thrust my hand toward him, like I was going to grab him. My threatening gesture made my toothy nemesis jet away, never to be seen again.
La Perouse is a really large bay and it could take a week to dive all of it. Everyone's favorite dive spot around Maui seems to be Molokini Island. My wife and I did our first Molokini trip on a Maui Dive Shop boat with a crowd of maybe 25 people. It was early in the morning and there were about 6 or 8 other boatloads of snorkelers there too. Since my wife is a snorkeler I did not scuba dive on this adventure. However, I still dove to about 40 feet deep to check out a huge lobster that could have been named “Fido”. The water clarity at Molokini was unprecedented. I have been diving in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Atlantic, California, Micronesia and a few lakes and rivers, but I have never ever seen water as clear as on our first visit to Molokini. We moored the Maui Dive Shop boat at 102 feet depth and yet the bottom was clearly visible. I looked across at other snorkelers on the next closest boat. I could clearly see them underwater even though they were 150 feet away. We were swimming in a big, crystal-clear aquarium!
After the Molokini dive they took us to Turtle Town to snorkel again. My wife and I had already been diving at Turtle Town the day before from the shore at Makena Landing. It was fun to see everybody's reaction to seeing their first green sea turtles. It was my wife's first encounter with green sea turtles as well, so it was very exciting to all.
In the days ahead we dove at Fleming Beach, Black Rock and Kapalua as well. On additional trips to Maui we dove at many other places as well. In April 2005 we took my sister and her husband from Arizona on their first trip to Maui and introduced her to snorkeling. At 63 years of age she had never snorkeled or looked at a fish underwater in her life! Can you imagine a better place than Maui to do this? Her best experience by far turned out to be Honolua Bay, which includes a walk to the rocky beach through an amazing old forest that looks positively fictitious because it is so beautiful and the trees are so huge. These dive experiences are not easy to describe for the purpose of a dive map of Maui, because one really needs a few paragraphs for each to do it justice. Maui's corals and fishes are just spectacular and I hope to convey that with my descriptions. However, since a picture tells a thousand words, I came up with the idea of showing the fishes and reefs on the map in full, artistic color. I started this idea with my Catalina Island, California map in 1997, when I showed the kelp forest creatures. On my dive maps of Maui, Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii, I show around 80 species of reef creatures, including a few invertebrates, that are most commonly seen. At the end of this discussion I'll simply list them for your interest. Meanwhile, on the face of side 1 of Franko's Map of Maui, I described these first few dive experiences to Ahihi, La Perouse Bay, Molokini Island and so forth with the following words, exactly as they appear on Franko's Dive Map of Maui:
LA PEROUSE BAY 15' - 50' (5 - 15m) Beg. - Int.
Rocky entry. Lava & coral protrude from white sandy bottom. Tiger moray eels. Parrotfish. Porcupinefish. Trumpetfish. Surgeonfish. Urchins in shallows. Spinner dolphins sometimes tease divers. Reserve
MOLOKINI IS. 10' - 90' + (3 - 27m+) Beg. - Adv.
Boat dive. Fabulous scuba & snorkeling inside 1. 4 Mi wide (400m) crater. S side drops off to 400' deep (120m+). inside crater swarms with fish including Moorish idols, parrotfish, & lemon butterflyfish. E & W tip of crater drops off to 100'+ (30m+). Whitetip reef sharks. Eagle rays. Manta rays. Spinner dolphins. Moray eels. Ulua
TURTLE TOWN (aka: MAKENA LANDING, 5 CAVES or 5 GRAVES) 20' - 50' (6 - 15m) Beg. - Adv.
Rocky entry at Nahuna Point (below gravesite) for experienced divers. Beginnners & snorkelers enter at Makena Bay (by restrooms). Great snorkeling at Makena. Caves at point. Coral heads. Green sea turtles. Tropical reef fish. Lobsters. Octopuses. One of best dives on Island. Caution: Stay out of caves
D.T. FLEMING BEACH to 30' (9m) Beg. - Int.
Easy beach entry for great snorkeling to NE side of beach. Holes & arches in lava rock. Freshwater springs
HONOLUA BAY to 35' (11m) Beg. - Int.
Summer beach dive. Scuba N side of bay. Snorkeling on S side. Nice reef. Lots of reef fish. Marine reserve
KAPALUA BAY & BEACH to 45' (14m) Beg. - Int.
