I was on Maui a little over a week ago and my girlfriend, an avid SCUBA diver, insisted that I get certified during our vacation. I thought it sounded like fun, but I probably wouldn't have ever gone through the process without her influence. Chris ended up being an amazing instructor and an amazing guy. He made scuba school at 7am on vacation a lot of fun while still doing a really great job of making sure I had a full understanding of and confidence in using all of the equipment and skills. Days 1 and 2 were training (in the ocean near shore - I was grateful it wasn't in a swimming pool), and by Day 3 I was out on a boat with Chris, Captain Charlie, my girlfriend, and 6-8 other people going on open water dives. Great sites on day 3 - turtles, rays, eels, sharks (the harmless variety), nudibranchs, and a lot of other cool things that I wouldn't have seen had Chris not pointed them out. From beginning to end, I have only the best things to say about my experience with Chris, Charlie, and Scuba Shack. Thanks, guys! P.S. Chris also gives kitesurfing lessons. I haven't taken one yet, but I am sure he is great at teaching that, too! Next time I'm in town I'll be signing up! read more

We had a snorkeling reservation for the Tuesday after we arrived in Maui. The Sunday prior, late afternoon, I received an email asking if we could reschedule to Monday or Wednesday. I replied and said Wednesday would work for us. No big deal. Upon arriving at the boat ramp, a few minutes early, the Captain, Charley, gruffly told us to go down to the ramp as they were getting ready to leave. No coffee or snacks as promised in the reservation. The trip was pleasant enough, only because of the dive master, Blair. Throughout the morning, Charley seemed obsessed with his constant barking orders to not pee in the wetsuits or defecate in the head. The impromptu sharp, fast turns on the way back to the ramp were unnecessary and unprofessional behavior of a boat captain. After listening to an unsolicited time share pitch for his condos, we left. It was only then, lucky for him, my girlfriend told me Captain Charley had inappropriately commented about her wet suit and told her she had soft hands as he helped her off the boat. This guy has a screw loose and we won't be coming back. read more

This is our fourth vacation diving with Charlie and his Scuba Shack crew, and it won't be our last. He is strict about his start time, so we are always sure to arrive early. He and his crew are very experienced and knowledgeable with diving and the dive sites. As all certified divers know, we are responsible for our own safety and dives. That being said, Charlie and the crew are very safety minded. They set up our equipment with care, give divers a safety briefing before diving each day, and they care for our safety when on the boat and during dives. The dive equipment is always new and top notch, the boat is comfortable and fast, and the crew is always fun and friendly. And the great service isn't limited to the dive boat. Michelle in the shop is responsive and friendly when booking reservations and after dives. Scuba Shack goes above and beyond by offering helpful hints for those of us who have issues clearing our ears and dealing with the other dive-related issues. We'll be back again! read more

I was with a group of 4 people, 1 diver and 3 snorkelers. We were looking for something that was a smaller size (more personable) . We did not want to compete for space and help with a large group. Scuba Shack was a perfect size with captain Charlie, scuba Shane, and snorkele Toby along with 5 snorkelers and 7 divers. We decided on the 6 am excursion. Charlie sent us a nice email going over the history of his shop and confirming the time to meet. Yes, as previously mentioned in other reviews, Charlies boat is fast which is lots of fun. Our excursion was around 4 hours, which I found to be a perfect amount of time. read more

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Very few places in Maui IMO are living the Aloha spirit but this shop took time to give us a quick rundown of the island and what to do. Mapped it all out for us and made our trip a lot more fun. I'll be making all my rental and purchases here. read more

Best in Maui! Recommend to everyone! First off Charlie and his team are just a delight. Last week was my third trip to Maui and each time I have gone out to Molokini; this was by far the best trip! They start a little earlier in the morning so that we can get the "best spot", and it honestly is the best spot. The reef is much closer and the aquatic life is much more abundant. There was five of us from my family on this trip and we all throughly enjoyed ourselves. Three of us did a introductory dive, and our instructor Chris was very patient with us and showed us an amazing time. I am very glad my first experience scuba diving with with Scuba Shack and their team, I will definitely get certified now. On another note I also rent my chairs, snorkel gear and ice chests from them when I am in Maui. During my previous trip my brother thought he had lost his gopro. A couple weeks after the trip he received a call from the Scuba Shack informing him that they had found his gopro and that they were shipping it to him. Wow, that is great customer service and just so nice of them. Trustworthy and great people operate this business, no other place in maui deserves my business as much as the Scuba Shack. Charlie - Looking forward to seeing you again soon! Take care of the island for me :) read more

