Kauai Hawaii Scuba Diving Guide

By jsweeney

Jul

8

There was a time when you probably thought scuba diving was exclusively, truth is nothing else gets you as close to marine life and the aquatic underworld as scuba diving.

Kauai-Map

Across the globe, there are several notable locations for scuba diving, one of which is Kauai- the oldest and one of the most fascinating Islands in Hawaii. In fact, there are only a few places on earth that can match the majestic beauty and splendour that Kauai is known for. No wonder it is called the Garden Isle. The good thing is, this beauty is evident on land, atop the magnificent hills, at the beach and deep within the oceans and lakes. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, here are the basics.

 

Many have had the opportunity to snorkel, but they find they long to stay and spend more time in the environment with the local wildlife. If you intend to go out on the ocean and take a dive in, Kauai presents a beautiful option as one of the most rugged scuba diving destinations in Hawaii and even beyond for both novice and experienced divers.

Why Kauai?

Kauai, with its neighbour Niihau, are a great scuba diving spot for many reasons. We can talk about their extraordinary underwater topography, crystal-clear visibility and amazing aquatic species that you’re likely to spot. If you do gain access to the privately owned ‘Forbidden Island’ Niihau, just 17 miles (27 km) from the coast of Kauai, you’re sure to find endangered species like the Hawaiian monk seal frolicking playfully in their protected habitat.

Monk seal and diver

Advanced divers can enjoy the more adventurous day trips between May and September each year. But if it’s your first time or you’re still learning the ropes, Kauai’s southern shores offer a great opportunity to explore the deep. The underwater terrain in Kauai is unique, with breathtaking sights like caverns and incredible lava tube formations, volcanic ridges, and other mind blowing terrains where you’ll typically find white-tip sharks, rainbow tropical fish and sea turtles. The longnose hawkfish and Hawaiian Turkeyfish are some of the micro critters that abound here too.

Author: Nick Azedeh explore kauai scuba

Favourite spots for amazing scuba diving

  • Sheraton Caverns: This takes top spot for me for the simple fact that it is the most requested dive site in Kauai. With depths reaching 60 feet at some spots and little current, if any, this is a dive spot for divers of all experience levels. The site is off Poipu beach and diving from a boat is the most likely option for you. You’re sure to spot a sight of green sea turtles and blue-stripe snappers as you swim through the exotic, sunlit caverns.

 

  • Vertical Awareness: If you’ve never spotted a Hawaiian monk seal, taking a dive at the Vertical Awareness may just be your best chance. There are just over 1,000 of these rare mammals left on earth and many them are found here. The impressive clarity and jaw-dropping underwater landscape, coupled with sheer drop-offs are some of the highlights of this adventure. Giant trevally, Sandbar sharks and rock-boring urchins are other sights you won’t miss.

 

  • Turtle Bluffs-Fish Bowl-General Store: There is an order to this last spot on our list and it is due to prevailing currents. Sometimes, the reverse is the case. These three are done as a drift dive and you’re sure to be rewarded with sights of caves and overhangs, as well as lots of fish, with some sharks, turtles and black coral trees in your way or gliding through.

 

Some Scuba Diving Services in Kauai

Seasport Divers offers great trips to beautiful locations in Kauai, including the forbidden Island of Niihau.

 

Kauai Down Under Scuba is popular among expert divers and first time adventurers as well.

 

Bubbles Below Scuba Charters offers amazing scuba diving services across the three major areas of Kauai, Niihau, and Na Pali.

 

Garden Isle Divers are big on paying detailed attention to each driver and like to travel with small teams of divers. They are also crazy about fun and adventure.

 

Explore Kauai Scuba, LLC is another which promises the time of a lifetime, 6 divers (or less) at a time.

6 Christmas Gift Ideas for the Scuba Diver in your life

By jsweeney

Nov

26

kristinkirk

If you have a close relationship with a diver, finding the right gift for your them can be as hard as finding a ghost shark, there’s so much to choose from.

 

Here are 6 gifts that are sure to make your diver’s heart sink.

Specialty Courses

Diving takes a brave soul and it certainly takes sharp skills to go under water. Keep your diving companion sharp by treating them to a specialty course is one of the most enriching things you can do. Specialty courses include but are not limited to, navigation, stress and rescue, deep diving, night and limited visibility and beyond. Most areas offer some sort of diving courses so research what’s available in your area.