Beach entry from beautiful sandy beach. Best diving on reef to NE side. Many tropical fish. facilities. Caution: Strong currents offshore NOTE: Kapalua Beach is Sunset Magazine's “World's Nicest Beach”
BLACK ROCK to 20' (6m) Beg.
Easy beach dive. Amazing array of fish. Trumpetfish. Lemon butterflyfish. Unicornfish. Green sea turtles. Eagle rays. Crowded. Convenient to Sheraton Hotel. Nice beach
OLOWALU to 35' (11m) Beg.
Maui's top snorkeling site . Scuba further from beach via channel in reef. Colorful coral reef. Reef fish. Octopuses. Moray eels. Eagle rays. Green sea turtles. Caution: Coral heads sharp and dangerous in swell
KAMAOLE BEACH PARKS to 25' (8m) Beg.
Beach entries at either of 3 beaches. Excellent beginner scuba & snorkeling. Coral covered lava outcroppings separate beaches. Small reef ish. Facilities. Picnic. Lifeguard. "CHARLIE YOUNG'S" at N end good snorkeling
A few additional dive sites are featured on side one of Franko's Dive Map of Maui, and then the dive sites of Lanai and Molokai are described on side two, which shows all of Maui County. Both sides of the map feature the noted surfing locations by name and description as well, including Lanai and Molokai. There are nearly 80 captions on side one of this map. The dive site and surf site descriptions that are shown on the Maui side of Franko's Dive Map of Maui, starting with my first dive at Ahihi Cove, and continuing clockwise around the island are as follows:
AHIHI COVE 5' - 55'' (1 - 9m) Beg. - Int.
Rocky beach entry. Usually calm, protected cove. Some of Maui's best snorkeling. Huge variety of corals & fish. Moray eels. Starfish. Urchins. Lots of sea shells. Marine Reserve
MOLOKINI IS. 10' - 90' + (3 - 27m+) Beg. - Adv.
Boat dive. Fabulous scuba & snorkeling inside 1. 4 Mi wide (400m) crater. S side drops off to 400' deep (120m+). inside crater swarms with fish including Moorish idols, parrotfish, & lemon butterflyfish. E & W tip of crater drops off to 100'+ (30m+). Whitetip reef sharks. Eagle rays. Manta rays. Spinner dolphins. Moray eels. Ulua
ONEULI (BIG) BEACH (RED HILL) 20' - 30' (6 - 9m) Int. - Adv.
Beach entry. Snorkel at N end of beach at point. Lava & coral. Lobsters. Schools of reef fish. Parrotfish. Caution: Heavy surf in S swell
MAKENA BEACH 20' - 30' (6 - 9m) Int.
Beach entry for scuba on N end of Makena Beach. Popular beach. Lots of reef fish. Caution: Makena Beach prone to strong currents. Huge surf in S swell makes diving is dangerous here
TURTLE TOWN (aka: MAKENA LANDING, 5 CAVES or 5 GRAVES) 20' - 50' (6 - 15m) Beg. - Adv.
Rocky entry at Nahuna Point (below gravesite) for experienced divers. Beginnners & snorkelers enter at Makena Bay (by restrooms). Great snorkeling at Makena. Caves at point. Coral heads. Green sea turtles. Tropical reef fish. Lobsters. Octopuses. One of best dives on Island. Caution: Stay out of caves
HALOA POINT 20' - 50' (6 - 15m) Beg. - Int.
Rocky beach entry off trail S of Polo Beach parking. Large coral reef. Turtles. Moray eels. Eagle rays. Lots of small tropical fish
WAILEA BEACH & POLO BEACH 20' - 50' (6 - 15m) Beg. - Int.
Beach entry at either beach. Dive S of Wailea, N & S of Polo. Large reef at Poloto 30' (9m),Wailea to 50' (15m). Polo best for snorkelers. Wialua for scuba. Wrasse. Snapper. Surgeonfish. Grouper. Reef fish
ULUA BEACH & MOKAPU BEACH to 35' (11m) Beg. - Int.
Fabulous scuba or snorkeling. Beach entry at either beach. Shallow inner reef. Outer reef for scuba. Night diving. Calm mornings best for reef fish viewing. Best beginner site on island
KAMAOLE BEACH PARKS to 25' (8m) Beg.