Sadly, just not a good experience with this dive company. I wish I had read more of the reviews before booking. Fortunately, we did manage to book and had a fabulous dive with Extended Horizons Scuba Dive Shop before we left Maui. read more

We rented chairs for the beach. Tommy Bahamas, ones you can get from Costco. They were aged atleast 3 year and had dents and scrapes on on the metal. With that said you can tell they cleaned them and the price wasn't horrible for hanging on the beach a couple hrs. We got to the beach, one chair was broken and we fixed it. We told the man at the register that the chair was broken and he charged us for the chair! $45 for a chair that is $30 at Costco brand new. Ridiculous. We will not be using his services again. Set up and scammed for sure. Would not got on this guys boat. He offered and sales pitched us the boat as soon as we walked through the door. Should of know better. Warning you all! read more

We went on two dives, and two snorkeling trips with these guys. They were great! The prices were reasonable, the boat was great, the service at the shop with Michelle was great! Thanks Michelle (and we loved the dogs, Max and Coco). The best part was the crew and captain! Blair is stellar, what an amazing girl and Chase was great with my husband, very patient. Capt Charlie is fun and in for a good time. Even though we had bad weather at Molikini the crew made it fun! Thanks guys! read more

Had an amazing dive with Charlie and the crew for my bday. They made it extra special for my friends and myself celebrating. The crew is fantastic and down to earth woman that make you feel safe and treat you as friends. Boat is fast and fun with a hot shower!! I highly recommend scuba shack for all your diving adventures!!! read more

I have been diving with Scuba Shack for 15 years. I've been everywhere they go. They always treat everyone with such respect and fun. For newcomers or just snorkelers, the staff, and especially Charlie, are patient and helpful. The best! For experienced divers like me, there are no better anywhere. I have dived all over Hawaii. Each Island is different. And each dive company is different. Scuba Shack is the best! I feel safe with them and see the safety in all they do. When you go to Maui - dive with Scuba Shack. Family owned, always new equipment (and the best too!) and great people to get to know. Can I leave 6 stars? read more

Another dive charter canceled on our group the day before our dives and scuba shack was able to save the day, and had us on the boat the next day! We sure all glad it all worked out the way it did. I have tried multiple charters here on Maui and scuba shack has become my new favorite! Will book again and highly reccomend this charter to anyone seeking a top notch experience out in the water. Thank you Charlie! read more

I had a good dive with the Scuba Shack, but the owner/captain ruined the experience for me. "Hey everyone! Listen to me talk about how my boat is so much more awesome than everyone else's." "Did I mention that we were in this magazine!? Wait, did I tell you about us in this magazine?" "Hey, you guys, hey, I know you are already here on Maui, but hey, I have some extra properties that I am not using and, well, do you want to rent them?" My god - I do not need to hear you gargle your balls and pitch to us how awesome you are, we have already paid to come out on your boat. It was like a horrible timeshare presentation that you didn't even know you signed up for. No I don't want to rent your vacation properties, no, I don't care that you were in a magazine, no, I don't want to hear about how fast your boat is. Providing a quality diving experience and bombarding customers with our ego are two entirely different things. If you are deaf then I would definitely suggest that you go with Scuba Shack. If you want to meet a good hearted owner who cares about customers and not how much money can be exploited from them, then look elsewhere. read more

Wow. I had read some of these negative reviews, but wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. But one 5 minute phone call and it is quite clear all of them are right. This guy is a jerk. I called saying I want to book some diving. He asked if I'd read about him. I said I'd read his website. He then quoted me a price 25% higher than the one on his site. I pointed this out to him, and he said he hadn't updated his site in 10 years and it was being rebuilt. I told him that was misleading to people looking at his site. That's literally all I said, and he HUNG UP ON ME and told me to go someplace else because that's not misleading. How can someone run a business like this turning away business because of a need to feel he's always right? In some cases maybe I'd think it was me, but as you'll see below this same thing seems to happen to lots of his customers. read more

