Love the owner and the staff they really know how to make and clean a successful organization and dive charter I am very impressed and hear all good things from my family and friends I meet about the owner here myself diving with them before I can say his crew and boats are top tier for Oahu! read more

First time scuba diving experience with Erik at Oahu Diving was fantastic! Erik was patient and professional, he showed us everything we needed to know before getting into the water, and had us to practice a few techniques as well. Our group had 5 people including us, all first timers. We got on a boat with a few other divers and instructors (all from different diving companies). The boat ride was roughly 20 mins out and we had 2 separate diving sessions, about 20 minutes each. The first session was mainly for us to get used to the gears and equipments, especially at equalizing our ears and breathing through a tube. Right after the 1st session Erik had our oxygen tanks refilled and ready to go, the 2nd session was much easier for us to dive into. Erik is super chill and passionate about scuba diving, he is also a great teacher. He took great pictures of us during our dive and emailed them to us that same night. We had a blast and definitely recommend going with Oahu Diving if you are a first timer! read more

Oahu Diving - The rope that guided us down to the sea bed - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Absolutely perfect diving experience in Oahu with divemaster Erik! We had originally booked a party of 4, but our son had a sinus issue the day before and Oahu diving was easy to reach by text and change to 2. Erik met us at the dock and being super personable throughout, made it a simple and enjoyable process. I am certified, my son isn't, but Erik made a personized experience for us that was unforgettable. We ended up on a comfortable catamaran with about 15 total people (including crew), but it was just the two of us with Erik throughout. Erik briefed the site, and we went on two dives. We saw tons of fish, lots of live coral, enormous turtles, a white tip reef shark and much more. Erik took pictures throughout and sent them to us the same day - made us look like Jacques Cousteau. High recommend Oahu Diving and would definitely do it again! read more

Oahu Diving - Good amount of live coral - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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SCUBA diving with Erik was a blast! Oahu Diving was highly recommended to me by a family member who had recently visited Honolulu and dove with him. I scheduled a dive tour for my boyfriend's birthday and our experience with them from start to finish was 5 stars! To SCUBA dive, you obviously need to know how to swim. There are also a few other requirements that must be met to participate and they're all laid out on their website. You also fill out a health questionnaire to ensure you're fit to dive. This experience is cash only, so be prepared to have your payment with you the day of your dive. The tours are semiprivate, with only 4 of us in our group, but others were on the boat and diving separately. We signed up for the "first time SCUBA diving tour." I have (limited) experience SCUBA diving in the past from a college course I took several years ago, but this was all new to my boyfriend who has never done this before. Erik did a great job giving our group the 411 on everything we'd need to know for our two dives together and making everyone feel comfortable. We went over things like how to use the equipment, the valsalva maneuver, and important hand signals several times before getting on the boat. We also did a few practice rounds of mask clearing on the boat before we jumped into the water. Safety first! I'll be honest, all morning leading up to our dive, I was a little anxious because I didn't remember much about diving from my college years (shocker lol) but after Erik taught us what we'd need to know and once I got into the water, it all came back to me and was not stressful at all, just fun! I think I speak for everyone when I say we all had a great time! We went on 2 different dives and saw a variety of different fish, eels, corals, and other sea creatures but the highlight was definitely getting to swim next to the giant green sea turtles. They were so much bigger than I expected! Truly beautiful animals. The first dive was shorter and more of a chance for us to just get used to the tanks and being under water with the SCUBA gear on. The second dive was longer, and all about exploring. Erik took GoPro photos of us during the dives and emailed them to us. They came out great! I would wholeheartedly recommend Oahu Diving to anyone looking to SCUBA, especially non-certified or first-time divers. Erik makes it fun, easy, and well worth the cost! I hope to be certified by the time I'm on Oahu again, but I'm definitely going to try and do another dive with them in the future! read more

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Best part of our Hawaii trip. Eric was an awesome instructor, made sure everyone knew and got to practice all the scuba techniques needed before we ever got in the water. He was great at pointing out interesting fish and sea life and making sure everyone was comfortable the entire time. The scuba diving was amazing! We got to do two dives. The first was an easier one to get comfortable in the scuba gear. We got to see lots of fish and eels and corral. For the second, Eric took us to where the turtles usually hang out. He knew exactly where take us and we got to see several giant turtles! Also tons more cool fish and other sea life. Was the highlight of our trip to Hawaii and would definitely do again! read more

Oahu Diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First dive was preselected by Dive Oahu (Sea Tiger) the second dive allowed diver input. We ended up at Mario Bros for the shallow dive. We have a three shark minimum (cumulative) in all our site requests.... this crew met the quota. With a 100+ boat dives they are in my top five, friendly, responsive, safe and knowledgeable. Next visit to Oahu they are on my priority list. read more

