Big Island Dive Sites include:

Long Lava Tube: south of Kailua Pier - Intermediate to Advanced diver’s site.  Old lava flows, lava tubes, finger and hard coral formations. Marine Life includes wrasse, snapper, butterfly and angel fish. Lava tube life: cowries, crabs, pipefish, coral shrimp and a few lobsters. The depth of this site is from 25’ to 45’.

Garden Eel Cove: north of Honokohau Harbor – Beginner to Advanced diver’s site. Black sand, coral and lava boulders. Marine Life includes spinner dolphins, garden eels, Hawaiian turkey fish, teardrop butterfly, nudibranchs, octopus and manta rays. The depth of this site is from 30’ to 60’.

Turtle Pinnacle: north of Honokohau Harbor - Beginner to Advanced diver’s site. Smooth base with rock formations, white sand patches, coral heads and coral covering the old lava flow. Marine Life includes green sea turtles, wrasses, parrot fish, scorpion fish, eels and octopus. The depth of this site is from 20’ to 60’.

Eel Cove: south of Honokohau Harbor - Beginner to Advanced diver’s site. There is green coral reef, sand base at 60 feet, rocky near the shoreline. Marine Life includes Eels (yellow margin, white mouth, zebra and dragon moray) and Spanish Dancer egg casings, pennant butterfly fish and the occasional dolphin. The depth of this site is from 30’ to 60’.

Casa Caves: south of Kailua Pier - Intermediate to Advanced diver’s site. Lava tubes, finger coral, outcropping of pillacles, and rubble. Marine Life includes white tip sharks, frog fish, and soft corals in lava tube, Invertebrates, eels, octopus, and hard corals. The depth of this site is from 15’ to 60’.

Manta Ray Madness: north of Honokohau Harbor - Beginner to Advanced diver’s site. There are rounded boulders with occasional coral heads. Marine Life includes garden eels, squirrel fish, goat fish, invertebrates, sleeping butterfly fish, moray eels and in particular Manta Rays. The depth of this site is from 20’ to 40’.

Amphitheatre: south of Kailua Pier – Intermediate to Advanced diver’s site. Old lava flows covered with coral, Marine Life include a diversity of small reef dwellers. The depth of this site is 35’.

Pine Trees Point: north of Honokohau Harbor - Beginner to Advanced diver’s site. There is a steep drop off to swim over, arches, and lava tubes. Marine Life includes trumpets, coronets and four spots and millet seed butterflies, sergeant majors, eels and a large school of silver flag-tails. The depth of this site is from 15’ to 60’.

Suck-Em-Up Cavern: north of Honokohau Harbor - Beginner to Advanced diver’s site. Lava tubes, old lava flows and coral growths Marine Life: Moorish idols, thread fin butterflies, trumpets, parrot fish, puffers, eels and slipper lobsters. The depth of this site is from 30’ to 60’.

White Sands Beach is also known as Magic Sands or Disappearing Sands and is located at Laaloa Bay Beach, Alii Drive, in west Hawaii. It is known as the disappearing sands, because during high surf the sand disappears and makes the area too hazardous to enter. Whilst the shallow, offshore sandbar is there, it is good for swimming or boogie boarding. It is also an ideal location for scuba diving and snorkelling, with easy access to the Ocean and underwater caves and big fish. Lifeguards are present here and there are facilities and a picnic area.

Kamakahonu Beach is located on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona; it is a small sandy beach and the water is shallow and usually very calm here. Canoe and paddle boats are available to rent here, as well as snorkelling kit and Kailua Pier is close by for fishing. There are some facilities here, but no lifeguards and there are restaurants and concessions in close proximity.

Wawaloi Beach Park is located off Highway 19 immediately north of Kona Airport in west Hawaii. This beach area is easy to get to and is well sheltered from the rough Ocean by big tide pools and natural lava rock barriers. Most of the tide pools are lined with sand, creating a safe swimming pool for children. There are full facilities here, with a picnic area and a volleyball court.

Hapuna Beach State Park is located off Highway 19 north from Kona in NW Hawaii. The Ocean is usually calm during the summer months and the sandy beach is nearly 200’ wide at this time. There is easy access to the crystal clear water and swimming conditions here are generally exceptional. At the south end of the beach there is a coral reef and a variety of Marine life, so is excellent for snorkelling. There are full facilities here, A-frame tent cabins are available and there is a picnic area, lifeguards are occasionally on duty, only limited shade but gorgeous greenery surrounds the area.

Kona Coast State Park also known as Kekaha Kai or Mahaiula Beach, is located in NW Hawaii, take Highway 19 north from Kona. There are two beaches to be found here that are just right for swimming and some water sports, only reasonable for snorkelling due to cloudy water from the many springs. Lots of freshwater springs bubble up through the sand and occasionally form small pools. A rugged, partially paved road around a mile and a half long through old lava fields leads to the beach. The gate to the beach is open daily, excluding Wednesdays. Some facilities are available here, but no lifeguards. 

Ahalanui Park also known as Pualaa County Park is located taking Highway 137, then Highway 130 south from Pahoa in east Hawaii. The pool here is partly natural and partly manmade, it is spring fed and volcanically heated to a pleasant 90 degrees. A small inlet separates the pool from the Ocean and allows fish to access the pool. Both swimming and snorkelling can be done in the pool. The base of the pool is sandy and muddy and has a slight sulphur smell and although the water is salty it is extremely clear. This spot is bounded by palm trees, green grass and the Pacific Ocean making it a very stunning tropical retreat. There are a number of easy access ladders into the pool, facilities and picnic area, lifeguards are normally on duty each day.