Looking to dive in Oahu

[ajax]

My fiancee and I are getting married in Hawaii in mid-September and are both certified PADI divers. We would like to make a few dives while we are there (can't resist), but we'd prefer to do some shore diving on our own (not charter any boats or go with groups of people. Does anyone know of any good spots to dive in mid-September? Any help would be appreciated.

P.S. We'll be staying on the island of Oahu, and would prefer to dive from that island.

 

[jknobles]

I was there this past June and there are some great dives, but alot of it depends on the currents. When I was there it was possible to dive the North Shore, but during the winter the waves are huge, hence the surfing community. A good place to start that is easy to find and offers some decent shore diving is Hanuma Bay ... I know it is over run with snorklers close in, but outside of the first reef once it drops of past 30' is a good place to start and whet your appetite for everything the islands have to offer. As for where is best, talk to the dive shops, they know the conditions and can tell you what is available when you will be there. If you have any more questions feel free to e-mail me and I will answer to the best of my ability. jknobles@mail.utexas.edu

 

[ajax]

Thank you for your help. We are looking forward to being able to get a little diving in while we're there. I had looked into Hanuma Bay and was wondering how bad the crowding would actually be. We'll probably take your advice and give it a shot, as well as check with any local dive shops. Do you recommend any dive shops in the Waikiki area? If not, I'm sure most of them are nice anyway. Thank you again for your advice.

 

[Joshaft]

My wife and I honeymooned in Hawaii last June and we spent time on both Oahu and Maui. I wasn't a certified diver at the time, but we snorkelled both islands and I would imagine that the diving could only be better. While we found ample room to explore the waters around the island, you should probably expect some degree of populace waters on Oahu. The island contains 80% of the state's population and is the main center for Tourism. Waikiki is literally littered with tourists, and while that BY NO MEANS detracts from the enjoyment of Hawaii's fun and beauty, I could see how some people looking for seclusion might find it an obstacle. The upside of Oahu, though, is the abundance of services and activities. You should have ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM finding a dive shop to get you where you want to go, and the island is very easily navigated (if you just have a rental car and a road map) and the locals are wonderful and more than willing to help. The crowds are the only downside. You can find the less populated beaches on the island's Windward Side and North Shore, but I would caution you that at many of these places, shore entry can be extremely hazardous due to wave size and strength. We (foolishly) attempted to body surf a few of these beaches with six-seven foot swells breaking on the beach and they can pummel you if you're not careful--we almost drowned more than once before we learned our lesson and moved on to less serious surf. Shark's Cove on the North Shore was a great snorkelling site for us and it's geography would lend itself to a shore entry for divers--the cove is protected from the ocean waves by a kind of semi-circular lava rock wall with a few opening where you can enter the depths without having to deal with major waves. (You should probably re-verify this for Fall/Winter months, though, before you try it out). We skipped Hanauma bay--there is a 5 Dollar (if I remember correctly) entry fee because it is a state park and protected Marine Habitat--but we heard only good things about it. It's supposed to have an abundance of Sea Turtles. I think the major consideration here for deeper dives is strong current, but the geography definitely lends itself to Surf Entry. Hope this helps out.

Check out this site. It gives synopses of each site around the island:
www.hawaii-scuba.com/sites.html

 

[HawaiiDivers]

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