You can observe tropical fish in the crystal clear water. turtles but also rays and sharks can be encountered here. The humpback whales come to Hawaii during the winter months and what can be more exciting than to meet with the biggest mammals? Diving and looking at them up close?
In Hawaii, there are many diving schools that offer Trial diving lessons for example. In this course, you will learn how to use a mask and a tank, practice a little in the pool and then go into the sea. You will be constantly accompanied while diving and the instructors will not let you out of their sight. You can of course also make a diving license and also take advanced diving courses at the schools. It is recommendable to bring the medical examination for the fitness testfrom Germany and have it ready in advance. Equipment and bottles are also available for rent in the dive shops. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced diver, in Hawaii, every diver will find exactly what they are looking for.
For Advanced Open Water Divers I recommend you a night dive with manta rays before the Kona coast on Big Island. It is simply one of the most wonderful experiences you can have. It gets dark and it's just quiet underwater. Then, the giants swim past you very gently which is also a bit scary. You can shine on them from below with the diving lamp, then they look even more majestic. Wow! In addition, you can dive right in front of Big Island at about 50 different dive spots from incredible underwater lava formations. For quite professional divers with night experience, a black water dive in the open sea is offered. Two Step, Honokohau Harbor and Keahuhou are the most popular dive spots on Big Island.
On Oahu wreck divers get their money's worth. One of the most popular wrecks is the "Mahi Wreck" off the east coast. The Mahi is a famous wreck dive site and was used as a minesweeper during WWII. Today, it provides a habitat for thousands of beautiful Hawaiian fish species. The wreck is slowly decaying, however, it is also an attraction for eels and eagle ray. This area is recommended for wreck divers Another diver's paradise on Oahu is located just in front of Waikiki Beach. The "Sea Tiger" is also a shipwreck, which lies at a depth of 36 meters. This dive could also be interesting for wreck divers . Advanced Open Water Divers can also dive down there because you can reach the cab of the sunken ship already at about 21 meters of water depth. The Sea Tiger is, according to stories, a former smuggler ship. Who knows, maybe you will find a barrel of moonshine or other smuggled goods while diving. 🙂
Maui will offer you the beautiful Molokini Crater Even inexperienced divers and snorkelers will have fun here and discover many fish species. Molokini Crater can be reached by boat in 30 minutes. The inside of the crater is like a protected wall, which is home to many different species. The depth here is about 16-21 meters and is therefore suitable for diving even for Open Water Divers, who are allowed to dive to a depth of up to 18 meters. Experienced divers prefer the back side of Molokini Crater, dark depths up to 106 meters await you here which is only really something for Advanced Open Water Divers and especially for Deep Divers. The deep water and strong current attract sharks, manta rays and even whales.
Imagine the light blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, the sun shining on your wetsuit... You dive down into the depths of the ocean, the visibility is brilliant up to 100 meters, the sun shines down on you from above. Below you are the Two Cathedrals, the "Cathedral 1" and "Cathedral 2" off the coast of Lanai. It is simply an indescribable underwater architecture. The cathedrals are lava tunnels, encased and decorated with black corals, some of which are very old. The black corals even hang from the ceilings as you dive through the tunnel. You can often meet spinner dolphins here which can become quite curious 🙂 Diving in this area is suitable for Advanced Open Water Divers and of course Cavern Divers.
Tip from me: From the coast of Lahaina on Maui, the divers are driven here to Cathedrals 1 & 2 by dive boats. So you don't necessarily have to start from Lanai to this dive spot.
On Kauai I would like to recommend Sheraton Caverns to you. You can even dive here as a beginner 🙂 Sheraton Caverns is a cave formation that lies in the South Shore on Kauai, west of Poipu,. The cave is a V-shaped lava well, with very good underwater light conditions. You dive through caves and under bridges here, which are formed from cooled lava. But the greatest thing here are all the turtles. You can see them in all positions, lying, eating, swimming and even sleeping in lava holes, madness! Sheraton Cave should be called turtle city 🙂 Dragon moray eels can be seen in the cracks of the rocks from time to time. Be sure to take a boat to get to the dive spot, because the way from the shore to the cave is very long. For Open Water Divers very suitable.
It is a little difficult to reach the Fish Bowl dive spot on Molokai The currents of the Pailolo Channel,which flows between Maui and Molokai, can be very strong. But if you have eventually conquered it, you can encounter reef sharks in the Fish Bowl already at a depth of 16 meters. The water world is very diverse and you can also see lobster, squid and from 20 meters diving depth even hammerheads. Wow! Above the "Fish Bowl", a beautiful coral reef has settled over the years.
My Tip: Molokai is more of an advanced diving area and not for beginners, as the water conditions can be extremely rough. It is advisable to take a "Current Diving" - course.
Have you ever been to these dive spots or do you want to know more about great dive spots in Hawaii? We would love to hear from you! :)
One Response
Simply super described!!! Thank you!!