Most of Oahu Scuba Diving is found on the South shore in Honolulu. The South shore enjoys mostly quiet water throughout the year. Big wave surfing is found on the North shore during the winter as well as along the leeward coast. Diving the North Shore and Leeward Coast is a treat from mid May through September. We dive all year on the South Shore. We dive out of Kewalo Basin in Honolulu and rarely take more than 6 divers on a tour. We think diving in a small group provides a better experience.
Our Rates
- We charge $165 for a 2 tank local charter out of Kewalo Basin. Nitrox is included. Gear if needed is $10 a piece to a daily maximum of $30. We have great gear.
- Pinnacle Charters are $200. (Pinnacles and Navy Tug are a 1 hour boat ride out of Kewalo Basin.)
- Discover Scuba Diving is $195. Discover Scuba Diving is for people who are not certified but want a 1 day experience of diving. Gear is included.
- 32% Nitrox is provided at no extra cost. Nitrox is a better way to dive.
- Camera rental is an available extra and a one day rental may be applied towards a purchase of a camera package. We have an Olympus TG-6 and Underwater Housing available for $50 a day. With Sea & Sea YS-01 Strobe and Tray the cost is $90 a day.
Diving Nitrox
We dive Nitrox every day on every dive. It’s a better way to dive. If you are not Nitrox certified, don’t worry, we will give you a Nitrox Briefing that lets you dive Nitrox that day. We will also put a Shearwater Dive Computer on your wrist set for 32% so you can track your NDL. Nitrox gives you about 40% more bottom time than air. On our wrecks this is a big difference maker. It also means we have shorter surface intervals and longer second dives. If you are capable of a 60 minute dive at 60′ you can do it with us. Logging over 90 minutes of bottom time is common on our charters.
Wrecks
Oahu’s most famous wreck dive site is Sea Tiger. With a depth of 90′ – 110′, and around 150′ long it offers an opportunity for swim throughs for certified divers or penetration for Wreck Certified divers and divers earning a Wreck Certification. Penetrating the wreck is only done with advance arrangement as additional dive staff needs to be arranged for. The Sea Tiger was confiscated for human trafficking, sold, and scuttled. It’s a fun dive and a much better use of the boat! White tip reef sharks are often seen at Sea Tiger and Spotted Eagle Rays are occasional visitors.
YO 257 is the other major wreck we dive out of Kewalo Basin. It’s closer to Diamond Head than Sea Tiger and more prone to strong currents. We tend to not go there near a full moon when tides are stronger and currents faster. It is a fabulous dive when we can get there, and most days we can. Occasionally we do a double deep charter and visit both Sea Tiger and YO.
We do not dive any military wrecks except for the Corsair. Corsair is a WW2 era plane in 107′ of water in Maunalua Bay. It went down during a training exercise when bad weather prevented a return to the base. It’s a fun, if short dive. Other wrecks in Maunalua Bay include Upside Down LCU, Baby Barge, Kahala Barge.
Turtles
Everyone loves Honu. It’s a rare day we don’t see a turtle. They are everywhere. We see them on the wrecks we dive and on the shallow reef dives.
Pinnacles and Navy Tug
A half hour boat ride west of Kewalo Basin is Ewa Pinnacles. Due to the distance involved we only do this dive when we can arrange a group of 6 divers. Because of the distance involved we do the dive unless the current makes diving the site unsafe. The Pinnacle rises up 50′ above the ocean floor. The deepest part of this dive is around 95′. This lava structure is home to abundant reef fist, occasional reef shark, and a beautiful field of yellow cup coral. It’s a special treat.
Navy Tug is a 60′ tug boat in about 60′ of water. White Tip Reef Sharks are commonly seen here along with Spotted Eagle Rays and schools of reef fish. We usually have great visibility here and it is a wonderful site for underwater photography.
If you want to dive Pinnacles and Navy Tug please request it several weeks in advance so we can find enough divers to make the trip doable.