Buoy Reef Scuba Location of Oahu Hawaii
Scuba divers in Oahu and particularly diving Honolulu fans love this dive located right out from Kewalo boat harbor. Buoy reef is the type of dive where adventure in scuba diving is always around. Buoy reef is named from the close proximity of the channel buoys that are in place. Not so deep, buoy reef is roughly 40 feet with the better parts in 30 feet of water. Getting to buoy reef is easy, with a mooring line just west of the reef. Once down at around 35 feet we will need to make a 3 minute bottom scuba diving swim to the reef. The shape of buoy reef is similar to horseshoe reef with rock ledges protruding and small cave like areas popular with white tip reef sharks and Hawaiian green sea turtle.
Scuba diving locations in Oahu
This scuba diving location in Oahu is a great place for video and underwater scuba pictures. With shallow depths and not too deep areas long bottom times are easily obtained. Heading around the first ledge at 25 feet you will notice a few sharks hanging out. At the time of this writing I actually seen 4 reef sharks last week there. Other marine life you will encounter could be anything from eagle rays to tiger sharks. This area is in close proximity to the harbor so the boating channel is nearby so don't be surprised if you hear OR see a speeding boat up ahead.
BOATS DO PASS UP ABOVE IN THIS AREA- DO NOT MAKE ANY ASCENT HERE- VERY DANGEROUS
Once around the first section of the reef there is an interesting small "cove" with tons of Hawaiian tropical fish. Snoozing Hawaiian turtles and again those white tip reef sharks should be spotted here. I love taking pictures in this area so feel free to snap away.
Keep going around this lava rock protruding ledge. You will now be heading south east on the compass and getting a little deeper. Check those gauges.
This area is the location that resembles a horseshoe shape with reef on both sides slowly merging together. Keep you eyes pealed, this is the area where eagle rays and some big tiger sharks cruise by. A quick note, the tiger sharks are not territorial. In other words, it is said they tend to roam from island to island so if you do see a tiger shark enjoy it. The eagle rays I have noticed tend to hang out in the same areas from day to day.
Returning back to the mooring line at 1000PSI is a great idea here because remember we had to do a 3 minute bottom scuba swim
just to get to buoy reef. Again, making a unplanned ascent here is very dangerous; I'm not just saying that to sound like "Joe Diver" but really the boat channel is very close here. While making that swim over keep you scan moving around.
This is an area where Hawaiian stingrays like to hunt for crabs and octopus. Speaking of
octopus, scuba diving in Hawaii isn't complete without seeing these cool marine creatures. Octopus is extremely intelligent as you might have heard and have nature's best camouflage methods around. Well by this time, air should be getting low so time for the ascent. On the line let that air out of your bcd, no need for a safety stop then back on the boat.
To be honest, I thoroughly enjoy diving this shallow reef. The feeling on this reef is that of an advanced scuba dive, thousands of Hawaiian fish, sharks and turtles all around. Taking pictures this is the reef to be at. I have taken very experienced divers here and have gotten excellent compliments.
We scuba dive this reef when diving on the south shore Oahu location and would love to show you the area. Please call us at 808-721-4210 for more scuba diving information about Oahu Hawaii scuba diving. Buoy reef of Oahu Hawaii is a great scuba dive and Oahu Diving does this tour.
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