Oahu Diving - Diving the Sea Tiger. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My friend and I had a great experience scuba diving for the first time under the guidance of Erik and his assistant (apologies forgot her name but remembered she was an instructor in Monterey)! I felt safe, informed, and supervised the whole time despite the host of nerves I had going into the activity (anxious excitement!). We got instructions on land and on the boat. Erik also took great underwater pictures which were included in the package. Among the two of us we got a total of 40+ photos (note the group size later on) and met 5+ sea turtles who were resting on the floor or swimming in circles. There were also many other color fish, sea urchin and eels. The entire trip lasted about three hours and we had two dives (~40 min each) in similar areas although I was told the latter was a couple feet deeper. It was a group of 8 people and frankly maybe 6 made it below the surface and 5 to the sea floor (30 feet down). By the second dive, only 4 of us were still strolling. Erik was very sensitive to everyone's fears and at one point escorted a diver up while his assistant stayed with the group. This isn't for everyone but thankfully I'm a strong swimmer (although I had only snorkeled once before and that was earlier in the day) and felt comfortable to keep going. I had a blast though! Scuba diving at turtle canyon was 10x better than the snorkel catamaran we did in the same area later on. Note all the equipment was provided but some people opted not to wear wet suits. I personally felt more comfortable though with a full body suit and didn't feel too hot in August. Make sure to call and book over the phone as they need a credit card to hold the reservation. We got email and text confirmations. Pay in cash. read more

There's so many positive things I could say about this experience that I don't know where to begin! Firstly, Erik is truly an amazing guy. You can tell that he loves what he does and has a passion for the ocean and the creatures that live in it because you learn so much while you're with him. He's down to earth and very chill, never once making me or my husband feel pressured or silly. He took the time to make sure we understood how to use all of the gear confidently and then once we hit the water on our first dive, he didn't rush us and allowed us to take our time going down. Erik also would use hand signals to help us remember to equalize the pressure in our ears. By the second time, we were comfortable with diving and he took us to see some honu which was magical! I loved that he took pictures of us and would signal us to pose. He pointed out so many different fish and sea creatures and later told us some cool information about the various species we saw. If you're wanting to try scuba diving and are a bit nervous, I couldn't recommend Erik with Oahu Diving enough! My husband and I are set on diving with him again when we come back to Oahu because it was such an amazing experience. Please give him a chance and give it a try, you won't regret it! Sending you my best wishes, Erik. Aloha! read more

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I'm very happy with my experience with Oahu Diving! We met up at the boat and couldn't find them right away so i gave the number a call and found Erik standing right next to it. He gave us our wetsuits, flippers, and mask outside of the boat and once we've boarded, he started explaining to us everything right away. I was very nervous but he explained all the concerns and reassured us that everything is all good. He went through all the procedures on breathing with the regulator, clearing the masks, etc. We did this a couple of times on the way to the spot which was extremely helpful because he made sure everyone knew what they were doing. I was the first to dive in and panicked on the way down because i got water in my mouth and completely forgot how to breathe. Johnny helped me go back up and Erik calmed me down and reminded me the guidelines. He stuck with me on my way back down and I felt safe knowing he was there! Both Erik and Johnny were checking up on me during the first dive which was comforting. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do the second dive so I just sat on the boat with Captain Dan and their dog Milo! I enjoyed the scenery of the clear and blue ocean while my boyfriend was down in the water where they saw an octopus. Overall, we had a blast! Erik emailed us the pictures that evening. The crew was extremely patient and attentive throughout the whole excursion. They don't pressure you to do anything you're not comfortable with and they go with your pace so no rush to the bottom and make sure you pop your ears on the way down! :) read more

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This was a great experience and the team was so accommodating! I called on a Thursday afternoon to see if they had any open spots on dives for that same weekend. Due to last minute planning on my part, there was only 1 spot open on an introductory dive the next day which I ended up signing up for. Their boats have 6 spots and I was joining a family of 5 who had no scuba experience (I'm open water certified) but they assured me that I'd still have a fun dive experience. There were 2 instructors on the boat and they were aware that I already had dive experience so when we arrived at the dive site, 1 of the instructors got right in the water and I was able to essentially have a private dive tour with him while the other instructor was going over the basic dive info with the family! The first tank dive was 30 minutes of myself and 1 of the instructors and the last 2 minutes were with some of the others in the family. We saw 3 green sea turtles, an octopus, a ton of fish, and a bunch of cool sea slugs! All in all, I was so happy with how the team was able to accommodate my last minute desire for a dive and the differing skill levels within the group! read more

