I had an absolutely incredible experience with Gabe! Starting with VIP service getting picked up and dropped back off at my hostel, to phenomenal service on the boat, and doing two great dives. We dove Sea Tiger wreck and turtle canyon, both beautiful sites with tons to see. Gabe was very knowledgeable about the sites and all of the sea life. He knew where everything was hiding and exactly how to find it. I also felt very comfortable and safe diving with Gabe as my fearless leader. I can only hope to make it back to dive with them again some day! Super cool people and I highly recommend! MAHALO read more

I've been FOKD'ed! WOO! Never in a million years have I thought that I'd be swimming in the ocean with various sea life. On a spontaneous impromptu trip to Hawaii, my friend suggested scuba certification. I'm a terrible swimmer. I get too anxious. I'm a little claustrophobic. Have you worn a wetsuit? Constricting! You name it. I've tried using pretty much all the excuses I could think of to avoid it. With some coaxing and delusional bravery mustered up by a split bottle of Malbec, I called Gabe and signed up for the 3 day PADI certification. I had read reviews about local diving companies being unable to accept credit cards and not having an office space. Neither held to be true for Kaimana Divers. We were quite surprised to meet Gabe in his office, our pockets laden with unnecessary cash. I told Gabe I was afraid of my mask filling up with water like it did with snorkeling. He went through the motions of clearing the mask and assured me that I had nothing to worry about. However, my anxiety still managed to keep me from sleeping the night before the first pool session and the stress physically manifested as ugly red marks on my face. The next day, we met Drew. Very easy on the eyes. Apparently, this is how my recent ginger fever has spawned. Anyway, Drew had us practice underwater techniques for the rest of the day. Minus a minor snafu of accidentally placing a regulator upside down and swallowing a bunch of chlorinated water while madly dashing to the surface, I made it through day 1. The incident in combination with my initial apprehension had me believing that I wouldn't make it to the next four open water dives. However, we were thoroughly briefed on what we were to expect and I felt my comfort level rising with the completion of each dive. It doesn't hurt to add that Drew is super relaxed. His voice is vaguely reminiscent of Squirt's dad in Finding Nemo. On day 3, we were finally Open Water certified. I saw a whole bunch of amazing sea life up close such as turtles, harlequin shrimp, a spotted eagle ray, moorish idols, coronet fish and black tip reef sharks. Being my usual silly self, I was most excited about the moorish idol (Gil from Finding Nemo!) Now I'm going a little crazy scheduling dive trips for the upcoming year and trying to get comfortable in the water so that I can go back and get my Advanced certification through Kaimana Divers. Join FOKD (Friends of Kaimana Divers) on Facebook. Gabe frequently updates the page with photos and upcoming dives that will make you want to book your trip back. Also, nearly a month after coming back to the mainland, I messaged Drew and he was helpful in offering his suggestions for dive gear. Why book with any other company? read more

IF I COULD GIVE 6 STARS I WOULD... Arrived in Honolulu on a weeks vacation with my wife, and called a bunch of Dive centers i found on google, (totally forgot to even think about checking Yelp first) Gabe from Kaimana Divers was the first to call me back promptly, (nobody else actually did) but I was on the beach so he left a Voicemail with some information, then followed up with an email to make sure I got the message. The following day Gabe picked us up at our hotel and we arrived at his dive shop for a intro dive booked for my wife, and a 2 tank dive for myself. After a PADI intro dive video session, and getting the gear together, its a very short ride to the dock where the dive boat picks up. Its a great dive boat, that fits at least 12 divers, however on this day we were only a small group which they normally specialize in I believe. Gabe the instructor and one of the owners of Kaimana Divers took really good care of my wife, even though she proved to be very hesitant to breathing through her mouth, instead of her nose, and he paid closed attention to this and made it fun and exciting and after a few attempts she finally got somewhat comfortable and managed her 2 ocean intro dives, which she loved. For myself, i got 2 great dives at 2 different spots, saw some great marine life, including turtles and plenty of colorful reef fish. Additional bonus to be able to go out on the same dive boat with my wife who isn't certified (yet) Gabe and the Kaimana Divers crew are super professional and nice, they make you feel part of their Kaimana Divers family and we had such a great experience diving with them. They pay close attention to the safety, with thorough safety briefings for the dives , including boat safety from the captain etc, which makes u feel really secure and easy. If your looking for a great small dive center with a super friendly, fun and professional crew, this is the place. I wish i would have read the great Yelp reviews before I found them (I wouldn't have called anyone else), as I just read about them here after I decided I had to post something. As a former small business owner, this is as good as it gets and what its all about... Friendly, personal and a fun experience. (I actually booked a second 2 tank dive at the Sea Tiger wreck a few days later with them as well, which was phenomenal) Can't wait to come back to Hawaii and dive with them again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more