Beach entries at either of 3 beaches. Excellent beginner scuba & snorkeling. Coral covered lava outcroppings separate beaches. Small reef ish. Facilities. Picnic. Lifeguard. "CHARLIE YOUNG'S" at N end good snorkeling
THE COVE Kihei's best surf break. Mushy waves good for longboards and beginners. W swells and big S swells only
MA'ALAEA - Harbor breakwall creates one of world's fastest makeable waves on huge SW swell. Screaming, hollow rights break only a few times a year. Short walk up beach is MUD FLATS, for short rights & lefts
McGREGOR POINT 30' - 50' (9 - 15m) Int.
Steep walk down to rock shelf entry. Scuba S, W or E side. Spiny lobsters. Octopuses. Lots of reef fish
McGREGOR POINT Great S swell point break over shallow coral. Beautiful hollow barrels hold shape in offshore winds
MANU'OHULE (WASH ROCK) 25' - 50' (8 - 15m) Beg. - Int.
Rocky entry. Lava rock “mountains” with colorful corals. Many reef fish. Underwater arch just off W side of wash rock
LOOKOUT 20' - 40' (6 - 12m) Int.
Rocky dive entry near steep trail. Year-round. Blue parrotfish. Trumpetfish. Bluestriped snapper. Gray reef sharks. Good night dive
CORAL GARDENS to 35' (11m) Beg.
Boat dive 1. 2 Mi (0.8 Km) N of tunnel. Popular snorkeling site. S end beyond beach is rich coral reef. Variety of tropical fish. Moray eels. Green sea turtles. Molokini alternative when windy
THOUSAND PEAKS - Dozens on left & right peaky reef breaks. Good for longboards & beginners. Trades blow offshore
OLOWALU to 35' (11m) Beg.
Maui's top snorkeling site . Scuba further from beach via channel in reef. Colorful coral reef. Reef fish. Octopuses. Moray eels. Eagle rays. Green sea turtles. Caution: Coral heads sharp and dangerous in swell
OLOWALU - Sandy beach break with lefts and rights in S swells. Crowded
SURFERS' REEF - Reef break with rights and lefts. Slow wave best for longboards and beginners
SHARK PIT - On rare days does a Pipeline immitation with big hollow lefts & rights. Dangerous reef below. Difficult access due to private property
LAHAINA BREAKWALL - If this side of Maui has any surf at all, it is the biggest right here. Long left on S swell. Insane right barrels possible on N swell right at jetty. Inside break is perfect for beginners
LAHAINA HARBOR - Screaming hollow right tubes with flow into long shoulders. Close-out lefts. Best at high tides, as dangerous corals and urchings ("vana") lurk beneath. Consistent and crowded
MALA WHARF - Perfect long left point break waves. Best early when glassy. S swells
CEMETERY to 20' (6m) Beg.
Beach dive. Excellent beginner snorkeling. Tropical fish. Usually calm for swimming. Bottom is mostly sandy
KA'ANAPALI PT. (KP's) Breaks in N, S or big W swells. Rights & lefts, but lefts best. Beginner & toursit spot (rentals right there at the Hyatt Hotel)
BLACK ROCK to 20' (6m) Beg.
Easy beach dive. Amazing array of fish. Trumpetfish. Lemon butterflyfish. Unicornfish. Green sea turtles. Eagle rays. Crowded. Convenient to Sheraton Hotel. Nice beach
KAHEKILI BEACH (OLD AIRPORT BEACH) to 20' (6m) Beg.
Easy beach dive. Popular scuba lesson site. Excellent snorkeling. Big reef. Facilities
S-TURNS - Mellow coral reef break. Best spot for beginners & longboarders. Oct. - Apr.. Popular for non-hardcore surfers LITTLE MAKAHA - Rocky point catches wrapping NE swells and make nice right walls. Trades hollow out the waves into an immitation of Makaha
KAPALUA BAY & BEACH to 45' (14m) Beg. - Int.
Beach entry from beautiful sandy beach. Best diving on reef to NE side. Many tropical fish. facilities. Caution: Strong currents offshore NOTE: Kapalua Beach is Sunset Magazine's “World's Nicest Beach”
NAPILI BAY to 30' Beg.
Sandy beach entry. All kinds of reef fish. Great snorkeling spot
D.T. FLEMING BEACH to 30' (9m) Beg. - Int.
