Molokini Backwall 2-Tank Scuba Dive for Advanced Divers

Yes. All of our boat dives are for certified divers only, so please bring your certification card on the day of your dive. If you aren't certified yet, a local Maui dive shop can get you started with an introductory dive or a certification course before you join us.

If it has been more than two years since your last dive, you'll need to complete a refresher or a guided shore dive with a local dive shop before your boat dive, or hire a private guide for your dive day (extra fee). If this will be your first ocean dive, we recommend doing a shore dive first – it helps you get comfortable with local conditions and dial in your weighting for salt water, which makes your boat dives so much better.

No. Masks, fins, and wetsuits are provided at no extra cost, and a BCD and regulator can be rented for an extra fee. There's no need to visit a shop for a fitting ahead of time – just show up at the boat and your gear will be ready. You're also welcome to bring your own equipment. If you dive with a DIN regulator, we usually have DIN adaptors on board, but they occasionally go missing, so check with us ahead of time or bring your own.

Yes. Enriched air is available for divers certified to use it, for an extra fee. Please bring your Nitrox certification card.

Yes. All divers must complete the diver medical questionnaire included in your waiver ahead of time. Some answers about current or past medical conditions require a physician's release before you can dive. If you need a release, email it to us in advance and bring the original to the boat. Divers who need a release and arrive without one are welcome aboard as passengers but will not be able to dive, and will not be refunded. If you're already on Maui, same-day medical clinics can often help with a release.

Our 46 ft (14 m) custom-built dive boat is Coast Guard certified to carry up to 49 passengers or 36 divers, but we prefer to keep plenty of elbow room – charters typically host around 22 people. Divers are grouped by experience level, with groups usually ranging from 4 to 8 divers. A private guide can be added for an extra fee if you'd like undivided attention.

Yes. We provide juices, sodas, water, and a variety of snacks like chips, granola bars, and trail mix. On our longer Lanai charters, we also serve wraps or sandwiches for lunch. You're welcome to bring a refillable water bottle and extra snacks, but there is no cooler space on board, so pack items that don't need to stay cold.

The boat has a restroom (marine head) on board – please keep paper products out of it. Each diver gets a dry bin under their seat for personal items. Space is limited, so please pack light.

Maui offers great diving year-round. From August through October the water is warmer and the island is typically less crowded, and during humpback whale season (roughly January through April) you may see and even hear whales on your dive day.

Yes. We use reef-safe sunscreen, minimize waste on board, and follow respectful diving practices to protect Maui's marine ecosystems. Our crew also briefs divers on how to interact respectfully with marine life.

Flying directly after scuba diving is incredibly dangerous and could result in a life-threatening illness called the Bends/Decompression Sickness. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) guidelines for flying after diving include:

• A single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000 ft (305 m) interval of 18 hours suggested.
• Multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000ft (305m) interval of 24 hours is suggested.
• Dives requiring decompression stops are recommended to have longer than 18 hours.

Please discuss with your dive guide ahead of time what is suggested!

Any activity that brings you above 1000 ft (305 m) can trigger the Bends/Decompression Sickness. Please check your hike elevation to ensure that at no time you will be going up in elevation. If the hike does go to elevation, you must treat it like a preflight interval as listed above in the flying FAQ.

Common sunscreens contain chemicals that can harm coral reefs, as the particles are small enough to be absorbed by corals, causing toxicity and coral bleaching. Reef-friendly sunscreens are formulated without these harmful chemicals. Reef-SAFE sunscreens go a step further by using non-nano particles, which are too large for corals to ingest, helping to preserve marine ecosystems. Please avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, and parabens. Consider wearing sun-protective clothing, like long-sleeve rash guards, as an alternative to sunscreen. If you choose a mineral-based sunscreen, ensure it is labeled 'non-nano.'

The Backwall is a drift dive along the outside of Molokini Crater, open to the deep ocean. Visibility typically exceeds 100 ft (30 m). We usually start the dive deep, around 80–100 ft (24–30 m), and slowly work our way shallower to extend bottom time.

Pyramid butterflyfish, blue dragon nudibranchs, and frogfish make their homes on the wall, and because it's open to the ocean, you never know what may swim by – guests often report reef sharks, eels, and schooling fish. Many divers see turtles on the second dive.

This trip is for advanced divers with recent experience. You need at least 40 lifetime dives and must have been diving within the last 6 months. You should be able to descend quickly, handle strong currents, maintain excellent buoyancy, and do a safety stop in blue water with no line to hold. If you don't meet these requirements, our Molokini Crater 2-tank charter is a great alternative.

Molokini’s Backwall is an advanced scuba diving site with deep water, steep volcanic drop-offs, and exposure to open-ocean currents. Unlike the more sheltered reefs inside Molokini Crater, the Backwall requires divers to be confident with buoyancy control, depth management, air consumption, and diving in potentially changing conditions.

The 40 logged dives requirement helps ensure participants have sufficient practical experience to safely enjoy this more challenging environment. Divers should be comfortable maintaining neutral buoyancy alongside a deep wall, monitoring their depth and no-decompression limits, and responding calmly to changing underwater conditions. The minimum dive count is an operator safety requirement rather than a universal scuba certification standard.