Kauai diving

[sweathog13]

Dove Koloa Landing in March through Fathom Five (fathomfive.com) who're maybe 1.5 miles away from the dive site. My sister did a 2 tank intro to scuba class along with a couple others. I tagged along as well. Saw TONS of sea turtles and white mouthed morays. Got a nice video of a turtle 'fly by' of us: youtube.com/watch?v=gNAvs__BrIk

As for snorkeling, if you're interested in a catamaran tour of the island and the Napali coast, we went on one through Captain Andy's (.napali.com) and had a great time. At one point they anchored so people could go out snorkeling. They provide masks and flippers for those who don't have their own (I was the only one who had). We had also seen plenty of dolphins and had some humpbacks come right up to our boat: .youtube.com/watch?v=0GHkCBCs_sk .

 

[Busdiver]

I would encourage you to dive with Scott Reed. He is an instructor/DM at Bubbles Below. As a guide/dive buddy he is the best I have used. When my wife and I talk about diving Kauai we do not just talk about the awesome diving but the experience we had we Scott. He knows the waters, will dive to your level, is a great critter finder, and all around nice guy.

Now with that said I do not know if you could go wrong with any shop or outfit on the island. Kauai is one of the only places I know of that has top notch shops and divers throughout the island. This place knows how to take care of you. I wish they could take some of their island charm and sprinkle it on a few of the Key Largo charters.

 

[DMJulie]

one last thought on snorkeling.....Good idea to snorkel where there is a lifeguard. While you can snorkel on your own, its worth to have a trained professional in the water to watch out for you. (plus they probably take pretty great pictures)

I have had countless encounters with visitors that snorkel on their own and don't have a great time because of one issue or another. (mask leaking, did not know the fish they were seeing, blurry pictures, fell on the rocks, etc.)

No mater what swim and snorkel in a safe place and with a buddy. Its also a good idea to call local shops and see where the conditions are nice that day for snorkeling.

(just my 2 cents)

 

[llqwyd]

I agree with Julie. There are lots of people that come to Kauai year after year and take for granted the "un-predictability" of our ocean conditions. If you go where there is a life guard, you will minimize chances of falling prey to the ever-changing conditions here. There are several lives lost each year becuase people are overconfident.

Aloha Kauai offers a great snorkeling tour and it is worth every penny. Their guides are well versed and they have been leading tours for a long time. I agree with what the other person said about insurance. It is very important to find out whether or not your tour company has insurance. Aloha Kauai is insured and will provide you with an awesome time.

If you insist on going on your own, I don't recommend Koloa Landing. KL is a great dive spot, but because of the fresh water stream that empties at that site, visibility is almost always an isssue. I would only recommend it as a last resort. However, both tunnels beach and lawai beach typically will deliver awesome results.

Remember, if in doubt, don't go out!

 

[llqwyd]

Case in point...

TheGardenIsland.com > Archives > News > Kauai News > Visitor drowns in Po?ipu

Link to a story of yet another death on Kauai. And, it was at a spot that we frequent. Just goes to show you that you can never be too careful (he was not on a guided tour..maybe that would have saved him? maybe not.)

Don't become another statistic.

 

[Teamcasa]

Shore diving at sheraton caverns is NOT A GOOD IDEA. It is a cool dive but only do it by boat.

Ditto that.

A very good friend of mine, a very strong swimmer and good diver tried it and although he and his buddy made the dive, they were completely exhausted, OOA and came close to giving up before they finally made it back. If there had been any current or the wind picked up, they would never had survived.

Dive safe - take a boat.

As for Tunnels, loved it!

 

[Ride-Orange]

Aloha Kaua'i-
Did a Discover Scuba on the Blue Dolphin off Ni'ihau in June, and two tanks with Seasport at Tunnels (BIG south swell that week). Those dives convinced me to come home and get certified! Got my OW and am starting several specialties as soon as the drysuit is built (looooong story about my newly discovered neoprene allergy, maybe later...:shocked2

We'll be back 02SEP through 09SEP and I'm planning to boat dive with Seasport (maybe they'll do Sheraton Caverns???) one day. Most of the time I'll be helping my pal David cut trail and set-up for the Hare-N-Hound race (another story for a different forum) so I'm not sure about other dive time, although I sure would welcome a PM from anyone who's looking for a dive buddy.

We've really enjoyed snorkeling at Tunnels and Ke'e as well, and Kayak Hanalei with Goldie's crew is BIG KINE FUN (snorks below Princeville Resort). Napali tours on the bigger boats have some good snorkeling too, but I hear the North swell is starting to build this time of year.

 

[AquamanKauai]

It sounds as if the safety aspect has been beat to death but...just in case it hasn't completely been done...

Having an experienced guide to just about anything carries value. Value is also certainly not limited to safety. An experienced guide in the ocean can add lots of value with local marine life knowledge, eco-friendly techniques, and just all around fun. Telling someone that a snorkel guide is a waste is not entirely unlike telling a diver that a guide isn't necessary for a first time shore diver in a new location. Many of the tourist that drown in Hawaiian waters each year are competent swimmers/ snorkelers that just don't have the "local" knowledge. Sometimes this leads to poor decision making and tragic results. A one time trip to a snorkel/dive location with a guide can all but eliminate many of these potential situations. In some cases one trip with a guide can open up opportunities in the future for self guided activities.

It's likely that any activity in the water is made a little more enjoyable/safer with a guide. On the other hand it's the exception to the rule that it is ever made less enjoyable or dangerous.

 

[Scubaman7596]