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

11/08/2008 Bugaball (Avg: 3.76 Review) - Great place, easy access. There is a nice cave off to the left of the cove, where we were told sometimes there is a reef shark in the cave in the morning- didn't see it. The cave is a safe and easy entry/exit. Easy navigation, nice reef, easy water entry and exit. Some snorkelers when we took of, and two other divers. Good fun.

12/21/2007 Brian Xavier (Avg: 4.32 Review) - Great dive. Easy entry with great vis. Park in the lot next to the cove and go through the rocky surf straight out into the cove. Dove to 40 feet and very nice dive. No people around except a few snorkelers.

12/18/2007 Sarah Kneisel (Avg: 3.16 Review) - We dove this sight a couple times during really high surf. Entry was no problem as we could wait for a period of low surf but I got really banged up upon exit (bruises - no blood). The rough surf contributed to poor visibility, but I could tell it would have been a great site during low surf. There are great caverns and little caves. We saw a few morays and lots of fish. Definitely worth trying when the conditions are right.

08/15/2007 Anonymous (Avg: 3.50 Review) - Entry a little tricky, so just go slow. Nice cave off to left with sleeping turtles and other creatures in little crevices. After looking at the cave, you can follow the reef to the left or swim straight out over the sand to a second reef.

08/12/2007 Steve Porter (Avg: 4.72 Review) - This was the last dive I got to do with my father when he was visiting in Feb 2006 (he passed away on 06-04-07 and will be missed). It was a super duper easy entry, navigation was a snap, and heard whales…and they were close. Vis was about 80 ft due to that 40 days of rain we'll never forget. Saw a manta ray, and LOTS of crabs!!!! Not too sure if they are protected in this area. If you don't do this one while on the Big Island, you're robbing yourself!

07/01/2007 Maria (Avg: 4.80 Review) - Dove here on 6.27.2007. What can I say… THE BEST shore dive I ever had, and very few boat dives I have had can beat it! Great everything: access, entry, visibility, coral, underwater relief. There was a very curious dwarf moray :), brittle stars, octocoral and nudibranches in the lava tubes to the left! Turtles! Also saw a lagoon triggerfish (humuhumu-like but with bright blue stripes) for the first time. Had to face an offshore current on the way back but not too bad. There is an extremely convenient place to gear up right where the guard rail and trail head meet (someone installed a kind of shelf there :)

06/09/2006 Pam O (Avg: 3.73 Review) - Great dive if staying in Kailua-Kona. Good parking on either side. There are shower facilities for after the dive. Short walk down to the entry, rocky but easy to navigate to the water. Easy in and short snorkel. Nice reefs, caves, and lava tubes. Abundant fish life. Locals in the area say there are three caves with sharks and guarding them, but we did not find the sharks.

06/01/2006 Scooter Schneider (Avg: 3.85 Review) - This was my first dive at Mile Marker 4. There was a good surge and wave action and, although I had no problem, the wife was getting beat up a little. Once in, it's a wonderful dive with lots of swim throughs and caverns after you go around the point to the left. We saw several Lizardfish and turtles. Viz was a bit poor until we went around the point to deeper water and then it was good. There were surfers to the right and I thought it might be fun to grab an ankle. Next time ;)

12/15/2005 Chad Gordon (Avg: 3.98 Review) - Nice dive with easy shore entry. Had fun with 2 eagle rays and saw numerous turtles. Good dive to do as a second one in a day. Head out to the left and there are plenty of lava tubes to swim through.

08/17/2005 Joanne Evans (Avg: 3.94 Review) - This was our last dive on the Big Island before we had to come home. What a way to end our vacation! This was a great dive with the lava tubes and the turtles and fish. But I did not like the entry as it was very rocky and I was nervous about all the black Sea Urchins. There is parking on the right hand side (free) right next to the beach.

08/21/2004 Bill Benton (Avg: 3.13 Review) - Nice easy dive, short walk from parking. Good area for multiple dives. Best in the morning.

03/19/2004 Chuck Knauf (Avg: 3.38 Review) - I always dive this site while visiting Kona. Nothing to add to the other reviews. HOWEVER...Between Nov. '03 and Mar. '04, the handy wall to gear up on has grown. Land owner next to the site raised the gear-up wall to about 5 or 6 feet. We have to gear up the hard way now. *sigh*

03/19/2004 Rick Inman (Avg: 3.11 Review) - There is a nice lava tube swim through here, some interesting structure and a few pukas, and the location makes this a quick easy dive if you're staying in town, but otherwise I would drive to better sites. I wanted to make a night dive here, but never got to. I lost my knife here rolling in on the rocks, so if you found it, enjoy!

11/17/2003 Mark Wilson (Avg: 3.65 Review) - Great site. It was our first dive in Hawaii. The Lava Tube was interesting with plenty of life. The surge however was a bit tiring. Overall, This was a very easy place for beginners.

