Dive info for Oahu Hawaii?

[oregondiver]

Heading to Oahu in May with 4 other non divers to celebrate a 40th birthday.

They want to snorkle, and I want to do at least some diving. I won't have a dive buddy, so not sure how much shore diving I can do..

2 have reservations near Diamond Head at New Otani (1 mile further down the beach from Waikiki) and they don't know yet if they can cancel and move to a different hotel/part of island. 3 of us don't know where we want to stay (so recommendations are welcomed!). Depending on where the 3 of us stay (on the North Shore?), we may get a rental car.

Any good dive operators you can recommend? Suggestions for any part of the trip? Walking hikes to waterfalls without a tour guide?

I also have DSS BP/W. I will take off the 9 lbs steel side plates...but can / should I take my steel bp or do I need to get an al one?

[Mongodives]

I'd take the SS BP that way you can dive without lead depending on how much neoprene you wear.
I'm kind of partial to the Reef hotel chain, but there are tons of deals on Orbitz and Travelocity for Oahu right now.
Dive ops, last time I was on Oahu was Feb 08 and the dive ops I used then have since gone out of business.

[mz53480]

...They want to snorkle....

Check with Spatman, he might loan you his snorkel after he's back from Kona (unless Sockmonkey swipes it from him)......

[ArcticDiver]

From my perspective as one who gets over there at least once a year and sometimes more:
Good snorkeling on the beach opposite the Sea Life Center. Now I think that is probably better than Hanama Bay. The beach at Bellows is public and also has good swimming and snorkeling; too shallow for diving. Electric Beach I'm told has good diving and snorkeling but every time I've tried to go there the currents haven't cooperated. Makaha Caverns over by Wainae are outstanding diving, I always see a good assortment of fish, sharks and turtles there. I'm told you can snorkel there. But, it looks like a fair swim to do that.

Dive Ops on Oahu are like mosquitoes in Alaska, everywhere and plentiful. By and large they don't play nice with each other, especially in the current economic slump. My favorite is Ocean Concepts. They basically operate out of Wainae but they go every morning and are not in a hurry to go home. The boats operating on the South Coast usually are in a hurry to get back from the morning charters to pick up the folks on the afternoon charters. So, for them it is usally a hurry up to get your dives in and get back to shore; not my cup of tea.

The Aqua Hotels, there are several, are not the cheapest but in my opinion have the best value.

One thing to remember is that in Hawaii all beaches are public. So, you may have to hunt around a bit for access; but it is there.

Oh yes, I'm not sure, but you should check about diving without a buddy. My memory seems to tell me it is not lawful in HI, or at least on Oahu. If you want me to I'll be happy to contact my folks over there and check it out.

Hmmm...thats enough for now.

[derek b]

May can be an odd time of year for water conditions... North shore swell is dying, but may have a few sporadic twitches of life. I would recommend diving sharks cove. Its a marine sanctuary, snorkel and dive friendly. lots of life and caves to swim through. Depth ranges from 10' to 60' ( if you like looking at sand).

If you have money to blow then head out on the shark tour in ns as they may not be around much longer.

If you want to go with a dive charter I would highly recommend DIVE OAHU and to check out some of the artificial reefs we have on the south shore.

[Sockmonkey]

I've been diving with Island Divers Hawaii in Hawaii Kai and Dive Oahu right in Honolulu.

IDH was a professional shop that provides tech diver training. They call themselves HaTeD (Hawaii Technical diving) and are very DIR minded. I liked everyone I talked to at this shop and decided to use them for a day of diving. Unfortunately for me the all the tech minded DMs were on a charter and I was stuck on their cattle boat. I wasn't too impressed with the DM they put me with but I think she was just young and inexperienced... but totally nice and provided a fine level of service. During the dive I ended up navigating her back to the boat. This is what happens on any open dive boat. You get what you get.

I had a most terrible experience with Dive Oahu where I was so put off by the whole operation that I opted to sit out the second dive for my own safety. Again this is what possibly happens when you sign up for a cattle boat... it is the luck of the draw. I've heard good and bad things about them. I chose them mostly because they were the closest mosquito to the Ala Moana area where I was staying.

