Diver Reviews:    (Please share your own experiences by clicking here!)

05/27/2008 Sam Shiraishi (Avg: 3.86 Review) - 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.

05/04/2008 David (Avg: 4.28 Review) - 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.

05/04/2008 Ron from Ewa Beach (Avg: 3.63 Review) - 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!

02/07/2008 Cherelle (Avg: 4.57 Review) - 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!

09/18/2007 Diver Rick (Avg: 5.00 Review) - 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.

08/15/2007 Michael from Bremerton (Avg: 3.78 Review) - 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

08/04/2007 Mike H (Avg: 3.18 Review) - 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.

07/24/2007 Aaron Budhisetiawan (Avg: 2.79 Review) - 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…

06/29/2007 Jonathan (Avg: 3.56 Review) - 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.

05/24/2007 Shakes (Avg: 4.28 Review) - One of the best dive sites on the island!

05/05/2007 Lance Cockrell (Avg: 4.49 Review) - 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!!!! :-)

10/13/2006 KB (Avg: 3.05 Review) - 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.

09/19/2006 Anonymous (Avg: 3.58 Review) - Great spot for beginning divers.

08/19/2006 Jason from Wahiawa (Avg: 3.26 Review) - 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.

05/25/2006 Chris Werner (Avg: 3.67 Review) - 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.

11/26/2005 Masao Nakagawa (Avg: 5.00 Review) - 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!!!

09/11/2005 Anonymous (Avg: 4.33 Review) - Simply the best relaxing SCUBA spot on the island. The cave system on the right is incredible!!!!

07/08/2005 Anonymous (Avg: 2.99 Review) - 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.

06/30/2005 Johnny Gallego (Avg: 3.57 Review) - 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.

06/27/2005 Tom Pevehouse (Avg: 3.99 Review) - 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.

06/11/2005 Chuck Farney (Avg: 3.31 Review) - 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!

06/11/2005 Joe Moto (Avg: 3.18 Review) - 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.

06/07/2005 Anonymous (Avg: 3.76 Review) - There is always something to see and there is always somewhere new to look at. I could dive Shark's Cove every day.

05/15/2005 Kevin Glaspie (Avg: 3.78 Review) - 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.

12/23/2004 Ryan Veale (Avg: 3.24 Review) - 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.

10/31/2004 Brian McLean (Avg: 3.35 Review) - 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.

10/01/2004 Claudia Rabago (Avg: 4.92 Review) - 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!!

09/17/2004 Trevor Long (Avg: 2.83 Review) - 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".

08/08/2004 Seth Bareiss (Avg: 3.00 Review) - 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.

08/02/2004 Ron Olson (Avg: 2.90 Review) - 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.

08/01/2004 Bottom Feeder (Avg: 3.47 Review) - 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.

07/31/2004 Ken Young (Avg: 4.35 Review) - 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!

07/26/2004 Buckwana (Avg: 4.14 Review) - 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.

07/12/2004 Don (Avg: 4.16 Review) - 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.

07/11/2004 Sarah (Avg: 3.60 Review) - 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!

06/11/2004 Anonymous (Avg: 4.05 Review) - Clear clean waters, easy currents in tide pool, excellent sea life, somewhat rocky shore.

08/16/2003 Jeff 2 (Avg: 3.41 Review) - 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.

08/11/2003 Bob Yetman (Avg: 3.02 Review) - 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.

07/20/2003 Uli Egert (Avg: 2.69 Review) - 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.

07/16/2003 Buckwana (Avg: 3.93 Review) - 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.

06/16/2003 Tonja Moore (Avg: 2.23 Review) - 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.

05/24/2003 Jake Nelson (Avg: 3.42 Review) - 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!

04/22/2003 Jennifer Tallman (Avg: 3.95 Review) - 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!

10/07/2002 Stephen Porter (Avg: 3.38 Review) - 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.

09/05/2002 Dave 1 (Avg: 2.70 Review) - 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.

07/28/2002 Bill Stohler (Avg: 3.36 Review) - 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.

06/03/2002 Ericed (Avg: 4.21 Review) - 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.

01/05/2002 LittleTom (Avg: 2.14 Review) - 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.

12/10/2001 Neil Lake (Avg: 3.28 Review) - 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.

07/26/2001 Luke VanValkenburg (Avg: 2.74 Review) - 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.

06/28/2001 Mark Roberts (Avg: 4.45 Review) - 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.

05/20/2001 Chris Wunsch (Avg: 3.40 Review) - 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.

05/12/2001 Scubadude (Avg: 3.35 Review) - 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.

05/08/2001 Brian Wolf (Avg: 3.38 Review) - 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.

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