Richardson Beach Park

Great spot, a little hard to get back in without hitting rocks. Be careful to visually mark your exit spot when you head out. Good variety and lots of helpful people around!

This is an alternate entry for more advanced divers. There are stairs through the wall in the background. This is the rugged coast line you'll explore. The entry is back to the right. This protected cove is perfect for snorkeling, swimming, and of course diving!

Great dive for strong swimmers.

Free dove Richardson Beach Park and had a great time. Reef is far out which makes scuba tough. The east side of the Big Island gets rough, so be ready for it. Good fish life but locals say watch the current past the reef.

Due to its popularity with many of the people here on the Big Island, the bottom conditions and the reef, while still good compared to other states with a more "urban" condition, are incredibly poor when compared to many of the more remote locations on the island where fewer people go. You need to head out for quite a while before the bottom conditions become better, due to the lower human traffic further out.

The high numerical rating of this site leads one astray. Even the local Hilo dive shop, Nautilus, does not recommend it. Sure, the entrance is cool but you're going to bang up your equipment soon after that on the shallow rocks, except at high tide. Even then it's two football fields or more to get to diving depths and not much to see until the steep slope at about 50 feet deep. Save this for the beginning snorkelers. Let them have the cold freshwater lens with murky viz while you go out to dive Puhi or Leleiwi close by. Then come back with your wet gear to use the nice showers.

Incredible fish diversity (the most species I have seen in one area on this island), frequented by honu/green sea turtles. There are nice corals in the deeper far end of the cove. Great place for snorkelers of all experience, no need to scuba. Rocks protect most of the cove, so even when the ocean is rough, you can still swim there just fine, but visibility drops. Haven't checked it out at night yet. Has a nice black sand beach to lounge on, but it can get crowded with lots of children. Bathrooms are okay, has outdoor showers. Please don't step on the corals! :0

I snorkel here at least once a week and have dived it twice. Outstanding corals, sea turtles, fish. I've seen all the usual lovely reef fish plus huge manta and spotted eagle rays, many large green turtles, a devil scorpion fish. Crowds and parking can be tough on weekends; go early. Black-sand beach entry is as easy as it gets.

Best beach on the East side of the Big Island.