Underwater Photography

There are plenty of choices, but depending on the divers experience and your budget, choosing a camera will take research. One good underwater shot can really complete a diver’s career, so a good camera will go a long way. Underwater cameras and lenses range in size and size is important when diving down in the water. The Underwater Photography Guide is a resourceful website in guiding shoppers.

Dive with the Great Whites

If you’re diver is braver than most and takes Shark Week very seriously, than an experience gift certificate to dive with the Great White sharks may be the catch of the day. This experience gift makes for a great birthday gift and will certainly be an odyssey they will remember forever. Diving with sharks is not an easy fete but the divers out there who have a passion for this prehistoric and powerful shark will have an experience of a lifetime.

Solar Powered Charger

With long hours spent away from shore, the avid diver still needs some way to communicate with family and friends or to post on their blog if they have one.  A solar powered charger can provide a failsafe way for all of the devices that the diver needs to be charged up and ready for use when they are needed.  Find out how to choose the best solar powered charger here.

Go Pro Underwater Camera

This is one of the most sought after items that a diver wants to get his hands on.  This is a way for a diver to communicate his experience to another person who does not dive.  A Go Pro offers the opportunity to share footage of a dive.  If you have a diver in your life that does not have a Go Pro you should try to understand the intricacies of this equipment so that you can make an informed choice if you decide to purchase a Go Pro.

H20 Odyssey Go Bag

This is a waterproof case that keeps all of the diver’s items dry.  These bags are available in several sizes and will protect items on a dive of up to 100 feet below the surface.  This is the perfect way to protect a smartphone or other electronic device, especially if they are going to take it along with them on a dive.
Conclusion

Don’t dive into the latest fads and trends for the ideal gift—especially if you’re shopping for someone who prefers to spend time underwater.  Just hold your breath, think, and then let this guide help you.

 

Kristin Kirk

Why I love diving at Mabul Island

By jsweeney

May

19

Diving at Mabul Island

Mabul Island is a beautiful paradise off the sandy coast of Sabah state, Malaysia. Since 1970 the natives have been engaging in subsistence fishing, but during the mid nineties divers started using it as a vintage point to visiting the nearby Sipadan region. They also discovered Mabul to have clean, calm beaches that are suitable for diving. As a 27 yr old career man, I enjoy coming here every holiday season to play in the revitalizing waters, it makes me feel relaxed, peaceful and in control of my life.
Mabul Island

There are also interesting sea creatures that roam the seas for you to see, I always find it interesting to swim alongside camouflaged frogfish, harlequins and massive schools of salt-water fish. The island is free for deep-sea diving throughout the year. Nevertheless, for great underwater visibility I recommend visitors to come in the dry period which lasts from the month of March to October.

Diving expeditions

The reef area borders a natural continental shelf and has a deep seabed which goes down 28m deep. Moreover, there are numerous dive resorts which operate within the beach area for visitors to take advantage of. During my first diving experience I was able to see various sea creatures for the first time, some of these are bobtail squids, colorful cuttlefish and the rare mimic octopus. Mabul’s reef is a natural ecosystem for diverse breeds of cephalopods. Sea gobies can also be found in these waters with the most popular ones being metallic shrimp, spike-fin and gray sail-fin goby. Most of these creatures are docile and rarely attack divers. However, I still recommend that you should wear a sturdy swim suit when exploring the ocean. Diving in Malaysia is an experience worth trying.

Apart from the usual resorts, there are also backpacker accommodations and home-stays that may arrange cheap diving expeditions on your behalf. The lodging firms may also arrange for special day tours to the adjacent isles. Nonetheless, diving is excellent around Mabul and there’s little reason to go elsewhere for the same services. Divers’ safety from predatory sea creatures is also guaranteed by the Panglima barrier wall.

The Paradise

I really like the Paradise Diving sites which are also popular amongst international tourists; they always have something new for people to enjoy. These spots are covered in pristine coral forests that teem with goldfish, whiptail and sparkled-mask rays. The second of these sites is popular for its Staghorn coral system, which houses the elusive but conspicuous mandarin fish.

Froggie’s Place

This marvelous diving spot features a sloping reef that’s about 14m deep, it offer a sweet diving experience that often brings me back every year. It even gets better where the barrier reef comes to contact with the sand, a marine convergence spot with an irresistible collection of fish and crustaceans. This site got its name from the massive array of frogfish that can be found along the sinuous slopes, the waters are so warm and relaxing that most divers dip in at least thrice in a day. Mabul is a true paradise for muck-divers who love spending time next to the beautiful soft corals.