Easy beach entry for great snorkeling to NE side of beach. Holes & arches in lava rock. Freshwater springs
FLEMING PARK Winter beach break with little point break for quick rights. Good bodyboarding
MAKULE'IA BAY to 40' (12m) Beg. - Int.
Beach dive for scuba or snorkeling on S side of bay. Reef. Sandy bottom. Small reef fish. Marine reserve
HONOLUA BAY to 35' (11m) Beg. - Int.
Summer beach dive. Scuba N side of bay. Snorkeling on S side. Nice reef. Lots of reef fish. Marine reserve
HONOLUA BAY - Classic, hollow right point break peels into bay on W or N swells. Knee-high to triple overhead. Oct. - Apr.. Has 3 breaks: Cave, Coconuts & Outside. Advanced
WINDMILLS -Winter NW swells make super hollow left barrels, to 20'+ similar to Pipeline. Lefts called "Razor Reef". Rights called "The Rock". Killer razor coral bottom, rocks, caves. Dangerous area - experts only!
HONOKOHAU BAY 10' - 50' (3 - 15m) Int.
Pebbly beach entry. Usually calm bay. Reef on right side of bay. Snorkeling or scuba. Variety of tropical reef fish. Popular spear fishing for large fish
HONOKOHAU Heavy winter right at the point. Sharp coral
NAKALELE POINT 50' - 150' (15 - 45m) Adv.
Rocky entry right in front of lighthouse. Much like a wall dive. Turtles. Bluestriped snappers. Jacks. Eels. Caution: Fabulous dive, but for advanced divers only
HONONANA BAY 20' - 50' (6 - 15m) Int. - Adv.
Rock entry on E side of bay. Spectacular dive for shear variety of fish. Tidepools. Caution: Winter waves. Sharp rocks & coral in surgy condition - wear a wetsuit
MOKOLEA POINT 10' - 110' (3 - 33m) Int. - Adv.
Summer or Kona wind dive. Lava rock entry at E side little bay. One of best dives of N shore. Colorful coral. Many reef fish of all types. Large jacks hide in crevices. Photogenic. Caution: Winter NW swells hit cove hard. Strong tradewinds
KAHAKULOA BAY 10' - 70' (3 - 21m) Adv.
Summer or Kona wind dive. Lava rock entry on W side of bay. Variety of reef fish. Green sea turtles. Palaegic jellyfishes. Caution: Rough seas common. Difficult hike
RIVERMOUTH - Lefts & rights just past Paukukalo
PAUKUKALO At beachfront of Wailuku. N & NE winter swells give long lefts, short rights. Big bowls on biggest days
KAHULUI HARBOR Big hollow tubes in N & NE winter swells. Just inside harbor location gives glassy wind-protected rights & lefts
SPRECKLESVILLE - Numerous reef breaks for miles of beach & offshore on reef. Best in Kona winds or calm
BALDWIN BEACH to 60' (18m) Int. - Adv.
Beautiful sandy swim beach. Easy entry whe surf is down. Many reef fish. Eagle rays
BALDWIN BEACH - Nice beach break in fall & winter. Beginner level. Bodyboarding. Camping & facilities
KU'AU PIPELINE - Best left tubes on Maui. Hard breaking. Sharp & shallow coral. Breaks way outside at double- to triple-overhead when it's on.
HO'OKIPA - Maui's most consistent surf spot year-round. Several miles of deep lava & coral reefs give several spots along here are great for surfing and boardsailing. Breaks include Pavillions. Middles, The Point & The Lane. Breaks in N, NW, NE, E and wrapping SE swells. Holds form to 20'+
JAWS (PEAHI) - THE big wave spot of Hawaii, competing with Oahu for fame. Some of the largest waves ever ridden. Surfers towed in by waverunner. Sorry, absolutely zero public beach access.
MALIKO BAY 10' - 60' (3- 18m) Int. - Adv.
Summer rocky beach dive on E side of bay. Deep crevices amongst wash rocks. Turtles. Lobsters. Violet parrotfish
PAUWELA PT. 10' - 50' (3 - 15m) Int. - Adv.
