Smoot's Dive Log

Decided on this site after reading other's reviews. I am a beginner diver and have only dived Electric Beach on Oahu before this one. Found the spot very easily with the help of my trusty Google Maps. There were lots of people there (it was a Saturday afternoon) but parking was easy to find. The walk out to the shore is not very far but depends on where you park. Our walk out was about 40-50 feet. We checked in with a lifeguard, who gave us a lot of good information. If you dive here, make sure to have a dive flag. According to the lifeguard, people do occasionally get busted for not having one. (If you don't have a flag, you can rent one from the fishing supply shop near the 7-11 a few miles before the beach park.) Enter near the middle of the stretch of beach because the water is the calmest there. Swim out to the buoy (it's small, so note its location before you head out). The buoy marks a depth drop-off. Head right, keeping the reef on your right side. If you continue that path, you should get to the Caverns, but we didn't make it that far. We did, however, make it to the turtle cleaning station, a mushroom shaped rock not too far away from the buoy. We saw a turtle there, as well as huge schools of fish and enormous heads of coral. The reef looked pristine, which is a rare sight in Oahu waters. The vis was terrible near shore because of the current, but the water cleared dramatically near the buoy. According to the lifeguard, the best time to go is when there is a low tide in the morning. If you are a weak swimmer (like me) be careful not to go too close to the right side of the beach where it comes to a 'point' because the current there pulls you out in a north-west direction. Clean up was super easy. There are showers and a hose across the street near the restrooms. Overall, I was stoked about the condition of the reef and all the critters there. The landscape underwater is quite beautiful. It was a pretty painless shore dive. Next time, I will remember to bring cash to buy some pastele stew and other goodies that were for sale on the side of the road to the dive spot.