Insider Information - Local diving

The question often pops up - "I'm coming to Hawaii. What dive sites would you suggest?"

So, let's drop a bit of insider information. What are your dive sites of choice here on our Islands? How do you get there? What do you typically see there? What is the max depth? and so on.....

Please start your post by entering which Island you're describing in the title line.

This is a reference list, if you have any questions or comments about anything that is written here please start a new thread.

East Side
The Corsair
This is a boat dive
The only "real" wreck. In 1941 (I think) the pilot was having motor trouble and had to bail out. It lays at about 108'.
What you might see: Garden eels, eels, leaf scorpion fish, various tropical fish

Spitting cave, also known as Sea Cave
This is a boat dive
I only have done this one once - about a year ago, before I started taking pictures - but it was a nice dive. It was a drift dive. There is a cave on the coast line that you swim into (careful of the fishing lines!). There were starfish every where and when you get to the back and look up you see the light entering the cave and the water crashing at the surface...just beautiful. For obvious reasons not always do-able
Average Depth about 45'
Just out side of the cave there is a cold water layer that is brought in from the Molokini current. Is about a 10 degree difference. If you look closely you can see the two different water layers "waving" (like when you look into the distance at a hot road) as they mix.

South Side (Waikiki)
The Sea Tiger
This is a boat dive
This ship was used to smuggle illegal immigrants into the US. It was auctioned off 3 times. The last company that bought it sunk it in 1998 as a submarine tourist attraction. The company went broke so it's just for us divers now . Lays at about 110-120'
What you might see: sharks, eagle rays, manta rays, frogfish, leaf scorpion fish, octopus, eels, turtles


YO-257 at 100 some feet/San Pedro at 86'
This is a boat dive
Two wrecks within swim distance of each other. The YO was a military oil tanker from WWII. Don't know too much history on these two but they were also sunk in the 90's (not at the same time) by a submarine company as a tourist attraction. They still go thru and you can wave to the tourists inside.
What you might see: sharks, eagle rays, frogfish, leaf scorpion fish, octopus, eels, turtles


Kewalo pipe/ 40- about 60'
This is a boat dive
A storm drain (no longer in use) that has lots of coral and fish. Haven't gotten to see it yet, but they say there is a dragon moray there. Off to the one side the UH has fish habitats...also interesting to see.
Out this way you can also dive turtle canyon, Kehi pipe - people are not too thrilled about Kaisers reef.
What you might see: sharks, eels, frogfish, octopus, pipe fish, starfish, unique urchins...I've even seen dolphins at the pipe

West Side
MS Mahi
This is a boat dive
Oahus' first artificial reef (max depth 92') was a WWII mine layer known as the USS Scrimmage. Changed hands a coupl'a times before it was sunk in 1982. Over the years that I have been diving it I have been watching it fall apart. It is no longer safe to swim thru and if the current is strong you can see the top cabin, better said what's left of it, move back and forth, but it still is a great dive as groups of up to 18 (from what we have seen) eagle rays love to hang around.
What else you might see: Sharks, frog fish, octopus, slipper lobster, eels, pillow star fish



Makaha Caverns
This is a boat dive
Also known as "The Lava tubes" (max depth about 45')- Lots of swim thrus, arches and caverns. You can see lots of turtles there! Really fun and it would be wise to bring a flash light along.

Also out that way is A-Frames, Stars, 5" reef (lots of live ammo laying around), turtle canyons, black rock

You might also see: sharks, eels, titan scorpion fish, devils scorpion fish, star fish, pillow star fish

wow, those are some great descriptions leesa. i wish i could write descriptively enough to provide some input. so i'll put in my 2 cents for a few already mentioned.

THE CORSAIR - recently there has been a dragon eel holed up by the engine and 2 resident octopus that are fairly large.

SPITTING CAVE - a good site to see white tip reef sharks. they like to hide under the ledges in the back of the cave during the day.

here's a tip i learned on the north shore last sunday: if you go up to shark's cove and its a zoo just move down to the parking lot at three table. there's usually a smaller crowd and the dive site's are very similar. you can go into the water behind the firestation or at three tables.

Makapu beach park - in my opinion the dive isn't worth the hassle getting to the entry point across the beach.

Hanauma Bay- the park is open until 10:00 p.m. on saturday's, so its a safe place for a night dive. the lifeguards stay on the beach until closing and the trolly is available for use until 8:00 p.m. for a small fee (worth it).

Kaka'ako Waterfront park- there is a pipe leading out to the reef system from the breakwater. you just walk down some steps and find the pipe. i usually submerge at the breakwater and follow the pipe for about 5-10 minutes until the pipe breaks up in about 25 feet of water. its an easy dive for after work if your in town. for more detailed info on finding the entry point just pm me.

For more info on shore dives all around the island of oahu there's a great book available. the book is called "the oahu snorkeler's and shore diver's guide" by francisco de carvalho. i got my copy at the wyland store at the navy exchange. they are probably available at any wyland store. it is awesome with good descriptions and detailed maps with reef topography and entry\exit points.

The Big Island

Down South:
Au Au Point : Deep dive, when we got in the water along came an eagle ray stayed for a little while, down deep - black coral and long nose hawk fish, Tinker Butterflies,
and a flame wrasse

Arch Of The Pirimids : Another deep dive - Spoted an octopus, numerous Dragon Wrasses, Pennant Butterfly

Pinacle Of Illusion : A little shallower - Found a leaf fish, razor wrasse, viper moray and other moray in hole with some cleaner shrimp.

These folks have been compiling sites for quite awhile

http://www.sealancers.org/

They list shore and gps sites

montyb:

The Big Island

Down South:
Au Au Point : Deep dive, when we got in the water along came an eagle ray stayed for a little while, down deep - black coral and long nose hawk fish, Tinker Butterflies,
and a flame wrasse

Click to expand...

I concur on Au Au -- it's a very dramatic site. It's a long boat ride from Kailua Kona. I need to sit
down when I have a bit more time (heading out diving this morning) and compile a list of my
favorite boat dive sites.

There are several popular shore dives here in Kona -- Place of Refuge, Old Airport,
Mile Marker 4 (La A Loa), Puako. These are covered in Dick Dresie's book
(available at many local dive shops) and also on line at:

Shore Diving the Kona Coast

Another good link for shore diving lots of places:

ShoreDiving.Com

More later -- gotta go pack the dive bag!

Big Isle
Kawaihae coast, The whole length of the coast maintains good vis except during heavy rain up country but even then there are clear spots. Great coral, losts of fish, no one else around usualy. Some beach access, boat ramp near by. Two dive boats out of Kawaihae.
This area usualy is in the lea so it's divable when elsewhere is too rough.

Pinnacle Point, though apparently rarely divable (it's on the south side of the island, past La Perouse) is an amazing place. On a day where it was divable, the only groups there were the two boats from Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures.

Molokini... what's to be said? It sells itself!

A friend suggested this book, he says its the best shore dive guide for Maui, it can be ordered online and goes on to say that its very inexpensive.
Hope it helps you find your way around on Maui!

This question frequently comes up:
"Should I go to Maui to Scuba Dive?"
I offer my opinion on this question based on my residing and diving on Maui for the past eleven years and having dove in other areas of the world.