Kauai Hawaii
ISLAND OF KAUAI
Kauai is one of my favorite Hawaiian Islands. It is a little less touristy and crowded than some of the other islands. It is home to the famous Napali coast, beautiful waterfalls, rich rain forests, and amazing beaches. Just like the other islands, there is so much to do topside. The diving on Kauai itself is good, but it's not the best as far as far as Hawaii goes. It does allow you to access Ni'ihau, which is widely considered the best diving in the Hawaiian Islands. Ni'ihau can be accessed on Kauai from May to late September. It is an all day trip, generally done as a three tank day. It is one of the only places where diving with monk seals is frequent occurrence. Ni'ihau has amazing lava arches and rock formations as well as dramatic wall dives with unlimited visibility. The winter swells make the crossing between the islands too hazardous outside of the summer months.
Diving on the main island of Kauai is great as well. There are many dive sites all over the island, but most of the diving is concentrated around the south side (poipu beach side) of the island. Koloa landing is a great shore dive, and is great for beginners and students. It's a shallow dive in a sheltered cove that is no more than 45 feet deep. Lots of fish, turtles, and my favorite, dragon morays. Sheraton Caverns is another one of my favorite sites. Never have I seen more turtles at one time than at Sheraton Caverns, I lost count after 20, green turtles everywhere. Lots of arches and overhangs that shelter lots of fish and marine life. Another site I really enjoyed was Brennecke's Ledge. This site usually has strong currents and is done as a drift dive. This site was loaded with reef sharks and schools of fish. Diving around Kauai can come with strong currents and choppy boat rides. But with the exception of Ni'ihau, all the sites are located right off shore and only a few minutes away by boat. There are multiple dive shops to choose from, and if you like shore diving on your own schedule, there are some great shore dives available, and the shops will let you rent gear and dive them on your own. If you are heading to Kauai, definitely set a few days aside for diving, and if you are there during the summer months, you cannot pass up diving Ni'ihau.
