YO-257 Shipwreck Scuba Diving Location,70-115ft.
Wreck Diving Hawaii
Going ship wreck diving Hawaii ? Dive Oahu and you will soon hear about the famous Yo-257. This
shipwreck is perhaps Oahu's best shipwreck scuba dive. And certainly the busiest located right off
of Diamondhead State Park Hawaii.
This shipwreck dive is the perfect place for a Hawaii scuba diving adventure. So read on! Originally
commissioned in the 40s, the Yo-257 was a Navy refueling vessel that proudly served in World War II,
Korea and Vietnam. It was sunk in 1989 by the Atlantis Submarine Group in an effort to further improve
their submarine tour. This had the unexpected benefit of opening up Oahu's south shore like nothing else!
YO-257
The Yo-257 was built in Puget Sounds Washington in the 1940s
for the US Navy. She held approximately 200,000 gallons of fuel and was responsible for refueling
battleship groups out at sea. Furthermore this old boat proudly served in the WW2, Korean and Vietnam
War Theater. With a length of 165 feet and plenty of area to penetrate, the YO is full of surprises !
Do you think they would have ever thought this would be a Hawaii shipwreck and a popular dive in Oahu?
So here is a Hawaii wreck for you hardcore shipwreck scuba divers. The boat ride out to the Yo-257
shipwreck dive site takes around 15 minutes from the Kewalo Boat Basin. The ride itself can be a
bit rough due to the location of where the yo-257 shipwreck lays at however most of the time it's
fairly smooth sailing. Listen up- the yo-257 can be a tricky dive. Currents are extremely strong
here at times so be on your best behavior. Once moored and ready to go, enter the water- then
immediately surface swim to the mooring line.
Like I said before the currents can be very strong. As a matter of fact scuba diving this shipwreck during a full-moon
cycle will have you feeling like a flag on a flagpole! We skip those days and usually decide on the
Mahi shipwreck or the
Sea Tiger.
Do not attempt to free decent this scuba dive -current can be very strong. Penetrating the
shipwreck is very easy, however there are a few precautions to be aware of. Be sure to have all
your gauges, octopus / alternate-air source and other dive related equipment tucked into your BCD
before entering the wreck. Pay close attention to the pieces of bent steel all around you. This
wreck is very sharp! Even the barnacles are razor sharp! Having your hoses cut here is not a good
thing. As far as marine life to be careful of I would honestly say eels, urchins and the occasional
crown-of-thorns starfish. 
Some of the marine life that frequents the Yo-257 can be anything from eels to tiger sharks. I have personally
seen mantas,tiger sharks, Galapagos sharks,
white tip reef sharks, dolphins, barracuda, ono and plenty of
Hawaiian green sea turtles. I have heard from reputable sources that even
Hawaiian monk seals and the
majestic humpback whales have been spotted here. So in
short like I always so it’s like rolling the dice, you never know what you will encounter. Bottom
times on the yo-257 can vary. The deepest parts of the Yo-257 is around 115 feet and the shallowest
parts are around 65- 80 feet. A nice all-around 25 minute bottom time should cover you for the dive
and leave you with enough nitrogen in your system to accomplish a second dive to 40-60 feet after
doing a 30 minute surface interval. Watch your air. Get back on the mooring line around 1000 psi,
this will leave you with enough air for the accent and safety stop for 3-5 minutes at 15 feet.
Don't do the 500PSI "sprint-for-your-life" return. There is no room for mistakes here. In all, the
YO-257 wreck is a great dive! This is definitely an advanced dive. Watch those gauges and enjoy!
One more thing. Atlantis Submarine cruises around this wreck all day long. Stay well clear of this submarine, it does have several props that could potentially suck you in. The submarine can not stop like a car so if you are in the path promptly swim out of the way , NOT UNDER (EXTREMELY HEAVY TRIM WEIGHT SLED) OR OVER (2 MID THRUSTERS COULD SUCK YOU IN OR SHOOT YOU TO THE SURFACE).
Here are other Hawaii wrecks you might be interested in;
| Corsair Plane Wreck | YO-257 Shipwreck | Seatiger Shipwreck |
| Mahi Shipwreck | Mini Barge | LCU Landing Craft |
| YS-11 |
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