Hawaii is the perfect vacation paradise for beach lovers and ocean lovers alike. All of the islands offer beautiful scenery both above and below sea level. If you ever had inkling to try scuba diving this is the place. There are hundreds of miles of barrier reef that have equally as many different species of sea life; there are craters and ship wrecks, as well as good old fashioned reefs. The water temperature is always perfect in Hawaii making it a great place to explore underwater.
Oahu is a great place for beginners to learn to scuba dive. There are a few different dive shops that offer same day certification at a competitive price. The best thing about these quickie one day certification courses is that you learn everything you need to know for the one day dive and then you are out in the ocean exploring at sea level in just a few short hours.
Oahu is the place to be for wreck diving. The fish aren’t as impressive as diving on a reef. However, I think that everyone should do a wreck dive at least once. It’s impressive to the power of the ocean to sink those huge heavy ships. It’s amazing to see how the fish adapt to this alien object in their natural habitat.
On the big island, Ka’awaloa Cove offers a great opportunity for scuba diving. The cove is located on the western side of Hawaii. The site is accessible only by boat, but there are several companies that operate tours daily. There are also several dive sites near Kona on the big island. They offer a wide variety of options from beginner dives to the more challenging dives, such as night dives. One popular night dive is around Kailua-Kona. The divers hold lights that attract plankton, which is the main food source for giant manta rays.
The plankton in turn, draw the rays. There are many tour companies offering such night time entertainment. Red Hill is another popular dive site near Kona. It has lava formations that are a breathtaking sight to say the least. The sun reflects light of the lava tubes, thus the name Red Hill. In the deeper water off the Kona coast there are over thirty dive areas accessible only by boat. One site not to be missed is an airplane wreck near Keahole Point.
The island of Maui offers it own spectacular dive sites. Molokini is a volcanic crater in the bottom of the pacific. It has steep ledges and walls that create an amazing site. This particular crater attracts such sea life as reef sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and a huge variety of tropical fish. This site should be on the top of your list when visiting Hawaii. For a tamer and less crowded taste of scuba diving in Maui, try Black Rock or Makena State park.
The crystal clear warm waters of Hawaii are a scuba divers paradise. You could literally stay in Hawaii for a year and not explore all of the amazing dive spots.