Just got back from a Hawaiian cruise and my wife and I had a pair of fantastic dives with Bubbles Below on Turtle Bluffs and Sheraton Caverns off the southern coast of Kauai out of Port Allen. Surface was a bit rough but my prone-to-motion-sickness wife had no problem until the surface interval chocolate chip cookies. (Won't do that again.) But even that minor upset went away once she got in the water. Resulting vis was 40 to 60 feet.
I would highly recommend either of the sites but especially Bubbles Below. Owner, Linda really knows her stuff. She has been working in the area for decades and has studied the biology with which she has been swimming. That means she knows where to find the creatures in any given situation and will give you a thorough pre-dive explanation of what to expect and where to find it from tiny harlequin shrimp to huge turtles. Then you get to take time to look at it. If you missed something in the pre-dive but saw something you want more info about, she is only too glad to pull out some of her research and show you pictures and complete explanations of what or why.
If you are interested in the biology that is required to produce those grand dives you are trying to make, this is the operation. She's like a mother hen with her divers and I've never dove with a more informative divemaster. In terms of creatures, we did 5 other Hawaiian dives (three off Maui including Molokini Crater, two off the Kona Coast) and no other dive showed us such a concentration of so many creatures of such variety. Turtle Bluffs was astounding. There were turtles everywhere. You had to be aware at all times to keep from swimming into them! They were sleeping. They were cleaning. They were grazing. They were coming up for air.
Rather than simply recommend Bubbles Below or Kauai, I would have to strongly suggest that you give them a try. A great, informative, eye-poppingly thrilling dive is waiting.
My wife and I were warned that the long hike from Ha'ena State Park to the Na Pali Coast State Park was very strenous and even dangerous at some points so your state of adventure may make a difference.
We passed on the hike but not on Kee Beach at the end of the pavement. The brilliant red sunset with the cliffs, the reef and the rocks in the foreground was stupifying. My wife was moved to tears. Really, REALLY romantic but bring the mosquito repellant.
Rent a car. It frees you to see much more of this beautiful island, so different from the others. Save a day for and don't miss Waimea Canyon. You can drive up there, see the canyon and with luck and good wind direction, you will be able to see some of the Na Pali coast from the top. If it is cloudy up there, wait a few minutes because it comes and goes. Plan on spending most of the day.
Also, take a helicopter tour and get an up-close look at the Na Pali coast, several canyons and just a spectacular, all-around view. We used Blue Hawaiian. Reserve online and you can get a discount.
