If you are heading Maui way, and you should, this is a good place for your very first dive. If you are certified, get tanks, get gear, get wet. The parking is free, and generally plentiful. The reef is easy to follow, and beautiful. Take South Kiehi Rd along the coast towards Makenna(make sure you have a map of the island). The road will curve abruptly to the left and start climbing a small hill. About halfway up the hill is a four way stop. Turn right here. About another 1/2 mile down you will see a oval sign for the Renaissance Resort. Just past this will be a bi-color light and med green sign for Ulua/Mokapu Beach. Turn Right.

So Here is the tourist mistake. Most visitors to the island park in one of the two free parking lots on the right hand side. Put all their gear on near the trunk of their rental car, and then walk the 200 yards down to the beach. The locals and instructors do this part a little different. After all, diving is not about ass kicking physical exertion for most of us. at the end of the road into the beach is a loop. Stay to the right, pull up to the grass area, pick a spot and quickly unload your gear. Then whoever drew the short straw gets to take the car back up to the parking area, find a spot for the rental car, and walk back in slippahs (Hawaiian for flip flops). Much easier than the 60 pounds of gear on the way down the hill to the beach, and the 80 pounds of wet gear up the hill back to the car after your dive.

So, once you get down to the grass, there is a nice restroom facility and shower. From here there is a walkway heading down to both Ulua and Mokapu Beaches. Take the path to the left (while looking towards the ocean), and once on the sand, the next reef is to the right. You can see the rocks sticking up out of the water at low tide, and they are visible just under the surface after high tide. The rest of the beach is sand. Get in kick out and over to the reef. When it looks like you have a good 10 feet of water, pick a place and drop down. Take the time to do you buoyancy check here. Follow the reef out until you come across four metal cord loop ties embedded in the sand where the reef backs a turn to the right. Set your compass heading for 270 (and remember it will be 90 to get back) and kick across the sand for about 50 yards. You then be at Reef II. explore the reef, and look in the crevices for Moray Eels, Snowflake eels, and frogfish. Remember to look up and out to the sand once in a while. Manta Rays and Spotted Eagle Rays are pretty common here. I had one Manta Ray hang up with me my entire dive, just kept circling and swooping down to check us out. I had a first time student in the water with me. I think they are hooked for life.

Remember to bring some food to fuel up between dives. It is easy to spend a whole week exploring this site. During Whale season, we would spend our time watching them right from the beach.  I usually pack a sack lunch from Da Kitchen on South Kihei Road on the back side of the Rainbow Plaza.