 

About our new author:

Grace Sumrall is an avid diver from Australia who loves exploring the open ocean. She loves to read and share diving experiences with her fellow divers.

Meet and chat with Scott Cassell diving Guru – By Chris Derrer

By jsweeney

Nov

17

Having been lucky enough to be invited along to speak to one of my modern day heroes, the reality of meeting Scott Cassell was in fact better than I could have imagined. For those who don’t know who Scott is, he is one of the world’s most influential marine conservationists, an oceanographer, a combat dive instructor and a man who has worked with some of the biggest underwater exploratory companies in the world… he’s also a charming and very friendly guy who loves what he does.

Scott recently did a 30 mile dive to try and raise awareness about the decreasing standard of our oceans and to study the shark population while he did so. He is now in the process of doing 3 back to back 30 mile dives where he will not only draw the worlds attention to the sorry state of the seas but where he can carry out a more in depth study of underwater life.

Throughout the interview below, we discussed attacks by giant squid, swimming with sharks, his all important equipment (including his new partnership with Luminox watches) and about his adventures with Sea Wolves Unlimited and the Undersea Voyager Project which he instrumental in. Scott regaled me with stories about hunting undersea poachers, being run over by a boat and generally what it is like to have the ocean as your office.

Watch the full video interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0WMYZQNSw

Scuba diving had always been on my secret bucket list

By jsweeney

Jul

13

Scuba diving had always been on my secret bucket list. Not even my best friends knew it was something I was interested in. I also knew if I ever had the opportunity to learn, I would have to start out in the shallow end and with plenty of adult supervision!

So when my older sister surprised me for my 50th birthday with 2 ticket to Hawaii, I knew I was going to finally learn how to scuba dive.

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Doing a quick internet search of ‘Scuba Diving Tours Oahu,’ eventually led me to HOP Tours where I booked their  Scuba Diving Beginner course  class mainly because they picked me up from my hotel.

There are a number of scuba diving tours available, but it was important for me to start out in shallow water and to become familiarised with the equipment.

When I first called HOP tours they immediately made me feel  confident that I had made the correct choice. The staff encouraged and assured me the introductory scuba diving class was perfect for a first time diver like me. This has just made all of my trepidation and uncertainty go away and just made me really want to start straight away.

Before I left for Hawaii, I read Scuba Diving-For-Dummies, which was surprisingly informative. I wanted to know some of the key words and terminology before I took my first class, and the information did prove helpful for my introductory class. Although there were quite a few people who had not done any pre-reading and they seemed to do just as well, the instructors made this really easy to understand.

My First Dive

HOP Tours arrived at 8 am in front of my hotel, and after making a brief stop at the HOP Tours office where we picked up our instructor, we were off to our dive site at Makai Pier Point.

The drive is quite lovely, especially as we rounded the point past Hanauma Bay and drove the curvy road along the water.  We passed dozens of gorgeous beaches, and I was surprised with how blue the water was near the shore (this provided a great opportunity to take a few snaps with my camera).

Diver with Sea Turtle

Once we arrived at the pier the instructor first assisted everyone with their diving equipment and explained in language we easily understood what everything did and how we would be using it. The instructor talked equally about both the practical and hypothetical situations we might find ourselves in once in the water.

He was very thorough, and made sure everyone completely understood their equipment which was exactly what I needed. As we only had an hour and a half, we moved through the material quickly, and I was glad I had done some initial reading and study. I felt like my studies combined with the dive site instruction was a very adequate introductory dive lesson.

The instructor also explained that we should not be concerned if we don’t remember everything as they will look after us. I felt so assured that the instructor was not only knowledgeable but had my welfare in hand and really cared about my dive experience.

snorkel-shop-300x2251

The instructor also explained that we should not be concerned if we don’t remember everything as they will look after us. I felt so assured that the instructor was not only knowledgeable but had my welfare in hand and really cared about my dive experience.

Additionally, our instructor highlighted diving safety and the ‘buddy system.’ I was paired with a friendly Japanese man named Kenji who had some previous diving experience and was a fairly confident diver. Each tank had about 30-40 minutes of air, which was enough to explore the reef and become comfortable with the tanks and breathing through a regulator. I was surprised with how brave and calm I became after only a few minutes in the water. While most people stayed close to the pier, Kenji and I swam to the far side of the reef.

We were rewarded by seeing a group of Turtles and schools of colourful fish. I really wish I had hired a camera for the dive as the coral and the wildlife cannot really be described adequately.

