- Open Water course
- $525
Updated July 2026
Good to know
Good to Know
- Oahu is a day-boat and shore-diving destination, not a liveaboard one — you don't need to book a liveaboard here, and none of the well-known sites require one.
- If you want true shore diving without a boat, Electric Beach (west side) and the North Shore's Pupukea sites (Shark's Cove, Three Tables, Turtle Carwash, Waimea Wall) are the main options — but the North Shore sites are essentially a summer-only proposition due to big winter surf.
- The famous Waikiki wrecks (YO-257, San Pedro, Sea Tiger) are only a short 10-20 minute boat ride from Kewalo Basin Harbor, making a two-tank morning trip easy to combine with an afternoon of sightseeing.
- Visibility is generally better in the morning before afternoon trade winds pick up, so early charters tend to have calmer, clearer conditions.
- Some sites (like Baboon's Nose off Hanauma Bay, or the Nashua Navy Tug which is an active Navy training site) are only diveable a few days a month or a few days a week due to conditions or restricted access — don't assume every listed site is available on demand.
- Ask upfront whether a shop's default 'Open Water' price is SSI or PADI — several Oahu shops default to SSI and charge extra for a PADI card plus PADI's separate digital-learning fee, which can add well over $100 to the advertised price.
- Open water certification here typically involves real boat dives on wrecks/reefs (not just a confined pool), so factor in transportation to the harbor and possibly choppy small-boat conditions.
- If you already started a course elsewhere, look specifically for 'referral' courses — several Oahu shops specialize in finishing open-water dives for divers who did classroom/pool work back home.
- If freediving interests you specifically, it's worth booking with a dedicated freediving school rather than assuming your scuba shop offers it — only some do.
Dive Sites And Conditions
- Seasonality Summary
- Summer (roughly May-September) is the calmest, most reliable window island-wide and is the only season the North Shore shore sites are realistically safe to dive. Winter (November-April) brings larger swells, especially to the north and northwest shores, which can restrict or close North Shore shore diving entirely, but south-shore Waikiki wrecks and boat sites generally remain diveable year-round with short boat rides. Winter is also humpback whale season, and divers on south and southeast shore sites occasionally hear whale song underwater.
- Overall Access Summary
- Oahu diving is genuinely day-boat and shore-accessible island-wide — this is NOT a liveaboard destination. Most of the famous wrecks sit just off Waikiki and are reached by a short boat ride, and a smaller set of sites (Electric Beach on the west side, and the North Shore's Pupukea sites) are true shore dives with no boat involved at all.
- Certification Notes
- Open Water certification covers most of the standard boat wreck and reef dives (most Waikiki wrecks sit in the 70-110 ft range). Wreck penetration into overhead sections of the Sea Tiger, YO-257, and similar wrecks generally requires an Advanced or Wreck Diving specialty certification. Some of the deeper/cave sites (Sea Tiger, Corsair, Pele's Caves, Makaha Caverns) are best suited to advanced divers.
Regions
South Shore / Waikiki (Kewalo Basin Harbor)
- Access Notes
- The main hub of Oahu diving. Boats leave from Kewalo Basin Harbor, and the marquee wrecks are a very short ride out.
Sites
YO-257
- Type
- wreck (purpose-sunk artificial reef)
- Depth
- resting upright at ~97 ft, max dive depth around 85 ft
- Access
- day-boat, roughly a 10-minute ride from Kewalo Basin
- Best Season
- diveable year-round; calmest in summer
- Marine Life
- Divers can swim through the whole stern, which is filled with blue octocoral, and a resident large turtle typically rests inside; eagle rays are also regularly spotted in schools of three or more, along with endemic milletseed butterflyfish on the top deck.
San Pedro
- Type
- wreck (purpose-sunk artificial reef)
- Depth
- ~90-100 ft
- Access
- day-boat; sits only about 100 ft from the YO-257, often dived on the same tank
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- The deck of the San Pedro has become a turtle cleaning station, and divers also see eagle rays, whitetip reef sharks, nudibranchs, and octopi here.
