Fire House

Great dive! Surf can’t be over 2 feet, as you have to climb over rocks and are in a pool where the surf comes in. Once you get past that point, it’s free sailing from there! Park at beach next to three tables, walk behind firehouse and you will see entry. Tourists are usually taking pictures on the rocks. You will need booties, tons of urchins and rocks from high waves in winter. Get over the surf and rocks, and head out until it looks okay to dive! Look for honu

Saw 4 sharks!!

I think this is the best dive site on the north shore! Like all north shore dives, only good in the summer or way-calm days other seasons. This site has a great description of the driving directions and parking in the Park lot south of the Fire House. Entry is just a little tricky over the lava rocks. There is a distinct trail that goes from the north end of the parking lot, hugging the Fire House fence around the Banzai trees. You then drop down into a sandy area and can enter through a protected cove about 50 yards from the edge of the rocks . . . the cove opens to the south. You can also walk out to the edge of the lava rock and giant-stride in, but can't get out there. Exit though the small cove is a little bumpy if there is any swell but not too bad. Would be impossible with anything above 3-4 foot swells. Others have described the 'Cathedral' cave, so I will only say it is way cool! You can spend the entire dive exploring under it if you want. We also went out from there on about 270, weaving around through the collapsed lava tubes out to a wall that drops to about 45 feet. Lots of large reef fish, a turtle cleaning station, free-swimming morays, and octopus hiding in holes on the bottom. Will be back there many times to explore!

Firehouse is one of three sites most commonly dived by locals in the summer time on Oahu's North Shore. It begins with a bouldery topography (watch for nudibranchs), then gives way to lava tubes (to the left) or a long ridge (to the right, in front of the Firehouse). Following the ridge, you end up in 78-80 feet, depending on the tide [be aware of current, which can get quite strong]. I've seen stingrays here periodically for years. The ridge is home to eels and, occasionally, turtles (honu). To the left is a great feature we call the Skylight. There is also a wall ~25 feet tall with an inland sand channel. This site takes many, many dives to adequately explore. When you're tired of Shark's Cove, check it out!

One of my favorites on the island. From the entry, which is similar to the neighboring Shark's Cove with some shallow rocks to navigate within a small cove to protect you from small surf, head out to the edge of the lava formation on the right then head to 265 degs about 200ft over smaller rocks and sand until you come across a wall, follow it to a large lava tube which is actually part of Three Tables. You can use Three Tables as an alternate entry and exit to reach the other way, but it takes longer to get to the cave. You can then follow the point around to another swim through which sometimes houses some turtles. I have seen small schools of various fish, sometimes eagle rays, and some eels, but the caves are the most interesting thing on this site also named Cathedrals by local divers. Visibility is good in the summer and there is little or no current from May to September. Winter diving here is not recommended aside from freakish calm days, some waves approach 20+ feet in the winter. Visibility is generally 30ft or better. The max depth is about 45 feet, you could go deeper but it's pretty much nothing much to see there. Also this site is generally less used by dive operations and tourists because of a longer walk from Shark's Cove parking and three tables. Facilities are generally located 300 feet away in neighboring Shark's Cove or there is a bathroom only a shorter distance on the other side of the firehouse-- follow the traditional drum music in the community center on the weekends.

The dive is really nice. I did this quite a bit this summer. The north shore is divable only really in the summer which makes this dive a pleasure. The full area is only explorable if you are good on air. Very easy entry: I enter behind the fire house and usually fin backwards until I see the Foodland sign and swim out along the reef!

This is by far my favorite shore dive on Oahu!!!! My wife loves it, we love it, when people visit, we make them LOVE IT. It has everything. Caves big and small, fish schools, one'sy two'sy, Tako (octopus), HUGE turtles like gamera. Very easy navigation, and variety of structure! When you swim out look to your right (if your back finning, left). When your about parallel with the church, this is the point to drop down. Look around and you should see a notch in the rocks. It looks tight but it opens up to a huge series of caves and swim throughs. We spent over an hour here on one night dive (because at night everything is different). Massive amount of cowries were stuck to the overhead here. Once you pop out the swim through, go straight keeping the wall to your left. There will be another small tighter cave slightly to your left. I hear there's lobster in there (wink-wink). About another 75 yds down is the sky light. Puffers hangout here in some of the crevices. You can either swim up through the light, or go farther down the wall. If you choose to continue down, you'll be rewarded by schools of big game fish! If you go through the sky light, you'll find a great valley to swim throughs. It brings you toward 3 tables. Once you round the valley, make for a heading of 055 and this will get you right back to the lagoon you entered from. If you choose to enter by going down the rocks, because it's shorter, be careful because you'll drop into a 3 ft deep hole that you have to pull yourself out of, and same when you return. If you go back by the lagoon you can also work this wall. At the end of the reef, way to the right, it drops to a great overhang with critters hiding everywhere. Great diving -- See ya out there!