After reading many rave reviews for Maui Dreams, I enrolled in the Rescue Diver class through their shop. I scheduled the class a few months in advance, and they even advertised it to recruit another student (after all, you can't rescue yourself!). I learned from the best--Kerri is a true expert in both diving and instruction. He is incredibly patient and explains concepts clearly. He took the time to answer all of our questions and really instilled the importance of dive safety--that anything can happen at any time, and you always need to stay aware, especially in and around the water. We practiced multiple real-life rescue scenarios in the water, which made the training feel practical and incredibly valuable. I learned so many important skills from Kerri--both ones I hope I never have to use and others that I will carry with me on every dive going forward. I look forward to diving with Kerri and the Maui Dreams crew the next time I'm on Maui! read more

Maui Dreams Dive - Makena Landing - the site of my Rescue Diver class - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

I was a long time customer of this shop who spent thousands of dollars over the years. I had a good rapport with the staff and owners, until I made a social media post mildly critical of a different dive operation. After that, the owner was very cold and curt with me for a couple of months and I finally asked why. I got yelled at for 15 minutes over that social media post and during that time I was insulted, had my ethics questioned, and was threatened with a ban from the shop once my tank rental card was used up. This was the worst customer service experience I have ever had in my life, to get excoriated by the shop's owner over a post I made about a different dive operation. I will no longer give this shop my business. The owner will likely respond that this was not a customer service experience with their services, like rentals, retail, etc., however a few months ago, I tried to get my divemaster certification renewed prior to the above event, and they could not even get it together to give me a price or a possible schedule with the owner referring me to the instructor and the instructor referring me to the owner. Rinse. Repeat. It was the most frustrating and unprofessional PADI training experience I ever had. And when I did my MFA/CPR certification with them, the CPR dummies did not have batteries (or they had exploded from disuse) so they were totally unprepared on the day of the course. And during the course I had the displeasure of watching the instructor mumble through the cheat sheet on his phone, covering unnecessarily what I had already gone over in the eLearning, and they very inappropriately shared with me a personal medical emergency example that involved an emergency heart issue arising from solo use of viagra. So very unprofessional. Granted that instructor no longer works at this shop, having quit or been fired shortly after that MFA/CPR course. I finally got my divemaster cert renewed with an independent instructor without any hassle. Why was it so easy for them and so hard for the shop? Also note, that after I got my divemaster cert renewed the owner reached out to me to see if I was interested in a job and seemed very enthusiastic about the prospect of me working for them. We met and I declined to work for them as I still had full time work. So any aspersions the owner may cast on my character after this review should be viewed with that in mind. read more

One of the biggest joys living on the islands is swimming/snorkeling so you best have a great snorkel mask. When I moved here I went to Maui Dreams and they fitted one that worked perfectly until it was time to upgrade years later. I've done a few upgrades with them and all have worked out well. Sadly, the other day before a swim the strap on my mask broke. I swim twice a week so it was depressing. I went to MDD and told Chris the issue. He fixed my strap and sent me on my way to have an amazing swim. Truly one of the best managed companies on the islands. Please bring your biz to them as they are there to help. Whilst waiting for my mask about 3 associates made sure I was being helped. Much aloha Maui Dreams Dive! read more

We had a great time diving with Maui Dreams. Wish the visibility was better. Good gear, crew and boat.

Amazing professionals - the real deal. Did a two dive boat trip today with them and the captain and five masters were safe, fun, proficient.

