Kauai dive op for diver and non-diver family (snorkelers)

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rypark1999

Contributor
Messages
89
Reaction score
3
Location
Porter Ranch, CA
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi. My family and I are staying in Koloa landing in June with non-diving family members and friends. Can u recommend a dive op/snorkel boat (if they have that type of op)? Or would it better just to shore dive and let nondivers snorkel in PoipuBeach? Thanks.
 
I guess I shoulda done the search first. I found seasport and fathom five and learned that Koloa Landing is the best shore dive.
 
technically Tunnels is the "best" shore dive but it's on the north shore and parking is difficult.
Koloa is a good dive/snorkel with easy access, park and walk down the old boat ramp.

divers/snorkelers can also do Lydgate Beach but IMO it's more of a snorkel - shallow a long way out.

You/ve found the two Poipu area shops - I've used Seasport before. Contact both about dual dive/snorkel trips as there are some. Possibly Sheraton Caverns.

I actually had a fun afternoon snorkeling around the kiddie bech at Poipu once. There's a small breakwater so only little fish can get in and it's maybe 4' deep. Farther out on a sand bar a monk seal was sleeping but it's illegal to approach them and there was somebody watching at the time.You rarely see them in the water unless you do the Ni'ihau trek (not for snorkelers and all day)
If you decide to dive Tunnels, go with FF - I believe thay have a 2nd location in the area now. About a 45? min drive from the Poipu area.

this is dated but gives a few more options - Ahukini is now closed to divers afaik. Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Kauai, Hawaiian Islands
 
You can shore dive Koloa Landing while others snorkel there. Check for updated water quality reports though - heavy rains bring in pollutants from the land. I did a trip with Blue Dolphin out of Eleele where some in the party snorkeled and some dove. Tour was of the Napali coast and included food and drinks and stops with large groups of dolphins. Very scenic but you have to set your expectations of the dives correctly.

The dives are topography dives so you will be looking at large crevices and lava tunnels as opposed to corals. Also, my log book shows it was a single tank dive as well.

I did dive with Fathom Five which was all diving less sight seeing. Would dive again with them. I haven't dove Tunnels and would probably use a guide my first time there so you would want to call a few shops ahead of time if you wanted to try that.
 
Thanks guys for the info. It was dumb luck that we’re staying at Koloa landing. My wife found the resort and picked it for non-diving reasons.
 
You can shore dive Koloa Landing while others snorkel there. Check for updated water quality reports though - heavy rains bring in pollutants from the land.

I found this website for water quality and water conditions.

Waikomo Stream - Koloa Landing

Poipu Beach Park | Hawaii Beach Safety
(But hawsiibeachsafety doesn’t list water quality or Koloa landing - I figure Poipu beach is close enough)

Are there any other webpages that locals use to check water quality?

Thanks.
 
Dove with Fathom Five and they were a good op. As a matter of fact, the day we did a shore dive, they took a family of 6 diving.

A couple of things:

In April the road that gets you to Tunnels on the north side of the island was still closed. Whoever you dive with can tell you if it's open yet. Had hoped to shore dive and snorkel myself.

I asked several of the dive ops about water quality at Koloa Landing as I had been watching one of the websites that report water quality. Of course, they said there was no problem! If you went by the quality maps, you probably wouldn't get in the water several places in Kauai.

I posted a trip report regarding diving with Fathom Five here on SB. If you are diving or snorkeling Koloa Landing, be sure to take your dive boots or if snorkeling, some type of protective water shoe. To get out to where you would start to dive/snorkel, you have to walk through some rocks in the water that are golf ball to football size. I took full foot fins and no-one warned me about the entry - I jammed a toe so bad it turned purple for several days. If there is a slight surge coming in, that doesn't help either - my toe hurts right now thinking about it! Also there are 2 directions (east and west or left and right) you can go at the landing, so if diving with an op, it is a 2 tank dive.

Chad was our guide for the landing. His girlfriend told me that their favorite place to snorkel was a beach somewhere on the SW side, not far from Koloa. Said there was always something to see. You might check with Chad to find the name of it.

Although, the humpbacks were supposed to be gone when we were there, and surely will be when you are, we dove with a whale on our first boat dive. Awesome!!
 
Anyone making plans for Kauai diving will see that there are numerous options for operators. There is a high standard for quality experiences and customer service here which with a little research ensures great time. Koloa Landing has some of the rarest / coolest critters you can see diving anywhere in Hawaii. I would highly suggest looking into Explore Kauai Scuba if you are considering shore or boat diving. The passion for diving and customer service provided during charters/dives with them is hard to match. You'll never be rushed and they are happy to search for dive sites until they find the best ones for the day. Nick and Jessie have fantastic critter knowledge as well. Captain Mark is a great boat captain with a perfect calming and confident presence. Happy dive planning and as always - feel free to send me a PM if I can help with your Kauai plans.
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