My keiki has come here for swim lessons for several months and absolutely loves it. Coach Conrad is…read moreso great with her and very encouraging and makes sure she understands the concept before moving on. I've briefly seen him teach other swimmers before/after her and he is great with all ages.

Kapolei Aquatic Center is newly opened and offers a whole lot!…read more A division of American Renaissance Academy, Kapolei Aquatic Center is more than a dive shop. Don't get me wrong, they have tons of dive gear and will help you find the right gear for what you do and will help you get the right fit, but they also have a huge retail space. It's not crowded and it's easy to see everything. It makes it super comfortable and easy to take your time. They also offer swimming lessons for the super young through adult. And if you want to take a dive class, they offer both technical and recreational classes. The pool is on site too. The parking lot is huge. GPS takes you to the wrong side of the building, so take the road down to Midway and turn from that side. Enter in the first entryway-the others are blocked off.

I highly recommend Kraken Marine Divers if you're in Oahu looking to get your scuba diving…read morecertification or even just looking for a dive master to go scuba diving with. Matt was very knowledgeable, patient, and focused on safety throughout the 3 days and 5 dives that it took me to complete my open water scuba diver certification, which I appreciated very much. He could tell when I was anxious and provided the support I needed to complete all my skills. If I vacation in Hawaii again, I will definitely be reaching out to Matt to dive again.

I'm a very experienced retired scuba instructor although I had not dived in a number of years and…read morewanted to dive in Hawaii. I contacted the concierge at our hotel for a recommendation for a scuba diving operation and they recommended Matt at Kraken Divers. I contacted Matt, he responded promptly and we scheduled two days of diving. He offered to supply all necessary equipment but I preferred to bring my own and he supplied tanks and weights. He is a consummate professional. I asked him to observe me and make sure that I made no mistakes, and he did. We did a one tank beach dive and a two tank boat dive. He gave terrific and thorough safety and site briefings on all three dives. I have no hesitation in giving him a five star recommendation. And, believe me, as a multi agency instructor myself, he skipped nothing. I would happily dive with him anytime.

It was a very delightful sunset sail! The captains and the…read morerest of the crew were so wonderful! The food and drinks were delish! We spotted a family of dolphins along the way. We had a great time!

Our family had a great time sailing and snorkeling. Jake and the rest of the crew were so friendly…read more The food and drinks were delicious. We bought the fish food and it was worth it. We saw lots of fish and pods of dolphins.

When it was time to upgrade my short fins and diving mask that I literally found on the beach -…read moreWestside Dive & Tackle was the spot I decided to go to. I walked into a few other surf and snorkel spots but they mostly carried short fins. I went with the Leaderfins which are the most affordable carbon fins. The fins do come separately from the foot pocket, so I also got their forza foot pockets. They do offer a service where they put together your fins and foot pockets but only certain people are trained on that, so I did have to pick it up just a few days later- and that service is $30. I also got a pair of diving socks to go with my fins. They have different sizes, thicknesses, and cuts (high vs low). I also got a new diving mask and snorkel. The best thing about going to a dive shop is the ability to try things on and Westside Dive has so many different options. Being able to put on the foot pockets with the diving socks or even just trying on a few different masks to find the one that best fits your face is why it's better to come in person than buying online. The service was also super friendly. I was making some big purchases, so I wanted to make sure that each component was exactly right and the staff here was helpful and overall super chill. We talked story for a bit, exchanged where we like to go diving and even some fish recipes. If you're looking for diving gear, support local and check out Westside Dive!

KAYDENZE is the man! Love this shop! Always helps out! Thanks for setting up my bf pathosread more

My family and I did a day of Rainbow Reef while we stayed at Aulani. It was cool that the resort…read morehas its own manmade reef with local fish for people to swim with and see. We went in July and we paid $30 each for the day of rainbow reef. Once you pay, you can come and go throughout the open hours (10am-3pm). You don't need a specific time slot. You go to the booth and they give you equipment to use (snorkel mask, breathing tube, and life vest). You then shower off and head into the reef. The water of the reef is 76 degrees, which actually felt pretty chilly, but you get used to the temperature pretty quickly. I did notice a lot of kiddos didn't want to go in because it was too cold for them. My niece was crying because of the cold, but the employees all went over and beyond to make her feel comfortable and help her. She ended up doing a lap in the reef and then heading to the jacuzzi lol The rainbow reef was cool, but we felt that $30 each for the day was pretty pricy. We only swam once and felt like we checked the box.

This is an awesome experience if you want to swim with the fish, but stay away from the sand at the…read morebeach... Not that I think most people coming here would want to stay away from the sand, but then again there are some who may want to. Or even if you're not afraid of the sand and you don't mind to get Sandy... This is still a great place to go because it's a small controlled environment where children of all ages can essentially get in the water and they are able to get right up close to the fish and have a great experience seeing all kinds of wonderful tropical fish. There's no need to swim and the experience is fantastic! My kids and wife and I really enjoyed it and we paid for the full experience for the entire length of our stay which means you can go each day during the hours that the location is open for as long as you want to stay! There is also an option to feed the fish and we did that one day of our stay too!