Lava rock entries at end of dirt road at pineapple farm. Point area full of colorful coral. Bay on right side diveable. Rare boar fish. Bay is good night dive. Caution: Exposed to rough seas. Tough walk down to entry points
THE ROAD TO HANA - Maui's most famous scenic drive is also called "the world's most beautiful drive". This is a very long, curvy road that demands many stops to enjoy the fabulous Hawaiian scenery. It takes all day to go both ways. The Southern route on the Pi'ilani Hwy. is a fabulous alternate return route.
HANAMANU Beautiful cove along Road to Hana. N, NE & E swells create breaks on both sides of cove. Cove offers wind protection
KE'ANAE Rocky right point break. Gets good on northerly winter swells
KE'ANAE PENINSULA (KAWE'E PT.) 30' - 60' (9 - 18m) Int. - Adv.
Rocky entry at Kawe'e Pt.. Good spear fishing (or shore fishing). Caution: Usually poor visibility. Big waves. Windy. Seldom divable except in Fall
NAHIKU (KAELUA) 40' - 60' (12 - 18m) Int. - Adv.
Rocky entry at left side of point. Extensive reef. Lava canyons. Holes. Ridges. Green sea turtles. Surgeonfish. Caution: Big waves make spot rarely divable
WAI'ANAPANAPA 10' - 50' (3 - 15m) Int. - Adv.
Beach entry. Snorkel to right, scuba to left. Mountainous coral forest to left. Pukas everywhere. Rare boarfish. Lobsters. Octopuses. Caution: Exposed to trade winds. Rarely divable due to surf & rip currents
HANA BAY Big S, SE & NE swells and Kona wind give locals some fair surfing
HANA BAY to 60' (6m)
Beg. - Int. Beach entry. Snorkel between lighthouse & pier. Also on S side of Ka'uiki Head at Kaihalulu Beach. Great coral reefs. Caution: Currents & rough waters outside
HAMOA Reef break at sandy beach. S & SW swells. Often better for swimming than for surfing
SEVEN POOLS 30' - 60' (9 - 18m) Adv.
Rocky entry in generally heavy surf. Lava arches. Caves. Colorful corals. Large fish. Caution: Must check in with Nat'l Park rangers to dive. Hazardous big surf much of the time. Seldom divable
HALEKI'I PT. 30'- 80' (9 - 24m) Int. - Adv.
Rocky entry. Colorful reefs. Numerous rocks break surface. Caution: Exposed to swells, usually inaccessible except a few winter days
PI'ILANI HWY is narrow, and mostly dirt from KA'EHO'EHO to NU'U & is sometimes impassible, but this is a fabulously scenic route from Pools of O'heo to Kahului
NU'U BAY 10' - 110' (3 - 33m) Int. - Adv.
Enter at protected cove. Lots of big fish. Gray reef sharks. Manta rays. Eagle rays. Spinner dolphins. Lobsters. Octopuses. Caution: Eastward currents during tide change
KAHAWAIHAPAPA POINT 20'- 50' (6 - 15m) Adv. Cave Certified
Jeep trail. Tough hike. Rocky entry. Big waves. Winter dive only. Seldom dived. Three caves. Squrrel fish. Lobsters. Caution: Dangerous dive in general. Advanced cave divers only
LA PEROUSE BAY 15' - 50' (5 - 15m) Beg. - Int.
Rocky entry. Lava & coral protrude from white sandy bottom. Tiger moray eels. Parrotfish. Porcupinefish. Trumpetfish. Surgeonfish. Urchins in shallows. Spinner dolphins sometimes tease divers. Reserve
LA PEROUSE PT. - S swells create super fast hollow left barrels that can go double overhead when La Haina is barely knee high. Lava, coral, jumbled rocks make this spot dangerous. Experts only. Marine reserve
THE DUMPS Screaming left barrels over dangerous lava & coral bottom. S swells can create double-overhead surf
Franko's Dive Map of Maui Side 2
Turning to the other side of the map you will find Franko's Map of Maui County, with a beautiful shaded relief map of the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe. These islands look like emerald jewels against descending hues of turquoise ocean blue on my map. The colors are unbelievable, but so it is true with Maui and her sister islands, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.
Since Kahoolawe is a restricted area, there are no places to visit there (yet). In fact, all personal boats must keep 2 miles away! However, there is much to see in the waters of Lanai, The Pineapple Isle and Molokai, The Friendly Isle. Dive shops in Lahaina, Maalaea, or Kihei on Maui often take tourist divers to Lanai, but excursions to Molokai are rather rare due to rough seas and distance. In either case, the waters can be pristine and wonderful.
