Hi, I am Mike Blackham from Utah, and my wife and I will be in Kolina on the west side of Oahu May 28th through the 1st of June. My wife does not dive, so I must dive solo. I want to hit some good spots out there on the west side. Like to do easy shallow dives and get a lot of bottom time. I would like to know who to use for an out-fit and see if any one does shore dives at Electric Beach or any other shore dives who knows the area well. I have heard Makaha caverns are fun also, and just looking for some good advice in order to have some great dives.
Want to dive the West Side of Oahu
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VBlueV
Contributor
first to answer your questions..
dive "out-fits" to use on the west side..
i only know of one that has a shop on the west..
and that's ocean concepts at wainae harbor..
http://www.oceanconcepts.com/about_us/oahu_dive_centers
they'll have tanks and anything else you might need to rent..
and OC launches most of their dive charters out of wainae.
which "out-fits" do shore dives on the west side..
both ocean concepts and island divers hawaii
http://www.oahuscubadiving.com/
..they take classes to electric beach aka kahe point
[which is just up the road from koolina]..
but, that's just to teach classes for the most part..
electric beach does meet your "long shallow dive" criteria..
tons'o'fish and turtles and octopus.. et al.
now.. to what all the lurkers really want to tell you..
the season for diving the north shore has just started..
[although typhoon yutu might throw a couple bumps in for this weekend]
for your time period.. the sharks cove and three-tables areas should be diveable.
both are fairly "shallow dives" with "very long bottom-times" quite possible..
with great wild-life and lots of lava-tube swim-thrus..
i had two 70 minute dives there last saturday..
so, if you have trans to the north.. i'd recommend that.
finally.. here's a site covering many of the other shore dives on oahu..
http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/Oahu/index.htm
dive "out-fits" to use on the west side..
i only know of one that has a shop on the west..
and that's ocean concepts at wainae harbor..
http://www.oceanconcepts.com/about_us/oahu_dive_centers
they'll have tanks and anything else you might need to rent..
and OC launches most of their dive charters out of wainae.
which "out-fits" do shore dives on the west side..
both ocean concepts and island divers hawaii
http://www.oahuscubadiving.com/
..they take classes to electric beach aka kahe point
[which is just up the road from koolina]..
but, that's just to teach classes for the most part..
electric beach does meet your "long shallow dive" criteria..
tons'o'fish and turtles and octopus.. et al.
now.. to what all the lurkers really want to tell you..
the season for diving the north shore has just started..
[although typhoon yutu might throw a couple bumps in for this weekend]
for your time period.. the sharks cove and three-tables areas should be diveable.
both are fairly "shallow dives" with "very long bottom-times" quite possible..
with great wild-life and lots of lava-tube swim-thrus..
i had two 70 minute dives there last saturday..
so, if you have trans to the north.. i'd recommend that.
finally.. here's a site covering many of the other shore dives on oahu..
http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/Hawaii/Oahu/index.htm
Hmm, I have a very close friend living up in Pleasant Grove.
I did tons of solo out that way when I was active in scuba. The biggest problem is securing your car and valuables. Next biggest pain in the rear is having to drag around a float and dive flag; and the flag cannot be less than 12in square -- you can go outlaw if you want but the fine can be stiff, near $100 I reckon. On the plus side, you can hang non-submersible stuff on the float.
Kahe Point Beach Park is certainly the most popular with some parking, a pavillion, showers, and restroom. Get there early; before 8am. Beware of the entry and exit if there's any kind of surf -- facing seaward, there's shallow shelf on the left and boulders on the right and they can be tough to navigate when the surf is kicking up foam and swirling sand -- getting a faceplant will not be fun and I've seen some doozies... There's considerable cauliflower coral formations on the large cement blocks anchoring the cooling outflow tubes from the powerplant. The warm exhaust water attracts a lot of life. Pelagics including dolphins (and very very very rarely, large sharks) may be heard or seen. The lava shelves fronting the parking lot are very shallow (10-15ft at the most) with lots of overhangs and a few swim-thru tunnels. There may be some resident white-tip reef sharks resting in the tunnels, so look carefully before sticking it in there. Fronting the large cooling pond, toward the proper Electric Beach area, the lava formations are more sparse and broken but because fewer divers go that way, there may be more life. Watch for octopus and flatfish.