If you want your experience ruined by the worst, what is essentially a hospitality service, business owner possible, go ahead, try Scuba Shack. I'm convinced many of the 5 star reviews are fake. As I read the 1 star reviews, their experience was very similar to ours! There's no way somewhere so glaringly bad could have so many glowing reviews. First, Charlie struts around like he's a god with absolutely no humility. My husband and I fake agreed with him about how awesome his boat was just hoping he'd shut up sooner. He also treats his staff so poorly, it was very uncomfortable to watch. It's a small boat so when he throttles up the speed (while bragging how fast his boat is), it's so uncomfortable as the boat slams down after every wave. He brags and brags and then turns around with a grin to see if we are impressed with the speed. His sugar/dry carbohydrates table before the dive is not deserving of the name "breakfast". The review saying "great breakfast" is clearly a fake. I don't mind having my own breakfast before a dive, but don't lure me into thinking you are offering something more than a snack continental breakfast. I don't know if Charlie can go to some sort of personality boot camp and start turning things around. I'm truly shocked his business has lasted this long. He must be praying on people that don't take a good look at what is knocking all the 5-stars down to a 4. I imagine if all, what I believe, are fake reviews are removed, it would probably show 2 1/2 stars. When we return to Maui, we will find a more honest and pleasant business to patron. read more

Charlie and his crew were great! My fiancé and I signed up for Scuba classes and I thought we might have bit off more than we could chew but our instructor Chris Phillips was FANTASTIC! He went over all the materials with us and we passed our tests with no problem. Doing Scuba classes in such a beautiful setting was great, on our second class we saw turtles and got to dive around a beautiful reef, and our last day we went to Molokini! Can't imagine a better way to learn to Scuba, or a better instructor! He does kite surfing lessons too, we'll be trying that next time! read more

Scuba Shack - Snorkeling Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

this one is as complicated as my last diveshop review - but for exactly the opposite reasons - first, the good news - the boat is very fast, they get an early start so you are at the dive site before the winds and crowds pick up. They accommodate snorkelers who want to travel with their diving friends which makes it a lot more fun for everyone. The prices are reasonable and the trips are well organized. We went on an absolutely amazing day weather wise - the winds had been a problem all week but finally were quiet this morning. The first dive was at Molokini and it was a lot of fun - lots of fish, easy dive to about 70'. The second dive was to Turtle Town - what a great place to go. We saw a couple of sharks, some rays, some turtles, lots of fish, a cave and an archway to swim in / through. The owner will do anything he can to accommodate the folks on the boat. My wife was snorkeling and the best spots were a bit of a swim from the boat at turtle town. Once the divers were in the water, he moved the boat over closer.... very nice. Now the other news - the regulators they rent only had a primary, no secondary "regulator" - (the inflator for the BCV is something you could breathe out of, it has a purge valve on it, but I think you would have to be hitting the button for each breath). I've never seen this before - and while I've never had to use a secondary regulator or seen one used on any dives I've been on, it felt weird. The divemaster - nice guy - but he spent almost all of his time taking pictures and very little time checking with the other divers, seeing how folks were doing, where their air levels were, etc. The flippers - I rented flippers at three places - these took some skin off my toes by the time I was done - something that didn't happen with the first two. The boat - yes, it is fast - no, it is not comfortable - almost no place to sit down when you are underway and really crowded when gearing up. I'm sad to say that I'll be going somewhere else on my next dive trip in Maui. read more

I went to get PADI certified with my boyfriend at Scuba Shack in Maui and we were lucky enough to work with Jim. Jim is a patient instructor and just a really freaking nice guy with a great sense of humor. Most importantly, he's an excellent teacher. There are amazing divers who absolutely suck as instructors but Jim is not one of them. He is patient with all your n00b phears (usually, an irrational fear of sharks or kraken) and will get you through your written exam and shore dives without breaking a sweat. We got certified here and then immediately booked another two tank dive right before we left. Both times I felt like we were in the hands of a completely professional operation, but we still had fun and weren't overwhelmed with silly rules or power trips. If you were told to do something or to quit doing something there was usually a good reason (like avoiding death). We saw: white-tip reef sharks turtles a few kinds of eels tiny octopies loads of fancy fishes (too many fings for the uneducated eye to keep proper track of) Upon arrival we consumed: coffee/tea/hot chocolate rice krispie treats (prepackaged) granola bars oatmeal cookies (in a plastic tubb) And after the first dive: pineapple mini bagels with cream cheese various muffins (one was pumpkin which I highly recommend) banana bread (a must) and croissants If you don't like these items then bring your own damn fude. I enjoy making lists-- read more