It seemed like we had only been in the water for seconds before it was time to surface, once back on the shore we got ourselves organised and soon loaded up and head back to the hotel.

Our instructor did a brief follow-up and showed us how to properly clean and return the dive gear. It was a great first dive that gave me a lot of confidence in my ability and some skills to pursue my diving certification at a later date.

 

Article submitted by Vic Dinovici a soon to be regular writer for Scub-Pro

Zeagle Stiletto BCD

By jsweeney

Jun

13

How do you know you have the right BCD (Buoyancy Compensation Device) ? And seriously
what could possibly be the difference between one or another you may ask. There
is very little about the BCD in general that many people find attractive or
enjoyable but more a necessity. I understand possibly better than most a BCD’s
function and the reasoning behind it; but the fact remains that the number 1
most disliked piece of gear in many divers kit is the BCD. It’s too restrictive
or clumsy, its too bulky or I just would like tit to have more function than
just holding my tank and helping me trim or float.

zeagle_stiletto

These days if your BCD is not bulky; then you feel like you are wearing body armour
underwater or they have so many unnecessary added features that you feel like a
walking Christmas Tree wearing one. The feature of “welds” in the air cell that
causes the unit to “wrap around” you simply gives the manufacturers a method of
adding more crud to the unit and keeps it comfortable. To avoid the cumbersome
feel and bulkiness of a jacket style BCD, you have the option of going with a
back inflation style BCD (my proffered option). Be careful when you go this
route; as you may find that many manufacturers concentrate more on lift than
function;  some BCD’s have enough lift to
raise the Titanic which equates directly with more fabric and more bulk.

zeagle_stiletto-2

To me, the perfect BCD would look like something that you could use easily out of
the water as in, the bladder would perform all that it needs to do (buy a lift
bag if you really want to raise objects other than yourself) it should also
come with just enough strap material to hold the tank on the back and keep it
against my back and connect your essential objects to streamline your dive but
have all that you really need (you really do not need 24 stainless steel D
rings ). Now, I have to admit my Zeagle Stiletto BCD doesn’t quite match that description,
but when compared to many of the units on the market today, it’s pretty darn
close.

zeagle_stiletto-3

It is a very simple, comfortable design that isn’t packed with a lot of needless
“features” and “frills” to make it overly cumbersome. It’s 35lb (16 KG) lift
capacity is still far greater than I need but the folks at Zeagle have figured
out how to make that bladder not quit as obtrusive as most. This for many
divers equates to a piece of gear that is completely functional for most diving
in most waters. I’ll be the first to admit that on warm water dives the padding at the back is quite
comfortable, and welcome, and the 5 stainless steel D-rings are tucked away in
just the right spots to secure an octopus, console/computer, small light or whatever
other trinket you may be taking along on your dive, but never seem to be in the
way or “dangle” excessively.

zeagle_stiletto-4

Zeagle’s integrated weight system is also equally as streamlined and simple. No bulky
pockets at each hip. The finishing touch on this BCD is the fact that it’s a
soft pack design. You can literally roll this thing up into a tiny little wad in your luggage/dive
bag jump up and down on it to compress some space (careful not to step on your
power inflator) and take it out when you reach your destination and it’s ready
to go diving. The bladder has a good pair of access ports for rinsing after
your dives and is overall a simple very functional piece of equipment for many
divers.
All the important information:
Integrated ipcord Weight System – 44 lb capacity (24 lbs Diver releasable – 20 lbs non-diver releasable trim weights for improved weight distribution and
balance)

35-lb (16-KG) lift capacity low profile bladder

Twin tank bands for single tanks included

1000 Denier Material

Two flap utility pockets

Adjustable Cummerbund

5 – stainless D-rings

Adjustable Sternum Strap

SIZES: XSmall through XLarge

So if you are looking for a light weight BCD that has all the features and
functions of a real heavy-weight contender this should be one of the first you
take for a test dive. Zeagle has a list of suppliers on their web page http://zeagle.com/Find-a-Dealer/

Christmas

By jsweeney

Dec

23

santa

 The writers and staff would like to take this to both thank all our readers and authors also to wish all a safe and happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

santa-scuba

All the best,

Justin

Editor Scuba-Pro

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-11-21

By jsweeney

Nov

21

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I’ve donated my face to #Movem…

By jsweeney

Nov

19

I’ve donated my face to #Movember Please give so it may grow: http://au.movember.com/donate/your-details/member_id/563410/

Ever wondered how a Scuba tank is made

By jsweeney

Oct

30

Well I can tell you it’s not as simple as you may think but also with the availability of technologies that had been designed for past military use it is becoming easier and the tanks are getting lighter and smaller with larger capacity.
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Diving with a cold!