Lanai has one of Hawaii's most popular scuba dives at Cathedrals. Once I took a dive to Lanai's south side, but it happened that ocean currents and a big south swell made the Cathedrals sites not diveable for the more novice divers that were aboard, so we instead went to two sites called Shark Fin and Lighthouse at Lanai's Southwest corner. The dives were fabulous.
It may interest the potential diver to know that the name “Shark Fin” describes a rock that breaks the surface and marks the spot to dive. However, on that dive I saw a pair of whitetip reef sharks, and 3 out of the 15 divers saw a genuine tiger shark. The tiger ditched the crowd of bubble makers though, and was not seen again. Even when he was seen, the shark was only within about 125 feet of the group. That was the edge of visibility, and so when he saw us, just barely, he got the heck out. However, as we dove around, encircling the Shark Fin's underwater features, “Sharky” returned to the boat to check it out. The captain was standing on the bow of the boat when the big tiger shark happened to pass in front of her. So, it is on the authority of the captain, who had the only good look at the shark, that it was between 12 and 14 feet in length. The boat has a 12 foot beam, and it was said that the shark was just a little bit longer than the boat was wide.
The interesting feature of both of these dives was the huge numbers of fish. I never knew that pennant butterflyfish congregated in such large numbers. We also played with a color-change artist, the octopus. I would guess that if you were using Franko's Dive Map of Maui as a fish check list, you could have checked off nearly all of the fish that I put on my map. Although I also sell a great fish card for Maui, as well as ones for Lanai and Molokai, the fish and other reef creatures also appear on the map. This not only makes for a colorful, fun map, but it is informative to the snorkelers and scuba divers. The dive spots, and a bit of surfing information of Lanai encircle the island. There are at least 6 dive spots on Lanai, which are widely known, but I have no description for them (yet). This means that I have yet to do all of the Lanai exploration that I need to do. I guess I had better start considering my next Hawaii trip. Meanwhile, here is a list of Lanai's dive site descriptions, as seen on the map, along with the favorite Lanai surfing:
CATHEDRAL #1 50' - 65' (15 - 19m) Int. - Adv.
Boat dive or swim from Hulopo'e Bay. Fabulous big underwater grotto. Colorful corals. Butterflyfish. Moorish idols. Squirrelfish. Lobsters. Octopuses. Turtles. Crabs. Nudibranchs. Whitetip reef sharks. Caution: Currents can be very strong, especially in afternoon. Dive with experienced locals
HULOPO'E BAY 10' - 30' (3 - 9m) Beg.
Easy access beach dive primarily for snorkeling. Underwater park. Usually very calm. Lots of tame tropical fish. Green sea turtles. Marine Life Conservation District - Boats may not anchor here
CATHEDRAL #2 15' - 65' (5 - 20m) Int. - Adv.
Boat dive. Underwater grotto larger than Cathedral #1. Colorful invertebrates in nooks and crannies. Pyramid butterflyfish. Blue-striped snappers. Morays. Octopuses. Turtles. Caution: Currents can be strong
KNOB HILL
MONOLITH
WASH ROCK to 65' (20m) Int. - Adv.
Boat dive. Pinnacle and cave. Lava tube called "Tunnel of Love". Colorful sponges. Antler coral. Ghost shrimp
NO-NAME PARADISE
MENPUCHI CAVES
LIGHTHOUSE 20' - 60' (6 - 17m) Beg. - Int.
Boat dive. Large swim-around vertical rocks. Holes with white tips reef sharks. Tons of pennant butterflyfishes. Some big pelagics cruise by
SHARK FIN 20' - 90' (6 - 27m) Beg. - Int.
Boat dive. Large rock shaped like shark fin. Friendly tropical fish. Colorful corals and sponges. Turtles. Whitetip reef sharks
SHARIDAN ROCK
BARGE HARBOR
POLIHUA BEACH At the end of a ridiculously long jeep ride. Nice beach. Breaks in winter NW or W swells. Gets blown out early. Beach often too windy to enjoy
TURTLE HAVEN 12' - 60' (3 - 18m) Beg. - Int.
