Kea'au Beach

This site is awesome! But, there are several things that you must realize BEFORE you get yourself into this dive. First is the parking lot….. Yeah, probably goes without saying that your car is DEFINITELY not safe here. My rusty 1972 Nova made it through the dive fine, but at the same time, it was unlocked with nothing in it and I didn't care if it was stolen or not. Second, the necessity of small surf cannot be over emphasized. We went here on a day when it was 1-2 and although I made it in and out okay, my buddy got knocked over by a big wave and he actually hit a rock. If you get hit by a big wave on the way in or out, there is nothing behind you but rock. He wound up okay, but it was testament to the fact that the surf needs to be 0-1 foot (Hawaiian). Straight out from the bathroom, you'll see a nice little cove where you'll exit. We entered from there too. Never tried the giant stride although that sounds much better. If you go in bigger surf than 0-1 feet, prepare for a dangerous entry / exit. It can be done, but I feel more comfortable at the exit cove of Lanai Lookout than here with big swells coming in. The current can get pretty strong out there, too. That all said, follow the shallower uneventful water straight out from the bathroom. When you see it drop off, and you'll know when it drops off, dive and start going from canyon to canyon for some amazing underwater formations. Bring a flashlight! If you are at the big arch referred to in the previous reviews, go out to the tip of the right wall and head right (when looking out to sea) and explore each canyon you get to. They just get cooler and cooler, although the initial dark/huge archway is pretty amazing, too. When we got to 800 pounds, the canyon that we were in had the coolest archway I've seen on Oahu. It is like a spider web or a honey comb over head. Really freaking cool. Make you sure you swim over it, too, to see all the coral on top. Can't wait to do it as a night dive. I can see how this dive could easily be one of the best night diving spots on Oahu. I know Ocean Concepts dives here. Didn't see all the pelagics that everyone's talking about but I did see a spear fisher.....coincidence? Anyways, even if you don't see a big fish, there are turtles and just the features here are worth the dive....enjoy!