Just a tad up the coast is Zablan beach park which actually is the Honolulu-side corner of Nanakuli Beach Park. The main landmarks to find Zablan are an abandoned Navy navigation tower and a traffic light. Look for the tower and make a left at the light, into the residential area. There should be a fair sized parking area with restrooms and a lifeguard tower. Enter at the corner of the beach or make the sweaty hike over the shelf fronting the homes and splash into 6-8ft water -- note the memorial markers along the way. This area has one of the larger nearshore finger-coral formations I've found. There's also an enormous boulder coming up to within a few feet of the surface; IMO, it's actually a navigation hazard during low tides. It's a great place to poke around for shells. I have the azimuths for it and will post 'em when I find 'em.
Further down, across the entrance into Makaha Valley and the golf courses is Mt. Lahilahi -- ask the locals where the Coronet Store used to be. It's another long swim or rocky hike (major twisted ankle hazard!) but you hit very deep water (90ft+) less than 100yds off the point. The place is known for a spot called Ulua Cave which is more like a very deep undercut than a real cave. The big hazard is a strong current that could send you booking a long ways offshore and down the coast; if there's any kind of surf; stay away.
Past that is Makaha Beach and Makaha Caverns. It's a long swim; maybe 300yds from the beach; less if you make the hot hike alongside the condos. Take a boat -- you'll be crispy fried from the sun making the long swim out and back.
Across from the tourist spot called Makua Cave just before the Army practice range is another diving area. Access may have been blocked off because of all the illegal campers. But there were some nice formations here, just off the large rocky finger/shelf extending seaward. The area just across and a tad left of the cave was a good lobstering site.
I did tons of solo out that way when I was active in scuba. The biggest problem is securing your car and valuables. Next biggest pain in the rear is having to drag around a float and dive flag; and the flag cannot be less than 12in square -- you can go outlaw if you want but the fine can be stiff, near $100 I reckon. On the plus side, you can hang non-submersible stuff on the float.
Kahe Point Beach Park is certainly the most popular with some parking, a pavillion, showers, and restroom. Get there early; before 8am. Beware of the entry and exit if there's any kind of surf -- facing seaward, there's shallow shelf on the left and boulders on the right and they can be tough to navigate when the surf is kicking up foam and swirling sand -- getting a faceplant will not be fun and I've seen some doozies... There's considerable cauliflower coral formations on the large cement blocks anchoring the cooling outflow tubes from the powerplant. The warm exhaust water attracts a lot of life. Pelagics including dolphins (and very very very rarely, large sharks) may be heard or seen. The lava shelves fronting the parking lot are very shallow (10-15ft at the most) with lots of overhangs and a few swim-thru tunnels. There may be some resident white-tip reef sharks resting in the tunnels, so look carefully before sticking it in there. Fronting the large cooling pond, toward the proper Electric Beach area, the lava formations are more sparse and broken but because fewer divers go that way, there may be more life. Watch for octopus and flatfish.
Just a tad up the coast is Zablan beach park which actually is the Honolulu-side corner of Nanakuli Beach Park. The main landmarks to find Zablan are an abandoned Navy navigation tower and a traffic light. Look for the tower and make a left at the light, into the residential area. There should be a fair sized parking area with restrooms and a lifeguard tower. Enter at the corner of the beach or make the sweaty hike over the shelf fronting the homes and splash into 6-8ft water -- note the memorial markers along the way. This area has one of the larger nearshore finger-coral formations I've found. There's also an enormous boulder coming up to within a few feet of the surface; IMO, it's actually a navigation hazard during low tides. It's a great place to poke around for shells. I have the azimuths for it and will post 'em when I find 'em.