Violet was am amazing instructor during my open water certification. I initially failed the 10 min water threading and lost the drive or will to continue. Violet and her assistant insisted that I could make it and motivated me to succeed. Needless to say am now a certified open water diver. Am forever grateful to Violet, her assistant, the rest of my group and dive Oahu. Violet is a great ambassador for Dive Oahu Albert read more

No one in my group knew how to swim, so like any courageous person who will do whatever it takes to do what they want to do I went for it ALONE! Everyone in the group that day was so friendly and welcoming. Eric is a really great leader. He's not only extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and enthusiastic, but he is also very accommodating. He showed us how to use all the equipment and seamlessly demonstrated each procedure step by step. There were difficult-ish parts to learn, but he made sure that we all got it down and felt confident. His partner Adam was also very helpful and solid about scuba diving and so was Hideki, the captain, they both helped get everyone suited up and into the water. It was my first time scuba diving, and I made the most graceful entrance into the water... I slipped off the back and face planted into the ocean when it was supposed to be one giant leap into the water, I kinda freaked out but once I realized everything was in tack I swam to the rope and started my way down. Descending into the deep water felt like we were in space... a truly memorable experience. I could hear my breath every inhale and exhale as I put one hand in front of the other. I caught a glimpse of a shark by the reef, saw tons of colorful fish, and lots of coral reef and sea urchins. At the end of the dive Eric gave all of us an Oahu Diving shirt, something memorable that I'll have forever, I wish I had a sharpe pen so I could have everyone sign. Eric also emailed us promptly later that evening with photos from the scuba excursion. If you're an adventurous person and this is something you've always want to do and believe you are physically and mentally in shape, then give Eric a call. This review came from my heart, I was not instructed to review Oahu Diving. Diving with Eric is an experience everyone should try. There are different levels, so if you're certified/experienced ask Eric for a deeper dive. read more

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Took an afternoon dive with Erik today. My friend and I were first time divers and were joined by 2 other divers in a different party. We met in front of Fisherman's Warf and Erik swung by to come get us. We put on our gear on shore and Erik taught us everything we needed to know. Jeff and Erik were great, they explained everything perfectly and they're both great/interesting folks to talk to as well who love doing what they do! Our first dive was in Waikiki to check out the turtles! It was a little nerve wracking to jump into the water for me, since it was my first time. P.S. the tanks are pretty dang heavy but Jeff was onboard and helped us out. Once in the water it took me about 20 minutes to get adjusted to breathing and the pressure in my ears. We got to see some neat sea turtles and went around the reefs (we stayed near the boat most of the time so don't freak out you're close to the boat if anything happens). A tip for first time divers: remember to kick back and forth or else you'll sink down like I did). They're were a few times I felt like I needed to puke underwater so I suggest not eating right before you dive. Next we took a second dive closer to the harbor to check out the reefs. The second time dive is a lot easier, since you're used to the diving feel. We saw some white tip sharks, and tons of fish. Erik did a great job on checking up on us underwater/making sure everything was alright and encouraging us every step of the way. A big plus, Erik takes tons of pictures of you underwater and he emailed me the images that evening! Great shots! Overall it was a great experience for the price. Definitely on the bucket list if you visit Hawaii and I recommend everyone to dive with this company! read more

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Wow, Erik is by far the most patient instructor. I'm already back in San Diego but I made it a priority to write a review! I was SO nauseous from the boat ride (totally expected for me) and he was so patient and helpful in directing me when I wasn't feeling well in the water. He is detailed and thorough with instructions so that you feel confident underwater! I 10/10 recommend him for any and all scuba trips! read more

They were awesome. Friendly, and helpful. Dive site (Tiger) had drift diving, beautiful location was amazing. They provided video of the dive too for free! Must recommend. Please go out with them! read more

Oahu Diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Our scuba adventure today was so amazing! Erik & Dan were so great! The entire booking process was very convenient, and we lucked out that there was an opening the week-of. We booked over the phone then sent our information via their contact page online, and received a confirmation email a few hours later. My husband & I were first time uncertified divers so we were super excited to find a beginner dive like this. We came into it not knowing what to expect. Erik was so genuinely kind and talked through the entire process with us. Dan was a great Skipper and told us about some cool fish to keep an eye out for! I was admittedly a bit nervous in the beginning but Erik made sure to go over everything with us and had us practice before we dove. He also said the first 5 min would be the hardest which honestly I was so thankful he told us that. The first minute I almost panicked (my husband later agreed) but I kept reminding myself we'd be ok once we got used to the gear. After a few minutes it became more natural and then the fun began! Once we were down there it was so amazing! We saw Sea Turtles, a Reef Shark, an Octopus, a baby Eel, and Starfish plus tons of beautiful fish and ocean life! Such a surreal feeling. We enjoyed that this was a smaller boat so it was very personal - Erik was constantly finding cool things to show us and immediately snapped a few pics of every diver with the cool creature we found. We did two dives, the first one we "got our bearings" and then we went to a deeper spot on the second one. To top it off, we received our *free* photos not even 3 hours later!! What an awesome day! Will recommend this to everyone we know! This is a must do - for SURE! read more

