Shark's Cove

Good dive spot. Hike to entry and the exit are a bit difficult. Love the swim throughs. Lots of life.

Good

We made the mistake of snorkeling sharks cove during theme tail end of a rare summer surge (occasional 1-foot waves in the cove), plus low tide. Extremely rocky entry with waves pushing you back and forth when you’re still only waist deep—hard to walk and hard to swim it. Once you get out into the open the current was fine, but kicking up lots of sand, so visibility was low. Very little to see. Maybe high tide would’ve been fine even with the tail end of this little surge. But the combination made for a bad experience.

A parking lot is right along the main road. The cove entry is on the North side, and the restrooms and showers are on the South. Take your pick, left or right reef. Both are impressive! Here's the cove with the entry on the left. There is sandy bottom between the rocks so walking to deeper water is not a problem. Hold onto your buddy's hand for balance as the two of you walk out together. It's an easy walk down-- just watch your step.

Dove this site today. Among the best dives of my life! I dove solo at 6pm. at first I was kinda nervous but then it turn out to be a very easy dive. I access the water on the left side of the beach where there's sand. Everywhere else is very rocky. Then I navigated straight forward north, it's about 20 to 30ft for a while and that's where the most variety of animals and corals happened to be. I kept going in the same direction till I reached 45ft and had used one third of my tank so I turned back around. When I got to 25ft, I went to the right side of the beach and found the caves and caverns. It's spectacular!!! I concluded that you don't have to go far out, within the cove at 33ft the quantity of fish and diversity of species is amazing!!

Dove this site today with a very experienced buddy. We concluded that this is among both of our best dives ever. 67 minutes of bottom time on a single 80 with 400psi remaining. There are three major and several smaller caves in the second finger to the right when looking from the parking area. We snorkeled out to the right angle between the reef wall and the second finger then headed into the right angle and hugged the wall to find the caves. The first one we came to is the so-called 'blue room' the second one is approximately 25m further along the wall and didn't appear to have an exit. the final cave is at the tip of the finger and is quite large. Tip: if you go past the cave on a north heading, you will come to a pretty healthy reef at about 20 ft depth.

Dove this site in mid June with little surge and calm conditions. Once outside the cove at 30 feet head north with figure 8s to encounter cavern pass throughs, more fish such as large amberjacks and scrawled file fish. A large turtle at a ledge was very friendly and allowed some nice photos. A small cave was encountered and can be viewed from the entrance and partially penetrated. However caution is suggested in case of surge. With typically depths of 25-30 feet bottom time is extended to 60 minutes. Very nice dive.

Dove two tanks at Sharks Cove again 7/23/11 with the club. The dives were good, minimal surf and first was at low tide. Viz was about 20-25 ft until the 25 ft mark. Once we got below that it improved to maybe 35 ft. We stayed inside for the first dive, several tangs and idols and a nudibranch in close but not much toward the middle or the right side. Second dive we went outside and to the left, max depth of 47 ft with viz about 50 ft. We found some really nice rock and coral formations, 3 huge parrot fish. On the way back in we spotted a young turtle, we were looking for a Monk Seal rumored to have been seen during the first dive. The entry point to the left side is definitely easier. We declined 'the elevator' giant stride entry.

Went here for a Fathers Day (6/19/11) dive club dive. We had a huge turn out with about 100 divers reported. I'd been looking forward to the dive for several months but it finally became diveable. It was worth the wait…… the fish in the area were in abundance, especially idols and tangs. Entry was a bit difficult as there are two ways to enter. We entered from the top of the hill, slightly to the right of the actual cove; lots of large rocks and some surge/surf that pushed you around a bit. Easy to trip going down and entering. Once you go down it makes for a nice dive, little surge and a few swim throughs. The other entry is a giant stride off to the far right, I didn't do it but saw a few others. They reported no problems with it.