I did most of my dive training (including instructor course) with MDDC in the late 00's. They were awesome. Emphasis on WERE. In the last couple of years with the new owners, they've changed from being a community-focused friendly place with reasonable prices to a corporate, profit-driven conglomerate with ridiculously high prices. For example, it was cheaper for me to rent gear for 10 days from the shop at home than it was for a single day at MDDC. Basically, they've become the Maui Dive Shop of yesteryear. I used to send folks here regularly. No more. read more

1 Star - My worst Dive Operator Experience from a 17-Year Diver Last-Minute Price Doubling: Months after booking, the Wednesday before our Thursday flight and Friday class, we were told we'd have to pay double the original price or they'd cancel due to low enrollment. With flights, hotels, and plans already locked in, and no availability at other shops, we had no choice but to pay. What makes this especially concerning: their own divemasters told us they just hired four new divemasters this month to handle increased capacity. Yet staff mentioned the very next weekend they again had only one student enrolled. This pattern raises questions about their booking practices and business model. Safety and Environmental Concerns: Our divemaster told us we could take shells as long as nothing was living in them and didn't address a diver repeatedly touching the reef. There was no reef etiquette covered in the pre-dive briefing, which is concerning from both conservation and ethical diving standpoints. Broken Boat, No Backup Plan: On day three, with my wife finally certified and ready for our crater dive, the boat wouldn't start. After waiting two hours, we were simply sent home. Staff informed us the boat had been having problems for days, but a mechanic was only called that morning. Given the cumulative issues, I requested a partial refund beyond just the cancelled boat trip. The owner, Chris, declined, stating that offering a refund would be a "bad business decision." In my experience, providing poor customer service after multiple failures and risking reviews like this one is a worse business decision. A Possible Explanation: After our experience, we learned that Maui Dream Dive reportedly changed ownership within the last year or two. I've dived with dozens of operators worldwide over 17 years--this was uniquely disappointing. I cannot recommend Maui Dream Dive to fellow divers read more

It had been three years since my last dive, so we went on a two-tank shore dive with Chance off of Polo Beach. Great dive, Chance spent more time than any dive instructor I had ever gone with explaining and going over the different fish and invertebrates that we saw on the dives. We also did a night dive the following day with Jordan. It was my first night dive, and what a cool experience. Jordan's explanation and confidence greatly helped ease my nerves and contributed to creating a memorable dive and experience. Top-notch dive company and experiences. Thanks read more

Wonderful dives at Makena. Joel was an amazing guide--took us on two gorgeous dives where we saw all sorts of cool marine life including an octopus. read more

I really want to like this dive shop, but they did one thing that I really found disapointing: two shore dives at the same spot. Maybe this is common (I've never experienced it), but I wouldn't have booked with them if I knew they were going to do so. They seem to have a single beach that they use, and a lot of other dive shops. It was very crowded with snorkelers and SCUBA divers. The conditions were very poor, but that is not anyone's fault. Sticking to that beach, however, was a bad call by them. Based on comments we hear later in the day, Black Rock & Airport beaches were a lot better. read more

Dave, the technician was very helpful he Adjusted and tuned up my regulator Very good service friendly and professional I highly recommend Maui dreams dive shop for all your diving needs !!! read more

Had such a great dive on the back wall of Molokini Crater. Javier was professional and I felt so safe. The crew was amazing, John F was thee best Dive Master ever and Katie was fantastic. loved my dive Leslie S read more

Snorkeling with Maui Dreams was the highlight of our trip. Their boat is state of the art, gear was new and clean, and Javier, Katie, John and Christina gave us the very best experience. Katie was our snorkel guide and made sure we were seeing the best underwater show, Javier led the boat and found us whales and dolphins along the way, didn't hesitate to slow down so we could watch them dance. And John made sure we knew the all the hand signals and oriented us to the world of diving. Fantastic to have snacks and drinks provided too. It feels like we made friends!! read more

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Wife and I did a two tank dive with Island Style Diving which is owned by the same person. Our first stop was at the Molokini Crater. This is a must do site. Visibility was 150+/- ft - Excellent with minimal current. Saw three reef sharks, barracuda, eels, schools of various fish, frog fish, and more. Second dive was a shallow dive at xxxxx (will update) Equipment: We brought our own gear. The gear supplied for others looked good. Boat: Fastest dive boat I have been on- twin turbo diesel jet boat. Very nice. Had a toilet and hot water rinse which are always nice to have. Staff:Excellent! John, Katie. Both did an outstanding job. Could not have done better. Javier (owner) boat captain did a great job. Put us very close to a few humpback whales on the surface interval. Also made trip laidback and fun. The only reason I did not give a 5 was the quality of the second dive. John did what he could to make it interesting for us. No fault on his part but the site simply lacked visibility, sea life but had a couple of caves/swim, small octopus, sea snake that were interesting. read more