This review is not for their diving organization, although we have dove many times with Scuba Shack without incident. This particular review is for the condo we rented after hearing about is SO many times before we went back to the harbor to disembark the Scoop. We rented his condo at Kamaole Sands Bldg #4, 4th floor. Had a slight view of the ocean but better view of the side street, which was ok, not great just ok. The condo itself needs serious upgrading. The showers are very old and worn and show it. It was provided with shampoo and conditioner however, probably from a previous guest. More bath towels are needed, someone must have left a load in the washer to long because they all smelled sour even after they were washed. I felt yucky after drying off with them. The kitchen also is worn and showing it's age. (1980's style) It was stocked with spices from previous guests which was nice. But no ice maker in the freezer cause it's an older model of fridge. So you have to constantly refill the plastic trays (2). Or go over to the pool's ice maker and get some which is kind of a pain in the butt. The spiral staircase may look cool but is VERY dangerous! Definitely not in code! A lawsuit waiting to happen. I almost fell down them three times without the influence of alcohol! I do not recommend this condo for elderly of anyone with knee or weak ankle problems. Let's go on to the bug infestation, not just a few bugs but MANY! I had to throw about $100 worth of food away because of baby cockroaches. (And yes, I know what they look like from living in Texas.) I asked our neighbors in #4-408 if they had bugs and they did not. So this was an isolated situation. I complained at the information/welcome center and was told that not all owners participate in the monthly pest fumigation that Kam Sands offers. So obviously he opts not to spray as often to save $$ Go figure.... But so far I could handle all this not the end of the world, I'm in Maui after all and we're on a family vacation and having a blast! The day arrives when we need to leave so we pack up and don't know where to leave the keys ~ in the condo or take them to Scuba Shack. We locate the laminated sheet that has the check out rules and low and behold we read them and realize we have 30 minutes to clean the condo from top to bottom or be charged $200 on our credit card! I don't just mean sweep & dust either! We are to windex, vacuum, mop, scour the tubs, toilets, sinks, kitchen, counter tops, launder our sheets, wipe down the lanai, sweep AND DUST! Now, I'm upset! WHAT THE HECK? Seriously? If I wanted to freak'n clean house I could have stayed home! I should have charged you Charley, for having to throw my food out from the dang bugs! I won't be back nor will I recommend or refer to a friend. Pretty pissed off for how much I spent to clean my own condo before I left! I understand saving a buck here and there but this is ridiculous! Going back to Kihei Kai where it feels like home! read more

Best dive boat I've ever been on: blazing speed, terrific crew, and HOT FRESH WATER SHOWER for rinsing off and warming up between dives. As a girl who always has trouble staying warm while diving, the importance and rarity of this cannot be overstated! We went out with them two days in a row, four dives altogether. The crew is experienced, highly organized and knowledgeable. The fact that they fresh-water rinse all your gear at the end of the second dive is such a thoughtful and awesome touch - I've never had another crew do that. I usually don't make dive-spot requests, but I really wanted to do the St. Anthony wreck since I'd never done a wreck dive and everyone says it's a friendly, easy, playground of a wreck dive. They were happy to accommodate the request, and it was a great spot! I did also appreciate that they consulted the other divers before committing to it, though, to make sure *everyone* would be happy. The food is basic; muffins and mini-bagels for breakfast if you're diving early, Subway sandwiches if you're diving later; and a cooler with plenty of juice and soda and water. But if you're there for the diving, not the snacks, well worth going out with Scuba Shack. The crew, boat and equipment are all top-notch! I'm sure we'll dive with them again next time we're in Maui. read more

Went diving this morning with my boyfriend. This was our first time diving in Maui. The experience was superb. We did two dives (one at Molokini Crater and one at St. Anthony's ship wrect). Both dives were amazing! the visibility was excellent (about 90-100 feet) and the water temperature was about 75F. The crew was amazing. Our dive master was Greg who was funny and informative. Upon arrival to the Kihei Boat Ramp we were greeted warmly and sized up for our wet suits. They even have hot coffee and snacks for guests. The boat ride to the crater was smooth and quick. We had ample to get suited up and jump in. Greg was great at pointing out hidden creatures such as a giant lobster hidden in a small cave. At the ship wreck dive we saw three giant green sea turtles who swam along with us. Greg had a digital camera with him and was taking photos and videos of the guests. The CD is for sale at the store the next morning. We are definitely going to pick one up! Oh, and they also offer hot shower on the boat for you which comes in handy after the dive! We will definitely go with Scuba Shack again when we come back! read more

