6 Best Dive Sites in Kauai for All Abilities

The island of Kauai represents every aspect of Mother Nature’s pure beauty. While the “Garden Isle” is known for its rugged sea cliffs of the Na Pali coast, the wondrous views atop the Waimea canyon, and the many cascading waterfalls, the beauty of the ocean is what leaves a lasting impression on most visitors. Scuba diving is the best way to experience the vibrant marine life and crystal clear waters of the Pacific Ocean. So get ready to discover the best dive sites in Kauai.

What Makes Diving in Kauai Unique?

The underwater topography in Kauai is the first thing you will notice on every dive. The volcanic rock formations create arches, lava tubes, deep water pinnacles, sheer walls, and millions of nooks and crannies to explore. Adorning these rock formations is an abundance of corals. Antler coral, cauliflower coral, lobe coral, and finger coral are the most common.

The Hawaiian islands are the most secluded island chain in the world and this creates a unique situation where much of the marine life is endemic, only being found in Hawaii. Some are only found in Kauai. Being surrounded by the deep waters of the Pacific, many large animals are seen while scuba diving here. Divers might get lucky and see manta rays, endangered monk seals, hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, sting rays, or even humpback whales on their dives.

Whether you’re an experienced scuba diver or a beginner eager to explore the beauty of the ocean, Kauai promises an unforgettable diving experience.

Boat Dives

Boat dives are a great way to see the most amount of wildlife as possible. There are some very unique dive sites that are only accessible by boat that shouldn’t be missed.

Sheraton Caverns

Depth: 35 to 65 feet

Level: Beginner, intermediate

Highlights: Lava tubes, sea turtles, frogfish

One of the most popular boat dive sites is Sheraton Caverns, and it’s for a good reason. This location has everything! located off the south coast from the Sheraton hotel, the main features of this dive site are the three partially collapsed lava tubes. This has created majestic archways, overhangs, and swim-throughs for divers of all abilities to explore. Green sea turtles are a constant presence here, so make sure to look up, a giant turtle might be slowly gliding back down to the bottom after a quick breath of fresh air.

Sheraton Caverns is truly a unique experience because of the rock formations. However, there are also many types of coral and marine life. Look out for frogfish, the rare harlequin shrimp, moray eels, and countless reef fish. Just try to count all the different types of butterfly fish!

With depths from 35 feet to 65 feet, Sheraton Caverns offers something for beginners, intermediate, and advanced divers. This is also a fantastic spot for snorkeling!

Turtle Bluffs, Fish Bowl, General Store

Depth: 40 to 90 feet

Level: Intermediate, advanced

Highlights: Ledges, schooling fish, dolphins

This three-for-one dive is a must do while diving on the south shore of Kauai. These three dive sites are right next to each other located along the same ledge system. Because of the strong currents pushing through the area, it is common to start at Turtle Bluffs and drift to Fish Bowl then finishing the dive at General Store. Each of the three dive sites has something unique to look out for.

Turtle Bluffs is known for the turtle cleaning station and a series of multiple ledges surrounding the cleaning station. Keep an eye out for nudibranchs and the always striking pyramid butterfly fish.

It’s easy to see how Fish Bowl earned its name, diving over this reef feels like swimming through a fully stocked fish tank. Triggerfish, schools of butterfly fish, and snapper are all commonly sighted.

General store has scattered debris of an old shipwreck making this site unique. Some areas can get as deep as 90 feet, so there is a chance of seeing some big open ocean animals like, dolphins, manta rays, and sharks.

When these three dive sites are done together as a drift dive, there will be depths from 40 to 90 feet and diverse fish life and lava formations. With the variance in depth and strong currents, this dive is best for intermediate and advanced divers.

Mana Crack

Depth: 45 to 100+ feet

Level: Intermediate, advanced

Highlights: Nudibranchs, eagle rays, eels, clear visibility

One of the best dive sites in Kauai is the Mana Crack, which is a sunken barrier reef along the beautiful Na Pali coast. There are no mooring buoys and usually a current, making the site a great drift dive. The Mana Crack is known for its remoteness, crystal clear visibility, and for being one of the most untouched reefs on the island. This site is so stunning, it is recommended to do at least two dives here.

