looking for info on Scuba in HI

[Jstdv8]

Well, my wifes best friend is getting married in HI this coming October so we will be in Honolulu I think, can anyone recommend a good scuba charter and locations for decent SCUBA dives on that island.
I am a total Newb to SCUBA and will be working on geting my PADI open water cert here in AK this summer. So any information, suggestions at all would be great.
For now I'd like to keep to just this Island since I don't know how long I'm going to be there and with the wedding and all I may not have time to get to a different island to dive.

Also any info on snorkling I guess. I;ve always wanted to SCUBA, but if you think I'd have better luck with snorkling for whatever reason please feel free to suggest.

As far as my tastes I love corals foremost, fish are awesome too and my wife would really love to see a Huma-Huma nuka nuka apuaa (sp?)

Thanks in advance

 

[FloodXL]

Hey there, I was just in HI in September. It's really amazing there. I spent time in Maui, Kauai, and Oahu. I don't have a diving certification, but I did a lot of snorkeling. Snorkeled at Wailea in Maui, thought that was really pretty cool...not a lot of coral to look at, but tons of fish. Also snorkeled off shore at Tunnels beach in Kauai, Sharks Cove in Oahu. All was very good. We also took a snorkeling cruise from Maui to a reef on the coast of Lanai, this was great for corals and the vast size of the reef was really impressive. Don't worry you will see plenty of Huma Huma triggers anywhere you go, along with many yellow tangs, convict tangs, wrasses, Moorish Idols. I got lucky and swam a few feet away from a pair of small sea turtles in Kauai, and swam around a small eel for about 30 minutes in Oahu.

I am sure SCUBA is probably the way to go if you can do it, but you can snorkel for free in so many places and it is really an enjoyable experience. Take advantage of every chance you get to dive when the sun is really shining, the colors really pop with more sunlight.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Jstdv8]

Thanks Flood,
If I get short on cash I'll skip the SCUBA training, but I've always wanted to dive so I'd really like to get that in if I can afford it.
I'll have to learn to snorkle too so I can get a nice mask and head out there when everyone else is shopping or something

 

[FloodXL]

Since you will be staying in Honolulu, you really need to take a trip to the north shore of Oahu, it seemed much more suited to snorkeling and diving than the waikiki area and it's not that long of a drive. There are plenty of beaches along the road on the north shore and you can just pull over and get to the beach in a very short walk, throw on your snorkel gear and be in the reef in minutes.

A quick tip:
I read a lot about the car break-ins before I left, everyone has an opinion on this and I did worry about it. We were at tunnels beach in Kauai and did see a rental car with a shattered back window which was clearly from a break in. So I would advise you to take anything valuable with you and leave the car unlocked....locals told us they almost always check the doors first and if they are unlocked, they usually walk away immediately.

 

[Jstdv8]

great info,
Anyone else have any tips, experiences?

 

[K.Truong]

oahu dive charter

oahu dive charter

Hello,

I recommend a charter company called Rainbow scuba if you are going to be in Honolulu. They have great rates for 2 tank dives. You can do 1 deep (to about 100 ft) shipwreck dive and 1 shallower (about 60 ft) reef dive. Unfortunately Oahu does not provide much in the way of corals, but you will see an abundance of tangs, eels, & turtles. I was fortunate enough to see white tip reef sharks & a school of barracuda as well. If you are going during the winter months, the water may be too rough on the North Shore to dive/snorkel as they receive huge swells during this time of the year (you may be able to see some pro surfing competitions though). For snorkeling, you may want to check out Hanuma bay nature preserve. It is a protected bay with an abundance of fish, but unfortunately an abundance of tourists as well.

 

[cunningham]

hello,

i recommend a charter company called rainbow scuba if you are going to be in honolulu. They have great rates for 2 tank dives. You can do 1 deep (to about 100 ft) shipwreck dive and 1 shallower (about 60 ft) reef dive. Unfortunately oahu does not provide much in the way of corals, but you will see an abundance of tangs, eels, & turtles. I was fortunate enough to see white tip reef sharks & a school of barracuda as well. If you are going during the winter months, the water may be too rough on the north shore to dive/snorkel as they receive huge swells during this time of the year (you may be able to see some pro surfing competitions though). For snorkeling, you may want to check out hanuma bay nature preserve. It is a protected bay with an abundance of fish, but unfortunately an abundance of tourists as well.

+1

 

[Ann Marie]

Hi. I'm a SCUBA Instructor in California and during a trip to Oahu hired a local Instructor to take me to the hot spots. Since then I've sent friends and students to him for some tropical diving. His name is Gabe Scotti. His website is http://www.waikikiscuba.com

He's a great guide and good dive buddy. We did both beach and boat dives; diving the Corsair (the only real wreck that you can dive of Oahu), the North Shore, and the Basin, plus many more.

I have no hesitation in sending anyone to him and would send a family member in a heartbeat. Tell him I said hi if you give him a shout.

Have a great time!