Name: Pauwela Point
Rating: 4.5

Maui

Hawaii

Pauwela Point is a 4.5-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Maui, Hawaiian Islands which is accessible from shore based on 2 ratings.

Pauwela Point

Maliko Gulch is located on Maui's north shore. Just passed Hookipa beach park on the road to Hana you'll head down hill to the bridge that crosses Maliko stream. Immediately on the other side of the bridge turn right and follow the road beside the stream and under the bridge.

You can dive either side of Maliko but the steam ship anchors and most interesting swim throughs are on the right (East) side of the bay. There is a small wall at the end end of the east finger. At its base and 10 meters north are the 2 steam ship anchors. The hard corals at Maliko  bay are healthy and the topography is interesting.

If you continue around and to the east you'll find 3 deep ravines in the cliff side and any of them lead south west back into the bay. Going this far requires good air consumption a hot fill and a long surface swim. Turtles are common here but shy. They see few divers here on the wilder side of Maui. This is a good place to spot Devil Scorpion Fish, Spiny Lobsters, Ridge Back Slipper Lobsters. Lots of little caves hide surprises such as large Conger eels and Spanish dancers. Some of the caves are large enough to enter but use caution. They are sometimes less easy to get out of.

Maliko Bay

A wide, sandy beach, with good swimming. The north end of this stretch of beach is called “Charley Young Beach.” Charley Young was a military reporter who came at the wrong time to build his house here – during WWII all these beaches were taken over and made to simulate enemy beach landings. Anyway, Charley got his land back after the war, and built his house. The Charley Young end of Kam I is more popular with locals, and since the lifeguard and more visible parking and beach access for Kam I is at the other end of the beach, Charley Young is not usually as crowded with visitors. The Charley Young parking lot is on Kaiau St., as is a public access path and stairs to that end of the beach. Parking for the rest of Kam I is at the main parking area right in front of the beach, on street, and at an overflow lot across the road. (see Google map below for all Kam parking lots.)

Kamaole 1

Another fairly wide sandy beach, the Maui Banyan sits on the end of this beach. While they like to tout it as “one of the finest beaches on Maui”, that claim is a bit exaggerated. What they don’t share in the glossy literature is that after large Kona storms, the sand can temporarily be removed by the ocean leaving rounded lava rock (resembling river rocks, except black.) In fact, the old-time Hawai’ian name for this beach (you know, from the folks that weren’t trying to sell you a condo) is “Ili’iliholo”, which literally means “running pebbles.” (Salesman bashing aside, most days of the year this is still a pretty nice beach!)

Kamaole 2

Kam III is the most popular of the three beaches. It is also the best for boogie-boarding, with a regular break here that can get fairly large during south swells. It is shortest and least wide of the Kama’oles, but it does have the most facilities and a gigantic grassy park area. It also has a new playground and bathroom, and plenty of parking (But weekends & holidays are very popular here – so you will probably need to park in the overflow parking lot.) Be aware that some Large rocks are found protruding from the ocean (and less so, the sand) along some pockets of Kam III. There is also a second rock-bracketed area that forms a more protected cove at the south end Kam III, the cove is called Ana’iao by old-timers. (You’ll likely be the only person there that knows that name!)

Kamaole 3

Level Of Skill: Advanced Divers, No Exceptions. It is NOT recommended to dive here. You could get yourself killed.


Depth Of Location: 150 feet max, but you only need to dive to 80 to conserve air


Transportation Needed: A car


How To Get There: Drive North on Honoapiilani Hwy. 30. past Lahaina and Kapalua. It is at the 38 mile


marker. Turn left at the Nakalele Point Light Station sign. Park as close to the lighthouse as your car will allow you. Walk your way in.


When To Snorkel Or Dive: Summer and Autumn. To rough in winter. Also, all site are better in the morning before the wind kicks up.


Where To Snorkel Or Dive: Check the map. Go along the wall till your halfway out of air and start back at a different depth for another view.


What You May Find: A extremely large amount of reef fish and a beautiful, colorful reef. One of the best dives on the island. Best wall dive outside Molokini.


