Trip report Oahu Xmas week

[Jcp2]

This was planned as a vacation split between Waikiki and Ko’Olina, with three dive mornings mixed in with everything else. Unfortunately, because of unusual high winds, two of the dives have already been canceled by the operators, and the rest of our plans preclude rescheduling. Surf is up in Waikiki!
I managed only one dive with my daughter, a shore dive in Hanauma Bay with a guide with rental equipment. There was strong current reported by an earlier returning group and our plan was to go right towards a series of lava channels near Witch’s Brew, hang out and look for interesting stuff, and return, with 1000/3000 psi at the channel to traverse back into the inner reef for an hour of bottom time with max depth of 40 feet.
After we passed through the gap between the inner and outer reefs, it was clear that the much vaunted better visibility beyond this channel was not to be for this dive. There was a lot of surge with visibility no different than the inner reef, ranging from 10-20 feet. I was side by side holding my daughters hand when we could and following immediately behind her in the channels when we could only swim single file. We stayed as low as we could to minimize the surge and current.
The guide was patient and kept track of our progress and our air usage. He turned the dive and we made it back to the channel and I had 1000 psi left (I think my daughter had a bit more). The hard part was getting back in through the channel. We had been overweighted purposefully just for this purpose. Apparently the current had picked up a lot more during our dive, and we had to literally crawl through the channel holding onto the rocks. It was a lot of work at a depth of 7-9 feet and afterward, I had less than 400 psi left.
My daughter saw some fish but really had no fun at all, with the “coral trying to kill me” as she was being banged around from the surge. I saw nothing because I was trying to stay close to my daughter to grab some part of her in case she got in trouble. I learned how to time my movements with the surge and when to switch between frog and flutter.
We were the first group for this guide in the morning. I had no idea how he was going to take the two following groups out. They were Discover Scuba tours. While we rested on the beach, the waves really picked up in the bay and we watched a lifeguard surf head high waves on his lunch break out where we had been diving. Then I got notices from the other ops that my dives for the rest of the week were canceled.

 

[Steelyeyes]

There used to be an UW cable of some sort you could use to pull yourself over the inner reef but I haven't gone diving there since about 1984.

 

[Jcp2]

I remember seeing the cable as a reference but I couldn’t see it in the channel itself, whether because of the poor visibility or because it was partially buried by rocks. The guide didn’t mention to use it specifically when giving us the briefing about how to come back in.

 

[RogueClimber]

It's rough out there on the south side of Oahu. This morning I saw one dive boat leave the harbor (Kewalo Basin). They got out to the shallow reef dive sites and turned right around and came back in...

I hope the rest of your time here is enjoyable. Aloha!

 

[Jcp2]

Trip update update. Conditions changed for the better such that I went out on a couple of shore dives off Electric Beach on Saturday with a guide. It was calm with a slight swell at the entry point that was easy to deal with. The first dive went to the end of the pipe, under the outflow, back halfway, and then to the reef on the south. Turtles, turtles, turtles, great and small. The second dive went partially down the pipe and then north to a set of lava caves to see a resident white tipped reef shark. Both dives had a lot of reef fish to see and enjoy.
Maximum depth 30 feet, bottom time around 45 minutes each tank, water temp 79 degrees. I used only a dive skin, had about 1000 psi left at the end of each dive. The guide was on a schedule, otherwise I would have liked to stay in one area in the shade of the pipe looking for little stuff with my dive light and my new bifocal mask.
I was glad to squeeze this one last session in before going back home, and I imagine this was what Hanauma Bay might have been like if conditions were good. My daughter was happy not to have went and spent her morning at the hotel pool.
All in all, a great trip for everyone in the family with a couple of opportunities to dive.

 

[Dogbowl]

@Jcp2 , what dive shop did you go out with? I’m interested to do the Hanauma Bay shore dive in March. My husband and I are more experienced but we will have one or two new divers with us, so thought an easy shore dive might be nice. Thanks.