I would go back to IDH for sure. I'm not so sure about Dive Oahu. Then again Waikiki gives me hives (It's a vegas disney mall with palm trees) so I doubt I'll be on Oahu for vacation ever ever again.... plus I'm there every couple months for work anyways.

I've heard great things about Ocean Concepts on the other side of the island in Waianae.... I've never been on their boat.

I wasn't exactly impressed with the reefs I was on going out of Hawaii Kai. I'm wondering if they're less trodden on on the other side of the island. However the few wrecks near Waikiki I managed to get on in rec depths were pretty fun. They were all a little cheezy and over dove (diven? doved?) but I'd do them all again. The Sea Tiger, YO, and Baby Barge. I really wanted to hit the Corsairbecause I was a huge Ba Ba Blacksheep fan but didn't get a chance.

I would highly recommend heading over to the Scubabored Hawaii Forum and reading posts about Oahu. Please do read and search before you ask any questions.

Aloha hard,

-Eric

May can be an odd time of year for water conditions... North shore swell is dying, but may have a few sporadic twitches of life. I would recommend diving sharks cove. Its a marine sanctuary, snorkel and dive friendly. lots of life and caves to swim through. Depth ranges from 10' to 60' ( if you like looking at sand).

If you have money to blow then head out on the shark tour in ns as they may not be around much longer.

If you want to go with a dive charter I would highly recommend DIVE OAHU and to check out some of the artificial reefs we have on the south shore.

[ArcticDiver]

One word of caution may be in order when reading Hawaii posts on ScubaBoard. Friends and aquaintances of operators tend to post, sometimes very heatedly, about their "favorite operator". Sometimes there is even a financial incentive, as I discovered on at least one occasion. So, certainly read the posts on SB. But, take them with a whole shaker of salt.

Also, it may be true with other locations also, but it is certainly true with Oahu. To assess an evaluation of an operator you need to know what the poster/reporter wanted out of the diving experience. I've seen some glowing recommendations on a couple operators with whom I had personal experience that was quite the oppposite. Come to find out a couple short, 30 min, dives well sheparded and doing all the tank and gear work themselves is exactly what the poster wanted. On the other hand, several of the operators, like Ocean Concepts, will take your gear at check in and you never have to touch it again except to wear it until you have finished with your days/week of diving and your dives are your dives.

[60south]

I'm headed to Oahu the second week in April, so I'm very interested in the comments here.

I wrote a PM to Justleesa on ScubaBoard the other day, since she lives there and I like her style. Here's part of the conversation, starting with my intro:

Hi Justleesa!

I will be coming over to Oahu on a short vacation next month. I'll definitely need to get some dives in. What thickness of wetsuit would you recommend for this time of the year? I have a full 3mm but I'm thinking of getting a hood/vest combo to go with it. (I'm a 6' guy, 190lbs, who also gets cold easily and is a bit of a weenie about cold water, despite the fact that I do most of my diving in the PNW.)

In the end it all depends on you. Looking at what you've written - a hoodie might be a good idea to add to your 3mm.

Also, if know of a good dive op you'd recommend, that would be great.

...I am not on top of the Scuba scene like I used to be. That being said, I would say that if you pick either http://www.kaimandivers.com or http://www.diamondheaddivers.com you will be served well

I may give KaimanaDivers a try, and maybe Ocean Concepts as well.

If anyone on this board will be in Oahu the week of April 8th-13th and would like to get together for a shore dive, let me know!


glenn

[Sockmonkey]

One word of caution may be in order when reading Hawaii posts on ScubaBoard. Friends and aquaintances of operators tend to post, sometimes very heatedly, about their "favorite operator". Sometimes there is even a financial incentive, as I discovered on at least one occasion. So, certainly read the posts on SB. But, take them with a whole shaker of salt.

Totally true. In fact.. I spend enough time on that forum... I'd be happy to help with the bullshit detector if need be.