Site Hazards: High surf in the winter, tricky entry/exit, tough walk down


Site Facilities: None


Notes Of Interest: Wear a wetsuit for protection from rocks. Only advanced divers.

Nakalele Point

Papawai Point is a great vantage point for viewing the Maui coast line. The diving here can be spectacular, although the entry is for advanced shore divers only. Check it out to see if you are comfortable. Also, be sure to look for the local artists, working on their baskets and drawings. Talk to them and patronize their work!

Papawai Point

Old 50 foot fishing trawler addition to the artificial reef (tires in-bedded in concrete), thus other name "Uniroyal Reef". Dive site is do-able from shore, with scooters or fairly long surface swim, many use kayaks to get there. Bottom is about 70 feet, top of boat around 55 feet. Hull is penetrable (try not to kick up the silt), pilot house cool place to check out as well. TURTLES hang out here a lot, resting in the hull and on the pilot house roof. Tires are also a great place to see eels, red soldier fish, trumpet fish, schools of goat fish, occasional frog fish, lobster, or octopus.

Dive site is do-able from shore, with scooters or fairly long surface swim, many use kayaks to get there. Keep going South on So. Kihei Road, do not vear left to go to Wailea, road dead ends, turn right at end, Park at Keawakapu Beach Parking. There is a beach shower near stairs, no fixed restroom facilities, "porta-pottys" only. Reef dive is very good here. Location to tire reef & boat is approximately a 240 degree heading from bottom of stairs, about a .4 mile swim, 70 feet depth. Couple dive boats use site as 2nd dive, call the Kihei operations to verify.

St. Anthony Wreck is also known as Uniroyal Reef.

St. Anthony Wreck

Location to tire reef and boat is approximately a 240 degree heading from bottom of stairs, about a .4 mile swim, 70 feet depth. Dive site is do-able from shore, with scooters or fairly long surface swim, many use kayaks to get there. Keep going South on S Kihei Road, do not veer left to go to Wailea, road dead ends, turn right at end, Park at Keawakapu Beach Parking. There is a beach shower near stairs, no fixed restroom facilities, porta-pottys only. Reef dive is very good here. St. Anthony is a 65-foot shrimp boat was intentionally sunk in October 1997, creating Maui’s most popular wreck dive and home to many Green Sea Turtles. The turtles can be seen on the decks, inside the V-berth and cabins. On occasion you even may encounter a turtle clinging on one of the horizontal or vertical bars while it rests. What a great dive!

Along the sandy bottom next to the wreck, old tires and cement blocks are scattered, creating an artificial reef that is fun to explore. In addition to turtles, you may see Moray Eels, Trumpetfish, Batfish, reef sharks, and an abundant supply of curious Milletseed Butterflyfish.

St. Anthony Shipwreck

Ulua Beach is one of the beaches in the Wailea resort complex development on Maui's south shore. The sandy beach is located between two rocky points. Ulua Beach is a bit more popular than neighboring Mokapu Beach, with which it shares a parking lot. When the surf is up, it is usually a little higher here than at other beaches in this area, attracting many bodyboarders who enjoy the waves. During calm days, the snorkeling and diving here is excellent. There are many colorful corals and fish. Ulua means `adult crevalle fish in the Hawaiian language.

Ulua Beach

Honokohau Bay is a remote boulder beach in West Maui. It is popular among surfers in the winter months. So when the surf is up it can get crowded here and there is only a small parking area. The ocean bottom in the bay is rocky too and rip currents are common, so the bay is not suitable for swimming or snorkeling.

Honokohau Bay

The climb down to Pauwela is very difficult. There are some pieces of rope and cord to hold on to, but that's it, and it is very steep. There is a rock shelf to lay out equipment on and a pool that makes entry easy. Swim out the pool to the east and turn left to follow a wall out to deeper water. Some bigger holes (not quite swimthroughs) and lots of reef fish. We chanced upon turtles, Hawaiian lionfish, Spanish dancers, eagle rays, and a ton of other critters in a single dive. The swell can be strong and the dive doesn't get much deeper than 45 feet until you swim very far out.

Pauwela Point

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Pauwela Point