Sea Tiger
- Type
- wreck
- Depth
- 80-120 ft depending on source (deepest recreational wreck on the island)
- Access
- day-boat from Kewalo Basin
- Best Season
- year-round, though currents can add challenge
- Marine Life
- A former Chinese trading vessel, it has become home to eagle rays, sea turtles, moray eels, and whitetip sharks, with multiple swim-throughs and cargo-hold penetration for trained divers.
The Corsair (WWII Fighter Plane Wreck)
- Type
- wreck (the only non-purpose-sunk wreck on Oahu)
- Depth
- ~105-110 ft
- Access
- day-boat, Maunalua Bay off the southeast coast
- Best Season
- year-round; can be prone to strong currents
- Marine Life
- The plane rests with one wing exposed and the other buried in sand; divers often see eagle rays, slipper lobsters, nudibranchs, and octopuses in the wreckage, and a colony of Hawaiian garden eels lives in the surrounding sand nearby.
Baby Barge
- Type
- wreck
- Depth
- max ~85 ft
- Access
- day-boat
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- Home to large sea turtles and many reef fish species, with a nearby small cave frequented by whitetip reef sharks; the structure has begun caving in and is no longer suitable for penetration.
Kahala Barge
- Type
- wreck
- Depth
- top deck ~75-80 ft, sits in ~95 ft of water
- Access
- day-boat
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- A large split in the midsection allows penetration for experienced divers, who can find large schools of fish sheltering inside.
Nashua Navy Tug
- Type
- wreck (purpose-sunk 2012)
- Depth
- not specified in detail, similar range to nearby wrecks
- Access
- day-boat, but only divable a few days a week since it is an active U.S. Navy training ground
- Best Season
- year-round, subject to Navy training schedule
- Marine Life
- Eels, turtles, and schools of reef sharks are commonly spotted here.
Ewa Pinnacles
- Type
- reef / volcanic pinnacle
- Depth
- not specified
- Access
- day-boat, farther offshore than the Waikiki-area wrecks
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- Volcanic rock formations and overhangs where puffers, octopuses, and schools of fish like to hide.
Horseshoe Reef
- Type
- reef
- Depth
- shallow
- Access
- day-boat, south shore near Waikiki
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- Several species of eels, pincushion starfish, and antler coral; often paired with the nearby Kewalo Pipe, a coral-encrusted drainage pipe where spotted eagle rays are sometimes seen.
Fantasy Reef
- Type
- reef, also a popular night dive and drift dive
- Depth
- 40-50 ft
- Access
- day-boat
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- Caves, overhangs and swim-throughs are common here, with reef sharks, turtles, eels, octopi, and occasional Hawaiian monk seal visits.
Turtle Canyons
- Type
- reef, doable as an easy moored dive or a drift dive
- Depth
- shallow (long bottom-time site)
- Access
- day-boat
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- Eels, octopuses, turtles, and lots of reef fish.
Keanu's Reef
- Type
- reef, often dived as a drift dive
- Depth
- 65-85 ft
- Access
- day-boat
- Best Season
- winter is notable for sleeping whitetip reef sharks under the ledges
- Marine Life
- A series of cracks and small ledges home to several eel species, schooling reef fish, crabs, lobster, and puffer fish.
Angler's Reef
- Type
- reef ridge running parallel to shore for over a mile
- Depth
- shallow
- Access
- day-boat
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- Good beginner or drift dive site with a diversity of marine life along the ridge.
Southeast Oahu / Portlock & Hanauma Bay area
- Access Notes
- Boat-only or highly condition-dependent; not reliable shore access for most of these.
Sites
China Walls
- Type
- wall / drift dive
- Depth
- not specified in detail
- Access
- day-boat, southeast/drift-dive point of Oahu
- Best Season
- condition-dependent year-round
- Marine Life
- Monk seals are commonly seen here, one of the most reliable spots on the island for them.
Spitting Caves
- Type
- drift dive / sea cave, on Portlock Wall
- Depth
- 55-70 ft
- Access
- day-boat; access depends heavily on ocean conditions
- Best Season
- winter adds the bonus of hearing whale song echo off the walls
- Marine Life
- A great place for a chance encounter with the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, plus whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, large eels, frogfish, and turtles.
