It’s 6:15am.  The crowds are amassing around Slip 23 at Ma’alaea Harbor (OK, not really crowds since we only take 16 !)  The crew has finished prepping the boat (they arrived around 5:15am, so quit complaining about having to show up at 6:15 J ).  It’s time to start filling out the paperwork, sizing folks for fins and weights and checking certification cards.  If you’re a certified diver, it’s a good idea to make sure you have your card before leaving home !  During this process it’s best not to board the boat unless asked to by the crew.  At this point the captain will commence with his briefing.  It includes important information, so you will want to listen closely.  Just a side note, most Captains try to add a little humor to the briefing.  It helps to laugh at the jokes, even if they aren’t that funny !  That puts the Captain in a good mood which in turn will help make your trip more enjoyable ! J

Once the briefing is complete it’s time to board the boat and go diving !  While in the harbor, passengers must remain seated, but once the boat clears the entrance you may have free reign of the boat.  Remember to treat ladders as ladders and not as steps.  That means face them going up and down.  On your cruise to the dive site you will receive another briefing, this one from your guide.  It is also very important to listen to and remember this briefing, especially if you have never been out on the boat.  One of the most common things that is forgotten from the briefing is how to get off and back on the boat.  Here’s the skinny.  We use the giant-stride entry to get off the boat.  The important things to remember are to make sure you have air in your BCD,  place your right hand over your regulator and mask, use your left hand to hold your gauge consol, look straight out and by all means do NOT HOP, SKIP or JUMP.  If you do you could do some serious damage to the old noggin’ !  The other part of the dive briefing includes going over all the cool stuff you will have the opportunity to see.  Of course briefings can be interrupted at any time to check out whales or dolphins ! 

Once underwater you will want to stay behind and a little above your guide.  Make sure you look around and not just down at the reef.  Be prepared to let your guide know how much air you have left when he asks.  If you find you are low on air make sure to let your guide know.  Remember, as certified divers you are responsible for keeping track of your own air and no-decompression time.  If there is ever any question, let your guide know.  Once the dive is complete, it’s time for the safety stop…15 feet for 3 minutes.  After the safety stop remember to do a normal ascent and to inflate your BCD upon reaching the surface.  If the ladder is clear, grab onto it with a straight arm while you take off your fins and hand them to a crew member.  Remember, do not grab the ladder until the person before you had gotten COMPLETELY on the boat.  You don’t want to be on the ladder if they happen to fall back down !  Put both feet on the bottom step, grab the ladder with two hands and proceed to get back on the boat.  A crew member will be there to assist and direct. 

Once on board you will get some snacks, talk about all the cool stuff you saw and head to the next dive site to do it all over again !  If  you’ve never been diving or snorkeling on the Maui Diamond II, now is the time ! If you have already been out with us, we look forward to seeing you again soon !