I've been meaning to write a review on my first scuba diving experience. We got some kind of group package deal to train and do 2 dives with all gear rental included for about $125 each. Not bad considering each dive lasts roughly 40-45 minutes. You are required to sign some kind of liability release form and some medical question-are. You can't have any kind of breathing issues/sickness if you plan on diving and need to be in pretty good shape. After reviewing all these forms and then watching the video which warns that you could potentially "die" if you don't follow correct depressurization while descending... you get a little bit nervous. The videos do an OK job at giving you some basic information, but you won't really understand this stuff unless you learn with the actual gear on. Once we got out we had to get fitted for weights and the boat needed to be prepared. This took a while but I liked how they never rushed the whole process, and were patient with you. Once on the boat, they have a dry area where you can store your baggage. There seemed to be just enough room for the six of us to fit with the diving instructors and crew. Damn, I don't even remember the names of our instructors but they were both great. Once you plunge into the water and begin descending, they make sure you get down safely and slowly. This is the most critical part of diving; the initial descent. They teach you a couple of important techniques for doing this, and understand not to rush you down and you will use underwater hand signals to communicate in the process. I believe we descended roughly 40 ft. the first time and it was so awesome once you make it down. It is truly another world down there, I won't try and describe it with words. Once back up, they had cheese it snacks and some sodas and water. Cheese its are good to dry your mouth out a bit. The second dive was incredible because I was shown a humongous sea turtle that seemed to be hibernating inside a coral cave at the sea bottom. We got to glide alongside some sea turtles; very cool. My instructor was good at schooling me on proper diving swim technique and trying to level myself. I couldn't seem to stay as flat as I wanted to, but tried my best to iron that out. The second time down was much easier than the 1st but this time we went down roughly 30 ft. I believe. Once up, the captain had cut us some fresh pineapple! I guess they took the tip from the previous reviewer. Overall, it was a safe and great first experience diving. Everyone enjoyed it for the most part and I'm glad I was able go scuba dive for the first time. Oahu is a great place for first time scuba divers and it's comforting to know there are small businesses like this that are helping travelers get that experience. read more

Gabe of Kaimana Divers is a total rock star. My husband and I did our Advanced Open Water and Nitrox Certifications with him. Throughout the entire process he was patient, thorough, and knowledgeable. We also did several fun dives with him and he showed us amazing wrecks and incredible reefs. (We also saw a bunch of turtles, amazing fish, white tipped shark, eel, and rays.) Gabe gave each of us his personal attention. I felt better diving with him than other big businesses where I'm just a number. read more

I went on a introductory dive which we had 4 total people. The instructor was very friendly and was great at providing us the instructions for the dive. I would dive with them again but I do have a few recommendations for improvement. It would be nice if the instructor had looked back at the crew a bit more because there were a few times I didn't feel ready to keep moving forward. If she looked back, she might have noticed and not kept going. There really isn't a way to communicate with sound as we are underwater so it got a bit scary at certain moments. I've went scuba diving in Mexico before, and the instructors had brought with them a tiny metal pipe or some sort where they would bang it against their tank underwater so that the crew knew where the instructor was and which direction they were going. Other than that, the other recommendation is that because the fee we paid are so expensive, it would be very nice to have memories of that. If they would had got a gopro or underwater camera for their business, and then take pictures for us. This would make the service much better. The footage would also be very easy to provide to customers as everything can just be sent by email nowadays. So, remember to bring your gopro if you're diving with them, for now at least. read more

3.5 - 4 stars! Gabe is the heart of the company. If i could dive with anyone from Kaimana Divers, I'd chose Gabe in a heartbeat. No offense to the other dive masters, but Gabe rocks. (My boyfriend also says, Don't forget about cool Drew!) What we love most about Gabe is his keen eye at instruction. He would give us helpful tips and hints at how to make our diving experience better, how to better work with our gear and whatnot. Thanks for the great time, Gabe! See you next time I'm on the island! read more

My wife and I have been Scuba Diving in at least 4 different countries in addition to the US and Mexico since 2006. Kaimana Divers stands out as the most straightforward, safe, and reliable. Both Instructors (Denise and Nick)on 2 different days were excellent: the perfect balance between fun and laid back tempered with experience, reliability and responsibility. At crowded dive sites they made it feel as if there were far fewer other divers and found stuff to see that I know I would have missed with prior dive masters. Gabe was also very easy to work with in scheduling, and helped me recover my GoPro after forgetting it in the ship's camera bucket without any interruptions to our vacation... Huge Points! Both my wife and I who are Advanced Open Water, as well as my son who has just been certified 1 year, and all felt great about the dives. Boat Captains were also super capable and got us right on top of the sites without a hitch (Thanks Eric and Captain Krash). Highest Recommendation. read more