The clear, deep waters often lead to seeing eagle rays, white tip and grey reef sharks, barracuda, and other large marine species. Over the reef divers see a wide variety of fish, eels, nudibranchs, and other species that are not common on the south shore. The views above the water are the cherry on the cake. Sea cliffs, archways, and waterfalls form the backdrop that is the famous Na Pali Coast.

The Mana Crack is best for advanced divers with depths of 100+ feet and the likelihood of moderate to strong currents.

Niihau Dive Sites

Although not on the island of Kauai, the “forbidden island” is hands down a must-do dive and should be on the bucket list of any avid diver. Niihau is a small, privately owned island where no visitors are allowed. Niihau has a small community of about 150 native Hawaiians living here. While no visitors are allowed on this privately owned island, the diving off the coast and at Lehua Rock is world-class with clear water, dramatic rock formations, and wildlife only seen in this area.

Vertical Awareness, Niihau

Depth: 45 to 100+ feet

Level: Intermediate, advanced

Highlights: Pinnacles, monk seals, sharks, rare fish

This dive site is one of the most well-known and favorite spots of divers who make it to Niihau. It earned its name because the dive site is located on a seamount, or pinnacle that starts at 45 feet and drops over 300 feet into deep blue depths. Vertical Awareness is the best spot in the whole state for a close encounter with the rare, endemic Hawaiian monk seal. It’s common to see multiple species of shark here. Look out in the distance for tiger sharks and hammerheads! Eagle rays, manta rays, whales, and even whale sharks have been spotted in these waters.

The walls and corals are teeming with fish life. Make sure to look for some of the unique fish and crustaceans that are not common at the dive sites on the main island of Kauai. While at Vertical Awareness, divers might see the rare red lionfish, and at deep depths of 80 to 100+ feet the rare Tinkers butterflyfish.

All the dive sites at Niihau are for intermediate to advanced divers, with deep water conditions and usually steady currents sweeping through.

Shore Diving

Koloa Landing

Depth: 10 to 60 feet

Level: Beginner, intermediate

Highlights: Green sea turtles, nudibranchs, octopus, dragon moray eels

Koloa Landing is one of the most popular dive sites in Kauai, located on the island’s south shore. It is an ideal dive site for beginner divers due to the shallow depth of the water and the calm conditions. The reef is shaped like a horseshoe and easy to navigate, having a left and right side that extend way out. It is common to do one dive following the right side, and then a second dive following the left side.

Koloa Landing is known for its abundance of green sea turtles, octopus, nudibranchs, and the rare dragon moray eel. This site also has incredible coral formations and thousands of crevices to peek into.

While this is an ideal spot for beginner divers, advanced divers will also have a great time here going slow and looking for all the unique sea creatures. The site has an easy ramp for entering and exiting the water. The reef starts shallow at about 10 feet and slowly gets deeper with a maximum depth of about 60 feet.

Tunnels Beach

Depth: 30 to 70 feet

Level: Beginner, intermediate, advanced

Highlights: Lava tubes, archways, sea turtles, reef sharks, nudibranchs

Located on the north shore of Kauai, this dive site is located at arguably the most beautiful beach on the island. This dive site is unique because of the dozens of lava tubes, archways, and caverns that host the many types of marine life here. A common misconception is that the beach is named for the extensive underwater lava tubes. The truth is that the name comes from the large tunnel-forming waves that entice surfers in the winter months.

The site is actually composed of two reefs, the inner and outer reef. These are usually done as two separate dives. The two reefs run parallel to each other with a large flat sandy patch separating them. Both reefs are different and have unique qualities. The inner reef has more lava tubes, and better chances to see reef sharks. The outer reef actually feels more “reef-like” with different types of coral, turtle cleaning stations, and schools of fish. There are also a couple of large lava formations and caverns that make the dive very exciting.

It is highly recommended to dive at this location with a local dive guide. Navigation can be difficult and strong currents often pass through. This dive site is only possible to dive in the summer season when there are minimal northern swells.