Scuba Shack - The boat! - Snorkeling Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

First class operation. Charlie/Michelle/Lea - great email communication in booking. I had some special requests - booking myself a day, my g/f doing her OW referral cert, i wanted to go along. so part beach, part boat etc etc.. all went smoonthly. Prices include gear - and top notch new gear - that's awesome. over multiple days that's quite a lot of money DM - Toby one day - funny dude, found critters I didn't see.. Instructor - Jim - great teachers.. patient..my g/f got her OW cert done.. Boat - rocket .. like what others said.. that thing can fly.. probably fun just to take that out some time. :) First day - did the backwall of Molikini as I had previously requested.. great wall dive. On the last day, we were the only boat to make it to molikini.. the water was very very rough.. but we still made it.. under water it was calm like a pool. glad we did that.. all the other boats didn't go to that site.. All in all great experience, and if/when i go back to Maui will be joining SS again read more

I had no clue what an adventure I was getting myself into. I was following my cousin's lead and was a bit apprehensive about the Scuba-Diving certification process. My scuba teacher was Greg and he was a funny old guy from Seattle... He made the process amazingly easy and comfortable. He is great at his job and is entertaining fellow. I will dive with him again without a doubt. I have heard from others that getting scuba certified could take up to a few weeks, but scuba shack offers a 3-Day class... However, I had to read a 300 page book beforehand to understand the basics. The class was loads of fun and you get a hands-on guidance while learning complex new hobby. I go to Maui twice a year and getting scuba certified has been the most rewarding / fun thing that I have ever done on the island.... After I passed the class we rented gear and went diving with a friend -- I am officially hooked! Diving Molokini is 100X better than snorkeling or snooba-ing it. If you want to get up close and personal with reef sharks and turtles get certified. I will be back in 6 months or so and plan on exploring St. Anthony's ship wreck. read more

The weather was absolutely spectacular when I arrived in Maui, but I waited until the end of my trip to go diving. Top on my list were Molokini (back wall) and Cathedrals. My cathedral dive got canceled (another company) and at that point I scrambled to find someone who might be going to Molokini. I called Charley at the crack of dawn after finding out my dive got canceled and he was friendly, helpful, and accommodating. No one can promise you a specific dive because it all depends on the weather, but he promised that if Molokini looked good, we'd go there. Toby (DM) and Jim got us out to Molokini despite nasty conditions. On the way to Molokini, I saw a baby humpback breach!!! That alone made my day. I hadn't been diving in 2 years, so I was a little nervous about a drift dive, but Toby made sure to watch out for me. The dive was sweet. Amazing visibility. Definitely as awesome as expected. We spent ~40 min at the bottom. I wish our second dive had been at Molokini Crater or that we could've done another one in the back wall. Instead we went over to St. Anthony's Wreck. I am not a fan of wreck dives. Visibility was poor. Total bottom time less than 30 minutes. Highlight was a huge sea turtle that came so out of nowhere I almost ran into it ;) Sadly, did not see frogfish. Definitely not happy with the second dive, but glad I got to go to Molokini. because of the had gone to the Disappointed not to see the Equipment is top notch. $125 for 2 dives, including equipment, which is one of the best prices on the island. I was a bit skeptical about leaving at 6 and being back by 10-10:30, but when you realize how fast you get to Molokini, it makes sense. Food was available--nothing fancy, but nice to have snacks in case you get hungry. There were 7 of us total and I felt comfortable and safe the whole time. There was a guy on my trip who had been diving with Scuba Shack multiple times and was a fan. Will definitely try Scuba Shack next time I'm back!! read more

Great professional crew. Helpful & laid back. Hot shower & breakfast makes the morning as lovely as can be! read more

Scuba Shack - Snorkeling Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Charlie and his crew provided me with 4 great dives. The gear was super: totally new. His boat is fast and you spend more time in the water, less in transit... and it's FUN. Charlie is a great host and knows his guests by name. Lastly, they made an awesome dive video available for purchase, and well worth the price. You guys ROCK, keep up the good work, the honesty, and the good times! read more

Great dive experience. Capt. Shane and Toby were great. On our dive, one of the divers had a panic attack and the crew and staff handled it like experts. The diver ended up gaining his confidence and finishing two dives. Great job guys. read more