By jsweeney

Aug

13

Winter Diving

I never dive with a “ cold “ or even the symptoms ! That’s a comment  you hear a lot, but it is interesting to know that 90 % of Barotrauma injuries are caused by the inability to equalise,  due to the onset of a cold or even just the symptoms.

ear-canal
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caribbean scuba diving holidays – eels

By jsweeney

Mar

31

caribbean scuba diving holidays in caribbean, Grenada with http://www.fabsafaris.co.uk where we saw these eels on our padi diving course.

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La Jolla night diving

By jsweeney

Mar

31

If this video loads I will be amazed!

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Shark Dive with Tiger Shark Feed

By jsweeney

Mar

31

Shark Dive – including a big momma Tiger Shark

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Scuba Diving The Wreck of The Trio Bravo by The ScubaGuys

By jsweeney

Mar

31

Scuba diving the wreck of The Trio Bravo off Florida’s Ft. Lauderdale coast. Featured divers are Scotty Wernette and Scotty Lang. Wreck lies in ~160fsw.

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sCuba Cuba Diving

By jsweeney

Mar

28

Cuba diving holiday …

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Bonaire – Tarpon at night

By jsweeney

Mar

28

While night diving these tarpon used our dive lights to hunt. By the time I recorded all of this it seemed like the tarpon were full and more interested in just following terrified fish around. …

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Citizen promaster JP2000 JP2004 dive computer watch revie…

By jsweeney

Mar

28

Citizen promaster JP2000 JP2004 dive computer watch reviews …

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Shark Diving in Roatan Part 1

By jsweeney

Mar

28

This is video of my shark dive experiance in Roatan, Honduras this past Feb. 07 . The footage seen is mine and small inserts from the purchased dive center video of this dive. (You will recognize that video as it is deep blue – mine is the grainer footage.) Please note there are TWO (2) parts to this video – YOu gotta see Part two, it has some unexpected footage of a well… you'll see! Just let me say, watch the black 2 foot grouper to the right of the chum bucket!!! I really hope you enjoy …

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Scuba Diver Girls Day in the Kelp!

By jsweeney

Mar

28

http://www.scubadivergirls.com Scuba Diver Girls Shannon, Vanessa, Margo and Stephanie go play around in the kelp! We found our lobster friends and Steph finds a five pound weight! All in all, another fun adventure with the girls! …

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Are colors important in choosing SCUBA or Snorkeling clothing?

By jsweeney

Mar

28

I've read that some SCUBA guys call anything yellow (i.e. fins, rashguard, etc) "yum yum" yellow because of the possible attention it gets from sharks, barracudas, etc. Is this true? But then again, I hear black is not so good either because seals are black. When choosing gear/clothing is color important? Any suggestions? Continued…

Should asthmatics avoid snorkelling and/or scuba diving?

By jsweeney

Mar

28

It depends on the state and severity of the asthma. I personally would recommend that you obtain advice from a combination of your regular treating practicioner and a qualified specialist diving doctor. I have known of cases of people who had been diagnosed Continued…

Any tips on passing Scuba Diving Certification Test?

By jsweeney

Mar

28

I've taken the Scuba Diving written test twice and can't pass. Any tips to help. I am terrible in math.

Math shouldn't be an issue if you made it past grade 6. As for tables, I believe they let you use an ERDP now on the exam ( I'm not in favor of that, but I don't make the rules).
Most of the questions on the exam are common sense or included in your manual, Continued…

Suunto D9 Watch with Transmitter (Spring 2009)

By jsweeney

Mar

28

Suunto D9 Watch with Transmitter (Spring 2009)

Suunto D9 Watch with Transmitter (Spring 2009) – Elastomer – in stock now. The D9 Watchby Suunto:Underwater a diver must monitor several gauges to receive the crucial information about the dive: depth, time, tank pressure, Continued…

Snap Sights Dive Daylight Reusable camera

By jsweeney

Mar

28

Snap Sights Dive Daylight Reusable camera

Reviewer: Angela W. , Tuesday, September 04, 2007 This is a great product. Worked really well. Wish it could be upgraded to be digital, however. Also – needs a flash and zoom. But for the price, it worked extremely well. Did this Review help? Yes No 186 out of 365 people found this review helpful.

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