Dving with Sea Turtles in Oahu -- Recommendations

[John Kuntz]

Hey guys,

Me and my wife are going to be in Oahu come September, and are looking for good dive sites/shops to dive with.
We are beginner, recently certified divers, with less than 10 logged.

If anyone can tell us the best place/shop in Oahu to dive with Sea Turtles, we'd really appreciate it.

 

[scottitheduck]

Aloha John!

Good to see you are planning ahead for your trip in Sept. Sea Turtles are amazing and even though I have been diving here daily for 9 years I'm still stoked when I see one! Unlike other places in the world they are quite common to see on our dive sites here. Some reefs on the South and North Shore have multiple resident turtles and others serve as cleaning stations where small fish come to pick the algae off their carapace (shell).

Lots of chances to see them here like I mentioned. Good variety of dive sites from shallow reefs to deep wrecks. You might want to think about doing your Advanced Course out here or be Advanced Certified before coming out. Feel free to PM me if you have further questions...... I see you are from Atlanta..... do they still do the Whale Shark Dive in the Georgia Aquarium?

G

 

[scottitheduck]

Such goofy faces on our resident honu. Here's one of my favorites!

 

[DukeAMO]

They do still run the whale shark aquarium dive! We did it recently: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/so...uarium-journey-gentle-giants-trip-report.html

AOW would be more useful (perhaps in the Florida Springs or the Keys?), and not much more expensive than an aquarium dive. We're proponents of getting AOW early - think of it as Beginner Level 2. We did have a lot of fun at the GA Aquarium, though, if you've ever considered it.

We're going to dive with Kaimana Divers - Gabe's place (scottitheduck).

 

[selo]

Gabe will get you to Turtle Canyon, a cleaning station with tons of them, and a nice shallow second dive.

Enjoy and safe diving.

 

[daz88]

Always turtles at Turtle canyon! (whata surpirse huh?) here's some shots from one of my trips last year to Oahu. Most of the turtle shots were at turtle canyons.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/draggonmn/sets/72157634368598603/

 

[PinkInkScuba]

Great pics daz! I'll be heading to Hawaii sometime between now and Feb of next year. When is the best time to go diving there?

 

[scottitheduck]

Diving in the Hawaiian Islands is year round! Some shores are better during certain months......

April to Aug: North and West Shores are your best bet and deeper sites on the South Shores
Aug to April: South and West Shores are you best bet with the occasional West Swells and Kona Conditons

Generally speaking the dive operator should be flexible and have multiple options. This is the case for other islands as well. Kona and Maui are a bit different with regards to winds/swell but man I love living here......... If the day end in a "Y" you can dive!

G

 

[Doubler]

There is a shore dive on the north shore called Three Tables. There are turtles there all the time and it is an easy dive. Right next to Shark Cove.

 

[mike.chuanshi]

A really nice, easy spot to dive that always has numerous turtles is Koko Craters on the South Shore.
You might consider consider calling up Aaron's Dive Shop (their number is 1-888-84-SCUBA) and reserving a seat on one of their two-tank charters.
The later morning charter is for divers looking for some easier dives with plenty to see, and they will likely take you to two different sites so that you get some variety.
One thing I really like about Aaron's is that they keep the number of people on the boat low, so you get a pleasant experience both on the surface and underwater.
They have a great reputation around here, and that's not something that comes easily - especially since the diving industry here is very competitive.