Another Great Dive Site!: Pahoehoe Beach Park

This Shore Dive Site, Pahoehoe Beach Park, is right near town. The newly landscaped and improved park is less than four miles south of the heart of Kailua-Kona on Alii Drive (our shoreline drive meandering south of town past mansions, shacks, swaying palms and the sea). Pahoehoe Beach Park is just north of White Sands and Disappearing Sands beach. The park has picnic tables, palm trees, real grass, roadside parking and a fresh water shower! What more could a cyber-diver ask? Yet, this fine dive spot is often overlooked, even by our local divers. It could be your 'secret dive site'. The recent renovation to the park was done by the Kona Outdoor Circle, a local group of volunteers who strive to keep Kona beautiful, so don't leave any trash, okay?

The entry/exit area is at the north end of the mini-park, at an itsy-bitsy beach. As you head in and out of the water, bear south and west as there is a shallow pahoehoe (lava) shelf to the north that can be a bummer if the surf is breaking and you are caught in the breaking waves. Keep this in mind, especially, on your return to shore and stay south of the shelf. I know of what I speak (I've been rolled up on that lava shelf more than once - and it ain't fun being rolled over and over through the surf with a scuba tank on your back). If you watch it, it should be no problem.

As you head out, get down to the bottom early. It's only about 15 ft down near shore, so the incoming swells break over your head. You'll immediately be in semi-sandy, rocky bottom terrain that is crawling in marine life. Lobsters were once abundant here and there might be a few left - they are primarily less than legal size, so let 'em alone so they'll grow up to plate size - or, better yet, be observed by other eco-consious divers.

The coral formations here are varied and hold promise for a fine coral reef in the future. Incidentally, have you wondered why there are few major coral reefs in Hawaii? Simple. We are such a new group of islands, geographically, that corals, like those seen on The Great Barrier Reef off Australia, haven't had time to form. What we see here are the beginnings. We can watch them grow right before our eyes, IF WE LEAVE THEM ALONE.

Swim straight out to sea from the entry/exit area and you'll reach 35'-40' depths within only a few yards. Keep your eyes open for Helmet Shells on the sandy patches and the prized Marlin Spike Auger buried at the ends of their trails in the sand. Over the rocky outcropping you'll discover hordes of hinalea lauwili (Saddleback Wrasse), the sought after Potter's Angelfish (which are only found in Hawaiian waters), hinalea 'akilolo (Yellowtail Coris), kikikapu (Bluestripe Butterflyfish) and other rainbow-hued reef fishes. The sandy areas between the coralheads and rocky islands will hold maly (Sidespot Goatfish) and the disappearing a'awa (Hawaiian Hogfish) that bores into the sand at the first sign of danger. This fascinating fish disappears so quickly you will think your eyes are deceiving you. Watch for Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles in this area, too.

After you've explored some of the deeper areas return toward your entry/exit point and bear slightly north. This area is filled with lava tubes and ledges (under the aforementioned pahoehoe shelf that you want to avoid on the surface). The many holes and crevices here house many puka-dwelling creatures - from Seven-Eleven Crabs and Slipper Lobsters to every conceivable family of eels known to inhabit Hawaiian waters. Explore every hole for a new adventure. The shelf is shallow so the surge can be extreme. Don't fight it. Flow with it and it is less tiring.

When you Shore Dive watch your bottom time. The things we see along the Kona Coast are so interesting we often lose track of time. Also, the water is so clear it's easy to get deeper than planned without realizing it. Constantly monitor your gauges - and you'll be diving safely. And remember: Take only pictures and leave only bubbles.

IMPORTANT: On this or any dive I suggest, YOU are responsible for your diving. Dive only when you and the conditions are right. If, for any reason, you do not feel competent in making the dive, whether it be from shore or from a boat, DON'T DIVE. I cannot be responsible for your incompetence, heavy weather, tide, or current conditions. Diving is a SAFE and ENJOYABLE sport. Don't dive if you are at all uncomfortable with the conditions or your safety.