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| Image by Ty Sawyer |
WHERE TO DIVE
What can you say about diving in Hawaii? Stunning? Amazing? An experience of a lifetime? It all applies and there is just so much to see, it's hard to describe. Here are just a few dive sites compiled from various sources. To see Hawaii dive sites on the sportdiver.com website click here:
Frog Rock
At 20 to 60 feet, this dive is named for the interesting rock formations on the shoreline that resemble frogs. This is a perfect place to catch an octopus in action, and to explore a few lava caverns and swim-throughs.
Puako
This shore dive is for the intermediate diver and features several lava tubes with interesting swim-throughs and archways. Depths range from 30 to 90 feet, and at the end of the lava fingers, you'll spot a resting area for several green sea turtles. When waves are too rough to navigate the shore, this site can be accessed via boat as well.
Kaloko Arches
This site offers dramatic arches and canyons off the Kona coastline. A popular place for observing octopus, with interesting formations and walls that offer many hiding spots for these elusive creatures.
Place of Refuge
This dive site is full of history. It is known as a sacred bay that promised life and a fresh start to ancient Hawaiians who had broken the laws of the chiefs. This is a shore dive that can be accessed from several points and usually offers many turtle sightings. Starting at about 15 feet and sloping to 35 feet is an area that is usually abundant with sealife and corals. Another slope drops off to a sandy bottom at 100 feet.
Manta Dive
Night or day, this site is THE place to go to for the biggest mantas around accompanied by schools of feeding fish and big-eyed divers. This is a relatively shallow dive at 20 to 40 feet, but you won't be disappointed!
Lava Dome Rock
This dive site on the Kohala Coast houses large masses of coral and fields of hard coral, plus it has lots of reef sharks. This site begins at 30 feet and descends to about 100 feet and offers expansive views of coral formations throughout.
Ulua Caverns
Located on the Kohala Coast, this dive site is a long lava tube full of tiger cowries and several species of shrimp, frogfish, nudibranchs and lobster. At night, it offers large numbers of octopus. This dive is for all levels of divers starting at 15 feet and sloping to 100 feet, however currents can be very strong on certain days.
Turtle Pinnacle
This is a turtle cleaning station, where schools of sturgeon wait their turn to clean algae off turtles. At depths of 20 to 60 feet this is an ideal dive for those of all levels.
Pinetrees
Considered to be a great place for both macro and wide-angle photography, this dive site offers sealife and occasional pelagic swim-bys at depths starting at 16 feet and dropping off to about 60 feet. Check out the lava tubes and arches.
Wreck of the Naked Lady
According to several sources, this wreck is named for the circumstances surrounding the wreck, and not the name of the ship. Whatever the reason, this wreck lies in about 110 feet of water with a sandy bottom. Visited by reef sharks and other sealife, you might also glimpse the unusual sunset wrasse. Bottom time is short, and this site is for more advanced divers.
HAWAII DIVE OPERATORS
Big Island Divers
Bottom Time Hawaii
Dive Oahu
Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures
Hawaiian Rafting Adventures Inc. / Dive Maui
Island Divers Hawaii
Jack's Diving Locker
Kona Honu Divers, Inc
Konaquatica Dive Center
Lahaina Divers
Maui Dive Shop
Ocean Concepts Scuba
Scuba Shack Maui
Seasport Divers
Waikiki Dive Center
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