In May, 2011 my wife and I met a diving buddy in Hawaii for a diving vacation. First on our agenda was to call Gabe at Kaimana Divers (808-772-1795) to set us up with some great diving. We lined up the 10-dive package with him and got our gear ready. On 05/16/11 we met Gabe at the dive boat in the downtown Honolulu area. The dive boat was a catamaran style and is very stable in the water. Gabe brought our tanks and weights and even had a wetsuit for my wife. The wreck we dove was the "Sea Tiger", and our maximum depth was around 100'. It's a very short ride out from the harbor - like 10 minutes. The wreck is fantastic! There is lots of sea life ranging from huge, resident turtles to tiny nudibranchs. We swam through a few passageways including the pilot house. Our second dive was on the Kewalo Pipe and Horseshoe reef. Gabe knows his way around these sites like a New York Cabbie knows the streets of Manhattan. He found whatever critters we told him we were interested in. I think our favorite was the octopus he convinced to come out and pose for some pictures. The second day we met Gabe up the leeward coast in the Waiane Small Boat Harbor to dive from the dive boat "The Beach". The captain and crew were amazing - friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, funny, and they brought sandwiches for everyone! The dive site was the wreck of the "Mahi" and again a pretty short ride out (max depth of about 88 feet). Gabe told us that this was his favorite wreck and we quickly saw why. It's a fantastic wreck with lots of life. My personal highlight was getting two spotted eagle rays on video! After the wreck dive we hit Makaha Canyons, a nearby reef. There were arches, swim-throughs, caverns, crevices, and cracks here. What a fun site! The highlight for me was the 5-foot white tip reef shark we found. The third day we were back downtown to dive the Sea Tiger again. This time Drew was our guide and he did a fantastic job! Drew and Gabe both exhibit amazing diving skills and know their sites, the ecology, and history well. After the Sea Tiger we toured the Horseshoe Reef again, but this time covering different ground. Drew pointed out two very small Hawaiian Lion Fish hiding in coral. Fantastic! On day four we dove from the south side of the island to see the Corsair. This is one of my favorite dives ever. I dove the Corsair with Gabe in 2008 and have been dreaming of coming back. The dive was even better than my dreams! Gabe arranged a small boat to take his group of 5 divers to the Corsair - we had the entire dive site to ourselves! The site is relatively deep at 106 feet, so our time was short. Having just us on the dive site gave us ample time to get pictures and videos. This is a magical site! After the Corsair we went to nearby Keano Reef, also known as Schmiddy's Reef. This is a deeper reef at around 70 feet, and had lots of eels and octopuses. On our last day we left from the downtown area again with Drew and went to a double wreck site, the YO-257 and San Pedro. The wrecks lie just 50 yards apart so we were able to dive both in the same dive. Our maximum depth was 93' with lots of superstructure at shallower depths so we could really extend our dive time. After the wrecks we dove Turtle Canyon, which is very appropriately named. There were turtles everywhere, from small to very large. A few boats full of snorkelers had tied up on the shallow end of the reef so they too cold see the turtles that came up for a breath. The snorkelers were not in our way though. After our last of the 10 dive package we knew we weren't done! We booked another day with Gabe. We had one final, glorious dive with the Sea tiger where Gabe found a huge frog fish hanging upside down. We took lots of pictures and shot some video of this fantastic fish. Gabe knew we had been to Horseshoe a few times already, so he asked the captain if we could check out nautilus Reef instead. I'm so glad we did! There were four octopuses on that dive, plus two small white tip sharks (among lots of other awesome critters). Gabe and Drew are fantastic divers, great leaders, tons of fun to be around, and the epitome of professionals. We can't wait to get back to Oahu and dive with these guys again! Contact him at: Gabe Scotti (808) 772 1795 www.waikikiscuba.com read more

You can't get any better then this dive operation. Extremely knowledgeable staff, dive masters and instructors. The boat is in excellent condition and you are not on a cattle boat. It is spacious, fun atmosphere, divers are paired with another diver of similar ability. Divers are screened to determine their experience level to determine deep or shallower dive. Equipment is in excellent condition, not torn, worn out, rusted, etc. You get to dive the length of your tank not until the first person has to go up. If you want a real operation this is it. the others are scary. (and have dove most of them) they offer snacks and beverages at no cost. But do leave a tip for the staff of boat & dive company. They do a lot of work behind the scenes to make us have a great trip! Whale watching charter is fun too! If you like night you will love the pelagic dive. drop down into the dark water about 3 miles off shore and see all of the critters from the deep come up. So amazing! Like something from Biology classes! Also they have a dive club, and it isn't your typical pay your money and get nothing out of it. There are all sorts of functions, reduced price on dives, BBQ, cleanups, etc... PS...Someone posted about checking the filtered reviews. Many times those are there because they generally do not have a posting history or have long periods of time of not posting. With this company, all I found were 5 star reviews. PSS...They deserve 10 stars! read more

After reading all the reviews on Yelp I settled on this shop for our dives. I emailed Gabe the week prior and he was very quick with his replies. I called him once on the island and he was kind enough to wait for us at the shop until after his closing time so we could discuss our dive plans. We settled on doing an easier shallow dive the first day and if everything went well to try a wreck dive on day two. The first day went great with Jared as our divemaster. Saw lots of turtles, some reef sharks, and a wide variety of fish. Unfortunately, do to the distance of our hotel to the dive boat we couldn't make the 7a wreck dive and Gabe completely understood. We would definitely dive with them again and look forward to our next trip! read more