 

[Jcp2]

I went with Living Ocean Scuba. The predive logistics was cumbersome. Set up and wear gear with tank from parking lot to tram (200 yards), take off gear and load tram to ride downhill, get off tram and put on gear with tank to walk to beach entry (100 yards), dive, wear gear with tank to showers to rinse off (75 yards), take gear and tank to tram (25 yards), load gear onto tram and ride back uphill, put on gear and walk back to setup spot (200 yards). I wanted originally to do two tanks with them but they recommended just one, as you must go all the way up and all the way back down for the second tank, and most people who reserve two tanks find this a lot of work and just call it a day after one tank. The dive itself could be easy, given calm conditions, but our guide briefed us that getting back in through the channel is always a bit more work as it’s one of two exit points for the water as it sweeps over the inner reef. You’re essentially swimming against a riptide. The alternative is to get dragged over the reef with the waves. I would do this dive again with better conditions, but would not bring my daughter again because she is small and humping gear around for that distance really made her miserable. Also, wear a pair of mechanic gloves. We didn’t and my hands got a bit roughed up crawling back along the rocks in the channel. Granted, we had poor wavy conditions, so maybe my experience is atypical.

 

[Dogbowl]

@Jcp2 , thank you very much for your info. That is exactly the type of experience I want to avoid. My sister is trying to make me happy by at least giving diving a try and trying to get certified, but she’s already had 2 bad experiences (weather-related and other complications - she’s had really bad luck). I cannot put her through a 3rd bad experience like that. Even in good conditions, the pre-dive will certainly put off most of my group. We are not hardcore divers and aren’t big, tall nor strong. Humping gear like that will not be pleasant for us.

Other than that, would you recommend Living Ocean Scuba? Thanks.

 

[Jcp2]

We were to do a two tank reef dive with Living Ocean Scuba but it was cancelled by them because of rough weather conditions. Other than this one dive under poor conditions with them, I have nothing to judge them by, so I can't be fair about it.
If you are close to the west side, then Electric Beach might be a nice shore dive for all the certified divers in the group. Small surf entry when conditions are good, lots to see, easy navigation. I think it would be a bit harder for a discover scuba diver, because you have to get past this surf entry in full gear before even attempting to learn any basic confined water skills. Of the 4 DSD participants in the group next to me, only 2 made it past that point.
Maybe an operation with a pool session before going into the ocean would be good for your sister? If not in Hawaii, there might be a shop local to her that has a try scuba bubble blower session in a local pool? Another option would be to do theory and pool at home with referral dives in Hawaii with a dedicated instructor off a boat, easy peasy, while the certified divers dive a different plan off the same boat. I know a lot of people advocate to complete the entire thing at home, but depending on where you live, the open water part can be cold, dark, and miserable.

 

[Dogbowl]

We were to do a two tank reef dive with Living Ocean Scuba but it was cancelled by them because of rough weather conditions. Other than this one dive under poor conditions with them, I have nothing to judge them by, so I can't be fair about it.
If you are close to the west side, then Electric Beach might be a nice shore dive for all the certified divers in the group. Small surf entry when conditions are good, lots to see, easy navigation. I think it would be a bit harder for a discover scuba diver, because you have to get past this surf entry in full gear before even attempting to learn any basic confined water skills. Of the 4 DSD participants in the group next to me, only 2 made it past that point.
Maybe an operation with a pool session before going into the ocean would be good for your sister? If not in Hawaii, there might be a shop local to her that has a try scuba bubble blower session in a local pool? Another option would be to do theory and pool at home with referral dives in Hawaii with a dedicated instructor off a boat, easy peasy, while the certified divers dive a different plan off the same boat. I know a lot of people advocate to complete the entire thing at home, but depending on where you live, the open water part can be cold, dark, and miserable.

Thanks again, @Jcp2 .

Yes, I have to tread carefully with my sister because I know her next diving experience better be a good experience or it will be her very last try. She has already done her elearning at home. She just needs skills in a pool and checkout dives. I don’t dare get her to certify at home. She will kill me lol. Dark, cold, poor viz. The sad thing is, she doesn’t seem to have a problem with the actual diving skills (she did a discover dive and the OW confined skills portion already and did well). It was just 2 very bad sets of circumstances (weather, sea sickness, and very serious skin rash) that scared her away.

Now that I know Hanauma Bay is a no-go, and there are no easy entry shore dives in Oahu, then I will not push the issue this trip. I’m thinking easy shore diving in Curaçao or Bonaire might be her last bet.

In any event, my husband and I will still try to get in 3 x 2 tanks in Oahu. Since we will have an inexperienced and rusty diver tagging along, it will likely be shallow reef dives off a boat.