Scuba Diving in Hawaii - Oahu

Scuba diving in Hawaii is a grand underwater adventure!  Whether you are venturing to take your first scuba dive in Oahu, looking to get your Hawaii Scuba Certification, or take advantage of some of the advanced scuba diving Hawaii has to offer, Oahu’s Northern, Southern, and Western ocean waters, are a colorful adventurous playgrounds, waiting to be explored.  

You’ll be treated to Oahu’s share of cascading reefs, well over 600 Hawaiian tropical fish species, winding lava tube caves, and sunken shipwreck dives.

The only areas that really lack good locations are Waikiki Scuba Diving sites, and the most of the Eastern shoreline of Oahu.

Scuba Diving in Hawaii offers hundreds of mapped destinations, with over 40 popular Oahu Scuba Diving sites ranging from 30ft to 70ft.  Oahu also has about a dozen select sites that measure depths over 100ft.

So the question quickly becomes, where is it best to go scuba diving in Oahu?  With so many choices, I say choose the best Oahu Dives and forget the rest…at least until another visit!

Best Spots for Scuba Diving in  Hawaii – Oahu

These top 6 amazing diving locations are not to be missed if you are planning to scuba dive in Oahu!

• Kahuna Canyon:  Rising walls from the ocean depths will be your stage as you start your decent into what is known as the underwater Hawaiian Grand Canyon…

• Mahi:  Ranks number 1 for the best ship wreck dive on Oahu Hawaii…

• Sea Cove:  Venturing to see some Hawaiian reef sharks?  Dive Oahu on the south shore, just before Hanauma Bay Hawaii…

• Corsair Plane:  Encounter an old World War 2 plane that dove into the Pacific Ocean in the Koko Head area close by the Sea Cove site and Hanauma Bay…

• Three Tables – Next door to the famous Sharks Cove, is probably one of the most popular North Shore scuba dive locations known as Three Tables.  Yes, there are 3 huge flat rocks that run out into the water, but it’s the drop off wall that you are seeking…

• Sharks Cove – this North Shore scuba dive location is a lava rock playground loaded with hundreds of beautiful fish…

Beginners and First Time Oahu Divers

 
Taking a trip below the tropical waters in Oahu Hawaii is a unique lifetime adventure that you will remember forever!  

I remember taking the plunge for the first time at age 14 in Hanauma Bay Oahu.  I was both excited and nervous at the same time, as I took my first breath in my breathing ventilator under the water.  After a couple of breaths, you realize that you have just entered a new world and the magic begins.  
If you are not a PADI licensed diver, but wish to experience a first class Oahu dive, then learn more about what is waiting for you, and your first scuba diving Hawaii adventure...

Open Water Diving Lessons and Hawaii Scuba Certification

So you are a little more serious about the sport, and wish to take a look into taking Open Water Diving lessons and becoming licensed with a Hawaii scuba certification.  It's a great learning experience, and well worth your time if you are interested.  

After taking my first-time recreational dive (also known as the test dive, for Open Water Diving) I was hooked and eager to go through the Oahu Hawaii scuba certification training.  Looking back, I'm glad I took the training and got my Open Water Diving license, which I still use today.  Read more to learn what you will need to go through the program, and tips you might want to consider...

Also Checkout

The Best Oahu snorkeling sites around the island…like Hanauma Bay...

If for some reason, you did not get your fill of tropical fish while scuba diving, or if you feel the need to see more, but would rather do so without the scuba gear, visit the colorful Waikiki Aquarium…

Return from Scuba Diving in Hawaii to Best of Oahu Homepage