My husband and I have not gone scuba diving before and are considering an introductory shore scuba dive in Maui with Maui Dreams Dive Co. Has anyone had any experience with this? Is it worth the $79/pp pricetag?

Hi - I think the price sounds about right - but you're going to want to make sure you have a good team working for you - the instructor and the dive shop in general, as you never know their reputation for service or quality of equipment.

If I were you I would check a scuba-specific message board, as the more dedicated folks can certainly steer you in the right direction for good dive shops. I frequent ScubaToys.com - go to forum.scubatoys.com/index.php and post your question there! Great people, great answers.

Can you carry about 40 pounds on your back? The walk into the water with your gear on can be difficult.

I suggest going to the Hawaii subforum at www.scubaboard.com. There are many dive operator reviews and recommendations. There is a group of local Maui resident DMs and instructors that are active on the board. Maui Dreams has a pretty good reputation, though I've never gone with them myself.

Ag3046 is right about the question concerning your ability to carry weight on your back. Depending on how much weight you'll need, you may need to carry up to 50 lbs on your back. The tank alone is about 33 lbs.

Maybe it being an introductory dive they'll do most of the hauling of gear for you - like perhaps down to the shoreline. But I wouldn't count on it. If the weight is a concern, I would make sure to ask. You could always do your intro dives from a boat, which is a lot easier, but it's more expensive.

I'm not sure why shore entry dives are offered to non-certified divers. The massive hassle with the gear weight, the wetsuit fit, the buoyancy weights, the facemask, walking backward into surf or surge, trying to adjust everything in waves is all very distracting to inexperienced divers. I hate shore entry and I'm an experienced diver. Roll me off a boat anytime.