I did my open water certification with Reef Pirates at Sharks Cove during my honeymoon Aug 2009. Vis was 100+, current was non-existent. Plenty of turtle, Huma Huma triggers, convict & orange shoulder tangs. This is a great beginners dive site. We had a few friends that wanted to snorkel, and they were have a great time at the location. Parking is a premium so you better get there early, or risk the ticket. Not too many cars get broken in there due to the amount of beach traffic. When you are done you have to stop by Mackys shrimp truck for some island favorites

Dove here on 24 Jul. 10 with my daughter. We started at Three Tables with a few locals and almost got killed. Surf was crashing over the top of the tables and we lost the locals in seconds. We turned around and crawled our way onto the beach. We found the two locals who changed their mind also. Not to mention the city was putting out red flag warning no one to enter the water. We moved over to Sharks Cove and the conditions were completely different. Diving was great. We had bottom time of over 80 min. with a 80CF tank. Saw too many fish types to count. There were a few squid in the middle of the bowl and a octo in closer to the beach. Vis was still around 50' even with all the surf. Lots of people and we had to make a round or two through the parking lot before we found a spot to park. We had lunch at the Roach Coach parked across the street. I recommend the shrimp and shaved ice with the ice cream on the bottom. Get close to the coral to see lots of little fish hiding in the coral.

Dove this with my son on 3 Jan. 10. It was his first dive after getting his cert. Easy walk down to the water, rocks to navigate around once you got there. Lots of snorkelers (75) and some divers (8). Parking was an issue because it was the weekend. This was our first dive in HI and had a fantastic time. We did two dives that day. I was told to bring a dive flag. There's a $100.00 fine for not having one if you got caught. About half the divers had them. A cop did come around and say to keep an eye on your belongings. Apparently there is a little problem with theft, even from locked cars. Vis was about 50' and around 35' deep. Lots of sea life. I would say we saw more than 50 different species of fish. No turtles or eels. The second dive was off to the right in the lava flows. Really cool. I would do this site in a heart beat.

Took my son to Sharks Cove and we had a great time. Last dive here we were getting certified so it was nice to get out and look around. Got to 50' depth and plenty of reef fish. No sharks, or turtles but still an extremely pleasant dive. Early morning is best because later in the day it gets quite busy on the beach and in the parking lot. Great dive!

I was bitten by a Moray eel on 5/8/10. It was a random incident, but I thought I'd share. Be careful when navigating around the big lava rocks during low tide! I must have been dangling my foot in front of his hole. He put an end to my swimming for a few weeks!

It has been a long time, but I have many fond memories of snorkeling then learning to scuba at Shark's Cove. It remains one of my favorite places on the island, and I'm going back for the first time this May--and this is on my list of places that I MUST go. I loved scuba diving here. You can do reef entries or beach entries, there are lava tubes (that I wouldn't recommend unless you are trained or are with someone who is trained in cave diving), and it's a lovely place to explore and play, especially for a beginner diver. I remember chasing little fish, watching the sparkles in the water at night, and even doing the dive without lights on a beautiful full-moon night. In 1981 this was a fantastic place to dive, and I am hoping it has remained so to this day.

I move to the island in Feb 09. My first shore dive was to this location and I fell in love with it. I was diving here every weekend. The right side is my favorite. There is a large swim through that will take you to the next cove over. Swim to the center of that and keep your eye out for a rock formation with an entrance to it, it is well worth checking out. I have seen ray, turtles, eels, lobster, and tons of other beautiful fish. The bonus is right across the road you can get one of the best shave ice on the island.

9/6/09: Water conditions were as good as can be; no surf, no current, no surge. We surface swam out about 50 yards and dropped down in the middle of the cove. We checked the right side and then spent the remainder of the dive on the left side. Great area to dive with overhangs, walls, crevices, etc. It was our first dive there and our fourth dive on this vacation. For those of you uncomfortable in doing a beach dive on your own, if the water is flat, it's an easy and highly recommended dive.

Ah, Sharks Cove: still the classic shoredive on O'ahu. Sharks Cove never fails to deliver at least one honu, a moray or two or three, and a nudibranch. After several years, we've finally seen an actual shark in Sharks Cove (reportedly named for its shape, not its usual occupants). A four-foot white tip reef shark has been seen on a couple occasions under a lava formation to the north outside the cove proper. Earlier last month we were blessed with a small (20+) pod of spinner dolphins moving through the area while the snorkelers above reported this was only 1/10 of the pod they saw at the surface. Take note: earlier this summer the left side of the road that passes the showers was closed to parking for most its length, and tickets are being issued.

