Questions Concerning Oahu Diving in August

[surfsidlaw]

Hello:
We live along the South Carolina coast and I have three sons, all of whom are
experienced divers. Most of the diving that my sons have done has been in
Carribean locations. My youngest son is a Cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard
Academy. He has received a summer assignment to USCG Cutter Jarvis that is
based in Honolulu, Oahu. He will be at sea on an extended assignment touring the
Pacific and will not spend much, if any, time in Hawaii this summer. His
assignment ends approximately August 1, 2005 and he must report back to the
USCGA by August 12, 2005. We are therefore planning a summer vacation to the
Island of Oahu to visit with him before he returns to the USCGA.

We are soliciting recommendations for dive operators, shore diving locations
(East, North, West?), and rental villas (family of 5) on the Island of Oahu. We
prefer a quiet location out of the bustle of Waikiki Beach.

Thanks

 

[iflylow]

Hello:
We live along the South Carolina coast and I have three sons, all of whom are
experienced divers. Most of the diving that my sons have done has been in
Carribean locations. My youngest son is a Cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard
Academy. He has received a summer assignment to USCG Cutter Jarvis that is
based in Honolulu, Oahu. He will be at sea on an extended assignment touring the
Pacific and will not spend much, if any, time in Hawaii this summer. His
assignment ends approximately August 1, 2005 and he must report back to the
USCGA by August 12, 2005. We are therefore planning a summer vacation to the
Island of Oahu to visit with him before he returns to the USCGA.

We are soliciting recommendations for dive operators, shore diving locations
(East, North, West?), and rental villas (family of 5) on the Island of Oahu. We
prefer a quiet location out of the bustle of Waikiki Beach.

Thanks

I just got back from a trip to Oahu. I dove with 4 companies and had good experiences with all. I dove with Ocean Concepts on the west coast for 2 days, Dive Oahu on the south side one day, Breeze Hawaii one day(east of diamond head), and SSA (south) for one day. All 4 had good programs going and I would recommend any of them.
Both Dive Oahu and Breeze Hawaii had their boats in Kewalo Basin. All are in the phone book and the prices ranged from $55 (SSA) to to $89 (Breeze Hawaii - they cater to Japanese divers though - different style of diving that we are used to).

 

[chepar]

We are soliciting recommendations for dive operators, shore diving locations
(East, North, West?), and rental villas (family of 5) on the Island of Oahu. We
prefer a quiet location out of the bustle of Waikiki Beach.
Thanks

August is the perfect time for shore diving on the North Shore. My favorite dive site is Three Tables, but Shark's Cove and Firehouse are within a stone's throw also.

Electric Beach (Kahe Point) is a popular shore dive spot on the west shore, but I prefer the north side during summer. Actually, once the conditions are ok on the north shore, that's where I do all my diving until the surf starts picking up again (basically May through September).

Dive operators that I have personal experience with and can recommend are either Ocean Concepts, Island Divers or Breeze. Ocean Concepts runs primarily out of Waianae harbor on the west shore - the Mahi and Makaha Caverns are favorite dives of mine. Island Divers runs out of both the south and east shores, and I've only done dives with Breeze out of the east side. Breeze does cater to the Japanese tourist, as mentioned.

Ocean Concepts runs around $100 for a 2 tank dive (depends on whether you're renting any gear, if any), Island Divers is around $80 and I don't know how much Breeze charges on a regular basis (I belong to their dive club).

You might consider renting a house out on Kailua beach - out of Waikiki and a nice, laid back area - but still close enough to town so that getting places is not too much of a hassle.

 

[jedah]

You could also look into Deep Ecology in the North Shore.

With 10 days for the vacation, you could also consider spending a few days in the Kona Coast (try Dive Makai) or Kihei in Maui (try Ed Robinson's or Mike Severn's). The flights are 40-45 minutes from Honolulu.

J.

 

[audiodive]

I was in Oahu last June and dove with Island Divers Hawaii. They are located on the base, but will pick you up at your hotel or house. You can also meet them at the boat location. It was a great operation, we were able to dive on both sides of the island. They also helped us out finding some shore diving. If you email they will send you a quick response, or you can always call. My husband has been diving with them many times and would recommend them.

http://www.oahuscubadiving.com/index.php

 

[SecondCoussens]

I'm taking a class with Dive Oahu right now, and from what I have seen so far I would recommend them. It's a nice crew. As for Breeze thats kind of our LDS as it's 2 blocks away from us. We have never been diving with them, but I don't recall ever seeing any non-Japanese divers with them. Almost everyone at the shop is Japanese as well. The language barrier might get kind of rough for someone who doesnt live out here, but if you can handle it I'm sure they will take care of you. No one out hear really has cheap dives for non locals, most range around 100-110 for a 2 tank boat dive. If you're not set on diving boats only I'd recommend checking some shore diving out on the North Shore. The shop we like out there is Surf and Sea and Hale'iwa.