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Going scuba diving has been on my list for a very long time. We have been on several snorkeling trips but never gone diving before. So on our recent trip to Hawaii we did our research and booked a session with Erik and team. We had some miscommunication about the exact time of the dive but Erik could not have been more understanding and kind. He waited for us to arrive and was very nice about it the entire time without making us feel stressed about the situation. On the boat ride to the dive spot, Erik did a great job of helping us practice getting used to the equipment. I was very excited to go diving but as soon as I jumped into the water my nerves got the better of me. One look at the bottom of the ocean floor and I started swimming back towards the boat. Erik noticed that I was panicking and helped me calm down, he asked me to keep breathing and then started pointing at fishes underwater which served as a great distraction. After a minute or so I started feeling more comfortable in the water and was able to go on 2 unforgettable dives. I cannot say enough amazing things about Erik, he was really great about helping me overcome the panic and have the most amazing first dive of my life. Erik did an amazing job of checking up on each and every person in the group throughout the dive. Not to mention he managed to do all of that while clicking some fantastic photos as well. On our dive we spotted a reef shark, a octopus, many sea turtles and some beautiful fishes. If this is your first dive, you're in great hands when you go with Erik! read more

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My husband and I are first time SCUBA divers. We chose Oahu diving because of the convenience in proximity to our hotel, and it worked out with our schedule. Boy, am I glad this was the crew we chose to go with! The staff treated us like family. They were so friendly, I felt almost as if I'd known them my whole life! They were on their game, too. They were knowledgeable, extremely helpful, and the underwater photos were fantastic. With so many things to experience in Hawaii, this was by far one of my favorites. Highly recommended. read more

Eric and his crew were great. Professional, friendly, and safety-oriented but they made sure we had fun. They were well prepared and the instructional video that you watch prior was really helpful. He took great photos! read more

My wife and I went out with Erik and his team and had a good couple of dives. Here are some highlights: - Erik's team were very easy to talk to. Everyone was laid back and friendly! Nice environment. - there were only 4 other divers with us (8 total diving which includes Erik and the dive master John) - quick boat ride out to the spots - pictures included in the price! - all equipment was taken care of and was hooked up on the boat While we did have a good time, there are some things to be aware of. For one, you'll need to pay in cash upon arrival. I missed this in the email but luckily there was an ATM nearby. Lastly, parking can be hard the find (this is a problem in Waikiki in general) so be there early. I do have one suggestion. There were several instances where wildlife was handled (holding octopi, fish) or was encouraged to come out from hiding. When we were getting certified, this was a huge "do not do" and it made me cringe. On yelp, there are a bunch of pictures of people touching a huge octopus and we were even sent a video of tourists touching an octopus's head during a dive. I really wish that I didn't witness it. I get that most tourists expect to see stuff which pushes companies to do this but please stop giving in to this pressure and just let the animals be. read more

My wife and I have never dived before yet we enjoyed it so much! Sure we were a bit nervous at the beginning, but Erik and his team did a great job demonstrating all the equipment and bringing everyone up to speed. It was a small group dive, so they have plenty of time to take care of everyone during the dive. They take good quality photos for you at no extra cost, and you can rent a GoPro camera to shoot some videos on your own. Everything was hassle-free, fun, and exciting. It was the best part of our trip. I would certainly recommend Oahu Diving to anyone who wants to do some under-the-ocean adventures in Oahu. read more

Oahu Diving - So much fun. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This was one of the best experiences I've ever had! It took our Hawaii trip to another level. Erik was an amazing instructor, and I couldn't have had a better instructor for my first time. You can tell he truly loves what he does, and his explanations are very thorough. He is very calm and patient throughout the whole time. I highly recommend him and can't wait to go back to Honolulu to do it again with him. Another tip- make sure to watch the video he attaches to the confirmation email- it was extremely helpful. Lastly, make sure to rent a go pro! We got some awesome pictures / videos! read more

As first time divers, I can say that Erik made the experience comfortable and memorable. I was one of the divers that could not go through with it the first time, but the encouragement of the team made me try again. Definitely a positive having 2 dives and not just 1, like other diving businesses. I would like to strongly highlight Johnny who was the most helpful and patient person I was fortunate to meet. He made sure I felt safe and motivated. Johnny is seriously amazing and the best asset to Erik's team! Absolutely recommend Oahu Diving and we will be back on our next trip to Hawaii. read more

