Manini Dive Company

Great Honolulu dive, 5 minute boat ride from town, lots of sea turtles and some octopus plus tons of tropical fish and coral. Groups are kept real small and the service is very personal and good.

My first review ever but felt the need to caution you about relying on Manini owner (Max) for your vacation dive. I diid a group dive with him nine years ago and had a good experience so I decided to go with Manini again. The problem is owner Max apparently no longer cares about customer service. I spoke to him a couple weeks before our Hawaii trip to schedule a group dive and set a date. Once I got to the island I was never able to make contact with him. Each time I called I left a message because he never answered the phone. The reason for this review is the guy didn’t even have the decency to return a call.

I would like to start off by saying that there is no company ran better than Max’s Manini dive company. He picked me up from my hotel twice, provided snacks, helped take photos of me on the deck and in the water. His approach is so Aloha that you really truly feel like you are on the islands. He’s a nice person and a great teacher and I would recommend him any day over any other dive company in Hawaii. Thank you max for the great experience, I’ll stay in touch

Max was extremely kind and easy to talk to. On our first dive, we went to turtle canyon
where I saw my very first turtle, octopus, and shark! He was a great guide underwater and his diving experience is impressive.
We went on a catamaran that had about 15 other divers on it and there was plenty of space to move around. During the diving tour, there was only 3 people with Max so it was easy for everyone to stay together.

Max is awesome. The dive experience is really fun and he’s very friendly and very experienced. The day I went there were two other people with us, and he picked us up at our respective hotels. We got to the boat dock, and it was a shared boat with other divers. There were maybe 20 on the boat and it was a little crowded. They had all the equipment there for us. We did two dives and got to see turtles and an octopus which was really cool. I had a great time. The price was good too, $ 100 for the dives, and $ 30 for a CD of the pictures Max took, which were pretty cool. I bought the CD and couldn’t open it on my computer, so Max sent the pictures to me by email. This was a really fun day for me!

My fiancé and I were referred to the Manini Dive Company owner and dive instructor, Max Brunk, by our mutual friend who happened to be an experienced diver.
For new divers, Max offers a PADI dive certification that includes pool training, a number of actual dives, and a book exam, which gets you certified in under a week; perfect for those folks who want to learn to dive, but don’t have the time for lengthy classes. And the best part is, you’re diving while you’re learning! The price is very reasonable considering what it would cost to dive even if certified. You’re basically paying almost the same amount you would to rent gear and go diving, but you’re getting certified as an open water diver!
That was over three years ago when we went through the certification program and we have been diving with Max every single year since. There are a number of reasons why we go back to Max every year.
First, Max is a consummate professional and an incredibly seasoned dive master. He is literally diving almost every day of the year. As such, Max is an exceptionally well qualified instructor who always works with students and divers alike at their own pace. He is confident, reassuring, and capable, and he is definitely the guy you want with you on your dives.
Second, although Max is a great teacher, he is also a great guy. He is flat out fun to be around and fun to dive with. He makes the entire experience much more enjoyable because he manages to have fun and keep things lighthearted, even though diving is something that must be taken seriously and requires a high degree of concentration and procedure. Making something technical like diving a fun and enjoyable experience is one of Max’s huge draws.
Third, Max is partnered with the best dive boats on Oahu. He therefore has access to all the best dive sites. Whether you are looking for a shallow dive focused on experiencing all the underwater life around you, or you want to dive on shipwrecks and downed WWII fighter planes, Max can take you where you want to go.
If you are going to Oahu and looking for a dive instructor or just someone to take you diving, give Max a call. He is absolutely the best in the business, hands down.