The island of Oahu is the most famous and most populous of the Hawaiian archipelago. With its world-famous beach and popular surfers’ waves, Oahu is much less known for diving. And yet, the island of Oahu alone deserves a diving trip.
Honolulu is the capital of the archipelago, and the evocation of this name inspires our vacations, the sweetness of life, and floral shirts. Because Oahu is not just a simple cliché, it is truly a place of relaxation where life is good. The contrast between the buildings and the lush nature is surprising. The cosmopolitan American atmosphere mixes with the sweetness of Hawaiian living.
Besides its beautiful beaches and coconut palms, Oahu is also infamous for the Pearl Harbor Memorial. It was a few kilometers from the capital that one of the most famous battles in the Pacific took place. We strongly recommend that you visit it during your diving trip to Oahu.
If Oahu is not famous for diving, it offers a great diversity of sites, with beautiful volcanic architecture, wrecks, and very dense fauna. Some species are endemic, and we can see turtles both on beaches and underwater.
To complete your diving vacation in Oahu, discover the other islands of the archipelago, also nature sanctuaries. You will discover a great diversity of landscapes, majestic volcanoes, and many sites protected in national parks or UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Diving around Oahu
The island of Oahu offers over 36 accessible dive sites from the shore, and more offshore. The peculiarity of Oahu is the wrecks, some of which date from the last war, sometimes sunk to serve as an artificial reef. Diving is quite easy, and it is accessible to everyone. Visibility is very often excellent. The underwater architecture, sculpted by volcanic activity, offers beautiful atmospheres.
Oahu dive sites
Divers who do not want to experience wrecks will be spoiled for choice in terms of dive sites.
Turtle Canyon is Hawaii’s turtle site, a quiet spot where you can see over 20 turtles in one dive. Wildlife is very dense there, and visibility is often excellent. This area is exceptionally large and requires at least 2 dives.
Koko Craters is an impressive site, it is a series of small underwater craters and a turtle cleaning station. You can also see dolphins, humpback whales, and monk seals!
Angler Reef is the place where you will see the most eagle rays, octopus, and frogfish.
Hawaii Loa Ridge is one more dive site of Oahu.When visibility is good, the place is amazing. It is a series of large craters that are home to an impressive amount of wildlife.
Spitting Caves is a site with beautiful underwater architecture, it is a drift dive reserved for experienced divers. White-tip sharks, monk seals, and turtles are present, they rest in the caves. Seals being curious, it is not uncommon for them to follow divers. Tiger sharks have also been spotted on this site, where there are 5 caves to explore! Whales are frequent between November and March.
Dive on the wrecks of Oahu, in the Hawaiian archipelago
Although the island of Oahu immediately recalls the Battle of Pearl Harbor, many of the ships and planes that perished in December 1941 are prohibited or too deep to explore. The waters of Oahu are home to a dozen interesting wrecks. They are colonized by a myriad of tropical fish, but also sometimes by tiger sharks or hammerhead sharks, Hawaiian turtles, and monk seals. Visibility is excellent.
Be careful to get inside some wrecks, you will need to have PADI Wreck Diving training.
Just a few minutes from Waikiki Beach, you will dive on Oahu’s most beautiful wrecks.
The Yo-257 is a superb wreck at the foot of the Diamond Volcano, awfully close to Waikiki Beach. It is best to dive there in the morning when the visibility is the best because in the afternoon there is a lot of currents.