We dove here four times this week and every dive was fun. The right side is my favorite with all the swim throughs and lava tubes. The lava tubes are fun to swim into but be careful they twist and turn and you could loose your way. Entry was a little rocky but all in all not bad. Parking is hard to come by unless you get here early, no problems with break ins, all our stuff was safe. Lots of sea life to see, shrimp, slipper lobster, crabs, turtles and more.

Don't mess with the elevator. Stay on the outer area and you should be good. Pretty good fish, neat coral and rocks. Our dive was cut short because we played with the elevator. :) I would dive this again.

The surf at times here can be a little tough when you're first coming out. Had a great group of sea turtles the last time we were there and lost track of how close they were bringing us to the rocks. Not making that mistake again! Visibility has been good the past 3 times we went out. We're planning to go again. Great sites inside the cove and if you swim out there's some great intermediate/advanced diving depending on where you go. There are a few caverns with a shark that calls the area home. We've seen at least one turtle every time we've done this dive.

What a great dive site! My sister and I did this twice in a row because we just couldn't get enough. Getting down to the beach and into the water is a little interesting, but once you're in, you can drop down to 15-20 feet after a surface swim of 5-10 yards from shore. Going to the right, you run into a VAST array of lava tubes, swim-throughs, alcoves and caves. It's phenomenal. To the left you find larger rocks and smaller swim-throughs. Plenty of overhangs, though. Watch for the florescent crabs! They gorgeous.

Entered at 'the elevator' during fairly significant swells. The elevator was churning like a washing machine, and waves were rolling over the lava flats. I was afraid a surge of water flowing through the lava tube would smash our head against a rock. However, once we entered the basin and dropped to a depth of 5' and below, the bubble curtain disappeared and the surges through the tube were manageable. Hugged the edge of the rock/shore face and found numerous caves and swim-throughs. However, the swells and pitch along the bottom (I believe) scared off most of the turtles and other significant sea life. I did take a first time visitor (my Boss) to the site, and he was totally enthralled by the diversity and the lava tube (elevator) entry into the open sea. Great site, but the incoming fall surf is beginning to attrite safe shore entry. A must dive site during safe/normal shore entry . . . i.e. surf ranging from 0 - 3 feet max.

(No comment)

All around good location depending on wave action. Being a 'Refuge' you will see fish up close and looking to be fed. Use 'Fish Food' only Please!!

We had two separate dives at this site, one along the outer edges of the reef and the second down around the lava tubes. We had beautiful conditions, clear visibility, and almost no surf. Lots of marine life and a few green sea turtles graced us with their presence during our time down. Kudos to Tyler from Deep Ecology on the North Shore for taking us here to dive, we enjoyed every minute of it!!

Great beach entry site, booties are essential though as the short trek to the entry point has some sharp rocks. Once in the water though it's smooth sailing. After submersing ourselves I was amazed by the numerous caves and coral life. Big groups of fish are here as well, definitely bring a camera and flash light.

Was a great dive, entered and went right out into the Lava Tubes, a lot to see and do, just take your time and look around, many types of aquatic life and vegetation. Saw Turtles and coming through one of the caverns (15 feet through) was picturesque, absolutely astounding like swimming in a big fish aquarium. Overall a very nice dive and can imagine a great night dive, as there are lots of open areas.

It was great to be back for some diving on the North Shore after what seemed like a long Winter break. But, now the surf is down and the great diving is back! We had two great dives at Shark's Cover yesterday (May 3). Surf was flat (almost like a lake out there), the water temp was 75 degrees, vis was OK (approx 30 ft), and the turtles and fish were out in good numbers. We were even treated to an aerial show by two Spinner Dolphins as we did our surface interval. Made for a great day. It's great to be back to my favorite dive spot on the island!

I had only gone snorkeling once before I went to Shark's Cove. The entry to the cove was a little rocky so I suggest you use reef walkers. Other than that, once you venture out deep enough you'll get to see tons of fish. Actually I saw more colorful fish within the shoreline. The current was extremely strong and if you're not that good of a swimmer you should stay within your limits of what you can handle. I did not get a chance to see any white tipped sharks, so that was a big plus for me. I give this spot a 5 out of 5 rating. Be safe and prepared and have fun!

