Sharks Cove night dive.......

[Wildcard]

We are going again Monday iffin anyone wants to come along. Last monday was just awsome! Got into a tube with 15 lobsters and a giant Uhu, nudis everywhere. Just show up. We'll be in the black Jeep Unlimited Rubicon. hope to see y'all there.

 

[bluemagoo]

We are going again Monday iffin anyone wants to come along. Last monday was just awsome! Got into a tube with 15 lobsters and a giant Uhu, nudis everywhere. Just show up. We'll be in the black Jeep Unlimited Rubicon. hope to see y'all there.

Was this the cavern at the far-right point? Towards the back, there's a vertical chimney, with small side pockets and tubes; try poking around in there, keeping an eye out for harlequin shrimp and the Hawaiian lobster (hairy, red with white blotches, and small claws). Slipper lobsters can be found clinging to the roof in the main cavern. Also watch for pelagics; once saw a baby tiger, about 3ft long. Coming back in, there's an exit onto the rock shelf, just around the corner past the boulder field; it's a sloped, slight indentation in the shelf and a tad steep, but with gloves and booties on and a shove from the surge, it's not hard to climb out; it can save the full swim back in but it'll be a hump back to the parking lot -- your choice.

 

[Wildcard]

This was to the left of the beach from the beach. Went right monday. BIG mistake. Checked for current and couldnt see any. Got outside and got sucked up hard going the wrong way. Decent dive but not as awsome as the last one....
Loking for a new spot for saturday, any ideas?????

 

[chepar]

Have you tried Firehouse or Three Tables yet? They're both right next to Shark's Cove, so I guess whether you've been there depends on how far down the shore you swam during any of your dives, I suppose.

Firehouse is between Three Tables and Shark's Cove - you walk behind the fire station and there's a little entry point there. Three Tables is my favorite, but the super easy entry/exit point factors largely into that.

 

[bluemagoo]

This was to the left of the beach from the beach. Went right monday. BIG mistake. Checked for current and couldnt see any. Got outside and got sucked up hard going the wrong way. Decent dive but not as awsome as the last one....
Loking for a new spot for saturday, any ideas?????

The swim-thru cavern I mentioned is at the farthest-right point as you look seaward, straightout from the center of Shark's Cove. There's typically a decent right-to-left current outside of that point; that's why most paddling/swim races go from Sunset to the Bay rather than the other way. Once outside the lee of that point, well, expect to drift some and maybe plan to make the firehouse your secondary exit (or Three Tables if you really get hosed).

I'm not really big on night dives (except possibly to get something to eat) and so am not much help there. The three most interesting shore dives I've done are also three of the trickiest:
1) The easiest of the three is Halona Cove,adjacent to the Blowhole lookout. The trick is being there when it's not a washing machine. (A second trick is get to the beach without bouncing down the trail.) Swim right toward Bamboo Ridge, shoot an azimuth back to the cove, then do the dive, working back to the cove. Depths 60-40ft. There're large sand patches and large helmet shells are common. Hazards besides the moody currents and surf are large tumbleweed balls of fishing line from nearby Bamboo ridge. I used to collect the fishing lead for friends but gave that up after nearly drowning trying to swim it all back in. On the exit, I'd recommend flipping on your back and swimming in, letting the surf push you in. Trying to get in underwater usually means fighting a mean rip with nothing to hold onto; it's a sandy bottom and maybe the only way to get a grip is to stab your knife into the sand and pull. One good thing -- nearby Sandy's has some of the best lifeguards on the planet.

2) Lanai Lookout is in the same class as Halona Cove. The attraction is the huge sloped cavern just after the entry point. Seeing shafts of sunlight illuminating that thing is almost a religious experience. Lots of lobsters; shells up the ya-ya's. Again, a very moody area for currents and surge. Getting to the entry point requires parking at the lookout, walking along the road toward Sandy Beach, hopping a guardrail into a gulch, then humping thru a urine-smelling menehune-sized tunnel under the road to reach the sea shelf. The exit is a long channel in the rock shelf on the right-side of the lookout; you must do a recon of that exit -- it's not easy to find when you're in the water and the foam is swirling. Having somebody pull shorewatch duty is a big help; I'd say required. Fairly short dive; plan on staying on tank air the whole way 'cuz the surface chop can make snorkeling a chore. Getting back up to the parking lot without bouncing back downhill is the last trick.

