BFEIII
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Will be on Kauai soon and wondering if the diving is any good, and if so, with which dive operators Appreciate thoughts and recommendations. Recommendations on restaurants also appreciated! Thanks in advance.
Question Is it worth diving on Kauai?
- Thread starter BFEIII
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I've gone with Fathom Five and Dive Kauai. Enjoyed both, can't say I have a preference either way. I enjoy the diving there, lots of turtles, eels, etc. Last time we saw a manta, first time we saw a reef shark. Sheraton Caverns is my wife's favorite dive site we've done.
Can also get a charter out to Ni'ihau. Haven't been able to do this yet but I will next trip. Supposed to be great diving and great chances to see monk seals.
Can also get a charter out to Ni'ihau. Haven't been able to do this yet but I will next trip. Supposed to be great diving and great chances to see monk seals.
Aloha from Kauai. Ready for a biased reply from a dive pro here?? I think the diving here on Kauai is fantastic. That being said, it "can be" a little more challenging at times. With a little extra research and prep you can set yourself up for a great experience diving here. Kauai has some unique factors that influence the diving here. We are the only island where the primary diving year round is NOT in Leeward waters. The vast majority of the diving year round is done on the south shore. For this reason, we are exposed to the trade winds to different degrees throughout the year. On average this means that surface conditions are not as calm as you would find off Maui or the Kona coast for example. There are also times during the year that we get a lot of rain. Not always, but this can lower vis' at times. 2025 thus far has had little to no rain and the diving has been incredible in terms of vis'.
Diving in deeper (ha, ha?) ... Kauai is unique in that it is largely an algae reef. Algae competes with coral on the reef for space. The rain and runoff here leads to the algae growth - and algae largely wins out in the space battle. The good news there is that it's amazing food source for critters including our Green Sea Turtles. It's not uncommon to see turtles well over 200 pounds. Some sights you may see a dozen or more per dive. We also have some pretty fantastic species found nowhere else in the world. In fact Hawaii has the highest endemic ratio of fish anywhere in the world. I could go on and on ...
We have a fair amount of highly trained guide and captains here that are very professional and run great operations. Shore diving is very limited - but there are easily over 30 dive sites from the eastern corner of the island (Near Lihue) all the way to Port Allen and beyond as you go west. If you are here in the summer months many consider the trip to Niihau to some of the very best diving in the Hawaiian islands. Going at the appropriate time you can expect to dive with the critically endangered Monk Seal, see sharks, rays, dolphin, schooling jacks and much more. The lava tube dives at Niihau are also incredible.
If I can provide any specific info please feel free to send me a Personal Message so I can get back to you right away. I'd love to help however I can. When you know where you will be staying I can certainly give you some tips on places to eat as well.
While I work for SeaSport Divers in Poipu, I am very familiar with all the operations on the island and can guide you with any company you are interested in learning more about. Have a fantastic day.
A
Diving in deeper (ha, ha?) ... Kauai is unique in that it is largely an algae reef. Algae competes with coral on the reef for space. The rain and runoff here leads to the algae growth - and algae largely wins out in the space battle. The good news there is that it's amazing food source for critters including our Green Sea Turtles. It's not uncommon to see turtles well over 200 pounds. Some sights you may see a dozen or more per dive. We also have some pretty fantastic species found nowhere else in the world. In fact Hawaii has the highest endemic ratio of fish anywhere in the world. I could go on and on ...
We have a fair amount of highly trained guide and captains here that are very professional and run great operations. Shore diving is very limited - but there are easily over 30 dive sites from the eastern corner of the island (Near Lihue) all the way to Port Allen and beyond as you go west. If you are here in the summer months many consider the trip to Niihau to some of the very best diving in the Hawaiian islands. Going at the appropriate time you can expect to dive with the critically endangered Monk Seal, see sharks, rays, dolphin, schooling jacks and much more. The lava tube dives at Niihau are also incredible.
If I can provide any specific info please feel free to send me a Personal Message so I can get back to you right away. I'd love to help however I can. When you know where you will be staying I can certainly give you some tips on places to eat as well.
While I work for SeaSport Divers in Poipu, I am very familiar with all the operations on the island and can guide you with any company you are interested in learning more about. Have a fantastic day.
A
