snip

don't dive the islands dive the water

Please don't blow off the trip to Hawaii.  It's very different from
the Bahamas so you'd be well off trying both spots.

Oahu is rather developed which can spoil diving, though I've yet to
try diving there myself and understand there are several decent
wrecks.  Kauai is rather undeveloped and a nice island to visit, but
the diving tends to suffer from the runoff there - since it's the
oldest of the Hawaiian islands, it's very lush with rich soil and lots
of rain.  The diving around there is interesting, since a lot of
little creatures like the mucky water and the turtles love the
resulting algae blooms, but it's not very clear and most of the dives
tend to be shallow.

The two less-traveled islands of Molokai and Lanai have diving
available, but I've heard the diving accessible from day boats off
Molokai is pretty crummy - you need a long range boat to get to the
good stuff on the north shore and that's pretty much limited to locals
and lucky divers that can score a charter.  Lanai, however, can be
dived from a relative short boat ride out of Maui.

So that leaves Maui and Hawaii (aka "the Big Island"), both of which
offer great diving, but of a rather different sort than you'll
experience in the Bahamas or the Caribbean.

For one thing, Hawaii has lots of endemic species, since its remote
location in the Pacific assured plenty of localized evolution when
species that happened on the islands took root and did their best to
survive the new conditions - you won't find its diversity of
butterflyfish anywhere in the Caribbean, for example.  On the other
hand, its remote location kept plenty of species of fish and coral
from making the long trip and establishing themselves in the islands -
hence the islands tend to be rather devoid of soft corals and those
fish species that couldn't survive the long haul.  It's definitely
limited in species compared to the amazing diversity of sites in the
western Pacific, but you have the chance to see fish found nowhere
else on the planet.

The Big Island has the clearer water.  It's the newest of the islands,
still under development with one active and one dormant volcano, and
the rocky lava shores and dry climate on the west coast keep the
waters extremely clean.  Underwater, besides the multitude of endemic
species, you can see all sorts of nifty lava formations, especially
the caves formed by lava tubes.

Maui is a bit older, but IMO offers the best of all the islands.  You
can get the clear waters of the Big Island via a short boat ride to
Molokini, an extinct offshore crater with decent fish life inside the
bowl and one of the most amazing vertical walls in the world on the
"backside".  Inshore, there is great shore and boat diving on sites
that command a good deal of fish due to the runoff, but lack the
clarity of the Big Island.

Topside, there's no comparison to the Bahamas (even though I've never
been to the Bahamas!).  Diving in Hawaii, at least on the boats, tends
to be early since the trade winds pick up in the afternoon.  So you
usually meet the boat at 6:30 or so and can be back after two dives
around noon, giving you plenty of time for topside exploring and shore
diving.  Volcanos, coffee plantations, pine forests, waterfalls,
Hawaiian culture, etc., etc.  If you've never been, go for it.  The
Bahamas will always be there for a quick trip in the future if you
must, but Hawaii is worth going the distance at least once.

Obviously I'm a bit biased.  Hawaii is usually an easier haul for me
than the Caribbean/Atlantic since I'm on the west coast.  I've been to
Maui five times (four times diving), the Big Island three times (once
diving), Kauai three times (once diving), and Oahu three times (never
dove), not counting layovers.  I've never been to the Bahamas and
still haven't thought of a good enough reason to go there other than
to say I've been there.

As for your second trip, I'd again recommend Belize over the Bahamas
even though I've never been to the Bahamas.  The water will be warmer,
the people are friendly, you're on the Caribbean instead of the
Atlantic, they have jungles, good rum, and a dollar that's worth
exactly fifty cents.  Again, chilly can give you more info for land-
based arrangements, especially in Ambergris Caye, but if you really
want good diving, the liveaboards to the atolls are your best bet
(though you sacrifice land tours and the local atmosphere if you do
that exclusively).

Blow off the trip(s) to the Bahamas and the trip(s) to Hawaii.
Fercryinoutloud, you are connected in BZ!!

You are a new diver.  You should absolutely love, love, love BZ and so will
yer girl, diver or no.

I'd say trust me on this, but no one should ever trust anyone who says
"trust me:".

to  I would

Hmm . . so  .. . she has more experience than you?  Yet, she thinks you two
should go elsewhere before BZ?  Hmmm . . I think you should quit worrying
about her having more experience than you do.  I suspect that she's had 5
more dives than you have done but you are probably the better diver.  She'll
be happy about that. There's not that many things better than having a truly
caring buddy.

;^)

I did a couple of shore dives on Maui.  Nice dives, and got to see a
hawk bill sea turtle.  It's not spectacular diving, though, not like the
Carribean.  The water is too cool for real coral reefs.

Dive the Carribean first, save Hawaii for later, for contrast.  If your
first dive is in a place like Belize, you won't freakin' belive your
eyes.  No kidding, no exaggeration.  My first dive was in Mexico, and
words can't describe.  I'm talking a peak life experience.  You'll be
grinning so wide your mask will leak.

I am going to the Big Island for the second time in Nov 9 for a week
of diving and sightseeing.  Set up my dives with Kona Onu multi day
package (decent boat) and the Manta Ray Night Dive. Also will do one
day @ Kohala Coast to see what's there. I was very pleased with my
previous trip. Underwater and topside the Big Island is spectacular.
Different from the Caribbean.