Baboon's Nose
- Type
- reef, outside edge of Hanauma Bay
- Depth
- ~90 ft
- Access
- boat-only, and only diveable once or twice a month since conditions must be ideal to reach it
- Best Season
- narrow weather window year-round
- Marine Life
- Not detailed in available sources beyond general reef life.
Leeward / Waianae Coast (West Oahu)
- Access Notes
- A mix of genuine shore diving (Electric Beach) and day-boat sites reached by a longer drive (roughly 45 min-1 hr from Waikiki) to the west-side harbor/launch.
Sites
Electric Beach (Kahe Point)
- Type
- shore dive — lava rock cove with caverns and channels
- Depth
- shallow, 40-60 ft visibility reported
- Access
- genuine shore dive; park and walk in, no boat needed
- Best Season
- calmest and clearest during summer months
- Marine Life
- Named for the warm-water discharge from a nearby power plant that concentrates marine life; divers regularly see spinner dolphins, sea turtles, eagle rays, and abundant tropical reef fish.
Mahi
- Type
- wreck (former minesweeper/cable layer, sunk 1986)
- Depth
- sits at ~90-95 ft, deck around 60-80 ft
- Access
- day-boat off Waianae
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- One of the west coast's few wrecks; its bridge collapsed in a past hurricane, but it remains a top spot for schooling eagle rays alongside the Sea Tiger, plus abundant puffer fish and nudibranchs, and two resident whitetip reef sharks locally nicknamed "George and Martha."
Landing Craft Unit (LCU)
- Type
- wreck, resting upside-down
- Depth
- ~85-90 ft
- Access
- day-boat off Waianae, close to the 29 Down site
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- Whitetip reef sharks rest under the hull, and divers can watch fish swimming "upside-down" near what is now the bottom of the ship.
29 Down
- Type
- wreck — a small airplane sunk for the TV series "Flight 29 Down"
- Depth
- not specified in detail
- Access
- day-boat off Waianae
- Best Season
- year-round
- Marine Life
- A reef circles the plane, filling the area with colorful reef fish.
Makaha Caverns
- Type
- cavern/cave system in ancient lava flows
- Depth
- intermediate-to-advanced depths
- Access
- day-boat, west coast
- Best Season
- calmer summer conditions preferred for visibility
- Marine Life
- Interconnected caverns and tunnels shelter white-tip reef sharks, green sea turtles, and occasionally Hawaiian monk seals.
Pele's Caves
- Type
- lava tube cave system
- Depth
- deep, requires solid buoyancy control
- Access
- day-boat, west coast
- Best Season
- calmer summer conditions preferred
- Marine Life
- Not detailed in available sources; primarily notable for the dramatic underwater lava-tube topography rather than a specific signature species.
North Shore (Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District)
- Access Notes
- Shore diving/snorkeling only — no boat access to these sites. This entire area is weather-dependent and effectively closed to safe diving for much of winter.
Sites
Shark's Cove
- Type
- shore dive — rocky bay
- Depth
- shallow
- Access
- shore only, walk-in
- Best Season
- summer months only; winter brings massive swells and dangerous big-wave conditions
- Marine Life
- Despite the name, sharks are not commonly encountered here; it's known instead for clear, calm water and varied reef life.
Three Tables / Cathedrals
- Type
- shore dive
- Depth
- shallow
- Access
- shore only
- Best Season
- summer only, same seasonal restriction as Shark's Cove
- Marine Life
- General reef fish and topography-driven swim-throughs; part of the same Pupukea conservation area.
Turtle Carwash
- Type
- shore dive
- Depth
- shallow
- Access
- shore only
- Best Season
- summer only
- Marine Life
- A known turtle-cleaning/resting area, as the name suggests.
Waimea Wall
- Type
- shore dive with wall/current features
- Depth
- deeper and more current-exposed than the other Pupukea sites
- Access
- shore only, more advanced due to depth and current
- Best Season
- summer only
- Marine Life
- Not detailed in depth in available sources beyond general North Shore reef life.