Did a 2 tank boat dive at Molokini this last week and I have to say the crew was phenomenal, well organized, friendly and made the experience exceptional. First dive was at the crater and second was on the back wall, a drift dive. Both dives were great and as a newly certified diver, I have to say they made me feel extremely comfortable and were great. I highly recommend a dive with Maui Diamond Sea Sports boat crew and I can't wait to return to Maui to dive with them again! read more

Maui Dreams Dive - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

I want to give a shoutout to the dive master/ guide, Johnny. friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Underwater he looked after every one of us like we were his children or a flock of baby ducklings.I felt very safe on the drift dive on molokini back wall, which is a moderately advanced dive and all the other dives inside the crater. I must say there's a little drama at their shop, with a newer employee. But is of little importance in the overall picture, to me. read more

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As the year end fast approaches, I'm reflecting on things i loved about 2023. My time in August with the good folks of Maui Dreams is at the top of the list. First rate operation run by first rate people. My OW instructor Andie Cox, whom I met thru another shop, referred me. Dave Goodyear led me through my AOW, imparting meaningful and practical tips along the way, some well beyond the limits of the curriculum. Javier was all you could ask for in a dive boat skipper. Curly and Christina were really helpful at the shop end of things. I look forward to diving with Maui Dreams again. Give them a try. read more

Thank you Christina, Michelle and Dave. Although the conditions were not the greatest (not the shop's fault) your dive shop has a wonderful, friendly and a very patient staff. Safety is a priority, that is evident. After our dive this morning, my scuba regulator was acting up and Michelle fixed it in minutes. I highly recommend Maui Dreams Dive. Thank you! read more

Have rented gear at different shops over the past year. I seem to keep coming back to Maui Dreams to rent gear for shore diving. They are always super friendly and continually have great service. Went in last week, and it looks like the shop was recently updated. It's now roomier and more organized and I hear they're going to do even more shop improvements in the next few months. Cant wait to see. If you goto Maui and need scuba gear, or looking to book a boat or even get dive certified, this is hands down the best shop. read more

Maui Dream Dive is very well managed and I highly recommend them for anybody considering getting their PADI Open Water Diver certification. Every person in the company we dealt with was knowledgeable and professional. Our instructor was Dave Goodyear. He was rigorous, thoughtful and meticulous. It was great to be in his class. read more

Great people working here and awesome products. Thank you so much. Was recommended by someone over in the hotel that we were staying and said this is where they go to get their dive stuff and I'm glad we went. read more

Been coming here for several years. Staff is always courteous, kind, and knowledgeable. Whether you are simply getting tanks, advanced certifications, or shore and boat dives, we've always experienced exemplary service. read more

This was my second time diving with Maui Dreams Dive. Once again it was outstanding. They are very professional and knowledgeable. The dive briefing was spot on and the Dive Masters were extremely helpful. I'll be diving with them every time I'm back on Maui. I highly recommend them. read more

I booked a two hour drive with them and whenever I called, the person answering the phone was always extremely helpful. When it came to the Dive it was a random person, my spouse and I. Kelly was our instructor and in my opinion was a 10/10 instructor. My spouse was really anxious and couldn't make it past the in-water tests to confirm we could dive deeper. She did everything to make her comfortable and I really appreciate her for that. When it came to the diving, she was very attentive and checked on us constantly. I felt very safe on my first dive and loved it. We saw many fish and coral and I will probably remember it for the rest of my life. Thank you Kelly. read more