I took my 11 year old son to get his OW and my 16 year old daughter to get her AOW. Kaleb is the…read moreowner and was so helpful with coordinating our dive dates as a family. I was able to join the dives as a certified diver. Ed was the kids instructor and we all enjoyed diving with him. He was very patient and clearly communicated the dive lesson skills and goals for each dive. Our boat diver was Captain Demitri (Capt. D) and he was another fantastic person that made my kids have an awesome dive experience. A+ for all of these guys at Hawaiian Diving Adventures for there excellent customer service! You dont need to go anywhere else for any of your diving needs.

Callum is an awesome coach and trainer first time with my husband and daughter scuba diving…read moreadventure!! Since it's been 12-15 years since my last dive, I truly appreciate Callum's simple/clear instruction. He gave us all confidence before even that first dive; a terrific experience, for sure. The whole team was careful and appropriate for planning the best time for a dive, given the recent storms. Captain D is super friendly and drives the boat to areas that we could see dolphins- no one was in a hurry that we had to be back to the port, knowing that we wanted to see dolphins and maybe a whale off in the distance. Shannon M from Ashland, OR

We had such an incredible experience with Dolphin Excursions in O'ahu! From start to finish, the…read moreentire crew was friendly, professional, and clearly passionate about what they do. They made everyone feel comfortable and excited before we even got in the water. Seeing dolphins in their natural habitat was absolutely unforgettable. The guides were knowledgeable and respectful of the animals, which made the experience feel even more special and responsible. We never felt rushed, and they made sure everyone had a chance to enjoy the moment. The boat was clean, well-organized, and the overall vibe was fun and relaxed. They also pointed out other marine life along the way, which was such a bonus. If you're visiting O'ahu, this is a must-do experience. It was easily one of the highlights of our trip, and we would do it again in a heartbeat!

Excellent day with Dolphin Excursions! We swam with turtles, pilot whales and spotted dolphins. The…read moreall female crew were professional marine biologists who explained the marine life and safety precautions. They went out of their way to take care of our every need/want. Strongly recommend an excursion with them!

I like to find an adventurous thing to do for each decade of my birthday. In my 20's it was…read moreskydiving, and my 30's, it's shark diving. I had such a fun experience with Ocean Outfitters! We lucked out with perfect wind, water, and sky conditions, which made the whole trip incredible. The ride out was 10-15 min? Getting into the water was easy. Water was great! Though there weren't many, we did manage to dive next to a Galapagos shark, a jellyfish, turtle, and eagle ray (this guy was in port tho). Lilly and the entire team were so helpful and accommodating the whole time. They were fantastic about answering all of our questions and really made the process of getting in and out of the boat less stressful. I will say: you will need to have decent strength to hoist yourself out of the water from a small solo step on the boat (they help but keep in mind for my fellow limited bodied folks). On windier conditions, you will have to be a decent swimmer, too. So those not familiar with the ocean, practice at like Waikiki or hanauma bay first. We had someone swallow water on our boat and we had calmer conditions, too. I honestly wish we could have been in the water for longer, but I'm just looking at it as a great excuse to book another trip and head out again! My favorite part was actually the ride back in: the crew picked up some speed and took some fun turns, which I really enjoyed. Everything was set up to be convenient, too. They provided all the snorkel gear, including flippers and masks, and there is a cubby under the seat to keep your items safe, dry, and out of the way. Parking is readily available, so you don't have to worry about that. Just a heads up on the media side of things: they do offer professional photo packages, which run about $80 to $100. You are allowed to bring your own GoPro, but they are pretty specific about which models you can bring due to concerns about radio wave interference, so it's worth double-checking with them beforehand. Overall, it was a fantastic day out on the water with a good crew.

We had an epic time exploring and seeing different kinds of sharks…read more We felt safe the entire time. We got the help we needed when our hears needed replacement. We had floats until we were comfortable enough to let go. Crew was fantastic! They offer photos and videos with sharks to purchase.

One of my pledges this year is complete more reviews of dive sites and dive shops I've used or…read morevisited. I'm a current member of the Sea Lancers Dive Club (SLDC). Located on the Hickam side of Joint Base Pearl Harbor/Hickam, They are the oldest military diving club, started some 75 years ago in 1958. SLDC offers a number of services, including equipment rentals, air tank visual inspections, hydrostatic testing (referred out), and self-service air tank refills. SLDC will also organize of number of club dinners and dives throughout the year. The self-service tank refill stations are available 24/7 to club members. Once you get the hang of it, it takes less than 30 minutes to do it yourself, perfect for the serious dive hobbyist! Membership dues are currently $25/mo or an annual membership for $275. They are slightly out of the way, but I have been a member of other more convenient dive clubs that have turned out to be disappointing, mostly in air tank refills not being filled in a timely manner or not up to full pressure. Will repeat and recommend if you have base access!

If you actively scuba dive and have base access this is the perfect place to rent gear, meet…read moredivers, and get clean air refills.

Wonderful people and great experience. Highly recommend! The wife and I took an evening to…read moreourselves on our family vacation and decided on Ocean Joy's Sunset cruise, which included snorkeling, a dinner buffet, and a sunset view on the ocean. It was the highlight of our trip. The view of both the island and the sunset were spectacular. The food was great. And the snorkeling was top notch. We were pleasantly surprised to see the flying fish and were even blessed with a brief visit by some dolphins on our return to shore. We've had mixed experiences in the past with these sort of outings, but we left with nothing but goodness from this one.

Excellent it was a very fun experience The boat was…read moreaccommodating. The staff was friendly and overall a very pleasant experience with the adults and kids.