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Hawaii
Hawaii is the southernmost state in the United States located in the centre of the Pacific Ocean. One of the most isolated yet populous places on Earth, Hawaii is one of the smallest states in the U.S. The 6,425 square miles of land consists of 8 large islands and 124 small islands, reefs and shoals. The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanic eruptions and these eruptions still continue today on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Hawaii generally has a tropical climate. Because of the effect of the mountains on wind patterns, most of the islands have significant rainfall. The surrounding ocean keeps temperatures from becoming extremely warm.
To start, the Hawaiian Islands are comprised of eight main islands: Oahu, Kauai, Niihau, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii (which is not the main island. Oahu is). One of the many valuable resources of Hawaii is the phenomenal weather. There is little temperature variability from summer to winter (about 9° F at the coastal areas) Temperatures are usually in the 80’s F with moderate humidity.
The world class beaches here offer black and white and pink and green sand beaches. What else? The tallest sea cliffs in the world (2000 feet plus!), the wettest spot on the planet, the tallest mountain in the world (top to bottom), the world’s most active volcano, there is even have a mini "Grand Canyon". You could spend a lifetime exploring all the nuances of Hawaii’s natural splendours and still not see it all. Common activities include hiking, sunbathing, sightseeing, shopping, nightlife, helicopter and plane tours, and of course whale watching, snorkelling, and scuba diving.
There are many dive possibilities in the Hawaiian Islands and it is important to realise that each island is very different from the other. Both boat and shore diving are popular and with the nearest land mass being over 2000 miles away, you can imagine what a fish and marine mammal magnet the island group is. There are many sites for shore diving around all of the islands making the diving easy.
The best places to dive on Oahu are near the famous landmark of Diamond Head. Other popular areas are along the Waianae Coast (outstanding during summer months), the North Shore and Makapuu's offshore Rabbit Island. Maui offers a host of good to outstanding diving areas all around its shoreline. The best area on the Big Island of Hawaii is along the Kona Coast where there are excellent places to dive to view beautiful reefs, shallow to deep, with coral, shells, large fish, turtles, lobsters, black coral, and fascinating topography resulting from lava flows. Off Lanai lies Cathedral Reef, 30 to 100ft deep, with colourful coral, shells and big fish such as the 50lb Ulua (Crevalle Jack) and lobsters. Molokai's east and west ends are considered by some divers to be unmatched anywhere in the world. The diving in Kauai is very similar to what you might experience in Maui. On any given day in the summer, you can get great visibility and have access of up to 26 dive sites, many from shore.
Hawaii is a great destination both for divers and for accompanying non diving partners and families. The hotels are absolutely superb and there are a host of activities to keep you entertained. For the dedicated diver, a live aboard might be the best way to dive around the islands.
Worldwise
In winter, the seas on some shores of the islands are very rough, making them undivable. This is particularly true on the north shores.
Luckily the summer is the “low” season. Generally the west and southern coasts are warmer and drier. Don’t go expecting the unspoiled South Pacific. These islands are very much part of the United States. The tourist infrastructure is superb.
Food is excellent but can be expensive.
Getting There:
There are no direct flights to Hawaii from the UK. You will have to fly to the USA and change planes before continuing on to Hawaii. The quickest and most popular route is to fly to Los Angeles, change planes, and then fly on to Hawaii. Flights to Los Angeles take 11 hours from the UK and LA to Hawaii flights take a further 5 and a half hours.
Most inter island travel necessitates a short flight (Honoulu to Maui or Kauai takes 30-minutes, or to Big island takes 40 minutes). The only inter-island ferries shuttle between Maui and Lania and Molokai. Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha are the major inter island airlines and between them offer flights almost every half an hour between Oahu (Honolulu Airport) and Kauai (Lihue Airport in the south and Princeville Airport in the north), Maui (Kahului Airport on north coast and Kapalua on west Maui) and the Big Island (Keahole Airport on west coast and Hilo Airport on east coast). There are also several flights each day between Maui and the Big Island and also between Keahole Airport on the west coast of the Big island and Hilo Airport on the east coast of the Big Island - by car this trip takes about 6 hours). To get from Kauai to either Maui or the Big Island usually entails a brief stopover at Honolulu but there are occasional direct flights from Kauai to Maui.
Return flights from Honolulu to either Kauai, Maui, Lanai, Molokai or the Big island cost about US$150 return per segment. Air passes allowing unlimited travel within a set period are offered as special deals and are worth looking into. A 7-day pass for example is usually offered for US$350.
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Guide to Hawaii
Volcanic Activity
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