Sunset Whale Cruise. I dived with this group and highly recommend them. However, my wife is confined to a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury and we have been limited in choices of whale boats. I asked the owner, Don if he thought we could get her on the boat and he said of course we can do that. The eve ring of the cruise, we realized that the gang plank was too narrow, so Don and one of his dive masters, Don, two divers from the boat, Mark and Jim, picked her up and placed her on the boat. My wife had a great time. We had a whale suddenly appear within 50 feet of the boat. This boat is all about safety, but customer service is paramount. My wife who was skeptical that we could pull it off and have a great cruise was totally impressed with the phenomenal emphasis that Don placed on making this cruise memorable even as the whale season was coming to an end. Mahalo, Team Maui Dreams Dive. read more

Maui Dreams Dive - Maui sunset from the Maui Diamond. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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This is a great company to work with. The prices are reasonable and the crew is so friendly! The whole process to get signed up was simple. We went on a 2 tank dive. One was at Molokini Crater. We got snacks and drinks between dives. Our dive master Brandon was super helpful and knowledgeable. We were impressed that he used a board to write names of fish and animals underwater as he saw something of interest. The board was also super helpful to communicate with the divers while underwater. We allowed the divers who still had air to remain down as the others safely got out of the water. I highly recommend using this company! read more

Maui Dreams Dive - Heading out on our dive - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Maui Dreams has been nothing but a pleasure to work with. I was very nervous about getting my open water cert in 2020, but Kate (who was helping with scheduling) was amazing, quick, and was able to accommodate my schedule. When it finally came time to start Kelly was super patient, answered every question a first time diver would have, and more. She really made me feel comfortable quickly and provided feedback to help make me a better diver. Fast forward 2.5 years later and I am back for my advanced open water with Curly. Again, nothing but patient and expertise. On the night dive we did one of the divers was having issues with their BCD, Curly was on top of helping get that repaired, and then spent 15 minutes at the surface so the diver could calm their nerves before starting the dive, never once was he pushing us to hurry up with the dive, or made us feel like anyone was a burden. His professionalism in a time of panic made it really easy for the diver to calm down and enjoy their first night dive! Overall I have had nothing but an amazing experience with every member of the staff both in store and on boat. They are a team of professionals who treat their customers with respect and are always looking out to make sure everyone had a safe, but good time. 1000% would recommend to anyone visiting Maui. read more

Such an awesome time. I did my pool training locally and finished my open water cert in mahi. Kelly was awesome! We had someone that was struggling and she balanced taking care of them and allowing me to get my cert blissfully. Kelly has an awesome personality and is incredibly patient. Mother Theresa would be jealous. Take a dive with maui dreams and i promise you wont regret it read more

Maui Dreams right in the heart of Kihei, great staff in the shop and on the water, I have 200+ dives and I found them to be awesome, my group had DM Dave Fuller as our guide, and it was like he had the addresses of all the cool critters, he brought along his professional camera and took tons of pics which he happily shared air-drop to his group. That was just so kind. Thanks for the tour Dave! And thanks to the crew, you do a great job making sure everyone is comfortable read more

Great trip yet again!! I have had nothing but the best experience with this shop over the last two years. I was on the wildcard dive trip on March 1st and enjoyed every bit of it. I felt lucky to have captain Joe on the boat with Kim as my dive guide. This is my second dive boat trip with Joe & Kim. Others on board were helpful too, special shout out to Dave for keeping the humor going. Yelena was helping Joe getting divers back into the boat after dives, she is super friendly too. Having tried many dive shops on the island, Maui Dreams continue to be my fav! read more

A great dive shop run by friendly competent professionals. The boat dives run out of the Kihei boat ramp are a great experience with talented dive masters and boat captain. I absolutely will dive with them again as my go-to shop on Maui. read more

I got my open water PADI certification with Maui Dreams last year and I'm finally getting around to my review. I had such a great time that I was willing to keep this review on my to-do list for a year. For the experienced divers reading this... the boat/equipment was great and the crew were all really helpful and professional. The operation was very organized, clean, efficient. My partner is a PADI dive master who said it's probably all downhill from here as far as quality of boats go :-p. For my personal experience... I was very anxious and scared going into my first open water dive. I had a horrible time in the pool with a local program (not Maui Dreams), but was committed to at least trying the open water dive. My instructor Curly was amazing - his instruction was clear, I never felt rushed, and he engaged me during the dive pointing things out around us on his whiteboard. I fully credit him with my future diving career. I ended up booking an additional open water dive on the same trip because I had such a good time, and I'm diving again in a few months. I highly highly highly recommend. I wish I could have done my full course with Curly. read more

