This link is a view of the steps that I was standing at for my photos:
kakaako park, honolulu, hi - Google Maps
kakaako park, honolulu, hi - Google Maps
Kakaako Shore dive
- Thread starter sea nmf
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Look for the staircace that leads down to the rocky L shaped protected area.
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staircaSe..... my bad. Look for us on the Kahala Kai.
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I posted the dive details for going in the channel earlier this year. maybe try a search to see if it comes up. Most people will disagree, but this is one of my fav dives on Oahu, cuz of the funky stuff may see or do see.
ChimChim75
Contributor
Wow... cool. I never looked at the aerials. I didn't know there were multiple small pipes. I only knew of the one.
Kaako and Kewalo Pipe are essentially the same site, though the skin divers stay in closer to the rocks and refer to it as Kaako. Park in the parking lot by Dominis. To the left by the harbor entrance there is a set of stairs. Go down put your fins on and swim out. Skirt the boat channel (you really need a dive flag) and take it out past any surf. If you hit the first green buoy go west from here or when you clear the surf cut in diagnol west. There used to be a small white buoy but noticed yesterday it was gone. Swim daignol or west (look toward the parking lot it is toward the west end looking in). If the small bouy is back the pipe is about 10 yeard west of the small white bouy. You can't miss it. You can follow the pipe all the way out and back in. The Ewa reef about 3/4 of the down the pipe and to the west is interesting with lots of little stuff and taco usually. There is also another reef to the east about 1/4 the way down the pipe. About 1/2 way down the pipe is where the dive boats tie off. I usually drop by the white bouy and come up there and then swim back. If there is surf or current (sometimes there is and it goes to the west) I will take the alternate entrance/exit which is just past the 2nd pavilion. There is a small protected area with stairs. If there isn't much surf I go back into the stairs by the boat harbor.
You can also go in the alternate entrance/exit. There is lots of interesting stuff on the bottom and nooks and crannies to explore and the reef is also good on this side and merges into the Ewa reef and will take you into the pipe. Take 160 heading and from the alternate entrance/exit and it will take you to the small white bouy (or where it was).
Be very conscious of boat traffic here as most of the boats do not care about the dive flags.
I dive this site all the time from shore. It is great to see the looks of the boat divers as they try to figure where I came from.
This weekend vis was garbage 10 feet or less. I called the dives. Last week vis was great about 70 feet or so. I have seen lots of interesting stuff here at the pipe and it is hit or miss. Squid, eagle rays, taco, scorpion fish, and leaf fish frquent the area.
If it has rained recently (bad vis from the harbor) or the the surf is greater than 2 foot I won't chance the diving there from shore.
You can also go in the alternate entrance/exit. There is lots of interesting stuff on the bottom and nooks and crannies to explore and the reef is also good on this side and merges into the Ewa reef and will take you into the pipe. Take 160 heading and from the alternate entrance/exit and it will take you to the small white bouy (or where it was).
Be very conscious of boat traffic here as most of the boats do not care about the dive flags.
I dive this site all the time from shore. It is great to see the looks of the boat divers as they try to figure where I came from.
This weekend vis was garbage 10 feet or less. I called the dives. Last week vis was great about 70 feet or so. I have seen lots of interesting stuff here at the pipe and it is hit or miss. Squid, eagle rays, taco, scorpion fish, and leaf fish frquent the area.
If it has rained recently (bad vis from the harbor) or the the surf is greater than 2 foot I won't chance the diving there from shore.
OP
sea nmf
Contributor
Yeah, I went out there and checked out both entrances. Parking was junky but when I talked to the surfers, they said they don't show up here when it is flat. That is when I'll try this dive.
I noticed the stairs are a quite crumbly on the John Dominis side but do-able for a while yet. The railing will be helpful.
I noticed the stairs are a quite crumbly on the John Dominis side but do-able for a while yet. The railing will be helpful.
Black_3000psi
Guest
theres also a pool of sorts that has stairs into the water.its right by the bathrooms the only thing is its a nice little hick from the parking lot.but its well worth it as your not in or near the channel which is always a high traffic area.the pool is protected from most waves its best to decent as you move out toward the mouth of the pool then take a southen beed with a slight eastern tweak. this angle will take you to the pipe.....or you can go straight south hit the bunkers at 50 feet then head east to the pipe. theres some cool rock formations and some coral. and some crazy looking tripods people say have something to do with the atlantis sub. there is also in that area somewhere a half of an anchor that must have come off the queen mary. its huge. but i was kind of lost the day i found the anchor. i was somewhere between natalius and the bunker and the anchor was at 60 feet in the middle of a huge sand patch. sand for quite a distance.
krisb put up a link to the pool i was refering to which is a good way to get in. there is a platform below the weddding place but i dont suggest you use it. its a very high boat traffic area . and theres always a mean rip that sweeps across that channel from east to west which will carry you into some shallow reef on the west side of the channel.and it never seems to be a problem from the pool. and dispite what most folks think you can dive the sea tiger from shore. its not that bad a swim only half a mile.
krisb put up a link to the pool i was refering to which is a good way to get in. there is a platform below the weddding place but i dont suggest you use it. its a very high boat traffic area . and theres always a mean rip that sweeps across that channel from east to west which will carry you into some shallow reef on the west side of the channel.and it never seems to be a problem from the pool. and dispite what most folks think you can dive the sea tiger from shore. its not that bad a swim only half a mile.
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