Quick Oahu visit Thanksgiving 2008 - help selecting shore dive sites?

[diver858]

Thanks for all of the great information.

As luck would have it, the weather forecast for the next few days does not sound encouraging. We spoke with Island Divers and Island Concepts, and it sounds like Electric Beach is still a decent option. They are both still running boat dives, so it seems like it is still worth bringing our dive gear.

We have been to Oahu a few times, but have never attempted Hanauma Bay - have always found better options.

Current plan is to dive on Tuesday - any updates / final words of wisdom?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

have never attempted Hanauma Bay - have always found better options.

If you've never done it how do you know your other options were better?

 

[scottitheduck]

Dived Electric Beach today....... great conditions, 75 ft vis, no current and got to see whales passing by as we were gearing up in the parking lot.

G

 

[diver858]

My apologies, halemano. You are quite right - we should not believe everything we read.

We ended up doing two dives at Electric Beach - also on Nov 25. Agreed that the conditions and weather were very good. In addition to the usually assortment of abundant life around the pipe, we swam around with 4 turtles, who were playful and friendly.

I would like to vent a bit about tourist diving on Oahu. As stated in the opening message, we were looking for a nice relaxing day, without being push and rushed on and off of a crowded boat. While we accomplished our goal, we are a bit frustrated with perceived attempts by dive shops to scare tourists away from shore diving, on to their boats.

After reading multiple reports about crime and speaking with locals, we decided to give it a try and are very happy that we did. There was a constant flow of tourists, dive groups and even a police car in the parking lot after our first dive. As an extra precaution, we took the advise of a local, befriended a very nice homeless lady who was in the park, and offered her $10 to watch our car - which she initially refused, but we insisted she take. We made sure not to leave any valuables in the car.

We are not niave, drove past the homeless encampments along the west side of the island, and understand the petty crime such conditions can cause. That said, my paranoid, conspiracy side suggests that the Oahu dive operators go out of their way to embellish the risks to create fear and discourage tourists from shore diving, to keep their boats full. At least in our case, this just discourages us from returning to Oahu, and spend our vacation dollars on the Big Island and Maui.

 

[scottitheduck]

Aloha Diver 858,

Sorry to hear that you feel that Oahu dive operators "go out of their way" to scare you.

The fact of the matter is that when shore diving here, you are an easy target. Criminals may not be that bright, but it doesn't take a high school diploma to see diver, see diver enter water and then take 5 minutes of that hour to break into a car..... especially if it an obvious Rental Car.

I have had a full Rescue Course ruined on the Westside when all 3 vehicles were broken into, a friend at a BBQ at Sharks Cove getting smashed and grabbed and have both locks of my trucks punched out in just over 3 years of having it on island.

Now, that being said...... the true reason Oahu Ops MAY shy away from Shore dives is that Boat Charters are a more cost effective way of turning a buck. If you notice the "Good Guys" in the Hawaii Ohana section are all available for shore dives. Shaka Doug, Scuba Drew to name a few.

If it seems that you will not need a guide to enjoy the site, as it sounds like you did not, then there is no need to hire our services and therefore, you should continue to plan your adventures as you have..... with input from local divers and by calling around to all options.

Finally, if you had a great dive as you say.... complete with the "usually assortment of abundant life around the pipe, we swam around with 4 turtles, who were playful and friendly" why are beefing with our island?

Sounds like you had a pretty awesome time to me!?!??!

 

[diver858]

The beef is with dive operators who misrepresent "your" island - something I would hope you share.

I believe that tourism is Hawaii's major industry, one that we personally support (our 10th visit), and intend to do so in the future. I also made a point not to mention any dive operators by name, as most seem to follow a similar pattern of behavior.

Tour books and locals do a good job explaining the risks and describe the proper precautions. This allows individuals to make an informed decision - no different than selecting dives sites that are consistent with their skill level.

The risk of petty crime appears no different on Oahu than many other dive destinations - including here in San Diego. As stated earlier, tourists should not be subjected to hard sell scare tactics, to keep them from enjoying shore diving in Oahu. We would have been upset if our rental car had been vandalized, but that is why we have insurance, and there was nothing in the car worth stealing.

Dive operators are entitled to make a profit, but do themselves (and Oahu) a disservice when they think they can get away with manipulating customers to extract more money. We paid over $60 to rent 4 tanks and weights - not bad for the shop, when you consider there were no dive masters, boat captains or fuel involved.

Might there be MORE of such business if dive operators made an effort to help IMPROVE security in a couple of such locations? We were happy to pay someone a few bucks to watch our car - sounds like a business opportunity to me.

The motivation for the comment is twofold:
1. Encourage those visiting Oahu who are considering shore diving to do so.
2. Discourage dive operators from using scare tactics to drive their boat diving business, as it does not always work, and has some negative implications - like driving customers to neighboring islands.

 

[scottitheduck]

I'm completely on board with you and actually look forward to the days I am booked for shore diving. As you mentioned in a previous post, you have done most of the boat dives here on Oahu...

Also, if you are looking for a nice little something to put under the tree this year, try this:


Oahu Shore Diving and Snorklers Guide

 

[justleesa]

Sadly we do have crime on Oahu....also sad that you were being manipulated with that fact so they could make a sale...

E-beach is known for theft, this happened to one of the Ohana.

I caught a burglar crawling thru our bedroom while we were sleeping....Stuff like this can happen anywhere, not only Oahu.

We also had a student once that was visiting the islands and he went sightseeing with a motor scooter. At a scenic spot he stood, with his bike between his legs, to take a picture of the ocean. A car drove past him and the passenger stole his backpack right out of the bike basket behind him.

I am glad to hear that your experience at E-Beach was a positive one.