Sea caves

[carrielsal]

I have heard there are Sea Caves in Hawaii. I have searched the forums and don't find any information. I am headed to the big island on the 26th. Can someone tell me about the sea caves and operators that go to them?

 

[diversteve]

Sea caves or submerged lava tubes? Konahonu or Kohala Divers do them. Black Point Caves is one site. We dove one off Kauai that must've been 100yds. long. Bring a light and shine it up at the ceiling.

 

[scottitheduck]

We have one on China Wall here on Oahu called Sea Cave..... could that be the one you are thinking of?

G

 

[gkndivebum]

There are many caverns and lava tubes here on the BIg Island, and most dive operators visit some of them on a regular basis. A few of them are far enough away (e.g., Twin Sisters, 3 Room Cave) that they are only visited on "long range" dive charters or via the Kona Aggressor.

Off the top of my head I can think of The Office, Ulua Caverns, Black Hole, the cavern at High Rock, the cavern at Pyramid Pinnacles, Suck 'em Up+Skull Cave, the cavern at Outhouse, Carousel (Kaiwi Pt), Casa Caves, the cavern at Mile Marker 4, Chimney, Henry's Cave, Long Lava Tube, The Dome (Red Hill, not Kohala), the cavern at Driftwood, 3 Room Cave, Sea Rose Cave, Twin Sisters and Tubastrea Tunnel. I'm sure there are more.

 

[kanonfodr]

Most of the caves/caverns in the islands are really collapsed/exposed lava tubes. Oahu has several sites that feature penetrable lava tubes. As Gabe mentioned the Sea Cave on the China Wall is visited by a few dive boats. Makaha Caverns is generally done as a boat dive but I have shore dived it; be ready for a swim. The Pupukea area (Shark's Cove, Three Tables, Firehouse) features some that are great from shore. Those are the few I know off of the top of my head, I'm sure there are way more.

Can't wait for you to get here

Peace,
Greg

 

[Black_3000psi]

the term is used abit loosely but there is one in north shore. "Deadman's Cave" let me assure you, the name was justly earned not given.

 

[carrielsal]

I am never been to Hawaii, but I had heard there are sea caves and lava tubes (yes, I am overhead trained.) I am heading over in a couple of weeks to dive with kanonfoder.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

the term is used abit loosely but there is one in north shore. "Deadman's Cave" let me assure you, the name was justly earned not given.

When I was living/working North Shore, one urban legend was very similar to old Florida/NAVY cave tragedies; 4 members of the military (some versions of story say NAVY Divers?) could not find their way out of a Pupukea lava tube. Where the bodies were found is now called the "gas chamber" by some, but the old service station gas tanks above that location have since been removed.

I spent a considerable amount of time in overhead situations in Pupukea, but since there were no similarly trained overhead divers in my o'hana I never went beyond the ambient light zone. There is a lot of "beyond the ambient light zone" there.

I can not find any web info other than the possibly coincidental number of Hawaii cave diving deaths reported in this document; 4.

http://www.swiss-cave-diving.ch/PDF-dateien/CaveDivingFatalities_bis2007.pdf

 

[Thalassamania]

There's a big sea cave down at South Point, there's supposed to be a big lava tube that goes back in a mile or so, all underwater.

 

[Black_3000psi]

the very skilled divers that I know that have gone in that cave all have said the same thing.
Never again. the cave is there, have at it.