Planning a diving trip to Hawaii soon. I heard that Sandy Beach is a great shore dive. can any local divers give me some info on the place. Planning on being there in Jan. or Feb 08. on a budget dont want to spend too much on boat dives. I hear they are $120 per dive. .......Thanks in advance for info
Sandy Beach
- Thread starter Fintail
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Sandy Beach on Oahu? Good body boarding or surfing, not so much for diving. If the conditions are right maybe Blow Hole or Lana'i Lookout, but I wouldn't do them without a guide 1st time out. There are plenty of other dive sites on the west or south side though.
G'Day Fintail,
Lived on Oahu for 7 years, not sure who told you that Sandy's was a good shore dive, but it must have been a boogie boarder!
I agree with onfloat, don't do Lanai or Blowhole without a guide (they are about the closest dive spots to Sandy Beach). There's a wicked current some days known as the Molokai Express. :no
North Shore (Sharks Cove etc) will probably be out at that time of year due to surf conditions. Your best bet for shore diving is probably going to be west side, Electric Beach, Pray for Sex, etc. etc. or south shore (Magic Island...Yuck
). Although most worthwhile South Shore dives are from a boat (IMHO), as are the wreck dives on the West Side.
FYI average price on Oahu for Boat dives is $100 for a 2-tank charter. Tanks and Weights included, but not gear. Hotel Pick-Up/Drop Off and Lunch are normally included.
Oahu has some great wrecks, if you get the chance and can fit it in with your budget, I'd definitely check them out. Favorite one is the Mahi Shipwreck, normally followed by Makaha Caverns which is rich with lava tubes, swim-throughs and Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles.
Have a great time in Hawaii. Cheers and Safe Diving,
R
Lived on Oahu for 7 years, not sure who told you that Sandy's was a good shore dive, but it must have been a boogie boarder!
I agree with onfloat, don't do Lanai or Blowhole without a guide (they are about the closest dive spots to Sandy Beach). There's a wicked current some days known as the Molokai Express. :no
North Shore (Sharks Cove etc) will probably be out at that time of year due to surf conditions. Your best bet for shore diving is probably going to be west side, Electric Beach, Pray for Sex, etc. etc. or south shore (Magic Island...Yuck
). Although most worthwhile South Shore dives are from a boat (IMHO), as are the wreck dives on the West Side. FYI average price on Oahu for Boat dives is $100 for a 2-tank charter. Tanks and Weights included, but not gear. Hotel Pick-Up/Drop Off and Lunch are normally included.
Oahu has some great wrecks, if you get the chance and can fit it in with your budget, I'd definitely check them out. Favorite one is the Mahi Shipwreck, normally followed by Makaha Caverns which is rich with lava tubes, swim-throughs and Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles.
Have a great time in Hawaii. Cheers and Safe Diving,
R
DiveWestOahu
Contributor
sandys can be a great dive,,,,, right after a big swell, you find all the fins lost by bodysurfers sitting in the pockets,, as far as other stuff to see, well not much.
SexSea!
Contributor
Try and dive there with a swell and the lifeguards are likely to lasso you. Though if you want some great laughs go watch tourists bare the wrath of sandy's for the first time. For some reason people think they can stand up to a 3' shore break. hahahah. Great spot for topless bathing.
I think you already got the idea from the others but my 2-cents is this one: A friend who used to lifeguard at Makapuu and Sandy's told me of a couple of cases where the shorebreak face-planted guys so hard that sand got forced into their eyesockets and behind their eyeballs.
But on a truly flat day, it's certainly possible to dive there.
If you have military ID (active or retired or dependent or accompanhying someone who does), Ocean Concepts gives a pretty good discount; around $80-90 for a 2-tank boat dive. Other shops might have similar deals.
But on a truly flat day, it's certainly possible to dive there.
If you have military ID (active or retired or dependent or accompanhying someone who does), Ocean Concepts gives a pretty good discount; around $80-90 for a 2-tank boat dive. Other shops might have similar deals.
I believe Island Divers does $65 for military...
You can also dive the south shore such as the pipe and turtle canyon just depends on how much you like to swim. They are a bit of a swim but not all that bad. Dive for cheap and swim or dive with comfort and pay up to you.
One of the guys off my ship was at Sandy's in the early '80's and managed to get his shoulder broken in 18" - yes 18" of water - when he got hit by a wave on the shore break. The guy was kind of a wuss to begin with though.
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