Excellent day with Captain Charlie, DM Toby, & his crew! I have 1 teenager that dives and 2 snorkelers. I felt like my girls were safe the entire time, diving & snorkeling. -Fantastic, clean & organized boat (10 min ride to Molokini) -New equipment -Plenty of snorkel supplies (kids had a great time.) -2 small dive groups - 5 in ours. Other group had 3 people getting their certs. -DM took pictures of everyone all morning and offered a cd for $40. This was a very nice added service. Fun day, nothing uptight about crew but still felt like safety was first. We had so much fun that we are going back tomorrow. Nothing but great feedback for Scuba Shack. Thanks Toby!! read more

Though the wind and waves persisted, Captain Valerie and Toby prevailed! Our dive at La Perouse Bay was one of the best I've ever been on! So many SCHOOLS of indigenous fish in one place. Truly beautiful. Of course my favorite will always be my honu, and there were plenty to play with. Mahalo Toby! I felt so safe leaving my pre teen son with 4 other older kids with Captain Valerie at the helm. She was not only helpful and encouraging, she also taught my son dive boat etiquette. He even got to see dolphins! We stopped by the store to see Charley and rent some beach equipment for the week. Incredible inventory, and I love the women's fit t-shirts! I can't thank Scuba Shack enough for being the best dive operation in the world! I'll be back in July, and can't wait to dive with you again! read more

We had a GREAT time out with Capt, Toby and crew last week. My wife and son don't scuba but like to snorkel and the crew was very accommodating. We first dove Molokini getting there first thanks to the custom dive boat, then enjoyed Turtle Reef. We saw some amazing creatures and it was even neat to see the family being towed above. A nice touch on the ride back in was the "shout out" as a part of a local radio spot highlighting my 8yo son. He was so excited he could barely contain himself. Definitely worth the trip as we were staying up near Lahaina. Scuba Shack is THE way to dive Molokini. read more

My wife and I did a drift dive this morning.... first dive was about forty foot, by the Molokini Island ..... saw white tipped sharks, eels and octopus....my first dive since my certification last Friday....second one, about an hour later, was sixty feet ....over the sunken boat.... the boat below has been there about twenty years .... really cool ....the owner/operator Charlie is very professional and gives clear directions.... the staff, Joe and Blair were equally accommodating.... they are a great team and everything seemed to go absolutely wonderful.... snacks in between dives, great personality.... there's more to this that I would add, but will leave the advertising to Charlie. First class operation. Will definitely do this again .... read more

Great dive, again. Was here a couple years back, came back again this time because of great personality, great dives, and that boat is FAST and capt Charlie is not shy in showing putting it to it's full potential. Molokini and back in no time. read more

$6 a day for all the snorkeling gear you'd need- and its clean! Michelle (?) was nice enough to make sure all of the gear really fit each of us before sending us off on our excursion; can you beat that? The place is constantly busy so make sure you give yourself enough time so that you don't feel rushed. read more

Charley and his crew were outstanding. They have superior gear that is all set up for each customer, and their high speed boat gets you to Molokini Crater before everyone else. And because I am a tiny lady, they were kind enough to offer an additional wetsuit to keep me warm. I've never been given 2 wetsuits from any other company. Very thoughtful! The dive masters were excellent and even stayed under an extra 1/2 hour with me on each dive as I seldom use up my oxygen. I truly appreciated it. Thank you to the entire crew! read more

We decided to get certified while out in Maui for the week and I was so glad we found these guys. They're the only company that will take you out to molikini for diving certification. My sister and her husband decided to just do one dive instead of getting certified. In order to go with us on the dive we all went out in the morning together and they went snorkling while we dove in molikini. This was by far the best scuba experience I've had. The variety of fish you see here leaves you feeling amazed! Highly recomend these guys if you're near kihei read more