Boat dive to miles of reef along Lana'i coast. Common area for snorkel trips to Lana'i out of Lahaina. Volcanic rock. Coral. Sand channels. Turtle cleaning station (wrasses tang fish pluck their shells clean). Always full of green sea turtles. Octopuses. Tropical reef fish. Caution: Best dived in morning due to afternoon trades
LOPA Superb summer swells. Enjoyed mainly by locals. Long jeep ride from Lana'i City
STONE SHACK A jeep and some hiking shoes are required to get to this summer spot. The "Stone Shack" is on the shore
SERGEANT MAJOR 15' - 50' (5 - 15m) Beg. - Int.
Boat dive. Great snorkeling. Lots of sergeant majors. Three seaward lava ridges. Lava tunnel connects to sergeant minor. Corals. Sponges. Tropical fish
SERGEANT MINOR 15' - 50' (5 - 15m) Beg. - Adv.
Boat dive. Lava tunnel connects to sergeant major. Pelagic fish in deeper water. Spinner dolphins. Humpback whales. Usually great visibility
ARMCHAIR
FISH ROCK 0' - 70' (0 - 21m) Beg. - Int.
Rock breaks surface near Manele Bay entrance. Enter at Manele Bay. Excellent snorkeling or scuba. Every kind of tropical reef fish. Pyramid butterflyfish. Moorish idol. Bandit angelfish. Frogfish. Dolphins
The story of Molokai is similar to Lanai in that there just aren't that many visitors going there. This means that Molokai does not have a large number of resorts from which to choose, and there are not a lot of dive operators there or going there. However, this is what makes Molokai so fantastic. It is relatively untouched! To this day there have been very few divers visiting Molokai, and it will continue to be rich and diverse as long as this trend continues. Molokai has only a handful of noted dive sites, plus some good shore snorkeling, and a couple of surf spots that the locals might consider sharing with an outsider. The descriptions of Molokai's dive spots and surfing breaks are as follows:
THE COVE 20' - 100' (6 - 30m) Adv.
Boat dive. Protected half-circle cove. Great night dive. Lobsters. Spanish dancers. Lemon butterflyfish. Pelagics. Antler coral
HOLE IN THE WALL 20' -100'+ (16 - 30m+) Int. - Adv.
Boat dive. Named for above-water hole in islet. Usually inaccessible due to wind and high seas in Pailolo Channel. Huge pinnacle. Shallow: Butterflyfish. Moray eels. Colorful corals. Deeper: Black tree coral. Rare long nose hawk fish. Rare tinker's butterflyfish. Sharks. Whales. Manta rays. Military missile at 100' depth in sand
FISH RAIN 80' - 100'+ (24 - 30m+) Adv.
Boat dive. Usually inaccessible due to wind and seas in Pailolo Channel. Deep drift dive. Numerous reef fish of all types fill the water column like "Fish Rain". Lots of domino damselfish (Hawaian Dasyllus). Palaegics from the deep. Whale sharks. Hammerheads. Tiger sharks. Rare Hawaiian monk seals. Caution: Strong currents
FISH BOWL 40' - 60' (12 - 18m) Int. - Adv.
Boat dive. Usually inaccessible due to wind & high seas in Pailolo Channel. Often a drift dive. Lava boulders. Corals. Ledges. Octopuses. Lobsters. Nudibranchs. Colorful reef fish. Eagle rays. Whitetip reef sharks. Hammerheads beyond rocks over sand area
HALAWA BAY NE swells or N swells that wrap around the end of the island light up several surf spots around the bay. The drive there is long, windy and beautiful, so it is well worth it. There are also a few spots along the road between Waialua and Keaina Bay
SHERATON Moloka'i's most known winter wave spot. Breaks big in NW to W swells. Waves barrel in toward a beautiful beach. Located at the end of Kula Kui Rd. in front of the Sheraton
KAUNAKAKAI WHARF Breaks on occasional summer south swell that comes around Lana'i just right. Great surf spot for locals
Besides all of these dive spots and surfing breaks on Maui, Lanai, and Molokai, don't forget that Franko's Dive Map of Maui is also a good road map. If you want to find your way to the top of the world at Haleakala, check out the map. If you want to drive the famous Road to Hana, and then return to town via the southern Pi'ilani Highway route, it is on the map. If you want to go see Upcountry Maui, it is on the map. If you want to improve on the map, not as a dive and ocean recreation map, but as a guide map, you should also buy “Franko's Guide Map of Maui.”
