Doug P's Dive Log

Don't let the snorkeling fool you! I thought the snorkeling in the shallows kinda sucked...water was only several feet deep, virtually no coral, not a whole lot of sea life, etc. BUT if you get out past the buoys that are towards the Southside you enter another world. Almost immediately passed the buoys you get coral, deeper water, better vis and more life. Basically, the further out you head, the better it gets. I checked out the reef on the north side and found it to be spectacular once I got into water that was around 30-40FT deep. Out that far the vis was 50ft+, lots of fish, tons of healthy coral and even at depth I was warm enough with just a pair of boots and a 3mm vest. If you stay close to shore you will be disappointed, if you go out a ways you will likely have a fantastic dive. Note, in my review I gave 'solitude' a 5...this will seem absurd if you're a snorkeler, but I went diving on a hot Saturday and I was the only SCUBA diver in the water, and almost all of the snorkelers stay behind the buoys. Parking is good, but get there early. Shore entry is easy but you may want to take your gear down to shore and suit up there since it is a LONG walk. Also, you'll have to wait in line to buy an admission ticket ($7.50) and watch a short movie (they let you skip the movie if you're in their system and have been there within the year). On the beach, there's helpful volunteers, showers, bathrooms and a 'bus' that will take you to the top for a $1 (more if you have gear). Definitely a great shore dive to do in Oahu.