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Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Testy Test
Honolua Bay is a Marine Life Conservation District located on the north western end of Maui. No fishing of any kind is allowed here making for a sealife density and diversity that is second to none on the Valley Isle. Honolua Bay is surrounded by high rocky cliffs on both sides that shelter it from the wind and keep the water calm. An old cement boat ramp in the center of the beach divides the shoreline in two. As you sit on the beach you will be looking out across the Pailolo Channel at the eastern shores of the Island of Molokai.
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Blake
Mar 3, 2014, 12:00 AM
scuba
Snorkeled here a few years back - great site for something so close into shore. The resorts were fully built at that time (referencing earlier review) and didn't seem to have a negative impact on the reef life. Very few snorkelers. Best spots are a little farther north from the park in front of the Westin property before you get to the Honua Kai condos. There was an empty lot there too, which was nice and quiet and less people at the time. Great spot for beginners - will take my wife there for some of her first times on a reef next week.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Charlie Eng
Oct 7, 2009, 12:00 AM
scuba
Snorkeled here twice on different days, a slight current pushes you northward so do not go too far away from shore. Watched a dive class show up in a white unmarked van and 6 students and one instructor went the same time we did. They started their dive on the left on a sandy bottom at 30ft and we turned right to follow the better corals. Ran into a turtle around the area of the Westin's Hotel. Played with an octopus just 15ft over from the turtle. The colors of the corals are vibrant! Not a whole lot of fish life, just small stuff. I definitely would come back here for a night dive! Note the photo of the entry/exit is real old, it doesn't show the Westin Hotel at all.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
William Terrill
Oct 18, 2008, 12:00 AM
scuba
I snorkeled this in the afternoon and swells were a little pushy. Good coral and a fair amount of marine life. I spotted a small octopus in the open on a lava finger and watched him for a while.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Steve Porter
Nov 28, 2007, 12:00 AM
scuba
If your looking for this place…look for the Westin Resort…the building to the left is over the old runway. My wife and I went out for 15 minutes, but vis was crap because of surge. This is a pretty good dive otherwise, but the explosion of growth in Hawaii is really shrinking the beaches, and taking away from the whole exploring experience diving use to be.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Bill Stohler
Nov 6, 2007, 12:00 AM
scuba
Just a quick update. Adjacent to the beach park, there is now a towering hotel/timeshare (three towers), and the beach park has lost most of its solitude. Other than that, the world below remains largely unchanged. I will mention that this became my most common Maui dive site to spot the relatively rare hawksbill turtles (up to two on a dive). One day in the shallows, I found a dragonet fish. This fish is not found in the Hawaii reef fish ID books, and I suspect that it was an aquarium release.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Alan from Gentry
Dec 21, 2005, 12:00 AM
scuba
Did our checkout dives here before going to Lanai Cathedrals, etc. 21ft with depth gauge in the sand. Good sand channels to do basic skills. Understand this is a common area for OW dive training. Some fish and adequate reef. Would be a safe night dive. Had a south to north current flow the day we dove. Easy dive into current with drift back to beginning by end of dive. Look for a sand chute all the way up to the beach to exit the water from. Can get tossed onto the reef if not paying attention upon exit. Overall a good place for a checkout dive if you are staying north of Lahaina.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Bill Benton
Jun 6, 2005, 12:00 AM
scuba
Very nice place. Beware of the thorns around the trees if seeking shade. Good vis here.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Mark in CA
May 19, 2005, 12:00 AM
scuba
This is pretty classic Hawaii diving. We did it as a checkout dive upon arriving in Maui, in preparation for more serious diving with Ed Robinson...Molokini, Lanai Cathedrals, etc... We enjoyed it enough to go back later though as well for a couple of reasons. For one, it's very easy to park there, and the entry is quick and easy. Facilities are decent with bathroom and shower. Plus, we wanted some good classic fish photos and this is a VERY shallow dive (maybe 20' mostly) so the lighting was good for photography. All the basic fish and coral are there. Saw a nice little ray once, as well. Really nothing special in a way, just a good easy entry/exit with all the basic Hawaiian fish. Good spot to adjust your gear, figure out your weight, etc....
