Dive Review of Extended Horizons/Honua Kai in
Hawaii/Maui

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Extended Horizons/Honua Kai, Feb, 2014, by Steve Abbott, CO, US ( 1 report). Report 7535.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Even though Extended Horizons is a very small company, every aspect of the operation is first class. From my initial contact by phone before the trip, to making arrangements after arriving on the island, to the diving, everything was handled professionally and efficiently. Dive reservation reminders and receipts are emailed promptly. Prices are comparable to other operators on the island and are excellent value for the level of service provided. The shop is very well managed, and I was able to get a BC inflator assembly replaced on the spot after experiencing difficulty with it on the first dive. I did both shore dives and boat dives; shore dives are limited to small groups (there were 3-4 on our dives). Diving from the beach in Maui is fairly easy, with long shallow entries, but in our case the surge had picked up by the end of one dive so exit was difficult. The dive guide was very good at assisting us on the shore as the waves made it hard to get out of the water. A dive at Mala Pier was excellent, very easy entry and exit, and lots of sea life, including large white tips, turtles, a frogfish, and an eagle ray. The dive boat is small but well built, and gearing up and entry/exit well managed. The boat is also limited to groups of no more then 12, split into two groups at the dive site, groups being split by level of experience. The dive guides were very knowledgeable and good at pointing out critters, and not rushing through the dive. We did two dives at the Cathedral sites off Lanai, and while fish life was a bit sparse at times, the dives in the lava tubes were fun; also saw turtles and a large free-swimming octopus, as well as some rare endemic fish species. Being there in whale season, we could hear whales singing on every dive. This was my first trip to Maui; overall I'd say better diving than I've had recently out of Kona, and comparable to the best dives I've had in Kauai. We rented a condo in Ka'anapali at Honua Kai, through vrbo.com (Vacation Rental By Owner); pricey, but every bit as good as a 5-star hotel, spacious and very well equipped, and a perfect location for whale watching from the balcony. We also did several whale watching trips out of Lahaina; some of the best were with Lahaina Cruise Company (now associated with Hawaii Ocean Project).
Websites	Extended Horizons Honua Kai
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, PNG, Thailand, Australia, Galapagos, Indonesia, Fiji
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy, no currents
Water Temp	75-76°F / 24-24°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	75-100 Ft/ 23-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	As a solo diver, was "buddied" with the dive master, but at the end of the dive also allowed to hang out longer near the boat with other divers if the dive master went up early assisting other divers.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Subscriber's Comments

By Sheri Thomson in AB, CA at Mar 21, 2014 23:37 EST

Hi Steve, I agree...Extended Horizons is a pretty damn good company. I dived with them two years ago and enjoyed a spectacular night dive right off the Mala docks. Cathedrals were fun, although I was a bit of a wreck having wiped out face first on the rough ashphault at the pier at 6:00 in the morning walking from car to dive boat. Learned the hard way: don't wear flip-flops and don't dive after a wipe-out...adrenelin/shock does strange things to your system. No faujlt of Extended Horizons...they were great and would like to dive with them again. Off to Grand Turks with daughter who's getting PADI certified there in early April...happy joy joy! Stayed in a condo at K'anapali too, the Aston Kaanapali Villas. Really nice with kitchen and great view of ocean.

By report author: Steve Abbott in CO, US at Mar 23, 2014 22:32 EST

Hi Sheri - Thanks for the info on the night dive - in my experience, night dives are either awful or fantastic, no in-between. I'll definitely schedule a night dive at Mala next time. Hope Grand Turks are wonderful, nice place to get certified.

By in , at May 06, 2014 22:04 EST

Hey Steve, Thanks for the great review Erik Stein - Extended Horizons

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Dive Review of Extended Horizons/Honua Kai in Hawaii/Maui

Extended Horizons/Honua Kai, Feb, 2014,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Extended Horizons/Honua Kai in
Hawaii/Maui