ABOUT OAHU DOLPHIN DIVERS
Oahu Dolphin Diver operates the vessel South Seas II from Waianae Small Boat Harbor. Our days start at Honolulu Scuba Company (near Waikiki) where we pack out the scuba charters from the downtown Kaka’ako location.
Since 2020 the South Seas II is the only scuba dive boat in operation on the west coast of Oahu. Ko Olina harbor eliminated all their commercial operators except 2 snorkel boats and the state of Hawaii restricts commercial operations from Waianae to 17 permits. We have one of those coveted permits. So, you won’t hear about diving in Waianae from any other operator on Oahu, because they can’t legally dive on the west coast. We have it all to ourselves, the first choice of divesites every day all day long.
Scuba diving on the west coast of Oahu is a much calmer experience than most water on Oahu. You can tell this as soon as you come around the Waianae Mountain range near Kahe Beach Park, where the road looks over the flat water protected behind the mountains. That is what you are looking for! A typical day of trade winds is 15-20 knots out of the Northeast. That makes the south shore quite a bit more “sporty” than the water that sits behind our four thousand foot Waianae mountain range.
If you need another reason to come to “the west side is the best side”, consider our reef dives – the most famous of which are Makaha Lava Tubes, Land of Oz, and Starz. All of these are underwater lava tube formations. You are not getting that on ANY other dive charter on Oahu. Our most common deep site are the Mahi wreck, a WWII ear minesweeper, 2 landing craft utility vessels, airplane canyon, and black rock sea cave.
We also make our vessel available on a first come first serve basis for private charters. Our online booking system will block out any time slot for a private charter that is booked prior to any individual booking. We can handle both scuba diving and snorkeling on our private charters, up to 20 people.
Dr. Matthew Zimmerman purchased the business, and its coveted permit to operate on the west coast, in 2017. This “About Us” update is being written in 2024, making it 24 years in the scuba industry.
DEDICATED TO CONSERVATION OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
We follow guidelines of the Coral Reef Alliance, to promote coral reef health around the Hawaiian islands. That includes sustainable practices such as no touching coral and encouraging our guests to be conscience of the sunscreen they are wearing while enjoying the waters of Oahu. We deliver exceptional customer service, safety, and Ko olina ocean adventures unique to the west side of Oahu.
Oahu Dolphin Divers respect the ocean and the ecosystem, and this is why we follow guidelines to protect all marine mammals and the marine environment in which they live.
Join Us for the best Ko olina ocean adventures and experience the secret coast of west Oahu!