Typical Costs
Open Water Diver Certification (2-3 Day Course, Gear Typically Included)
- Open Water Diver Certification (2 3 Day Course, Gear Typically Included)
- $525
Representative all-inclusive price at one SSI-default shop; other shops range roughly $450-$600 depending on operator, boat vs. shore checkout dives, and group size.
PADI Surcharge Over SSI-default Course Price
- PADI Surcharge Over SSI Default Course Price
- $100
Several shops run SSI by default and charge an extra ~$100 for PADI, on top of PADI's own digital learning materials fee (roughly $180, paid directly to PADI).
Open Water Referral Course (Finishing Checkout Dives Only)
- Open Water Referral Course (Finishing Checkout Dives Only)
- $480
Example price is $450 plus a $30 card-processing fee at one operator.
Advanced Open Water Diver
- Advanced Open Water Diver
- $615
Rescue Diver Course
- Rescue Diver Course
- $595
Prices seen ranged $595-$615 across operators.
Nitrox Specialty Add-on
- Nitrox Specialty Add On
- $125
Private SSI Divemaster Course
- Private SSI Divemaster Course
- $2,500
One shop only offers Divemaster as a private, custom-scheduled course at this price.
Kids' Bubblemaker Program
- Kids' Bubblemaker Program
- $89
Operator Density
- Summary
- Dense — Oahu, especially the Honolulu/Waikiki/Hawaii Kai corridor, supports well over a dozen named, actively operating dive shops rather than just one or two, plus additional shops on the North Shore and windward (Kailua) side.
- Notes
- Shops cluster around Kewalo Basin/Waikiki for south-shore wreck and reef access, with a separate concentration at Hawaii Kai Marina for leeward-side sites, and a smaller North Shore/windward cluster; several of the operators above have decades of history on the island.
Named Operators Found
- Dive Oahu
- Island Divers Hawaii
- Honolulu Scuba Company
- Reef Pirates Diving
- Waikiki Dive Center
- Big Kahuna Water Sports / Aloha Scuba Diving Company
- Oahu Travel Divers
- Oahu Diving
- Kaimana Divers
- Banzai Divers Hawaii (North Shore)
- Hawaiian Diving Adventures
- Trident Adventures
- Aaron's Dive Shop (Kailua, windward side)
- Hawaii Eco Divers (North Shore)
Certifying Bodies Offered
Certifying Bodies Offered
- PADI (the dominant agency across most Oahu shops)
- SSI (used as the default agency by several major shops, e.g. Island Divers Hawaii and Honolulu Scuba Company)
- NAUI (offered by Honolulu Scuba Company, including NAUI Master Diver / Divemaster track)
- Referral-friendly with NAUI, SDI, and RAID paperwork accepted by some shops for finishing open-water dives
- Avelo (a newer agency offered in combination with PADI Advanced Open Water by at least one operator)
Levels Commonly Available
Levels Commonly Available
- Discover Scuba Diving / Bubblemaker (no-certification intro, including a kids' program)
- Open Water Diver (entry-level certification)
- Open Water Referral (finishing open-water dives for students who did classroom/pool work elsewhere)
- Advanced Open Water Diver
- Emergency First Response (EFR)
- Rescue Diver
- Master Scuba Diver (non-professional top rating)
- Divemaster (first professional level)
- Instructor Development Course / IDC (at least one 5-Star Instructor Development shop operates on Oahu)
- Specialty courses (Nitrox, Wreck, Night, Deep, Navigation, etc.)
Freediving Crossover
- Caveat
- Don't assume every scuba operator teaches freediving — it's a genuine but partial crossover, concentrated in a handful of shops/instructors rather than being industry-wide.
- Details
- At least one major scuba shop (Island Divers Hawaii) offers an SSI Level I Freediving course as part of its regular course lineup, run on dedicated weekly freediving-only boat charters (no scuba) departing from Waianae Small Boat Harbor, Kewalo Basin, or Hawaii Kai Marina. However, most of Oahu's higher-level freediving instruction comes from dedicated, freediving-only schools (e.g. operators teaching PFI or Molchanov/SSI curricula) that are separate businesses from the mainstream scuba shops, rather than every scuba shop doubling as a freediving school.
- Genuine Crossover Exists
- Yes
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.