A PADI 5 Star shop/boat that deserves the 5-stars This is my third visit to Maui Dreams in 10 or so years. The staff, instructors, boat and shop are way more attentive and professional than the shops back at home in Southern California. I just finished my PADI DPV Specialty (dive scooters) with Javier and had one of the most memorable dive days of my 30+ years of diving. THIS is the outfit you should go to for the best scuba dive in Maui. They have a brand new dive boat! Guided shore dives are great! PADI instructors are the best! Safety Kindness Professionalism Location Dive shop Classes Guides read more

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-3 stars for the 3 anchor dive and -1 star because of injury due to negligent dive master. My family and I did a 2 tank dive: first dive at Molokini and the second at a mystery location - sounded fun! Our second dive wasn't at one of the many gorgeous coral reefs along Maui's coast, but rather, an old Navy boat anchor more en route to our port. It was so disappointing and dull compared to the beauty that attracts divers to Maui. Not what we expected or signed up for. On this second dive, the surf really came up by the time we surfaced. My mother was the last person in the water in these rough swells. None of the Maui Dreams team stayed in the water to ensure all divers safely got onboard. My mother fell off the ladder on her way up and injured herself. Only then did a dive master other than our own get back in the water to help. The whole boat was watching nervously as my mother eventually got aboard. This could have been avoided with best practices and should have NEVER happened. Our dive master never even checked on my mom to make sure she was alright. Extremely disappointing. read more

HIGHLY recommended by friends who live on Maui, and now also HIGHLY recommended by me. You'll be delighted if you choose these folks. The skipper/owner and crew were super knowledgeable, gracious, and friendly. Boat was sweet. We felt very safe--even from a diver with a bad attitude who was super disrespectful to the skipper as we were getting a safety briefing. The skipper asked him and his party to leave. He said he hasn't needed to do that in 10 years. I'm so glad he did. Turning down business and risking getting flamed on social media by an as*hole is a gutsy move ... yet none of us wanted to dive with someone with a bad attitude. Thanks to you, skip for taking that stand. Bravo! read more

We recently had a great experience completing our PADI Open Water Diver certifications with Maui Dreams. Booking was super easy. Their website has a great overview of everything involved in the course. Our instructor, Walter, reached out to us via text messages a couple days ahead of time, offering to answer any questions and inviting us to stop by the shop in Kihei to complete some initial paperwork ahead of time. He did a great job connecting with our two teenagers (15 & 16) who were a little anxious about learning how to dive. He had great answers to our questions about tank inspections, dive etiquette, what to expect on a live aboard, etc. and often shared stories from his personal experience that made learning a lot of information in a short amount of time fun for all of us. His stories about how he learned to dive, exploring shipwrecks all over the world, and future dive trips he's planning were among our favorites. And when water conditions weren't ideal, he was flexible in adjusting both the schedule and location of our open water dives. Beyond the course itself, Walter's recommendations for local restaurants and activities made the rest of our trip more enjoyable as well. While we were in the dive shop we also met the shop & boat owners, Rachel and Don, who were very kind and helpful. Walter and other staff helped us understand all the different types of necessary vs. optional equipment and things we should consider when renting as well as if/when we decide to buy our own. read more

Maui Dreams Dive - Walter with our family - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

