Hawaii diving

[justleesa]

I just looked at the map and it's actually a Marine Base named Kaneohe Bay. I guess there is a city or town there as well, outside the base. The base itself lays on the Northeast corner of the island and about 11 miles Northeast of Honolulu.

I've read that your a photographer and although I don't know the bits and pieces you have in your signature block, it sounds like nice gear; perhaps you wouldn't mind recommending a satisfactory camera to rent while I'm there as well for the underwater adventures.

I Can't Wait!

Ah ok, I know where, I was driving in the area just the other day. You're about 20-30 Minutes (depending on traffic) from Waikiki.

Depending on your diving experience your choice can either be a point and shoot (like the stylus) or a camera with settings (like the 5050). I would make camera rental an issue with what ever company you choose to dive with.

Some dive ops offer film cameras (one way to buy & reuseables to rent) with 27 exposures or digital cameras for rent and will burn whatever pictures you take without touch up to a CD for you. Others offer to take pictures of you, touch them up and add stock photos to a CD.
There is a also new cheapo (realtivly speaking) UW camera with housing coming out some time next month that some are going to sell or rent out. A couple of shops have been choosen to try them out next week. Might be too late for you to try. I had to send in my stylus housing because of some cracks...other wise I would have let you use that one. Sorry.

 

[HIMSDT]

[I'll be arriving at Honolulu on the 26th of May and am hoping to find a local dive shop that's headed towards some interesting spots.

Thanks for any advice on the local diving there in Hawaii.[/QUOTE]

I recommended this to one of the other guys but if you want a wide variety of dive sites on O'ahu and want to do boat dives, your best bet is probably Island Divers Hawaii. They have boat charters leaving ALL the major boat harbors and they have morning/afternoon and night charters and give discounts for multi days.

Feel free to call them at 808-423-8222 or info@islanddivershawaii.com. I know they can get you on a great charter and let you see some of our wonderful diving.

This time of year North Shore is also coming down so there's some great shore diving out there at Sharks Cove or out West at Makaha. There are always divers at these sites so if you ask someone if you can tag along, I imagine they'd let you!

Happy diving and have a great trip!

 

[DawgPaddle]

Thanks JustLeesa for the offer of using your camera. I'd be too nervous that I'd damage it though so I'll rent one when I get there. I did send an email out to the folks over at www.diveoahu.com yesterday, so hopefully I'll hear something back soon. Also, HIMSDT, thanks for the info as well and I'll be sending the dive shop you mentioned an email as well.

I'm going to check with Continental to make sure they won't give birth if I bring a diving knife along in my checked in baggage. I'll probably also bring along my 3mm shorty and full just so I'll have it if I need it.

I'm really looking forward to getting over there and I've told all my work mates only 200 times where I'd be next week. I'm sure they are excited about me going too, just so they don't have to hear about it, haha.

Thanks Again,

 

[justleesa]

Drop me a line when you get here!

 

[Griswoldstahl]

Do you need a wet suit in Hawaii?

 

[justleesa]

All up to you. Yesterday the water temp was 77f. We have people that dive without wet suits, some use shorties..I prefer to wear my 3mm full suit...just for that added protection.

 

[HIMSDT]

[I'm going to check with Continental to make sure they won't give birth if I bring a diving knife along in my checked in baggage. I'll probably also bring along my 3mm shorty and full just so I'll have it if I need it. ]

They won't have a fit if you bring your dive knife. Just be sure and tell them when you check in your equipment. If you tried to put it in your carry on it would be a different story!

About the wetsuit, right now we're diving with 3mm so you should be good with that. We always recommend the full wetsuit to our divers just in case you get some surge cause I'm sure you know the reef (and spiny black urchins) can be brutal.

Hope you have a good flight! Aloha!

 

[jjgibo]

the water temp doesn't require you to wear a wetsuit, i used to use a shorty and felt fine, but i do recommend that you wear a light full suit. there are lots of coral and things to get dinged on even if you have good buoyancy. plus we like to do a lot of shore dives and the ground can do a number on you, i got tons of dings and scratches.

 

[skottikus]

I just returned from a fantastic week on Oahu in May. I checked out three dive shops online before I went...Aaron's, Capt Bruce and See in Sea. I ended up going with See in Sea for a number of reasons and am I ever glad I did! Aaron's (Dave) was rude and obnoxious on the telephone and turned me right off and so it was a toss up between Capt Bruce and See in Sea. Capt Bruce just came under new ownership so I decided to go with "Bill and Rill" at See in Sea. Ironically, we ended up on the first day going out on Capt Bruce's dive boat (I think there were 6 or 7 divers total) and I think I would have been just as well off to have gone with them too...both dive shop staffs and divemasters were AMAZING, professional, safe and absolutely infused with the spirit of sport diving. Bill Keen at See in Sea took me out himself for my Advanced Open Water dives and we had a blast. All five dives were boat dives. The equipment was first rate. The digital camera and a CD of ALL (his and mine) pictures from the weekend of diving was included. I learned a great deal from my time with See in Sea and they took care of this mainlander like no other dive shop would. It wasn't part of the official package but they invited me out to Bill's home the first night and a tail-gate party on the beach at Waikiki on the second day. This was one fantastic weekend. On top of that, I was able to hook up easily with a few people I had met at a conference and head out (with See in Sea rental gear) for a shore dive out to Makaha caverns mid-week. That was my second time at the caverns and it was just as fantastic with 75 minutes of bottom time that go around. All dives were comfortable with just a shorty...I could have used a pair of gloves on the Sea Tiger (cut my hand on a rope either during my ascent or during the safety stop)

Bottom Line: Take a photography course or rent at See in Sea (http://www.seeinsea.com/) and you will not be disappointed. I watched as a number of other dive shops came in to See in Sea for refills and tank inspections. All that and its a PADI Five Star IDC! Both See in Sea and Capt Bruce is owned and staffed by GREAT people.

Scott