As for the fish and the number one favorite activity by visitors to Maui, this is it, “Franko's Dive Map of Maui, The Valley Isle.”
For your interest, the final description of this map is merely a list of all of the Hawaiian reef creatures that you will find depicted on Franko's Dive Map of Maui. It is interesting to note that the fish are listed in Hawaiian and English. It is nice to know that the “Humuhumu Nukunuku Apua'a” or the state fish of Hawaii, is called the reef triggerfish in English. Everybody loves the little “Humu”, and you should practice saying his name before you go to Maui. These are by no means all of the species of fish in Hawaiian waters. There are about 435 species, with around 100 of those being endemic (i.e., found here only). Franko's Dive Map of Maui shows many of the most common fish, and is a good tool for snorkelers and divers to identify what they saw when they were diving in Maui's beautiful waters. The list of fishes and other reef creatures is as follows:
Humuhumu Nukunuku Apua'a Reef Triggerfish
Nohu Pinao Hawaiian Turkeyfish (Scorpionfish)
Pincushion Star
Slipper Lobster
Linekia Seastar
Spiny Lobster
Loli Black Sea Cucumber
He'e Mauli Octopus
Puhi Zebra Moray Eel
Puhipaka Yellowmargin Moray Eel
Punohu Slate Pencil Urchin
Longnose Hawkfish
Pebble Collector Urchin
Alo'ilo'I Hawaiian Dasyllus
Black Tree Coral
7-11 Crab
'Omilu Bluefin Trevally (Bluefin Jack)
'Ala'ihi Striped Squirrelfish
Nunu - Trumpet Fish
Pa'awela Ornate Wrasse
Lau-Hau Pyramid Butterflyfish
Humuhumu-'Ele'ele Black Durgon Triggerfish
'A 'Awa Blackfin Hogfish
Kikakapu Threadfin Butterflyfish
Tinker's Butterflyfish
LoLo Juvenile Yellowtail Coris
Kikakapu Ornate Butterflyfish
Roi Peacock (Bluespotted) Grouper
Hinalea 'Akilolo Yellowtail Coris
Kapuhili Redfin (Oval) Butterflyfish
Pennant (Banner) Butterflyfish
Hilu Yellowstripe Coris
Uhu Red Bullethead Parrotfish (female)
Kokala Porcupine Pufferfish
Honu Green Sea Turtle
Lau-Hau 4-Spot Butterflyfish
Manini Convict Tang
Lau-Ha Bluestripe Butterflyfish
Hinalea 'Akilolo Bird Wrasse
A'Ha Needle Fish
Malolo Flying Fish
Hawaiian Whitespotted Toby
'O'opu-hue White-Spotted Pufferfish
PinkTail Triggerfish
Lau-wiliwili Nukunuku'oi'oi Long-nose Butterflyfish
Kikakapu Saddleback Butterflyfish
Umaumalei Orange Spined Tang (Orange Spined Unicornfish)
Kihikihi Moorish Idol
Kikakapu Kapuhili Raccoon Butterflyfish
Weke Yellowstripe Goatfish
Anela-i'a Potter's Angelfish
Kumu Whitespot Goatfish
Kole Brown (Goldring) Surgeonfish
Hahalua Manta Ray
Nenue Lowfin Chub
Uhu Blue Bullethead Parrotfish (male)
Na'ena'e Orangeband Surgeonfish
Lau'ipala Yellow Tang
Hinalea Rainbow Cleaner Wrasse
Lei Whiteline Triggerfish
Red Encrusting Sponge
Ko'a Finger Coral
Puhikapa Snowflake Moray Eel
Pili-ko'a Arc-eye Hawkfish
Ko'a Cauliflower Coral
Limu Palahala Sea Lettuce
Mushroom Coral
Ko'a Lobe Coral
Lau-wiliwili Milletseed (Lemon) Butterflyfish
Moa Blue Boxfish (Male Trunkfish)
Paku-Iku'I Achilles Tang
Ta'ape Bluestriped Snapper
Mamo Sergeant Major
Lau-Hau Teardrop Butterflyfish
Mano Lalakea White Tip Reef Shark
Hihimanu Whitespotted Eagle Ray
Kala Unicornfish
Mamo Hawaiian Sergeant (Sergeant Major)
Hinalea Lau-Wili Saddle Wrasse