I am about the most uncoordinated person ever. The ocean + unfamiliar scuba gear + swimming + me = disaster waiting to happen. But it was my bf's first trip to Hawaii, and I decided the an intro scuba dive for the both of us was a must-try. Enter center stage: Kaimana Divers. Gabe and his crew are pretty awesome. They made the entire process of scheduling a dive as painless as possible - I pretty much contacted them last minute, and Gabe was able to fit us into his schedule without a problem. On the day of our dive, we filled out the requisite paperwork, watched a short video, got fitted for gear, and off we went with our instructor, Michael. We shared a boat with a few other dive companies and divers of all levels, but it wasn't crowded and everyone was super nice and welcoming. Michael rocks! Super chill, down to earth, and patient with questions. He took the time to explain everything thoroughly and never made us feel stupid or silly for being nervous. It was clear he has a passion for diving, and it was exciting to share his enthusiasm. For those considering doing an intro dive, I would highly recommend a 2-tank dive. The first dive you will be floundering around just trying to figure out wtf is going on, how to breathe under water, and trying not to look too moronic. The second dive is when you will actually start enjoying yourself, looking around, and taking in everything around you. Also for those who get motion sick - don't worry about the actual diving. I am about the most sensitive person I know... I get motion sick just snorkeling or even driving in my own car. But I was fine during scuba. I think it's just much calmer further down in the water. Diving is amazing. My bf is all excited about getting certified now, and I would love to as well! Thanks, Kaimana for introducing us to this whole new world of diving. If we ever come back to Hawaii (soon I hope!), we will definitely contact you guys for more dive trips. Thanks again! read more

Diving with Kaimana Divers was a great experience! I contacted Gabe on somewhat short notice, and he was able to fit me in for two days of diving, which I greatly appreciated. The DM's are very knowledgeable, they made me feel welcome and safe on each dive. We saw a variety of sea life and the DM's were great at pointing out things to the group that we may have otherwise missed. My favorite dive site we visited was Turtle Canyon where we had the opportunity to dive with several giant sea turtles. Kaimana Divers came highly recommended on ScubaBoard and I can see why, when I return to O'ahu there is no question that I will dive with Kaimana divers! read more

Hands down, the best dive crew on Oahu. We had the privilege of diving with Gabe and his crew for 6 months. Those dives and adventures with Kaimana are some of the best memories of my life. My husband, an experience diver, trusted Kaimana to open water certify me soon after we moved to Oahu. I had an amazing time learning how to dive. I felt safe at all times. Gabe hand picks the best instructors to take care of his customers, and safety is absolutely Kaimana's number one priority, followed closely by fun times, and excellent customer service! Gabe will definitely take care of you, and he works his a** off to keep Kaimana #1. A little more about how Kaimana views safety. You dive with a buddy at all times, and yes, you come up with your buddy, even if you personally have plenty of air left. That's the right way to dive, and the courteous way to dive. Instructors/dive masters check in with you periodically during the dives, to make sure you have enough air, and that you're doing ok. If the weather/ocean conditions/viz is sub parr in a certain area/dive spot, the boat will go where it's safest and best for the day. If you don't care about safety, and want to dive like an a-hole, go dive with another crew. If you want to dive safe, fun, and happy, Kaimana is the crew for you. Kaimana provides safe dives, but don't think that means the experience isn't epic, or that you won't have fun. I'm here to tell you, the dives and dive sites are fantastic. I've been on shallow and wreck dives with Kaimana. I've seen sharks, rays, octopi, nudibranchs, every kind of eel, amazing fish and corals, tons of beautiful honu, and even the endangered and rare monk seal. I even had the privilege of seeing bioluminescent creatures on a night dive with Kaimana. If you live on the island, or have an extended period of time to dive with Kaimana, join the dive club. Dives are cheaper, and you have access to special dives! Whether you dive for a day, or for the year with Kaimana, you'll be diving with a group of people who are some of the greatest folks on Earth. Though we no longer live on Oahu, Gabe and the crew will forever be our family. That's what happens when you dive with Kaimana. read more

Gabe runs a very professional operation. Above all, they aim for a safe and enjoyable experience. They're concerned with earning your repeat business, and they try very hard to give you quality and value. I've had a couple of really good dives with them, as well as a few mediocre ones. I would attribute the negative experiences to the company's growing pains. They've got a new boat that gives them a lot more freedom than when working with other owners. It's on the small side and not as comfortable as larger dive boats, but you can get used to it. I had two extraordinarily ungraceful entries that I blame on not having anything to grip when making my way to the platform for the "giant stride". At least I can laugh at myself, but I didn't feel confident at the time. My advice is to be absolutely sure that the charter you choose is at the right level and location for your tastes. The majority of dives I've taken with them have been townside to places like Nautilus Reef. If you want deep dives and wrecks, you need to speak up and make sure that the Kaimana team is on the "same page". Contact them early to get on the right dive. read more

