MARCH BREAK HAWAII SCUBA TRIP
Meet: March 15th early morning
Return: March 22nd afternoon
Member: ($1925) Non member: ($2500)
Activity: Scuba Diving
Difficulty: (5/10)
Recommended Prior Experience: Scuba Certification Required
Location of Trip: Waikiki, Honolulu, HI
Native Land: Native land of the Kānaka Maoli
Pre-Trip Meeting: There will be many, we will email you
Are you interested in trying to fight a shark and winning? If so, you’ve found the trip for you because we’re going to HAWAII!!! Get stoked, get hyped, and get ready to see all of the underwater creatures and feel like you're ariel in the little mermaid. We have a super fun scuba trip planned (even a night dive to see some manta rays????!!!!!) with also the possibility of input from you to even plan some dives and cross stuff off your bucket list. For a more detailed outline of our itinerary and trip logistics, please read below!
Please also note that this trip requires an application/interest form (its link is at the bottom of the page), so please be sure to read this page in its entirety before continuing to that. The form is open starting now and will close in 2 weeks (December 18th) at 11:59pm PST. Sending payment for the trip will not become available until after you are selected. Please know that completing the form is NON BINDING, so if you have any interest in joining us, please do it, you can always say no later.
Day 1: March 15th
Meet at LAX and fly to Honolulu. Get to the hotel, unpack, settle in, and get stoked for the trip. We will be staying at a very nice hostel (which is basically like a hotel, but there’s a kitchen so we can make food which is a lot cheaper), however if you want to go out for any meals, you are more than welcome! Plane tickets are not included within the cost of this trip.
Day 2: March 16th
Dive day 1: 2 boat dives planned for this day during the day; scuba day will wrap up early in the afternoon. Dinner will be had, memories will be made, but largely chill-out time after a day of diving.
Day 3: March 17th
Dive day 2: 1 dive in the afternoon, and then our night dive to see the manta rays (this will be a highlight of ur life, trust us, its gonna be epic, you will swim with manta rays)
Day 4: March 18th
Rest day: We will have had a crazy day the night before, so giving ourselves a chance to recover, we will take a moment to explore Hawaii on land with a mid-morning to afternoon activity (this is still TBD; depending on group preference, it could be anything from a cultural tour to a city walkaround to a beach day surf lesson). The day will be a nice chance to recover and get prepped for more diving in the coming days.
Days 5 and 6: March 19-20th
More dives, different sites, more fighting sharks… Similar to the first day, we will be doing more dives in this pristine underwater ecosystem, exploring coral reefs, underwater shipwrecks, having fun with fish and more.
Day 7: March 21st
Recovery day: Land-based activity day and a day to get everything in order. We will go on a hike during the midmorning to see some of this beautiful island in a different form. In the afternoon we will have a lazy beach day, with opportunities for tidepooling, shell hunting, and maybe even some more surfing (totally gotta hang 10). This will also give us all a chance to pack and have our stuff dry out before the next day’s journey home. There will also be a nice group dinner where we go out to eat (included in the price of the trip).
Day 8: March 22nd
Fly home, be sad, but be happy you conquered sharks. Get back to USC.
LOGISTICS (some very important info):
In addition to telling all of you about the jaw-dropping activities we’ll be doing, there is some logistical info we’d like to share so that all of you are aware of how this trip is gonna run!
Firstly, some concrete dates:
- We will be flying out of LA on Saturday, March 15th (hopefully sometime in the morning). Our first day in Hawaii will consist of getting to the hotel, getting food, and prepping for the week ahead.
- We will be flying back to LA on Saturday, March 22nd(time is still TBD).
Secondly:
- There will be multiple mandatory pre-trip meetings! The first one will simply be going over some more logistics and booking plane tickets, and any future meetings will concern more preparation for the trip.
Thirdly:
PLANE TICKETS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE TRIP COST. NEITHER ARE SCUBA EQUIPMENT RENTALS. The trip cost covers food, lodging, the scuba dive package, and all non-elective activities (ie if we are doing a hike and you decide to pay for a photo op, that’s on you, but we will pay for all permits to get us on the hike). The trip price is also rough as we are finalizing group booking costs (which should hopefully bring it down); the final price will be made available ASAP; estimates are pretty accurate.
Fourthly:
A portion of the proceeds from this trip will be donated to Mālama Maunalua, a non profit organization that does coral out planting, invasive algae removal, and provides education and community outreach in the Maunalua Bay region. You can read more about this organization here: https://www.malamamaunalua.org/
Finally:
- Everything about this trip is subject to change. As much as we want our itinerary to stay the way it is, there is always a possibility that changes in flights, weather, or other issues could throw a wrench into what we have planned. We will make this the best trip possible of the situation, but please acknowledge that what is currently on this trip page may not reflect what happens during the actual trip.
Aaaaand that’s all for now! If you have any questions, please feel free to email either of us!
Contact the Guides:
Wila: wmannell@usc.edu
Sedona: slsilva@usc.edu
both of us are also on the SCO slack so feel free to message us there too!
What to Bring:
*REMINDER (overnights only) : if you do not have a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking pack, or other technical gear (non-clothing), do not panic, SC Outfitters has these items for you! Your guides will send out a gear-request form the week of your trip where you’ll let them know what gear you need!
Scuba gear (if you own and want to use your own, not necessary)
beach towels
sunscreen
water bottle
clothes for a week
bathing suits and dive gear
any necessary medications
good walking shoes (sneakers work)
layers in case you get cold or weather conditions change)
anything you need for a week away from home, this list could go on, but I trust you to fill in the blanks.
Price of the trip includes (and we will provide):
Lodging (shared rooms, additional cost if you want your own room)
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided when a trip occurs during meal-times, lunch provided on scuba boat during dive days)
Any permits or hotel reservations needed
scuba package with all dives included
Amazing guides who love the outdoors and do this for free!
Please Review Our Cancellation and Refund Policy:
All SC Outfitters trips have a no-refund policy unless a substitute participant can be found. In the event your trip requires added reporting measures of participants (plane tickets, external providers, rental services, etc.) dropping the trip close to the date of the trip will not allow for the spot to be re-filled. See the details on trip pages for specific deadlines and reference our complete cancellation/refund policy here.
TRIP DIFFICULTY RATING SYSTEM
Difficulty rating for trips
1: No physical activity.
2: Leisurely walk.
3: 2-5 miles less than 1000 ft of total elevation gain on well maintained trails. About 2-3 hours continuous activity
4: 4-6 miles, about 1000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. About 3 hours of continuous activity.
5: 6-8 miles, about 1500ft of elevation gain on maintained trials. 4-5 hours continuous activity
6: 8-10 miles, about 2000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. 4-6 hours of continuous activity.
7: 10-14 miles, over 2500 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.
8: At high altitude. 12-16 total miles, over 3000 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.
9: Technical skills may be necessary. At high altitude with physical elevation gain. Scrambling over rocks likely involved.
10: u gunna die
**If you have any questions or concerns about the physical activity, recommended prior experience, or gear needed on any kind of trip please contact the guides as soon as possible!!