I loved this site. I was at Shark's Cove in Late August and it was amazing. Parking wasn't an issue. The lot gets a little full, but you should be able to find parking without much effort. I went to this site 3 days in a row at 3 different arrival times and NEVER had trouble. The actual entry itself was easy. There's a little bit of a down hill walk to get to the entry point itself, but it's not dangerous, nor was it difficult. Once you're at the "beach," you can get in without any effort at all. The dives were GREAT!!! I've gone diving at numerous places on 4 of the Hawaiian Islands and this has to be in my TOP 5 FAVORITES. The water was clear. I never saw another group of divers down there once underwater. [There are a few people at the beach itself, and snorkelers are around as well.] Saw lots of fish (large and small), lots of nice little caves, and some eels. It was a lot of fun, and obviously so since I went 3 days in a row. There are restrooms and showers available, and a store nearby if you need food or drinks. Overall, it was a great site. I'd love to dive here again one day. I highly recommend this site.

I dove this site in June and July 1994. I was in total awe! Not as good as Cartegena, Curacao, or Neah Bay (WA) but excellent

A great dive for any skill level. Rocks are slick but not a problem. Be there early to avoid the hundreds of people that show up to swim here. I was in the water by 7 and out by 9 when the bulk of the people showed up. It is a shallow dive only about 30 - 40 ft.

This was my and my wife's first shore dive ever. We have always gone on boat dives, so this was a new experience. It was a nice dive with the exception of loosing my underwater camera on this dive. It happened in the first 15 minutes so I was pretty heart broken the rest of the dive. The wife loved it though. I will say when we return to Oahu, we will be doing this dive again. A lot of fish, and some coral but nothing compared to all my Caribbean and Atlantic dives…

This is a great dive for all levels of experience. The entry point is easier when entering from the left side. It's best to swim out to the northeast point, drop and swim along the rocks toward your entry point. Pay close attention to the rocks because there are a lot of little lava tubes and some caves. Use proper procedures and equipment when diving through the caves, as well as common sense. It's really cool when you take your time and enjoy it. There is a lave tube that leads to the blow hole at the northeast point. It just takes trial and error to find it. Sometime you can see a turtle swimming at the top of the blow hole. It's best to swim through when there is little or no current and when surf is flat.

One of the best dive sites on the island!

Sharks Cove was by far the best shore site on Oahu. Sharks cove gives the option of either diving and or snorkeling in an area most people don't know about. It's easy to loose a whole day there since there is just so much to see. When you're done diving you can snorkel and see just as much in the shallow upper protected area. Amazing amazing amazing!!!! :-)

I've dived sharks cove at least 6 times. Unless the conditions are exactly right the experience is horrible. When visibility is good and there isn't a current, I'd have to say it's one of my favorite spots. Unfortunately it's hard to get those conditions. I saw a lot more fish snorkeling there than I did while diving.

Great spot for beginning divers.

My second experience with snorkeling in HI. The sea life was great. The only down side was if you are not familiar with urchins, as my dive partner was, get to know about these spiny little creatures.

By far the best shore dive site on the island. We keep looking for better ones, but keep coming back to Shark's Cove. The ease of entry, facilities, and the cave/lava tube network make it a blast to dive here. If you only get one dive on Oahu, make it Shark's Cove. The only drawback is that you can't dive it year-round, because the North Shore swell shuts it down for the winter.

This beach dive is insane! It's one of the best shore dives on Oahu. The aquatic life is just about perfect, and the reef is pretty pristine. You also have countless caves and tubes to enter. It feels just like a maze, and I just get lost every time I'm there, and I always seem to be low on air. Oh Well!!!

Simply the best relaxing SCUBA spot on the island. The cave system on the right is incredible!!!!

June 2005 Surf less than 2ft. Great visibility at about 70ft. Water temp 78 deg surf, 74 deg bottom (40ft). Many rocks and formations along bottom. Lots of marine life including: turtles, eels, starfish, octopus, and a variety of fish. Restrooms and shower at location. Foodland located about 1/4 mile.