Booked two days' worth of afternoon dives with Kaimana Divers last week. On the first day, my son couldn't descend due to his ear issues, despite the best efforts of our dive guide, Nick. Kudos to him for taking the time and trying to get him down. Nick also did a great job reviewing some diving basics with our group of fairly new divers before we got in the water. The second day, my son decided not to dive, since his ear was still bothering him. I did return and did two dives with Denise as the guide. She likewise did a great job preparing us and going over hand signals for what we might see on the dive. The dives were relaxed and Denise was very attentive to all of our group. I never felt unsafe, even though it was my deepest dive so far. She was also great at pointing out what wildlife there was to see. Kaimana Divers runs a great operation and booking via email with Gabe was super easy. All of the gear I rented was in great condition and they even set it all up. I would definitely dive with them again if I ever return to Oahu. read more

Gabe and his crew run the best dive service on Oahu. Excellent service and true aloha spirit. We have done dives with Kaimana Divers for several years and we will continue to come back. All dive charters go to the same wrecks and reefs. What sets one operator apart from another are experienced dive masters, commitment to safety and a team that enjoys sharing local knowledge of each dive site. Support good operators in our dive community. read more

I've come to Oahu for 15 years now to visit family, and done dives while I was there. I've gone with many different dive companies. Most experiences have been very good and Kaimana Divers stands out as one of the best; and they are totally competitive price wise too. Gabe operates the small company and I appreciate that he appreciates the local culture of the area. One of the positive values of Hawaii locals, is to do a very good job at what you do, don't get greedy, respect others. Gabe was both on spot with communication, gave thoughtful recommendations according to my experience level and interest, arrived as he mentioned +/- the grey factors, and was both friendly and professional. There were 4 individual divers (4 different hotels) which he picked up and we met the 5th at the marina. Gabe dropped us off, introduced us to Drew (another Kaimana employee) who would be our Dive Master for the 2 tank charter. Drew was very professional and friendly as well and he gave one of the more thorough yet concise tour/safety reviews I've experienced with a guided dive tour. He was thorough at checking gear and insuring we knew how to operate our gear. Several of us did not have gear with us, so we rented the full set from Kaimana. Kaimana does not have their own boat, but they rent from other companies. On our dive, the boat was a well kept catamaran. No real complaints. Snacks were prepackaged costco stuff with capri suns. If I had one complaint, it was that snacks did not consist of fresh cut Hawaiian pineapple (pineapple from Hawaii is the best in the world by far) and HawaiianSun/Aloha brand can juices; like I've had with other dive charters. But whatever. First dive was to the Sea Tiger (Waikiki) which I've been too several times before. Drew did not want us going deeper than the deck (90') which I didn't mind as that's where most stuff to see was anyways. On a previous experience I'd been to the floor and the extra 25' depth isn't worth the shorter bottom time. Our dive party was moderately experienced and we stayed together pretty well. Drew kept tabs on our air and pointed out various sea life and we got about 25 minutes. After about an 1 hour interval at the surface, we went to "Two Horseshoes" (40') and got about 40-45 minutes out of it. Again we stuck together and Drew kept tabs on our air. Sadly, the reefs around Oahu are pretty beat up. It's been this way ever since I started diving here over 15 years ago. But there's still some healthy coral, lots of fish, sea turtles, eels, etc. Towards the end of the dive, one of our party was getting low enough to need to ascend so Drew repaired our dive buddy assignments (using motions he had reviewed before the first dive) and escorted the low air individual to the ascension line; while the advanced diver in our group lead the path Drew indicated for us. After dropping off the ascending diver, Drew rejoined our group until the rest of us needed to ascend. Gabe picked us up at the marina and brought us for a quick stop at the Kaimana "office" where we could buy a tshirt etc and got to see the new tour Gabe was adding... something I definitely want to do next time I visit the islands (but can't mention here because it's not yet officially announced). I'm definitely coming back to Kaimana next visit to Oahu. read more

