Diving in Hawaii

[InTheDrink]

You may want to consider staying in Kona and doing shores dives and/or day trips on boats instead of Oahu. On the Big Island you can do the manta dive and, in my experience, there is better fauna and lava tubes (and reef structure in general) than on Oahu. Oahu is better if you want wrecks.

Hey Orcas - that is super valuable and helpful information and I am really grateful.
This seriously helps with my planning. Have an awse day

 

[InTheDrink]

I just came back from Maui. I'd been really excited for the boat dives we planned to Molokini and the Lanai Cathedrals, but I think maybe I got my hopes up too high and they were just... good. The beach dives, however, were amazing. We mostly stuck with Makena Landing and Mala Pier.

Ditto - really useful information that I couldn’t know myself.

Thanks a mill

 

[Gachnar]

Definitely would consider Kona if diving is your primary focus. There's also plenty to see without her having her advanced. The shore diving in Maui is easier, but the boat diving in Kona is great.

My favorite dive site is the harbor, which is easy to shore dive with just a bit of a swim from dog beach. It's a great place to hang out and look for big stuff like dolphins and tiger sharks. There's also a great reef structure with lots of eels and other cool stuff.

And on the other side of the harbor entrance you are almost guaranteed to find turtles and can look for the same big stuff. There's a lot of variety in the close boat dives in that area, some with big drop offs, lots of nice arches and swim throughs.

And of course the Manta night dive (my avatar is from that dive up at Garden Eel Cove).

 

[InTheDrink]

Thanks Gachnar, looking like we’ll be spending most of our time in Kona so. A bit of Tiger action would be a nice into into shark diving

The Manta dive sounds unmissable

Cheers dude

 

[fisheater]

Be sure not to miss the Black Water dives on Kona! My friend Jeff Milisen leads many of them (with Kona Honu Divers) and his wife Sarah leads others (with Jack's Diving Locker). He literally wrote the book on Hawaii black water diving. https://smile.amazon.com/Field-Guid...e+to+black+water+diving&qid=1632093632&sr=8-1

 

[InTheDrink]

Be sure not to miss the Black Water dives on Kona! My friend Jeff Milisen leads many of them (with Kona Honu Divers) and his wife Sarah leads others (with Jack's Diving Locker). He literally wrote the book on Hawaii black water diving. https://smile.amazon.com/Field-Guid...e+to+black+water+diving&qid=1632093632&sr=8-1

That sounds amazing. Think all my night dives have been at reefs, no major depths. It

Be sure not to miss the Black Water dives on Kona! My friend Jeff Milisen leads many of them (with Kona Honu Divers) and his wife Sarah leads others (with Jack's Diving Locker). He literally wrote the book on Hawaii black water diving. https://smile.amazon.com/Field-Guid...e+to+black+water+diving&qid=1632093632&sr=8-1

Thats awsesome man. I’ll get in touch with Jeff and see what he’s got to say. I’ll tell him you sent me.

Blackwater diving sounds amazing. Be good as I’ve gone off normal reef night dives. Would love to be in the deep blue but in the black. Wonder do they see Tigers at night. That’d be quite a thing .

Manta dive I can imagine doing more than once.

My girlfriend is totally cheating in her diving journey and getting to see stuff I waited years and years to

 

[Gachnar]

Sharks are fairly rare on that dive, but it’s the ocean, so you never know. The main attraction is all the tiny life that drifts up and just floats in front of you. There’s even a pelagic seahorse. And Sarah is an awesome guide too.

 

[--tom--]

Disclaimer: I have never been diving in Oahu. Just an FYI, you will be in the middle of whale season. Seeing whales underwater is not common, but there is a chance. There will be strong numbers off of Maui and northern Kona (up by Hawi).
Kohala divers runs a boat out of Kawaihae Harbor. So you have picked a great time of year to go.

 

[InTheDrink]

Disclaimer: I have never been diving in Oahu. Just an FYI, you will be in the middle of whale season. Seeing whales underwater is not common, but there is a chance. There will be strong numbers off of Maui and northern Kona (up by Hawi).
Kohala divers runs a boat out of Kawaihae Harbor. So you have picked a great time of year to go.

Oh wow Tom!!!

Chances low but possible sounds pretty awesome to me

 

[Hank49]

Just a note...January is pretty much the peak of winter swell time. Monster surf from the North NW can limit available sites.