As an instructor myself with over 2000 dives and working on a boat here in Maui I am probably a little more critical than most but here it goes. The dive guides were super friendly and knowledgeable Blair in particular was extremely friendly, the dives were great as always. The boat is a little small and poorly designed for 12 divers (I worked on its twin so I know how cramped it can get). 8 would have been much better but what can you do. They did the best they could with the amount of people we had. If you have your own gear let them know if you don't want them to handle your personal gear. I'm super picky about my stuff and watched them adjust my BC without asking, so I just asked if I could deal with my own and they let me. They set my dads gear up and didn't connect his inflator properly and it wouldn't inflate so he had to fix that as we were getting pushed to get in water. Be ready to not have any help getting out of the water, my poor mom who is a phenomenal diver has some issues getting out and not a soul helped her out as she struggled and we watched helplessly from below. Their camera bucket was filled with soap while we were down on the second dive and I had been having some camera issues so I left it up the captain had taken my HUGE DSLR in a Nauticam Housing with a wide angle dome and strobes and just set it on the bench with a rocking boat. It could have fallen off and gotten cracked and I would been out 8 grand. They were all very clear that the head was not working, that's fine, what's not fine is that we witnessed the entire crew including the captain use it. The food was subpar just some muffins from Costco and some pineapple.. At the end there was a timeshare speech from the captain about HIS OWN places that severely annoyed me. All in all I was happy with the DIVE MASTERS service and underwhelmed by the rest of the trip. read more

I first met Captain Charlie at the Long Beach scuba show a month before my trip to Maui. I liked his laid back attitude and was impressed by his boat and the fact that it only takes 10 to 15 minutes to get to Molokini so I decided to book two days with him for my Maui trip. I had an amazing time both days and met a total of three of their dive masters and was impressed at how awesome all of the employees were. Toby was the DM on both of my days and he was perfect. There were probably about ten people on the boat each day and we were split into groups of 5. There are probably 5 to 10 other dive operators that go out to Molokini out of the same marina. I've read their reviews and saw their boats and they seem to be great operators. Let's face it, they pretty much go to the same places and have similar size groups and you see the same wildlife. The reasons that I would recommend Scuba Shack: - Their boat is a rocket. No joke, we passed another dive boat and within a few minutes it was a dot on the horizon. Who wants to take a 40 minute boat ride when you can get there in 10? - The crew is very friendly, and catered to everybody's needs from beginning divers doing their certification dives, snorkelers and advanced divers. I showed up, handed them my dive gear and they set everything up and even washed my gear for me. - Charlie makes a point to remember your name and really make you feel like you're on vacation and are there to have fun in a safe environment. - Warm water shower at the end of your dives is always a plus! I've been on a lot of dive boats and will definitely return to Scuba Shack when I'm back in Maui. Thanks Charlie and Toby!! read more

My second day diving with the Scuba Shack was as great as the first. I took my non-certified 10 year-old daughter and she joined us for the shallower second dive through PADI's Discover Scuba. Captain Charley and the crew made her and the other youngsters on board feel more than welcome and not a hinderance in any way. The boat is extremely fast and leaving early allows the crew to choose the best spot based on the conditions and feedback from the customers. The pre-dive time is long enough for a good dive briefing without some of the excessive surface time other operators have and then it's in to their almost-new equipment and time to make bubbles. On my earlier dives we did the back wall of Molokini and saw some white-tip reef sharks and a lot of interesting sea life but this morning we were the only boat inside the crater and were rewarded with an acrobatic performance from a 16ft Manta Ray. It hung out for several minutes before the noise of an approaching boat made it seek a quieter place. As a PADI certified Divemaster I have been diving with many operators in many countries but Captain Charley and the crew are one of the best I've ever come across and we'll definitely be back, probably even staying at the accommodations they offer. Pros : - very kid friendly - like new equipment - knowledgeable and helpful crew - great dive sites with a very short travel time due to the launch location and the very fast boat Cons : - the return journey is too short to really work on your tan ;-) read more

These guys are the best set up and most accommodating dive crew I had been with. The bits everyone wants to know: competitive pricing, brand new gear (rotate it each month), super fast boat (no eating time to get to excellent sites), friendly funny guides, handled a range of diving experience very well. Extras: coffee on arrival, snacks before you go out, breakfast in between morning dives, hot shower for the way back!! Captain Charlie and DM Toby did a great job and know their business well. I'll be back, and I'll recommend to anyone I can. Also- not up to these guys, but the doing out here of Mokokani crater is superb. Great visibility- 150m+, plenty of little critters to see, and plenty of turtle sightings :) read more

I dove with Scuba Shack on Christmas Eve. It was my first dive trip in 6 years, but the crew was excellent. The well maintained equipment was great, but I was most impressed by the professionalism of the Captain and Dive crew. Especially Toby, thanks again for the photo tips. I plan to dive with them again on my next visit to Maui. read more