Kauai - ideal mix for shore vs. boat diving?

[ae3753]

We're heading to Kauai to dive and visit the island. We have 2 boat dives planned and the rest of the days for shore diving. Since we had a great time shore diving in Kona, we planned more shore dives than boat dives.

However, is this the right ratio? One of our boat dives should be to Ni'ihau.

Thanks.

 

[REFLECTIONPOOL]

You are probably going to find that the shore diving is limited. I have dove in the past several years (on vacation) on Kauai and can tell you that there are really only two spots to dive. Sounds hard to believe I know. Depending when you go - the north shore has a great spot called Tunnels that is a great lava tube dive. Something like 15 lava tubes and overhead passways. I think it is only summer though. The owners wife at Fathom Jeanette is awesome as a guide there and knows the dive better than anyone. On the south side Koloa landing is a easy dive with great marinelife.
Niihau is awesome and very different than the south shore diving. You'll love it.
Anyway - I think you'll find that the shore diving is limited there - unlike the other islands. Boat diving will be your best bet. Fathom five in Poipu is great.
RP

 

[ae3753]

Thanks for the information.

We contact Fathom Five based on the good feedback on ScubaBoard, but their boat is dry docked when we're there. So we're diving with Bubbles Below, which also gets good feedback here too.

Hmm... if there are only two good shore diving spots, maybe we'll convert our other days to boat dives. And just leave those two days for the sites you mentioned.

 

[diversteve]

Koloa Landing is good but there's about 15 other shoredive sites off Kauai. It's not Maui but not bad either. Depends on when you're going. In the winter most of the north sites can be difficult or impossible.

http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/Kauai/index.htm

Heed the warnings about Sheraton Caverns. Shoredivers get rescued out there semi-regularly via boat.

The best dive off Kauai is Niihau. It's a long rough ride over though.

 

[ae3753]

Thanks for the link. Shorediving.com is very useful, and that's what we used to plan our dives in Kona. Overall, the ratings on Kauai sites were not that high, and that's what prompted the post.

The warnings about Sherton Caverns did catch my attention, so thanks for the confirmation.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

When you are going makes a big difference. I suppose that since you mention the FF boat in dry dock you are talking about the near future. FF was recommended for shore diving Tunnels and my memory is you could easily do 4 different cavern dives there with the right guide. I could be wrong but there is an long inner reef, then an outer reef with both inner and outer walls, all riddled with holes like swiss cheese. If there were only 3 dives there, there is also a dive on the far side of the dry cave. Or you could make one trip to Tunnels morning and another dusk/night. If the conditions were right, I'd do that.

Conditions are a big issue; whoever you book with should be going to the best conditions if one side of the island is crappy. Don't get locked into one side or the other, make sure the op wants to give you the best diving for the day, not for their bottom line.