Our Affordable Hawaiian Vacation - 3rd day in Maui

Shore diving is one of the most affordable activities you can do in Hawaii. Drive to any public beach, put on your scuba gear and walk into the ocean. 

A dive float is required
when shore diving in Hawaii-
Black Rock (M. Leung)

Shore diving is what we decided to do on our 3rd day in Hawaii and our 3rd day in Maui. We decided to dive at Black Rock and Old Airport Beach (Kahelili). These are two of the easiest and most popular snorkeling and dive sites in Maui.

Underwater visibility was around 50'-60' that day, which is below average. It was certainly a lot worse than the boat dives we had done the previous day, where visibility was closer to 100'. Mark was somewhat disappointed. I, on the other hand, was so enamored by how easy it was to dive in Hawaii, that I didn't care. We got to see some cool stuff, like a baby spotted eagle ray, and a voracious green sea turtle getting knocked about by the surge:

Eel--
Old Airport Beach (M. Goodnow)

Baby Spotted Eagle Ray-
Black Rock (M. Goodnow)

Crab of some sort-
Black Rock (M. Goodnow)

Afternoon

Sporting my handmade 

Plumeria flower hair piece

and nursing a Mai Tai-

Old Lahaina Luau

To help celebrate Mark's birthday, we decided to attend the Old Lahaina Luau, which is considered to be the best luau in Maui, and possibly all of Hawaii. There was a sumptuous dinner buffet, cocktails galore, and many hula dance performances. There were also crafts on site.  I learned how to make a flower hair piece, which I put behind my left ear because I'm a married woman (right ear placement symbolizes singleness). There were so many things to see and do that I didn't get to see the kalua pig get dug up from its imu pit.

At our table were a couple of girls who were staying in Paia. They told us what to see and do.  I felt sorry for them because they spent money to do expensive activities like zip-lining, when all they had to do was walk into the ocean for free, and have a more immersed and more poignant adventure. To each their own, I guess.

I was completely enraptured by the hula performances. I got the sense that this is an important art form to the native Hawaiians and is used to convey their history and their lore (in absence of having writing). When done properly, hula can transcend the hokey hip swaying the rest of the world thinks as hula dancing. When done properly, hula is dignified, and even solemn and is very beautiful to watch. Most people soaked in the performances and respected the cultural heritage behind it, with the exception of one man, who wolf-whistled the scantily clad hula dancers.

Enjoying the scenery-
Old Lahaina Luau

Kalua Pork, 2 Poke Varieties, Lomi, Taro leaf salad
and blue drink (background)-
Old Lahaina Luau

I would highly recommend attending the Old Lahaina Luau to anyone visiting Maui. There was a great respect given to Hawaiian art forms, and an attempt to really convey the history and heritage of Hawaii in song and dance. The food and cocktails can't be beat either.

We planned on doing some more shore dives the following day...

Dive Details

Dive #197: Black Rock

Depth/Time/Temperature: 34'/1:17 minutes/75 degrees F

Buddy: Mark

Weights: 6 lbs with a 3 mm wet suit shortie

Sighted:

-large turtle

-spotted eagle ray (small)

-cornetfish and trumpetfish

Dive #198: Old Airport Beach (Kahekili Beach)

Depth/Time/Temperature: 32'/1:26 minutes/75 degree F

-small ravenous turtle

-nudibranchs

-cleaner shrimp

-rainbow cleaner wrasse

-juvenile yellowtail wrasse

-white spotted damsel

-longnose, threadfin, raccoon butterfly fish

-bird wrasse

-yellow tang

-bigger tangs

-goatfish (all kinds)

-some sort of unicorn fish

-baby blue boxfish

-Humuhumu fish