Oahu Diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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So I came to the island to work and didn't expect to have time to dive but I got a free Saturday and found the Oahu Dive Shop. First impressions of the shop was excellent. Very professional. Tiffany was spot on with her advice. So on to diving. Excellent boat, excellent crew. Also very safe, informative and professional. We dove with Chris and he was an awesome guide. Saw turtles, sharks and plenty other marine species. Highly recommend them. See you next year guys. read more

We enjoyed being with the Oahu diving group... the crew was really good and courteous. They had different activities on the same boat.. they had people doing snorkeling, scuba diving, others were getting certified.. the crew takes care of all the people on boat.. This was the first time we were doing scuba diving.. I was nervous.. they trained us, with the basic hand gestures and made sure we were comfortable with water also made sure we were doing ok during the training and even when we went under water.. overall great crew and amazing experience read more

One of my favorite Hawaii diving experiences thus far!! Erik was very professional, courteous and knowledgeable. We saw every creature he said we might see and he was awesome at finding things and pointing them out. 3 sharks, tons of turtles, eels, octopus and really amazing fish. Loved the dive sites and very impressed with the overall operation!! The cherry on top was his camera was constantly snapping pictures of our group and the sea life. He then emailed them to us after the dive. This is the first time diving this courtesy was ever included as part of the dive. Keep up the great work Erik. Mahalo!! read more

OMG! I cannot say enough good things about my scuba diving experience. First off communication with Erik was amazing. He was easy to reach and answered all our questions before we even arrived. Day of He kept us updated on the weather in case we couldn't go out that day. He really wanted to make sure we had the best visibility possible. I was initially hesitant about scuba diving because I'm not a big fan of not being able to communicate and I wear contacts, but honestly I had no reason to be scared. He made sure we felt comfortable with all our gear and let us practice walking around/adjusting etc. FYI you can wear contacts when you dive or you can rent prescription googles! I felt completely safe on the trip and on top of it we saw the most amazing views down below and he took some really great photos of us! I have pictures of me surrounded by turtles! We also saw eels and starfish and so many types of fish and coral. If you want to try scuba diving do it here!!! read more

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I got certified to scuba dive a few summers ago and it was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. Not only did I have to combat my fears of claustrophobia and deep water, I got certified in California where the water is cold and you have to wear a wetsuit so thick, just the process of putting it on can demoralize you. After certification, my first dive was supposed to be in Costa Rica earlier this year but due to a wardrobe malfunction combined with a panic attack, I never went down . Needless to say, I've been a little dive shy since. Knowing how anxious I've been about the whole scuba thing, my honey booked an easy, late afternoon dive with Oahu Diving during our recent revisit to the island. He made sure to touch bases with Erik (the fabulous instructor) and shared information that he was trying to ease me back into diving due to a recent bad experience. Erik assured him the dive would be very safe and we'd be going out with new divers so it would be perfect for me. We met Erik at the harbor where he directed us to a free parking area and climbed aboard the boat that was taking us out. When he said it was going to be a "newbie" dive, he wasn't kidding. There were 5 of us in the group and two were quite young, ages 10 and 11. Apparently 10 years old is the minimum age when kids can start diving and this being akin to a "resort" dive, they didn't even need to be certified. Erik gave a fairly quick overview on the basics of diving, helped us into our gear, and showed us hand signals. It was a good refresher for me and his easygoing and soothing manner really helped keep my nervousness at a minimum. I wasn't as overwhelmed as I thought I would be and I really appreciated how he was making sure I was at ease. The kind of guide and instructor you have when you dive makes a world of difference and Erik is the best. We went on two dives and the pace as well as the general direction and vibe of the dive really helped me feel better about it and I really began to enjoy everything I saw. I loved seeing all the colorful fish and being up close to the sea turtles and reef shark was such a bad ass experience. Erik made sure to check on all of us sporadically and that made me feel very safe. It was apparent the kids in our group were loving it as well, they took to the water like fish and looked like complete pros by the end of our dive. Overall, I couldn't recommend Oahu Diving more. It was a fun and relaxing experience and seeing all the marine life up close and personal was amazing. I'm definitely over being dive-shy and can't wait to get my feet wet again. 5 stars all the way. read more

