What Island offers the best shore diving?

[ejg62]

Looking at several options for a dive trip and I am wondering what Hawaiian island offers the best shore diving? I am looking for something fairly easy to enter and exist for my wife. Entry/Exit is the biggest but also prefer little to no current - depth can be down to 60-70 feet.

Thanks

 

[scottitheduck]

As much as I love the diving here on Oahu..... Kona has some pretty amazing shore dives too!

Try ShoreDiving.com - Your Shore Diving and Snorkeling Web Community! or check out the local reviews of dive sites.

G

 

[friscuba]

Kona side of the Big Island has got to rate pretty high. The entries for the best diving won't be sand entries, so there might be a little bit of work involved at some dive sites, but there are easy ones. If the Place of Refuge isn't the best overall shore dive in the state, I'd like to try diving any spot rated higher... step off the rock into 5 feet of water and you're on the reef. Currents aren't a problem for most of the commonly dove shore dive sites, and since there's relatively little sand or soil on much of the shore the viz is usually excellent from the get-go. Drop offs are very close to the shore, so it's easy to do a long multi-level dive.

The original question is a tough one because few people on this board have dove much on all the islands so there's really no comparing islands, I can say the one shore dive I did on another island couldn't compare to any of the shore dives (a couple dozen sites) I've done in Kona as far as viz, healthy reef, fish life and topography (but the access and entry were good). I'd like to get out more and try some other spots on the other islands for kicks.

 

[AquamanKauai]

Having lived on Maui for a while I can say that the shore diving there is totally fantastic!! It caters to all levels of divers and offers GREAT variety! I believe there is still a Maui shore diving guide still in print that has if I recall some 30+ sites described. Easy entries are not at all hard to find. Use Shaka Doug as a reference over there if you are looking into Maui. I have never heard anything but the most positive feedback from people who have met/dove with Doug.

 

[diversteve]

Maui - a couple we did that were easy, sandy beach entries were Kahekili (Old Airport) Beach in West Maui and Wailea Beach in South Maui. Old Airport is shallow for a long way out, in one area there's remnants of old sugar cane ship activity. Stop by Pacific Dive in Lahaina - they rent tanks and can give directions. In Kihei, Maui Dreams Dive Co. does a lot of shore diving also.

Ulua Beach (they do classes there) and Makena Landing also looked like easy entries. I got wet at one of the Kamaole beach sites also but it almost wasn't worth it.

The above mentioned shorediving.com has pictures/descriptions of a lot of the more popular entries. Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: Maui, Hawaiian Islands

Shaka Doug's contact info here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/members/shaka+doug.html

 

[smellzlikefish]

If its easy shore diving your want, then Kona, Big Island hands down. I've dived all over Hawaii, and I do LOVE Oahu diving, but the best spots aren't easy. The diving on the Big Island seems to be all beach entries with short surface swims and gorgeous visibility. Coral cover is as complete as I have seen in the Main Hawaiian Islands and the fish abundance is out of this world.

 

[H2Ohm]

If you can find a parking spot (hehe), Maui has lots of shore dives to offer for all levels.

 

[Doubler]

On Oahu: Electric Beach, Three Tables, Shark Cove and Pray for Sex Beach are all easy shore dives.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

The best/easiest shore dive for one is not the best/easiest shore dive for another. I also feel Shark's Cove is a fairly easy shore dive, but many, many typical American divers would call that boulder strewn climb very, very hard to negotiate.

Three Tables and Electric Beach may be easier than Shark's Cove, for some, but others would not like them and the when is important as well. In a moderate swell those entries/exits are not easy for many.

Makena Landing is an easy entry, but the surface swim to decent diving water is longer than most divers are interested in. Ulua Beach is among the best easy entry/exit dives on Maui that is also a good dive. Airport Beach is steep enough that the last recreational diving death I know of on Maui happened after the guest was standing in the shallows (heart attack?).

Perhaps if the OP gave us an example of an appropriate entry/exit they know of, even one not in Hawaii, we could then make better recommendations.