Dive Review of
Trilogy Excursions/Four Seasons Manele Bay Resort in
Hawaii/Lanai

Palau, Chuuk, Pohnpei, all Hawaiian islands, Yap, Kosrae, Australia,
Majuro, Rongelap, Caribbean

Dive Conditions

60 foot depth, max air consumption, no credit allowed for multi-level
diving tables or dive computers, strictly by the PADI dive table  

Absolutely no support for underwater photography, and the dive guide did
not bother to brief on any photography subjects or take the time to let us
do any photography, despite 3 of 4 of us traveling with cameras.  

Overall Rating

After arranging a trip to Lanai, I researched the dive operations on the
island, and was pleased to encounter Trilogy's website.  On it, Trilogy
listed the week's dive activities, and advertised a "Drift Dive
Friday."  The dives on Friday were supposed to be restricted to only
those divers who had dived and passed muster previously during the week, or
those who were drift dive certified.  As a drift dive instructor, I was
excited by the opportunity for advanced diving off of Lanai.  The
expectation of a great advanced dive trip was sown.

I called Trilogy's 1-800 number for their website.  It took five calls
before the phone was ever answered.  When I made it through the menu and
reached a live person, I explained that a group of 4 of us from Oahu who
were drift dive instructors and certified drift divers were heading to
Lanai, and we wanted to go on the Friday drift dives.  I was questioned
about our experience level (over 100+ drift dives in Palau, Pohnpei,
Hawaii, etc), and our familiarity with the Hawaiian waters.  I told her
again that we experienced divers, quite familiar with the conditions, and
that we were looking forward to the advanced dive.  I was told 2 things,
one:  bring your drift dive certification cards; two:  book through the
Manele Bay concierge.  

I called the concierge, explained the desire again to charter a 2 tank
drift dive for 4 locals, and the concierge booked us.

Upon arriving and checking in for the dive, I found out that although we
were booked locally, we were being booked at the tourist rate.  The
concierge called the dive operation, and that was resolved.  Then the
concierge told us a fifth person had been booked onto our charter.  We
weren't concerned until he was signed in, and I noticed that he was an OW
diver.  We were not informed of any change to the dive plan, though, so we
thought all would be well.

We went to the first dive site after receiving the boat briefing, and
received a safety brief consisting of a few hand signals, a dive time of 35
minutes at 60 feet, and a return to boat pressure of 500 psi.  I told the
guide that we would be nowhere near 500psi at that time, and he brushed it
off.  We descended, and the guide paid very close attention to the OW diver
as he descended, as he should, and then he took off like a shot, leaving
us.  We followed more slowly so we could get photos.  We caught up, and the
guide took off again, headed back to the boat to a swim through.  He and
the OW diver swam through, and disappeared.  We went through, took photos,
and circled the coral formation.  We stayed under the boat a while longer,
and at 55 minutes we did our safety stop, and ascended.

When we got to the dock, the guide asked me to use the dive computer to
calculate our bottom time at 60 feet with a 40 minute interval.  The SUUNTO
yielded 41 minutes, and the guide left.  He came back, pulled us off the
boat, and began to lecture us about exceeding the PADI standard dive tables
and his worry about liability.  At that point, I became quite upset, as we
had chartered the boat for the advanced dives, planned our dives at the
appropriate depth, and dived them safely.  Rather than argue, we asked the
guide what he wanted, and he said to dive his plan.  

We went out of the harbor and stopped at first cathedral.  The guide went
in the water, did no safety or dive site briefing, had the OW diver come
in, and then descended without us.  We followed, and he was rushing off yet
again.  We went into the cathedral behind him, he immediately exited, and
took off.  With him nowhere in site, we exited the cathedral and did a slow
circle, and found him.  As soon as we reached him, he took off again.  I
saw him ascend, so gave the safety stop sign to my companions, and exited
the water.

As on the first dive, neither he nor the driver helped us onto the boat or
with gear removal.  We also were not assisted out of the boat at the end of
the day.

I'd say 8 thumbs down to an unsafe, unprofessional dive operation. 

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