3) Last is a spot about a 200yds straight out from Mt Lahilahi in Waianae. Mt Lahilahi is that small coastal mountain seen from the intersection going into Makaha Valley. You can either swim from the beach or, better, pick along the rocks at the foot of the mountain to the farthest point and then jumping in. I think the spot is known as Ulua Cave; it's not a real cave, just a very large, deep overhang. I also think that only boats typically make that dive. It's a deep dive, maybe 90ft with spots going to 110 or more; very unusual to be that deep so close to shore on the Waianae side. Drawbacks are the long bustin' swims; you gotta swim to the beach to exit. Do not do the dive if there's any hint of current; you could find yourself booking off to Pokai Bay -- immediately turn back for the beach if you detect a current.

Outside the reef at Haunama Bay at night might be good; Saturday nights only, no fees. I've snorkeled there at night. The left-center is largely sand with outcroppings; the good stuff are along the sides. It's tough seeing the exit thru the reef from outside; I look for a break in the whitewater, otherwise it's a SWAG (scientific wild-a## guess).

 

[chepar]

The three most interesting shore dives I've done are also three of the trickiest:
1) The easiest of the three is Halona Cove,adjacent to the Blowhole lookout.
2) Lanai Lookout is in the same class as Halona Cove.
3) Last is a spot about a 200yds straight out from Mt Lahilahi in Waianae.

Jeez Louise - that sounds like a bad episode of "extreme shore diving" to me. But then again, I will candidly admit I am a candy-a## diver.

I've heard of Halona Cove and Lanai Lookout - but have determined that they don't sound like something I want to try. The wall off Portlock is another shore dive I wouldn't mind trying - if someone were to take the initiative and carve a stairway up the wall, that is.

I just do not have the strength and endurance to hump my gear to a long and/or tricky entrance/exit point. The water conditions (current and surge) don't really bother me - it's the toil involved in getting into the water and out again that is my problem.

I've been meaning to try the night snorkel over at Hanauma, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[bluemagoo]

Jeez Louise - that sounds like a bad episode of "extreme shore diving" to me. But then again, I will candidly admit I am a candy-a## diver.

I've heard of Halona Cove and Lanai Lookout - but have determined that they don't sound like something I want to try. The wall off Portlock is another shore dive I wouldn't mind trying - if someone were to take the initiative and carve a stairway up the wall, that is.

I just do not have the strength and endurance to hump my gear to a long and/or tricky entrance/exit point. The water conditions (current and surge) don't really bother me - it's the toil involved in getting into the water and out again that is my problem.

I've been meaning to try the night snorkel over at Hanauma, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Welcome to the candy-a## club... I'm a charter member.

Halona Cove isn't really that bad. It's just catching on a clean flat day that's really tough. However, conditions there can change surprisingly quickly and so you have to be real careful with the weather and surf forecasts. Seeing all that lost fishing gear is kinda upsetting; definitely a marinelife hazard. For safety, snips and a good knife are required; getting snagged at some point is almost guaranteed.

Gas management is number one at Lanai Lookout. A little chop is tolerable; once down past 15ft, it's calmer. It used to be very popular with advanced classes back in the 70's. It's somewhat dangerous because there's only one safe exit; miss it and you're going to have to come in at Haunama Bay. Stick close to the walls and you should be ok. Having a shorewatch and maybe a float tied off at the exit helps a lot -- it gives you the option of tying off gear and hauling it in separately. I bumped into a guy who makes this his only dive...don't know what he's smoking....

Mt Lahilahi -- get a boat. Great dive, interesting topography, but the swim back in was totally nuts. It's a bit unnerving too because of the depths; I felt like shark bait.