We decided to go out with Kaimana Divers as they had really good reviews and I had to see for myself if the 5 stars were earned (obviously they were!). I did my certification with Island Divers and had a really good experience there as well. We also gave Ocean Legends a try as we had a GroupOn and it wasn't the best experience. I won't go more into that in this review as I'm sure you came to read about KD and not other dive shops, but in my experience with the three, KD was definitely the best. My husband called Gabe (shop owner) to book and found Gabe extremely friendly and helpful. Also on the morning of our dive, Gabe texted us to confirm time and location. A little customer service really goes a long way! We showed up with a third friend, and the three of us met our dive master Alex. My husband has a few more dives under his belt that we do, but for the most part, we are all pretty new to the sport of SCUBA. Alex was immediately likeable and friendly - giving us an overview of what to expect and just making generally nice conversation and answering all my nosy questions. We did the afternoon charter with two shallow dives, so we were on a boat with another group. This was also our experience with Ocean Legends, and it was crowded and confusing. The boat we went out on with KD however was plenty large for everyone on board - there was a space to store our stuff (which we could easily access at any time), snacks, water, etc. It was very well organized. Gabe told us later when we get into the moving dive (deep and then shallow dive) we'll be on a boat with just his group. The first dive spot we went out to was Turtle Canyon, and Alex briefed us on everything we needed to know. We got suited up and one giant stride later we were in the water. Turtle Canyon is not a deep dive - for the most part you're around 20ft, max depth 35ft or so (I'd need to consult my dive log to confirm), but it was AWESOME. We saw loads of turtle, 3 octopuses, all kinds of fish, an eel... it was incredible. Alex did a great job of showing us different sea life, but what I appreciated most is she didn't HARASS anything! We've seen other dive masters dig poor creatures out of their homes for the sake of showing us the life under the sea... I don't know about you, but I didn't get into SCUBA to bring grief to the sea animals living there, but rather observe and appreciate them in their natural habitat. For the second dive, we went to Nautilus Reef, which was slightly deeper, but really only max depth of 45ft or so. Before we even got into the water, Alex told us that they've been known to see whitetip reef sharks at this location and wanted to make sure we were okay with it. Heck yeah we were okay with it! But nonetheless, I appreciated that she checked with us and didn't 'surprise' us with a shark sighting once we were under. Granted, you can't always predict what you'll see, but I appreciated the heads up based on her knowledge and experience. We did end up seeing one shark hanging out under some coral - rumor was that she was pregnant, and all the divers in the group carefully observed but let her be. We also saw tons more fish and interesting critters. Once we got back on the boat, we had more snacks and water, and were heading back to the Marina after a great day of diving. Gabe mentioned that we could stop by their dive shop (which is just around the corner) to talk about the dive club KD offers, and we did, and decided to sign up! They have great rates, a free dive on your birthday, but overall it was just a great dive experience and we were happy to join their club. Last note - their equipment all appeared to be in great shape, and that I appreciated as well! Looking forward to more dives with Kaimana Divers! read more

DREW YOU ARE HOT! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he was nice. interesting experience. went with a group of 6. they said pick up at 9:15 and they he was there right on time! the office is not very decorated, but its very nice. gabes wife was very nice and very very preggo. read more

Great prices, service, crew. My first dive in 7 years and it was like I never missed a day. Gabe's customer service in getting me set up was amazing. Quick to call back with all the information I needed, he also picked me up and dropped me off from my hotel. The shop has their own boat, so it's a nice experience. No crowds here. We only had three customers and the dive instructor, and the boat looks like it would take 8-10 maybe. I hate that I can't remember the instructor's name (maybe Drew?), but he was very helpful in giving me the recap on equipment and technique. He also looked after me for the first few minutes to make sure I was comfortable, but once he saw I was good, he gave me space to enjoy my dive. I give the sealife/visibility a 3.5, but as any experienced diver knows, the shop and boat have pretty much nothing to do with the visibility and sea life, but I enjoyed my dives. We did a wreck and a reef dive. The wreck was pretty cool, but we just got to swim around the outside, because the boat was in good shape. The reef is in pretty bad shape (a lot of inexperienced divers kicking around the coral??), but the sea life was plentiful and I got my fill. I definitely recommend Kaimana to anyone who wants to dive in Honolulu. read more

Over the years we have done dives with several companies is Hawaii. Kaimana Divers is the best run business I've dealt with. I called Gabe to set up a dive for my wife, daughter, her friend and myself. I left a message and Gabe returned my call quickly and was able to accommodate the four of us on short notice. One of Thedivers in our group had not done a dive in several years so Gabe suggested an appropriate dive for the us that worked perfectly. We had the pleasure of diving with Jarrod and Kyle. These guys were knowledgeable, professional, and more importantly, a lot of fun. During the dive they were attentive to the group and worked hard to make it an interesting dive. I have done over 60 dives in Hawaii and yet Jarrod was able to find fish I had never seen before. Their equipment is in excellent condition, so much better than I've had with other companies. Their prices are a great value for the experience you get. I would recommend this company to anyone and have already suggested them to guests that will be visiting next month. I look forward to diving with them much more in the future. read more

Gabe Scotti is the kind of dive master you want to trust your life with. This guy knows how to have fun and keep you safe at the same time. And he does it without trying to upsell you because he has nothing to upsell. Gabe runs a small operation which allows him to give you the personal attention that makes your dives spectacular and memorable. If you want to avoid feeling like one of the herd, then dive with Gabe. Keep up with him on Facebook (Friends of Kaimana Divers) and you'll always be jealous of all the dives you're missing. Of course, you'll also be kept up to date on what Gabe's up to. White tipped reef shark, tons-o-turtles, a couple of octopus, frog fish, rays, devil scorpion fish are just a few of the critters we saw with Gabe on two dives this week. (Thanks for firmly reminding me not to touch that scorpion fish!) Happy 4th anniversary Kaimana Divers! Thanks for another great couple of dives Gabe! read more