Oahu Diving - Hello - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is rife with options for your water activities. I'm really glad I went diving with Erik and the crew at Oahu back in April. Here's why I thought it was great: 1) Called early in the morning and was on a boat that afternoon. If you've got a big group, this probably isn't possible, but they'll accommodate if they can. 2) Free pictures. Erik has a go-pro and an underwater camera to capture your experience. Are the pictures gonna win awards? Eh, probably not? BUT IT'S FREE, so don't complain. Most other places charge a ton for this. 3) Price. Gear, air, boat, and 2 dives for $120? Great. (They only take cash, FYI) 4) Awesome laid back attitude, and no pressure approach. If you chicken out it's not a problem. When I went 2 people ended up sitting it out, and while Erik tried to get them to a point where they'd be comfortable, no one is trying to force you into doing anything you're not cool with. 5) We saw 3 turtles, a ton of fish, 2 sharks, an octopus, and an eel. Bottom line: It's a great value, and a great way to spend 3 hours. Do it. Do it now. read more

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Aloha, This review is for the first time - Introductory Dive Experience. (Aug 21. Dive) I'm torn between offering 5 stars for an awesome first time experience with an excellent dive master/owner, and 4 stars with some minor suggestions to make things even better. As it's a Small Business, I have to hold it to the same standard as anything else, if not higher but - I'd give it a solid 4 stars, with the strong potential for 5. Smooth communication over email to arrange a scuba tour once we arrived on the island. Luckily, he had time for our last remaining day before we left. (Need 24 hrs between diving and flying, to clear out any excess (nitrogen?) gas.) Picked up right on-time at our hotel in a few year old mini-van, and enjoyed a short ride to the strip mall they operate out of. Only gap in communication was that payment was to be made in Cash only, which wasn't mentioned until the ride back. I didn't want to get ripped off by the hotel ATM when we got dropped off, but luckily, I had some Cash and travellers checks. Got fitted up with some gear outdoors and had time to go to the nearby McDonalds to use the bathroom, and get some drinks to refresh yourself. (No bathroom on-site at the time.) As we waited for some other party to join, Erik explained how the equipment worked, and encouraged practice to get comfortable with the equipment. It's about a 15-ish minute ride to the first dive site. Gear up, and hop in. I don't think you're every really prepared for that first breath, but it was more the current and waves that you're worried about so that you don't get knocked into the side of the boat. I guess a warning would have been nice. Pretty fun from then on out. First dive was about 30 minutes. In between, relax on the boat a bit, while they get the gear ready for round 2. Can go swimming or jumping/flipping off the boat, but I was beat after the first dive and needed a rest. Take a short boat ride to destination #2, and repeat. The Scuba air definately gives you dry mouth, and a nasty taste. Anyways the rest of the dive was relatively un-eventful for me. Suggestions: It would likely be more work,(and time, maybe cost and money) but it's probably worth giving everyone a first dip in the water in some protected part of the channel where they dock, or even a swimming pool to get everyone comfortable with the equipment, rather than potentially freak out when getting to the real destination. Not sure how other operators work, but having two dive guys with 6 newbies might be ok, but there can potentially be some distance between you and a dive master. So stay close if you're the type to maybe freak out or if you're the accident prone type, as one guy did manage to knock the regulator out of his own mouth, and freaked out a bit. I was certainly far enough away that if I had a similar accident and gulped a few sips of salt water 30-40 feet down, it's take them at least a little while to get to me, and safely bring you up. But all-in-all a good experience, and if you're the adventerous type, you'll have a good time. As for the equipment, masks were good, and I'm sure they bleach the regulators as they stated. But there was definately something slimy blackish moldy looking in my regulator that I was able to scrape off with my nail. They need a good scrubbing, or if you saw it like I did, you'd have to do your best to scrape it, rinse it, and forget about it. I'm not a germaphobe, but if you're putting it in your mouth, I like things as clean as possible. :-) Extra Thumbs up for sending picture and mailing promotional item as promised! Conclusion : I'd go again with this outfit if I was in the Waikiki area! Hope this review helps. Mahalo! read more

Apparently you should know how to swim before going scuba diving. Thanks Erik (and crew) for: -Saving my ass after realizing I was actually drowning post my first jump (or rather my interaction with water period) in over a decade -Being an awesome guide and teaching me how to swim (though I guess I really had no choice but to sink or swim while in the deep) -Capturing amazing quality pics of me stalking sea turtles and rare monk seal for me to be super popular on facebook Erik: I'll be back to claim the discount and bring my logbook (also hopefully my PPL) next time! read more