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Gary Harmon
Mar 27, 2005, 12:00 AM
scuba
This is an enjoyable place to snorkel, shore dive, or picnic. Lots of locals at this site having parties and weddings. Easy snorkel. We can always count on seeing eels here. This site is hidden by new construction. I just remember to turn opposite the Sugar Cane Train. Love2snorkel
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Bryan Heit
May 13, 2004, 12:00 AM
scuba
Great site for everyone. Lots of fish, the odd turtle, very extensive reef. Entry is a breeze unless there is surf. Only downside is there are a lot of other divers here.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Chuck Knauf
Jun 12, 2003, 12:00 AM
scuba
Did this dive as a solo dive while wife was reading on the beach on 23 Mar 03. Had GREAT conditions - no surf and very little current. Entry and exit were about as easy as it gets. First time I used my GPS receiver to locate a dive site. Really appreciate the coordinates on the website! Had a good time just touring the reef. Lots of Mu Fish, Humuhumu, Trumpet fish, Arc-Eyed Hawkish, Yellowtail Coris, Wrasse and other reef fish. Spotted a 4' Whitemouth Moray Eel just below some snorkelers at about 12 ft. Had a blast pointing him out to the snorkelers. My dive graph looks like a yo-yo because I went up to grab their cameras and go back down to photograph it for 5 or 6 of them. Had a Discover Scuba class swim through and the dive leader was kind enough to hang back and let me get the photos before he brought the class in for their photos. After surfacing I was thanked by the class for finding the eel as it was the only one that they had seen on their dive. Was a nice relaxing and fun dive.
Chuck Knauf
Jun 12, 2003, 12:00 AM
scuba
Did this dive as a solo dive while wife was reading on the beach on 23 Mar 03. Had GREAT conditions - no surf and very little current. Entry and exit were about as easy as it gets. First time I used my GPS receiver to locate a dive site. Really appreciate the coordinates on the website! Had a good time just touring the reef. Lots of Mu Fish, Humuhumu, Trumpet fish, Arc-Eyed Hawkish, Yellowtail Coris, Wrasse and other reef fish. Spotted a 4' Whitemouth Moray Eel just below some snorkelers at about 12 ft. Had a blast pointing him out to the snorkelers. My dive graph looks like a yo-yo because I went up to grab their cameras and go back down to photograph it for 5 or 6 of them. Had a Discover Scuba class swim through and the dive leader was kind enough to hang back and let me get the photos before he brought the class in for their photos. After surfacing I was thanked by the class for finding the eel as it was the only one that they had seen on their dive. Was a nice relaxing and fun dive.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Rob
May 27, 2003, 12:00 AM
scuba
Always seems to be a nice dive no matter what. Just dove there 2 days ago. Enter and kick North, then drift back with the current and light kicking. With years of diving in Hawaii, I finally got caught without a dive flag by the DNR law enforcement guys, they let me off with a warning since I'm from "out of town". Showers are great, parking is shady, but on the weekends sometimes groups can rent the picnic area and that plugs up the parking....
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Al Mialkovsky
May 18, 2003, 12:00 AM
scuba
A large swell died down about a week ago but all the southern shore dives are still very murky. We were very surprised to see the fantastic visibility that exists here right now. At 40 feet the vis is 50-60 feet and when we went out past 70 feet the vis was close to 100 feet. The first reef has tons of life with some healthy turtles and tons of eels. We took some fantastic photos of all the creatures.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Stephen Scott
Dec 18, 2002, 12:00 AM
scuba
A nice easy dive. Easy access for beginners. Nice free parking and showers. Great beach as well.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Don Giordano
Apr 9, 2002, 12:00 AM
scuba
This dive site has something for everyone. I did this dive with a dive scooter and later freediving. With the scooters we cruised over the top of the coral and swooped down into the sand patches in between. It was a great experience. The coral is very bright green/yellow. There are lots of turtles here. The days I dove the site they were in the deeper waters near the edges of the coral. If they're not moving they blend so well with the coral you may not see them. If you're snorkeling, stay on the surface, move slowly and keep look carefully. Freediving is good in as little as 10 to 15 feet of water. The outer reef is in about 30 to 40 feet. The entry is from a sand beach. There are nice showers and plenty of parking. If you only have a few days for beach diving this is one of the sites you should dive.
Originally posted on shorediving.com
Bill Stohler
Mar 30, 2002, 12:00 AM
scuba
"Old Airport" is a great dive, when the surf is down and the current isn't very strong (the current can be very strong here). The diversity of marine life (magnificent snake eels, manta rays, eagle rays, etc.) and the health of the reef make this a great dive. There is a "bicolor anthias' reef around 70 feet to the north of the entry. Very popular with divers, tourist groups, etc. Great white sandy beach, picnic tables, showers, restrooms, grassy area. Adequate parking.
Originally posted on shorediving.com