Zablan/Nanakuli Beach is a nice shallow dive. Large finger coral beds off of the sand channel on the left side of the beach; pretty cool to swim in the sand channel, parallel to the reef -- like a mini-wall. After going over the hill past Kahe and Tracks, either make the left at the next traffic light (Piliokahe) and a quick zig right onto a side road or go past that light and make the next left adjacent to the Formacs tower and go straight in. Park in the lot; showers and restroom available; lifeguard tower is right there. The entry is a hike over a large rock shelf in front of the nearby homes; memorial markers abound as well as some pretty big holes in the shelf. Yellow tangs, Potter's angels, and flame angels. Look for a huge boulder reaching to nearly the surface in 15-18ft of water. Once plucked a rare checkered cowery (cyprea tesellatta) from there; it was empty and clean. Exit is the beach; it's kind of steep and so crawling out works. If you're really game (or nuts), it's a 300yd+ swim out to the red buoy in 40ft of water. Lots of Potter's, tako, and peacock flounders; very strong currents are possible.

The area fronting Makua Cave is ok. The emergency callbox marks the road in. Most people dive off the long finger shelf and follow a deep channel out to deeper water. But if you bump along farther down the trail and jump in, the dive is quite shallow (maybe 15ft) over a largely sandy bottom with isolated rock outcroppings. There used to be lots and lots of lobsters here; very popular at night when it's the season. Juvenile pennant butterflies are also common here and nowhere else.

Haunama Bay at night is different. A touch boring 'cuz everything's asleep except for the bad boys. But you can get really close to things. I recommend using one of those new eLED lights from UK. The light is blueshifted and penetrates a lot better than the more yellowish xenon lamps -- the xenon lamps seem to illuminate a larger swath but with less penetration; maybe carry one of each. WalMart has the best prices for eLED's; with taxes, they even beat base exchange prices by a few cents.

 

[Wildcard]

SO after looking at y'alls replys and pulling up shorediving, It would seem that the map listing shark cove is not in fact shark cove. This would explain my confusion,( that and my teenage years). Going again saturday to the real shark cove. According to the map, pupukia is AKA sharks cove but it's a sandy beach entrance, not the rocky cove shown in shorediving...... Now to ad to the confusion, fire house is know as firehouse? but sharks cove is across the street from the fire house?????????

 

[ch0ppersrule]

Lanai Lookout is an awesome dive. Easy to get to - easier than the Blowhole that is. Not a lot of divers and plenty of fish. The last time I dove it was the beginning of Nov. and there were a couple pods of whales. Of course we got to watch them from the top of the water and heard them down below. If you time it just right you can drift to the Blowhole. Make sure you dive with an 80 if you are going to try the drift. We ended up with about 150-200psi left. Yes, the Blowhole is billygoat diving. Easier to get down than to get up the hill. Portlock does not interest me unless I am on a boat. I also have no strength to pull myself with gear up a rope against lava rocks. Dove Firehouse today- vis was bad at first and the second dive was 100X better. Lots of turtles and eels out. The last 2 weeks we have seen some MONSTER sized titan scorpionfish out there. We are going to dive the Trench this weekend.

 

[chepar]

SO after looking at y'alls replys and pulling up shorediving, It would seem that the map listing shark cove is not in fact shark cove. This would explain my confusion,( that and my teenage years). Going again saturday to the real shark cove. According to the map, pupukia is AKA sharks cove but it's a sandy beach entrance, not the rocky cove shown in shorediving...... Now to ad to the confusion, fire house is know as firehouse? but sharks cove is across the street from the fire house?????????

Despite being born and raised here, I am woefully ignorant of the "real" names of many of the beaches/bays here. So I can't help with that.

However, Three Tables is the first site - you'll see 3 large flat rocks (the Tables) about 50 feet out from shore. I'm also terrible at estimating distances too, by the way. It's a sandy beach entry - no rocks. Pretty limited parking - if you want any on a weekend, best to get there by 8:30 - but I've seen it fill up before that.

Immediately past Three Tables is Firehouse - so known because there's a fire station there. Small paved parking lot next to the fire station. Entry is a small rocky cove.

Immediately past Firehouse is Shark's Cove (across the street is a lunch wagon and a supermarket) - this is the one with the large parking lot (for North Shore standards). Entry I always use is down the dirt hill from the parking lot - at the bottom of the hill I turn towards the right - entry is a sandy/rocky cove.