My wife and I thought this was a great for snorkeling. We had been to a few other sites and this was the best. I would say I had a great time if it were not for the fact that I lost my wedding ring in there. If anyone found it could you please contact me. Thanks.

Good entry for snorkeling (I have been cut up pretty good at other sites). Lots of people go here, but it was not crowded. Not as much coral and plants as I would like, but fish and turtles were abundant. Seemed real safe yet good viewing and variety of sea life...good balance for newer swimmers.

Site was awesome. Goood dive to 40 feet, good vis to 150 ft. Best dive yet I've had. Dove most of Florida waters, but this was awesome!

Easy to enter from far right of cove. Ledges and caves are great, lots of fish. 500 divers in the parking lot and we only saw 8 on our dive! Most of the dive is at 20-30 feet along the wall.

There is always something to see and there is always somewhere new to look at. I could dive Shark's Cove every day.

Sharks cove has some of the clearest vis on island. I have always seen no less than 4 turtles every time I've been. To add an alternate entry point for this dive, you can enter through the elevator instead of walking down the trail. If you check out the photo for the dive, on the right in the rocks there is a hole. If you drop into the hole you can swim through a short cavern straight out into the reef and walls. It just makes the dive a little more enjoyable. Just time your entry with the waves and you will be alright.

Would have been a much better site earlier in the year. We dove this the first week in October as the North Shore surge was starting to come in. Vis was cut low and it was difficult to get in. However, there was a lot to see on the bottom. Snorkel out to the middle and then take a heading of North out to the 2nd point on the right. Spend your dive heading back towards the cove. You will be following the shelf. Dive was about 45 feet on average with lots of caves and sealife.

It is really sad that the waves get too big in the winter time. This is bar none, the best spot on Oahu to snorkel, skin dive and scuba dive. Go straight out and head right a long an awesome wall with swim through caves, tons of fish and turtles. Can't wait to dive there next summer.

I love Shark's Cove - it is awesome!! And it is free!!! Swam with turtles, saw eel, had picnic at the picnic area, saw awesome fish, and swam with turtles. The turtles were friendly, went about their business and didn't mind me there. I love this place!! I spent nights at the cottage across the street where the sunset was beautiful. The little store up the street was awesome. I stayed and checked out marine life the next morning, but the waves were high - too awesome!!

This dive would be a great dive for beginners. Be careful upon entry as the lava rock is NOT forgiving. We only dove this site once and would of liked to do it a few more times. After a short surface swim just outside the cove we started our descent down to about 30 ft. Before reaching the bottom a pod of 12-14 dolphins swam passed us. What a great way to start a dive. Looking from the beach, we went left along the reef (or rocky bottom). We saw three huge turtles throughout the dive as well as a decent amount of fish life. I was a little disappointed with the quality of the reef but that is to be expected on the North Shore of Oahu with the winter winds. Visibility was average, I thought, for tropical water diving. Other interesting things were a purple nudibranch, spotted eel and the juvenile puffers. I would definitely recommend this dive to anyone who wants to enjoy a nice economical dive. Other divers that came out when we did say they saw a black tip shark and numerous octopus. My words of advice are "get there early as parking may be an issue later in the day and the waters will be much calmer".

Strictly a summer dive. Winters, the surf becomes unbearable. Adjacent to "Three Tables" dive site, so you can do 2 dives & not repeat anything. In summertime, this is the premiere dive instruction spot, so expect crowds. Toilet's be FILTHY. Sandy bottom is so flat, and so markedly contrasted with the brown lava walls, that you'll feel you're in an aquarium. EXTENSIVE cave system (I've mapped 58 tubes in all) throughout the lava stone presents fun swim-throughs AND DANGERS. Do not pretend you're a trained cave diver-- people have died there, trying. Excellent spot for all levels of snorkeling and scuba. Depths seldom exceed 10m/30ft. On the far, far right you'll see 1 or 2 yard-long turtles, and may occasionally find shore fishermen just outside the protected area, so beware of fish line & hooks. Nice night dive, with slipper lobsters, conger eels, and large red Spanish Dancers.