Also, it may be true with other locations also, but it is certainly true with Oahu. To assess an evaluation of an operator you need to know what the poster/reporter wanted out of the diving experience. I've seen some glowing recommendations on a couple operators with whom I had personal experience that was quite the oppposite. Come to find out a couple short, 30 min, dives well sheparded and doing all the tank and gear work themselves is exactly what the poster wanted. On the other hand, several of the operators, like Ocean Concepts, will take your gear at check in and you never have to touch it again except to wear it until you have finished with your days/week of diving and your dives are your dives.

Yeah I've mostly nothing but good things about them.

When it comes to dive recommendations for Oahu I'm tempted to tell people to go to Maui or here to the Big Island.... or just stick to the "wrecks" and stay away from the reefs.

And yeah Justleesa is pretty awesome. The only thing I know about Kai'mana Divers is this blog post about coming to TBI recently... they seem have no lack of fun.

-Eric

[ArcticDiver]

Yes, justleesa is a nice person. She used to run a web site called DorkDivers, or somesuch. Her hubby was one of my instructors way back when. Very laid back, confidence inspiring guy. I think, but am not certain, he is associated with Kai'mana Divers. I've heard of the other outfit and have meant to check them out but have never gotten around to it.

Despite all the dive shop warfare I think the diving on Oahu is outstanding. Even going back to the same place multiple times a week as I so when I'm there is exciting. My favorite dives in the State are the wreck Mahi and the Makaha Caverns. The Mahi is collapsing now and should only be penetrated with abundant caution. But it usually has a squadron of Eagle Rays and lots of other thingies in residence. The Caverns are collapsed lava tubes that harbor all kinds of sharks, turtles, and other neat things. That is where a turtle literally pushed me out of the way as it descended to its resting place.

[60south]

I'm in Oahu right now and can spout a few first impressions...

2 have reservations near Diamond Head at New Otani (1 mile further down the beach from Waikiki) and they don't know yet if they can cancel and move to a different hotel/part of island. 3 of us don't know where we want to stay (so recommendations are welcomed!). Depending on where the 3 of us stay (on the North Shore?), we may get a rental car.

We're staying at the Ilikai, on the west end of Waikiki. The city is busy, of course, but this end is less crowded and less pretentious. The hotel is nice; not super fancy but spacious and friendly. The beaches are also wider at this end of the strip, and it's only a short walk to the beach or lagoon. If you have lots of moola, the Hilton Hawaiian Village complex next door would be an awesome place to stay -- but I'm happy at the Ilikai. As a diver, after seeing the layout of hotels and beaches I think I like being at the west end of Waikiki, near Ala Wai Harbor -- where the charters often leave from. If you're a surfer, the east end looks like it has the waves. The New Otani is out beyond the busy Waikiki business district -- I haven't been there; it may be very pleasant.

Any good dive operators you can recommend? Suggestions for any part of the trip? Walking hikes to waterfalls without a tour guide?

Went diving yesterday with Gabe from Kaimana Divers and had a great time. He works together with one of the local shops and a charter boat to provide diving and classes. The first dive was the YO-257 wreck, very enjoyable. Turtles, eagle rays, the works. The water temp is cold -- 74ish max. I'm wearing a full 5mm and beanie and I got cold during the second dive.

[oregondiver]

This is a ton of great replies. Although I didn't ask...thanks for keeping it all on topic too. Sometimes I can't tell sarcasm vs helpful info on the 'net.

I was planning on bringing a shortie...but now reading about your 3ml full/long and still getting cold... I might need to go that route as well. I get cold easily! I just figured I dove the shortie in the Caymans and though I could do the same (ie warm water is warm water...didn't think about temp differences!).

I rented a house over on the South Shore, near Sharks Cove/Sunset Beach. We will have a rental car, so I might check out Kaimana Divers, but will probably book majority of my dives with Ocean Concepts since it appears they are over near the North Shore.

Thanks for the info about the HI forum on Scuba Board. It didn't seem to have much traffic so I haven't posted over there yet...but I will

With great vis...assuming I don't need my can light...just my small hand held Oxychecq Raider should be fine. Right?