This is a really easy review to write. I wouldn't consider going out with any other group besides Gabe and Kaimana when I return to Oahu. I'm sure there are lots of divemasters out there who know sites and animals and know boat captains. What sets Kaimana and Gabe apart as a world class diver is recognizing situations and acting. My wife had two cases of the nerves on our two days of dives, it had been awhile since our last dives. Gabe was able to recognize the situation, calm her down, communicate with a distressed diver (not the easiest thing to do, I've known her 15 years and he still figured her out underwater quicker than I did!) and bring things to normal. Yes we had amazing vis, yes we saw a crapload of wildlife, yes Gabe is a super knowledgeable, but when things came up Gabe was cool as a cucumber, which is just what you want. If you dive with Kaimana and don't have a great time, call me and I'll reimburse your trip.* *figurative :) read more

Don't go anywhere else! Drew and Christine are so, so nice and professional and simply the best. My dive ended up being 2 minutes because I got seasick and ended up laying on the boat puking for 2 hours (fun), and they were both really concerned and offered me water and kept checking on me to see if there was anything they could do. No, sorry, only terra firma will do that. Gabe was back at the HQ and was really friendly and concerned about me having a good time and felt terrible that I got sick. I insisted that it was all me, and that I would have had a blast if I had packed my Zofran. Then, my friend went for another dive and they asked about me! They hoped I could do a shore dive to avoid being on a boat. Oh, and if you freak out underwater, you can get some snorkel gear and putt around. They are very cautious with their divers. It was a great experience and they are great people. Take Dramamine. read more

Gabe was really accommodating while scheduling my group for a boat dive and really friendly and professional when we finally met in person. Alex was a great dive guide!! He had all of our equipment set up for us, and then even switched us over to the new tanks in between dives while we warmed up! We saw several turtles, an octopus, a small shark, and an eagle ray. Definitely recommend diving with this group. read more

I have never written a review on Yelp or anywhere else before but now I am going to write one for Kaimana Divers. It was my first time trying out scuba diving and it was awesome! Before arriving at the shop, I was lost and so I was late-SORRY. After several phone calls with Kaimana Divers, I finally arrived at the shop and everyone there was so friendly and welcoming. Denise was my instructor. She went through all the basics with me and my boyfriend who is also diving for the first time. She was very patient when we were sinking deeper and deeper into the ocean. We were very not used to the water pressure and our ears were not comfortable. Denise spent a lot of time helping us to adjust to the water pressure. Finally, we reached the bottom. She would show us interesting sea animals along the way... We went for two dives and I was quite exhausted. Overall, I had a lot of fun scuba diving for the FIRST TIME. Denise is a very experienced instructor. I would highly recommend Kaimana Divers!!! read more

Took my open water scuba diving certification here. They were a class act from start to finish. You could not ask for a nicer group of people! Our instructor Will managed to guide me through my fears, doubts and sometimes borderline melt downs with a kindness and professionalism that was incredible. Not only did I manage to check of a major bucket list item I was able to overcome my fears and so together with the wonderful friendship I formed with my dive buddies I now have an amazing life memory. Kalmana divers made this possible so a big and thank you. Could not recommend them more highly. Fiona read more

Gabe at Kaimana Divers is a lifesaver, and a great person to dive with! He's started up a version of Kona's Black Water Dives off Oahu, and the Black Water dives don't disappoint! I saw critters I haven't seen anywhere else! Now, black water dives are NOT for the new diver or the faint of heart, but for experienced divers, comfortable in the water at night. He's always at the forefront of his business - handing out cards, loading tanks, shaking hands, answering phones, signing log books - he does everything and he does it well! :) Sign up for his charters if you want a laid back, unique experience. Small kine, not corporate kine. :) read more

Absolutely amazing diving! Gabe and his team (Alex, Victoria, Jason were our instructors) were so helpful and organised everything for our 5 days of diving. The reefs and wrecks were beautiful, and was hands-down best diving we've ever done. My sister and I were a little rusty, but the team was super accommodating and made us feel very comfortable in the water until we got our sea legs back. Wholeheartedly recommend Kaimana Divers! read more

My husband and I found out about Kaimana Divers through recommendations from people in his Seattle dive club. We had a great time diving with Gabe and the crew. They all were professional and fun. The dives were great. I especially loved diving a plane! I was a little rusty going out and the all made me feel safe and comfortable. I wish we were able to do more dives with them! read more

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Great family oriented, safe, and professional company. Best dive with my non-diving mainland family ever. They had a great time and most of all they felt safe and the dive master (Denise) gave them confidence that allowed them to feel comfortable to explore and enjoy the underwater world. This is my 3rd time using this company for intro dives and each time Gabe out did himself. The boat is the perfect size that allows the dive masters to focus so you can enjoy. Safe, comfortable, professional, and most of all a blast. Thanks Kaimana divers! read more

