Rainbow Reef

This site is ok, but probably the best thing about diving Ala Moana is its location. Being right in town, it's nice to do on a leisure. The bad side about diving is that almost anywhere from Sand Island to Diamond Head is the huge amount of boat traffic. Some boaters don't understand dive flags.

Rainbow Reef is an alternate name for Magic Island. This is the reef immediately offshore from the peninsula at the East end of Ala Moana Beach Park. That's the Westernmost edge of Waikiki, where the Ala Wai canal empties into the ocean. It's featured in "Gilligan's Island" as the spot where the SS Minnow sets out of Ala Wai Boat Harbor, in that comedy's opening titles. To dive here, park at the south-easternmost extremity of Ala Moana Beach Park. Gear up in the parking lot, but don't zip up your wetsuit yet, because you've got a long walk over a hot asphalt walk ahead of you. Walk along the Easternmost edge of the peninsula, to a tiny pocket-beach next to the lagoon at the end of the peninsula. Walk down the sea-wall and into the water here. Walk Eastward and drop into the boat channel. For obvious reasons, stay close to the wall as you swim southward along the boat channel. About 15 minutes later, you'll be in 30'/10m of water. In this general area, move West over the top of the wall, away from the boat channel. You'll find a series of wide coral valleys. 4 turtles make their homes here. It's a good place to find the coveted checkered cowry, one of the rarest cowry shells in Hawaii. When you've got about 1.3 your air left, surface briefly, orient yourself toward that pocket beach, and return the way you came. Wear thick-soled booties, because sharp corals and urchins abound. Lousy night dive-- it's easy to get turned around, and visibility can drop off quickly if the silt is stirred up near the boat channel. In rainy conditions, the first 3' on top will look muddy but underneath, the water will be clear. The effect is like flying through a huge, low-ceilinged room.