Plenty of rocks to climb over to get into the water. Turtles munch on the algae along the rock ledge at the right of the cove. Water clarity was pretty good. Pretty bare of plant life. What do you expect from the north shore? Tons of rookie scuba divers here. Had a good time. I'd get there early to get a parking spot. A very safe spot to dive when conditions are good. I'd dive there again.

Arrived at about 10:00 am. Minimal crowd and lots of divers. Gear up at the car and take a short, easy beach walk to the entry. Swim out about 50 yds and descend. Plant life is about nil, but some great fish and swim-thrus.

One of the best spots on Oahu! Great for SCUBA and snorklers alike. You can swim around in the caverns and caves and run into an occasional trutle the size of a car!

Third time here. It is always a pleasure to dive. Caves, swim throughs abound. Can't say enough about the place. Exit the cove and turn right.

Great dive. Many caves, shelves etc. Lots of turtles. Rocky shore, small beach. Can be kind of difficult to get past the rocks but well worth the effort. Surf can be a challenge on entry with the rocks.

I am a Dive Master in Training. I have almost 20 dives at Shark's Cove and still find new things every time I go out. Its a great location for beginning and intro divers. I began diving earlier this year and thanks to the wonders of O'ahu I am making a career of it. Shark's Cove is one of the most interesting sites on island. My company takes students out for skills in the sand area at the entrance of the cove. A must for any type of scuba diver!

Clear clean waters, easy currents in tide pool, excellent sea life, somewhat rocky shore.

As an instructor, I love the protection afforded by the cove for my entry-level students. The facilities are excellent: restrooms, showers, walking distance to grocery store, shouting distance to EMS (Fire station shares a parking lot), and the parking is only tight on the busiest of weekends. It's easily navigable and offers plenty of life for student divers to "oooh" and "ahhh" about (especially the turtles!). The fact that Sharks' Cove is recognized as a State Marine Sanctuary promises that future generations will be able to enjoy the variety of life found there.

Made two dives last week. Vis was pretty good, about 20 to 30 feet. Get there early (by 10:00 am at the latest) or you will not get a parking spot. Even worse, later in the afternoon the vis gets bad as there are so many divers and snorkelers you need to weave through them. Nice lava channels on the right side (enter on the left, surface swim out to the outer right, then go down). We saw a manta ray glide by and saw one sea turtle. There is a bathroom near by and a washing facility. I would dive again.

Local dive shops like to boast that the place has been rated one of the very best shore dives. Sure, it is a very beautiful dive, but a rating depends on what you compare it to and on the criteria used. So to be a bit more specific: the lava tube landscape is really great, extensive, unique and make a wonderful lighting, fish are abundant for Hawaii maybe (not big ones), but not compared to other reef areas such as the Maldives or Red Sea (counting shore dives only). Since the coral is crushed by the winter surf, very little here, compact shapes only, no soft coral. So from the biological perspective I would certainly not vote it among the best.

First time to dive here. Excellent summer water conditions. Fish fish fish everywhere! Turtles abound. Well worth the trip up north. Wish I had taken my boat on this one.

I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't make it through the rocks on the beach entry with all the weight from the gear and 2-3 ft waves coming in on Memorial Day. We chose instead to enter from the Right side. We had to hand the gear down and climb down about 6 foot, but the water entry was much easier with a small tidal pool, then a swim around the rock cliff to open water. It was a shallow dive (25 ft) with about 25 ft visibility. I'm looking forward to summer conditions. There were many small caves to swim through but few fish and plant life. The parking Memorial Day was very crowded. There's a FoodLand grocery store almost across the street for lunch fixins but it's expensive. We saw some divers wearing wetsuits, but in the shallow water, it was comfortably warm. As a new diver, it was good being in the water, but saw many more fish snorkeling Hanuama Bay. We did snorkel this site in very shallow water (4 ft) near the jumping off rock. It would be a nice place to bring family for splashing around.