This place and crew is AWESOME! My daughters and I returned to the island, after one year away, and we were greeted by Gabe and Drew with smiles and aloha hugs. We took the Rescue Diver course and it was off-the-charts! Drew is an AMAZING, patient, skilled and wonderful teacher. We completed the course in the four-days planned and the rewards are many. We made another dive after the C-cards arrived and went to a shipwreck and reef off Wainae with Denise, another star crew member. I highly recommend this company for visitors and kama'aina. Excellent for equipment, boat dives, shore dives, courses and T-shirts. read more

Gabe here is a great instructor! We went on our referral open water dives in Nov - Dec 2009 and Gabe made it an unforgettable experience. He knows what he's doing, is a patient teacher and makes you feel comfortable in the depths of the ocean. We saw HUGE turtles, octopuses, sting rays and a whole variety of fishes. Gabe even let us play with the octopuses.. It was in all a great way to get certified! If I'm ever in Oahu again, I'd definitely go diving with him. read more

Great experience with this shop. They were well organized, patient and knowledgeable. Did two days of morning dives with them. One with Gabe and one with Marina. Couldn't be happier with both days. read more

KaimanaI was referred to me by Aquan Sports in San Carlos, CA. I called Gabe two days ago and arranged a two-tank dive with a group of good divers(Karen, Wayne, and...) who had been diving with him for a few days. Gabe was very accommodating and relaxed. We went out to two dive sites outside of Hawaii Kai in a sunny afternoon, swam with beautiful marine animals. He was quite disciplined on my first rusty dive. Then my body gradually got back to the memory. At 2nd dive, we were very relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful underwater world. If you are looking for a dive master who is knowledgeable and cares about your pleasure and safety, Gabe is the guy in Oahu!! read more

These guys are the best dive shop on Oahu. They have taken care of everything for us, taken us to the best dive spots and even given us rides in the morning. Gabe, Drew and Liv are great master instructors and guides. Super chill and very professional. They took us to the Corsair (a WWII era plane wreck), the Sea Tiger (a 175 ft fishing vessel sunk at the bottom of the ocean), two beach dives at the North Shore Three Tables site, and tons of very cool reefs. We have seen sharks, giant sea turtles, frog fish, Titan scorpion fish, leaf scorpion fish, eagle bat rays, and many many more. This is the best time you will find on the island. read more

I just got my Rescue Diver certification with KD, and I was blown away again! To be honest, I was not very confident that I would be able to do it. Gabe was prompt (as usual!) in replying to all of the questions I had, from the content, how much time was necessary, and what I needed to do in advance. Kevin spent a lot of time with me to make sure I had confidence in what I was doing, and allowed me to proceed at my own pace. Although it was a certification class, everyone else I met (Kyle, Will and Drew) also made sure I had lots of fun! KD will refuse to take you down if they think it is unsafe - if you have a cold, panic underwater, etc. - which is expected of Dive Masters and instructors. If you are looking for deep dives or wrecks, make sure to let them know when you book. read more

I just finished a second spell of diving with the good people at Kaimana Divers, and I cannot speak highly enough of them. I have been diving with three other operations on Oahu, and while all had their strong points and all frequented different sites around the island, Kaimana may be my favorite in terms of ease of access and quality of operation. The dock is easy to reach and the sites are close by, so it doesn't take long for you to be in the water and seeing turtles and sharks and such. I am a big fan of operations that don't pack divers onto the boats like sardines, so I couldn't have been more pleased with the small numbers on the boat each day. Their dive staff are exceptional and attentive (I especially loved Lindsay's use of a slate to identify the things we were seeing). I was diving with them for three days, and they were kind enough to rinse and dry my gear and bring it to the boat each day, so that I didn't have to drag my dripping gear back to the place where I was staying. At every level, above and below the water, the people at Kaimana Divers showed themselves to be consummate professionals with a solid concern for the safety and happiness of their divers, but who still take great joy in where they are and what they get to do every day. If you'd like to try some exceptional diving with a great group of people, go to Kaimana Divers. You won't be sorry! read more

The last time I dove with Kaimana was back in 2008.... after a few years off the Rock I came back and of course had to book a day of diving with Gabe. Happy to say although a lot has changed (new boat, new crew, new launch site) the core of Kaimana has not changed one bit. Gabe and his crew are so friendly and warming it's hard to have a bad dive (even on a rainy day like we had). They go through a dive briefing with everyone and do a final safety check before getting you in the water. Tasty treats await your surface interval-- and of course your second dive is a bit shallower but then it's a bit longer as well!! Follow Gabe if you want to find octopus, he must pay them off I swear! Awesome dive company-- highly recommend. Small dive teams so you never feel lost in the crowd. Mahalo Kaimana for making me feel the aloha all over again! read more