I decided to trust yelp and go with Oahu Diving for my boyfriend, friend, and my first time scuba diving. It was absolutely amazing! They tell you to meet in front of the Fisherman's Wharf restaurant, which is this abandoned run-down place that serves its purpose as a landmark. Then, one of the ladies from Oahu Diving came to get us and whisked us off to the other side of the dock to fit us with diving masks, wetsuits, and fins. In what seemed like only 10 minutes, we were off to our first dive site, which was supposed to be home to sea turtles. At this point, I was more than a little nervous, and I am totally embarrassed to admit that I freaked out when I first jumped in to the water and wanted to get back on the boat. Erik calmed me down and I was able to practice just putting my face underwater at the back of the boat while holding onto the railing. It's actually pretty funny, because when I think back, scuba diving feels infinitely worse when you are near the surface, because you end up bobbing in and out of the water, and breathing in the regulator when you are not fully submerged in the water feels really odd and you aren't used to it. This is why when you first jump in, Erik tells you to look down so that your face is fully submerged. I should have listened. :P After some floundering and strictly telling myself that I will not miss out on swimming with turtles, I joined the rest of my group and descended down this rope to the sea floor, which was about 30 feet down. We saw so many different fish, sea turtles, urchins (I'LL COME BACK TO THAT...), and other sealife! It was absolutely amazing. Soon after, we all came back up to exchange a tank of air for a full one and headed to the next dive location where there were some small sharks. This dive was similar to the first one, saw many different colorful fish, etc. EXCEPT... ...I ended up whacking a sea urchin with my left hand. I was close to the sea floor and I think someone's flipper was in my face so I was trying to back up. Without realizing it, my left hand braced for impact behind me and then I felt a burning, stinging pain in my hand. I looked down and saw (I counted later the holes I had in my hand) 54 sea urchin spines sticking out of my hand. It was not a pretty sight. I showed Erik underwater and he told me to go up to the surface. This definitely ranks up there as one of the more painful things that have ever happened to me. Totally not ashamed to say a few tears leaked out as I was lamenting my poor hand and trying to ignore the pain. Erik and the rest of the crew were very nice about it though. The captain poured some vinegar on my hand and once we got to the dock again, my instructions were to soak my hand in super hot water. It is currently day 4 post urchin encounter and my hand looks normal sans small black things still stuck in there. Sea urchins apparently have their barbed ends on their spines so that if you touch one and the spine is stuck on you, the ends break off and stay lodged under the skin. I was reassured that the body ends up dissolving the rest of the spines over the course of a few weeks. It looks a lot better now, although my hand still hurts if I put pressure on it. I can't really grasp many things with my left hand at the moment, so that kind of sucks. So what have we learned? 1.) Go scuba diving with Erik. $120 is well worth the price and the pictures he takes of you underwater are priceless 2.) Do not touch those damn sea urchins 3.) When you are about the jump in the water for the first time (and everytime thereafter), submerge yourself completely ASAP to hasten the adjusting process by looking down, not up. I had an awesome time. read more

Oahu Diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Best bang for your buck when wanting to have a great Hawaii scuba diving experience. WOW.....where do I start with such an amazing first dive. I got the hard sale and pressure feeling from other companies and then there was the no pressure, all positive and helpful vibe that Eric provided. The crew was super nice and accommodating as well creating the perfect environment to learn and feel comfortable considering it was our first time. Can't wait to come back and will book with Oahu Diving every time hands down. read more

I debated about whether I should write a review or not, since I feel like everything I want to say has already been said! Yes, Erik was an amazing instructor!!! Extremely helpful, enthusiastic, knowledgable, and friendly. I had a couple problems at first because I freaked out and felt like I couldn't breathe (I have slight asthma), but Erik didn't seem to be bothered helping me. What I felt was the most amazing part of it all, was the fact that Erik takes photos for free with his GoPro! I thought that was really generous seeing as how my boyfriend and I already spent loads, and I mean LOAD$ of money on the photos/videos from our other activities. And Erik's photos came out great!! (Personal GoPros, waterproof cameras and what not are allowed as well, if you were wondering). Of course, the turtles were the BEST. I did not expect them to be as big as they were and they were so cute!! And we saw SO many beautiful types of fish. I'm so ignorant when it comes to marine life, I never knew how many beautiful creatures live underwater. It really put things into perspective for me. Overall, amazing experience! In the beginning, my boyfriend and I were planning to just choose some random scuba diving place from Groupon with mediocre reviews, but after reading the reviews here, we immediately chose this place and are so glad we did! read more

Oahu Diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Had an absolutely surreal experience diving with Oahu Diving. Erik was fantastic -- guided us beyond the 5 minute "this is freaky -- what are we doing breathing under water" stage, to a calm, relaxed, confident scuba experience. He has a great sense for getting people at ease with the experience, and is knowledgeable of the best beginner scuba spots in Oahu. We saw 8 giant sea turtles, an OCTOPUS, countless corals and tropical fish, and abandoned underwater riggings. It was very cool. As an extra bonus, we were forwarded dozens of amazing underwater shots to memorialize our experience (included in the price -- only $115 for two awesome dives, all the equipment, and pics). As an added note -- I'm a lousy swimmer, so was somewhat anxious about this experience. It really doesn't require a great deal of swimming skill to do this -- everyone is moving in slow motion with some solid gear, so no need to be the world's greatest/fastest swimmer. As a further note -- I am gay & did this experience with my partner and one of our gay friends. We never once felt uncomfortable or unwelcome by Erik or his crew. They are all very cool, and have some great stories to share of their scuba adventures! read more