Did not dive here the first day because the surf was up 2-4 feet. The entry is rocky and would be dangerous with that level of surf. The local recommendations we heard said not to try with surf greater than 1-2 feet. The phone number for a local surf report is 596-SURF. Day two the surf was 1-2 feet and the entry required caution but was not difficult. The lava formations were impressive. Saw a respectable number of fish and 1 turtle. Overall this was a great dive. Under the right conditions the entry is reasonable. The swim required was short with a great payoff. Max depth was 35 feet so bottom time was long. Vis was pretty good even though the surf had been up the day before. I will be going back!

Two friends of mine and I dove Shark's Cove yesterday, and it was beautiful. We also dove it last week, and it was a little clearer out then. We saw turtles, fish, coral, and yesterday I even saw an octopus. It is such a fantastic dive. We are used to the cold waters of the Puget Sound where it isn't near as light on the bottom, so it is so much fun to dive here in Hawaii!

I'm active navy. I've been on leave since 9/22, and have been diving sharks cove 2-3 times a day until 10/5. I believe we got the last good dive for north shore until the spring. Saw lots of sea life, and had a great night dive. Saw the biggest hermit crab about the size of 2 fists. I'd recommend this dive for everyone.

Fun sight to dive with family. We arrived very early, and were in the water by 0800. When we came back up around 0900, what a crowd we met. vis was only around 50-60 feet, not the mass of fish one sees in the carib, but the lava flows/tubes were impressive. Saw several turtles and eels and all in all an enjoyable dive for the family.

Shark's Cove (Pupukea) is heavily used for training purposes. Just outside the cove to the right, there are a number of lava tubes and ledges that make for some interesting exploring, but at least 4 people have died in one of the caves. Extreme caution and training are urged. Due to high winter surf, the coral here is somewhat lacking, but the underwater topography and marine life make up for it. Only diveable in the summertime (typically). Marine reserve, so collecting is not allowed.

This site is wonderful. The first time we went there we saw turtles, an octopus, and dolphins as well as the many cool fish. The second time we saw turtles, an octopus, a nudibranch, a zebra moray eel, a titan scorpion fish and spectacular colors at about 45 feet on the right under a ledge.

Not my favorite dive on Oahu. Good for experience squeezing through tight places and under beautiful ledges, but few fauna and little else to see but rocks. And it's crowded. For a first dive it would be fine, however, to stay toward the middle and enjoy just being under clear water.

For a Canadian cold water diver this site was absolutely stunning. I did 6 dives at this site and was never board and was constantly amazed. I highly recommend this site as a first for any visiting divers new to tropical diving as it is so easy and diversified.

A very fun dive. I enjoy doing it, time and time again. for the cavern and cave divers, it's a fun place to explore. Lots of both. Must be very careful of the waves. Do not dive during any surf conditions. Waves make it very difficult for entry and exit. Mostly lava bottom.

This is a must dive spot! There's a short walk down a dirt path to the small beach, this is very easy. The entry is full of rocks that you need to navigate through but shouldn't be any problem with low surf. Swim out along the right side of the cove and drop down at the end of the cove and you will be rewarded with some nice caverns to swim into. Great Photo ops here! Saw sea turtles, eels, lobster and other neat stuff! We also made this a night dive, another must do. The water was such a beautiful aqua blue in our dive lights! Sleeping fish, huge lobster and lots of little eye balls staring back at you in the darkness! Too cool! You can take the whole family to this spot. There's lots of stuff here for the non-diver and small kids too! So bring 2 or 3 tanks and make a day / night out of it.

Shark's cove is a great beginner dive site during the spring and winter months. During the winter, the currents and waves on the North Shore can make even a simple dive here hazardous. Wildlife is abundant near the shore. Numerous coral reef formations make for a fun dive. Average water depth is 30-40 feet. Parking can be very difficult to find so get there early or you may have to walk. Showers and restrooms are located near parking areas and near the entry points. A must dive location on Oahu.

To be honest, this is not one of my favorite sites. It's a long way from town, it's a very popular site, so parking is limited, and IMO, there's not a lot of critters, especially compared to Makaha or Kahe. However, there are lots of rock and lava formations with swim-throughs and small caves. It's a protected area, so leave the lobster bag and spear behind.

One of my favorite dives on the island. Be very careful coming back into the cove, as waves can make going in very very dangerous due to the many rocks you have to navigate thru. Alternative entrance thru "Elevator" on far right side of cove on point.