BTW...for anyone contemplating a trip over there...Sale on HI trips from May 5-30th? Under $500 for 5 nights hotel, car and airfare. Cheap! And there is a hotel room at the New Otani that is going to be UNUSED....May 10-16...so if anyone wanted to make an offer on it, my friends rented a large villa at Ko Olina and can't get out of their package.

[Sockmonkey]

Thanks for the info about the HI forum on Scuba Board. It didn't seem to have much traffic so I haven't posted over there yet...but I will

It's quietly active... most posters from out of state ask the same question over and over without searching first. There are a dozen or so residents that post regularly. If you've got a specific question (outside of the "what boat should I use to dive on ____ island?" or "what wetsuit thickness to wear?") I urge you to post it there. Or let me know and I'll point you to someone on Oahu who will know.

My only recommendation for boat diving Oahu is to skip the reefs and head for the wrecks... and stay the hell away from Waikiki unless you like vegasesque tropical malls filled with angry sunburnt fanny pack wearing hordes from the middle of the country.

Don't forget about Shorediving.com for reference too.

Aloha hard,

-Eric

[ArcticDiver]

Slamming Oahu and Waikiki in particular is almost a hobby for some. But, in reality Oahu is a place where you can get almost anything you want in diving or living. I happen to like staying on Waikiki and then using either a rental or the wonderful public transportation to get other places. Lots and lots of good ethnic restaurants on the South side of the island. If you are in to top of the line, or bottom of the line shopping it is in Waikiki.

Others are right though. Not many unbiased posts by locals. It seems most are up to using whatever to get your money. On the other hand I've seldom been anywhere where the art of separating people from their money and leaving them with a big smile is more developed.

[60south]

I'm back home now. Some last impressions:

Most of the dive operations [out of Honolulu/Waikiki] seem to arrange their diving so that the advanced crowd dives in the morning, then the beginners go out in the afternoon. What this means is that your first dive -- assuming you're an advanced, morning diving -- is really cool. But the surface interval is minimal. So to provide a second dive and return to the dock in time, the second dive is some shallow, boring reef. I may be wrong about this, and there may be exceptions -- but this seemed to be the norm. Harumph! I caught a cold early in the trip -- accursed airline travel -- and had to cut my diving short, so I couldn't investigate this further. YMMV.

I get cold easily!

I'd go with at least a 5mm. People were diving in 3mm suits and really getting cold. Some NW friends just returned, saying they dove in their drysuits and were glad they had them.

I rented a house over on the South Shore, near Sharks Cove/Sunset Beach.

If you're going to be out that way, I recommend checking out Deep Ecology in Haleiwa. I didn't go diving with them but I give them the award for funnest dive shop. Also, don't miss the sea turtles on shore at the nearby Haleiwa Ali' beach park!

With great vis...assuming I don't need my can light...just my small hand held Oxychecq Raider should be fine. Right?

I'd think so. During daytime dives you shouldn't need a light at all.

Slamming Oahu and Waikiki in particular is almost a hobby for some. But, in reality Oahu is a place where you can get almost anything you want in diving or living.

Indeed. I personally hate busy hotel districts like Waikiki, but I admit I had a good time.

The Reality Check Is In The Mail

Here's the rub, as I see it... Hotels and housing elsewhere on the island can be dicey and options may be limited. I drove by a lot of tent-city areas of homeless locals and didn't feel welcome or safe. Perhaps my impressions were wrong. Either way, at least Waikiki offers a broad selection of hotels, and a tacit understanding that this is where the houles are.

What ever you do, have fun!

g

[ArcticDiver]

[billandwende]

When in Oahu I dive with Ken @ Rainbow SCUBA. He is a good guy and keeps the numbers down. He rents space on a boat so the boat itself can seem a bit full but when your in the water its very good to be with a small group. Last time I was there he had no plans to go out but when he remembered me from prior he took me out. He has a good price and will even pick you up at your hotel.

Ken is not the only DM at Rainbow just the one I have dived with. Im sure others there are just as good.

Just my 2psi.

[billandwende]

By the way I dive dry in Hawaii.

And Rainbow will take some shots of you and upload them.