I highly recommend Oahu Diving, especially for anyone who has never scuba dived before and wants an incredible experience. Erik & his team are very professional and friendly and make sure you understand all of the diving rules before you get into the water so you can have the best time possible. Being my first dive, I was a little nervous in the 2 minutes before jumping into the water but once I was in, I realized I had nothing to be nervous about. We went at a very comfortable pace and weren't rushed at all. We were taken to Turtle Canyon to see giant sea turtles and then over to Nautilus Reef for white tip sharks. Since I was the first one down, I also spotted a huge eel and an even more massive eagle ray. Free pics are snapped throughout your dive and they're good pics that you'll want to show to your friends. After having such a magical experience with Oahu Diving, I knew I wanted to scuba again before I left the island. The other day I had wanted to dive on was full, so I went with another company (also wanted to compare experiences) and Oahu Diving was far superior by a landslide. I can't recommend them enough and look forward to getting certified. I will be diving with Oahu when I return! read more

Oahu Diving - Scuba Diving Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Probably the funnest thing I did in Hawaii!!! Since we were going to Hawaii, we figured we would do one water activity and what's better than scuba diving!! Tripadvisor was what lead me to find Oahu Diving as it came up as the number 1 item on the list! I'm glad it did because Erik and Ana were amazing instructors for beginner divers. They do small groups and we was great to get a lot of individual attention. We also had 2 japanese people in our group that didn't speak any English, but Erik spoke whatever Japanese he knew to them to make sure they felt like they were being included! Erik was great at explaining the basic and making sure we were comfortable with everything before we headed into the water. He also gave us pictures from the dive for free which was a great bonus! As for the dive, we did 2 dives that were about 30+ minutes each. While we were down there Erik made sure we got to see and swim with animals (sea turtles, eel, sting ray, and shark)! It was really clear he wanted us to have a great experience and have fun! Overall I would recommend everyone to dive with Erik and Ana and they made me really love scuba diving! Definitely the highlight of my trip to Oahu! read more

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Based on my experience in Nov 2019: We did the Discover Dive Oahu for first time scuba divers. We are not scuba certified, but we have scuba dived once before (although that was 10 years ago). If you're a first timer, I definitely recommend getting comfortable with snorkeling beforehand so you can get used to the mask and breathing through a mouthpiece underwater. Erik was extremely professional, kind, and really good at his job -- the perfect type of instructor you would want when you're an inexperienced non-certified scuba diver. He took great pictures of us using his GoPro, which he promptly sent to our email later that day, free of charge! We learned all the necessary techniques while waiting near the dock and on the boat. They don't have you practice in a pool beforehand, which is different than my first scuba diving experience in Cancun years ago, so this might be a bit intimidating for some. But they help you ease into it when you first get into the ocean with all your gear and have you follow a rope in the water down to the sea floor gradually. During our 2 dives, we saw a huge group of sea turtles and got really close to them!! It was a magical, breathtaking experience and one of the highlights of our entire trip! We also saw an eel, sea urchins, and fish. Unfortunately, no reef sharks though. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and highly recommend Oahu Diving!! Totally worth it! read more

Tried scuba diving for the first time and had a blast! We got pretty unlucky with the current so about half of the folks on board got seasick but Erik was so kind and patient. He was extremely attentive and friendly, I look forward to trying again during my next trip! Will book with Erik next time :) read more

My husband and I made reservations to go scuba diving for our honeymoon. We saw all the stellar reviews on trip advisor and on yelp.com and decided that this was a "must." We also liked it because it was one of the only companies that would take us scuba-diving in the ocean as first-time divers. Erik was our instructor. He brought our wetsuits, flippers, and equipment for us. He had us put the wetsuits on and then out on the boat he gave us instructions and reassurances about scuba diving. we went on 2 dives (about a half hour each). the first one was 40 feet deep and the second was 50 feet deep. Once you're down there, you don't want to come back! It's so peaceful - we got to swim with (and sometimes even touch) sea turtles, an octopus, and shark!) the whole trip was probably around 4 hours. there were only 4 of us with erik, so we got a lot of personal attention. erik even had a camera which he used to take pictures and videos for us - he gave us copies of it for no extra cost! can't believe the whole thing was only $115/person. DEFINITELY recommend this trip - it was the most fun thing we did all week! read more