Further down, across the entrance into Makaha Valley and the golf courses is Mt. Lahilahi -- ask the locals where the Coronet Store used to be. It's another long swim or rocky hike (major twisted ankle hazard!) but you hit very deep water (90ft+) less than 100yds off the point. The place is known for a spot called Ulua Cave which is more like a very deep undercut than a real cave. The big hazard is a strong current that could send you booking a long ways offshore and down the coast; if there's any kind of surf; stay away.
Past that is Makaha Beach and Makaha Caverns. It's a long swim; maybe 300yds from the beach; less if you make the hot hike alongside the condos. Take a boat -- you'll be crispy fried from the sun making the long swim out and back.
Across from the tourist spot called Makua Cave just before the Army practice range is another diving area. Access may have been blocked off because of all the illegal campers. But there were some nice formations here, just off the large rocky finger/shelf extending seaward. The area just across and a tad left of the cave was a good lobstering site.
HarveyO
Contributor
You mcan also contact Deep Ecology Dive Shop in Haleiwa.808-637-7946. Pat the owner is a great person, and she runs Shore Dives, rental gear etc. on the West Side.
DiveWestOahu
Contributor
hey howzit Harvey,,, long time no see
capt scotty
ps good pic
capt scotty
ps good pic
These are the bearings of the large boulder I mentioned in an earlier post: 130deg to the powerplant stack, 50deg to the Navy tower/lifeguard tower. Enter at the very corner of Nanakuli/Zablan beach, swim outward following the reef/sand boundary until the powerplant is lined up. If not immediately in view, swim a loose search pattern; I doubt anybody could've moved that monster. Then turn left over the reef until the Navy and/or lifeguard tower lines up. Shallow; 25ft over the sand, 20ft over the reef; the rock is about 15ft tall. Plain 'ole snorkeling might work just as well.
Reminiscing: Ulua Cave off of Mt. Lahilahi was my 2nd certification boat dive back in Dec. '71. We hit a max depth of 120ft and I had a near-OOA, doing a partial free ascent from about 70ft and freeing just enough residual volume to do a quick 5min deco stop at 15ft. SPG's were not in widespread use then; in fact, single-hose rigs were just becoming popular. The only mechanical safety feature was J-valves and those weren't that great, being easily knocked into the down position. Otherwise, it was judgement based on time, depth, and personal breathing pattern. My instructor was Richard Hanna, NAUI #2123/PADI #629.
Reminiscing: Ulua Cave off of Mt. Lahilahi was my 2nd certification boat dive back in Dec. '71. We hit a max depth of 120ft and I had a near-OOA, doing a partial free ascent from about 70ft and freeing just enough residual volume to do a quick 5min deco stop at 15ft. SPG's were not in widespread use then; in fact, single-hose rigs were just becoming popular. The only mechanical safety feature was J-valves and those weren't that great, being easily knocked into the down position. Otherwise, it was judgement based on time, depth, and personal breathing pattern. My instructor was Richard Hanna, NAUI #2123/PADI #629.
HarveyO
Contributor
Back at ya Scotty. I'll be out your way again pretty soon
HarveyO
Contributor
Actually it looks like I'll be diving with you Sat. AM. Scotty
Aloha
Aloha
GreggM
Registered
I just returned yesterday, dove with Roger and Lisa from Oahu Scuba Divers. We did a two tank dive on the West side (Airplane canyon and Stars) both were great dives and I highly recommend the West side and Roger and Lisa! You can find them at http://www.oahuscubadivers.com/.
We had lunch at Electric beach and it looked very do-able. The warm water outflow from the plant really attracts the fish and several of the snorkel boats were there dropping folks off. The surf was a moderate the day we visited and it looked like a good site for a solo adventure. Also you may consider Shark Cove and the beach to the south of it, they look like good shallow spots and your wife could snorkel while you dive!
Enjoy!
Gregg
We had lunch at Electric beach and it looked very do-able. The warm water outflow from the plant really attracts the fish and several of the snorkel boats were there dropping folks off. The surf was a moderate the day we visited and it looked like a good site for a solo adventure. Also you may consider Shark Cove and the beach to the south of it, they look like good shallow spots and your wife could snorkel while you dive!
Enjoy!
Gregg
How is that pool search coming? I hear Jay has a 2foot inflatable pool 
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