09/25/2003 Eric Crawford (Avg: 3.25 Review) - This is great site, especially if staying in Kona. The parking, entry, and surface swim is a breeze. The dive is definitely a shallower one, with max depth of about 35 feet. The lava tube/s we found were great with a couple turtles feasting in the back of them. There is great coral growth with lots of fish and easy navigation. I would really recommend doing this dive once during the day then again at night. I think the coral formations and the easy access would make for a great night dive.

01/22/2003 Barry Fackler (Avg: 4.31 Review) - A great dive site in the summer but a hit-or-miss proposition in the winter when NW swells drive the surf right into this little cove. In Summer 2002, a parking lot was added just north of this site by the county. You can gear up in this lot and walk down a narrow path to the entry. This is nice because parking is limited along the wall on Ali'i Drive. An added bonus is the shower & toilets @ the north end of the lot (for adjacent Magic Sands Beach Park). Once in the water, the best variety of terrain is to the left (south). There is a series of lava tubes, canyons, and caverns in this direction. Outstanding variety of tropical reef fish here. Saw 6 Green Sea Turtles on a single dive in this area. Lots of Whitemouth, Undulated, & Yellowmargin Morays. You can stay shallow & explore the reef tops or go 40 to 60' and check out the canyons. In a couple of caverns you can see uncommon Wavy Cave Sponges on the wall. This is a good place to find mollusks like Tiger Cowries, Leopard Cones, Triton's Trumpets & Day Octopi. Heading straight out can also be a good dive. In the shallows you can spot Lagoon Triggerfish and Dragon Wrasse. In around 20', my wife & I once saw 2 White-tip Reef Sharks tucked under a ledge. Further out, on the sand flats I've seen big Horned Helmet shells, Kona Crabs, and Blackside Razorfish that dive headfirst into the sand when you approach. Bluefin Trevally patrol out here also. The sand flats are also home to a couple colonies of Antler Coral each standing around 3 feet above the otherwise featureless terrain. When exiting the water, it's best to wait for any sets to pass. The bottom is really rocky and uneven and just a relatively small wave can knock you over. Likewise, the path that leads up to Ali'i Drive is strewn with loose coral rock that can easily make you lose your footing.

08/06/2002 Kim (Avg: 3.76 Review) - This is a great spot - always stay in Kona, so its a convenient place to dive. Did a night dive here this trip - very cool! Saw a very large crab, many smaller crab, shrimp everywhere, slipper lobster - the differences between day and night are amazing.

08/04/2002 Bill Stohler (Avg: 2.78 Review) - When the surf's down, this is a pretty easy and nice dive. It's just 5 minutes South of Kona town, and there are a few parking spots along the guard rail. The beach is comprised of well-rounded rocks, so watch your footing. On my second time there, we were out swimming out over the sand flats in about 60 feet, and saw a manta ray resting on the bottom. Good reef, and topography. Good beginner to intermediate diving, or if you just want something close to town.

07/18/2002 Mike Dinmore (Avg: 3.56 Review) - I enjoy this site. Good site for the novice and intermediate diver. Nothing advanced about the area, so don't pack your twin 80's. Beautiful cave out and to the left of the bay. Keep your eyes open for blackside razor fish while in the sand patches.

04/17/2002 Jon Knight (Avg: 3.78 Review) - This is a great stand-by site. Be careful of the entry and exit. Take your time. Very nice cave to the left and some surprising activity straight out from shore on small coral beds at 40'. I've found some interesting things out there. Haven't dove here at night yet, but I've heard it's good. With a chance of coming face to face with the caves evening resident.

01/23/2002 Rob (Avg: 4.16 Review) - This is a fun spot, been there about 20 times, never gets tiring. The wall along the road is great for gearing up. Sometimes you see other divers, but normally it just snorkelers. It's a quick trip to get tanks filled too. The tubes are fun, and sometimes there are turtles in the tubes. Try going around the other way (north) it's shallow, and gets a bit surgy, but I've seen more turtles on this side.

09/10/2001 Jim Goodenough (Avg: 3.59 Review) - I love this dive. The wall along the road is the perfect height to rest your tank when gearing up. The entry is tough since there are waves and slippery rocks. Love the lava tubes and turtles.

07/16/2001 Nydia White (Avg: 3.54 Review) - Fairly easy site. Watch the wave action. The entry/exit is challenging if the surf is up. The site is pretty shallow for quite a while and if there is a lot of surge you need to be careful about getting "high-sided". Very convenient area with the wall along the road to gear up. Easy access from the road to the shoreline. This site has a lot to offer and you will not see everything in one dive. I loved the channels and exploring down each one. This dive can easily be done while staying relatively shallow. Good for any experience level. Watch your air...it's easy to get pretty far away from the entry without realizing it. Save enough air to get all the way back.

06/03/2001 Roger Johnson (Avg: 3.56 Review) - Having done at least 500 dives at this site in the past 20 years, I have to say it's getting better with age. Manta's, Eagle Rays, Octopus, lots of Green Sea Turtles. Night dives with White Tips guarding the opening of the lava tube, what a thrill! Take a u/w scooter and see a beautiful reef at 80 ft. It's loaded with fish.

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Diver Averages for  Mile Marker 4  (1=worst, 5=best)