As a family party of three divers we have always had stellar service from Maui Dreams dive shop over the past few years. This year we learned the long time owner Rachel has retired and to her we wish her all the best. We meet the new owners Javier Christina Cantellops that just took over the helm. It was a very smooth transition in the dive shop, zero hiccups and the staff is still extremely helpful with tank rentals and dive site information as always! We also booked a last minute dive charter with Maui Dreams Dive to Molokini Crater. Absolute top service, well organized, professional and friendly staff. Very conscientious dive operations and very capable dive masters and crew. All around a real pleasure and highlight of our visit this year to Maui. It is with high recommendations I encourage you to drop by Maui Dreams dive shop to engage with the friendly staff. This company will obviously continue to thrive in the good hands of Javier and Christina. We are happy to see our favorite dive shop in Maui has a long viable future for many more years to come. Thanks again to the whole crew and staff at https://www.mauidreamsdiveco.com Cheers, Jeff Morgan #SeattleRingHunter Lost Item Recovery Specialist Master Diver read more

Maui Dreams contributes a strong sense of diving community. They sponsor an underwater Halloween Pumpkin Carving contest, an underwater "Tell Santa What you Want" photo op. Maui Dreams developed the Hawaiian Endemic Fish ID certification for PADI. They promote and support diving through everything they do. Their owners actually dive for fun in their free time. Maui Dreams Fish ID courses, which are provided every week or two, feature amazing photos, discussions of hunting, feeding, mating activities that make every dive much more rich. I love Blackfin Chromis, Peacock Razor Wrasse, Devil Scorpionfish, and all sorts of nudibraches, because I have a rich education in their behavior. I have not gotten this from any other dive shop. The courses, taught by Maddy Rich, with a Cornell biology degree, are irreverent, charming, enthusiastic, and, well, X-rated. Fish are pretty kinky. Maui Dreams has long been the place that virtually all divers want to work. I was certified at Maui Dive Shop (a different shop), and my dive instructor there said he really wanted to work at Maui Dreams. Since my certification, about 3/4 of my dives (including remote trips) have been through Maui Dreams. I've done about 360 dives in my life, so I know plenty of dive shops. Several friends obtained their dive master or instructor certifications because they were inspired by Maui Dreams. Some people moved to Maui because of Maui Dreams. In 2019, Maui Dreams invested a ton of cash in an expensive, very fast dive boat. This rocket is amazing. Without a fast boat, night dives in Molokini are not really feasible. Though they won't guarantee it when you book a night dive, if the water is right they'll often get you to Molokini; it's a treat. Daytime dives at an adjacent island, Lanai, are fast with this boat. There are many great dives now reachable by their new boat. Maui Dreams is so well-loved that many people who have cash to retire actually work at their shop--they do not need the money, they work at Maui Dreams because they love the owners and the customers. In early 2021, there are at least 3 such people working there. These folks love diving, love marine life, love their colleagues at the shop, love the people who love to dive. This review is being written at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time they have promoted high-levels of pandemic safety in their shop and on their boat; I have seen first-hand that Maui Dreams has put safety-first for the benefit of their customers; patrons who did not want to use masks were turned away. I think this is courageous, and I support them. I am so grateful to Maui Dreams, for working hard to enrich us with marine understanding, and for making super-fun trips to Fiji, Philippines, Indonesia, Yap, Palau, and many more locations. I have met many valued friends through Maui Dreams. It is hard to overemphasize how they have contributed to my life. I hope you experience them yourself. Perhaps we'll meet in Maui, or on one of their trips. read more

SO much love for Maui Dreams Dive Co! My fiancé and I finished our open water scuba certification in Maui and had the most incredible experience! Our instructor was Taylor who was AMAZING! She made us feel so comfortable on our dives and was very thorough with her teaching. On our second day of diving, we went to Molokini Crater which was an unforgettable experience. 100+ feet of visibility and SO much marine life! All in all, I am so thankful I found this scuba shop to complete our certification. Thank you Maui Dreams Dive Co! read more

Maui Dreams Dive - Scuba Diving Certified - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

We did a shore dive with Maui Dreams Dive and it was awesome. Joel was a fantastic guide! He knew the best places to take us. He found fish we had never seen before. We went out at Makena Landing and went into Shark Cave and Bubble Cave. It was all just amazing. I can't say enough good things about Joel. He was really fantastic. Next time we are in Maui we would dive with him again. read more