Island Divers Hawaii

Wonderful knowledgeable and fun crew. We had a wonderful time on their sunset whale watching and plan to recommend it to all our friends. Defiantly worth your time and money in my opinion.

I bought a Groupon for their whale watching tour & pictures deal and… it was ok. We saw plenty of whale activity, which was awesome… but most of the time from very, very far away. Unlike other tours I’ve been on, it felt a bit like we were chasing shadows, just plowing towards the spot we had last seen a blow/​spout even though the odds were slim that they would come up at the exact spot again. Although we did have an accidental close encounter at the end of our tour which was exciting! Unfortunately the included photos were disappointing– over ²⁄₃ of just people or scenery and a short blurry video that missed the bilateral pectoral slap– I won’t be using any of them because, sadly, they’re no better than mine.
There is a noticeable difference between this tour and those with a marine biologist or naturalist on board: this tour felt more like a pleasure cruise with friends than anything else. That being said, pleasure cruises are still fun, the crew was very friendly & we ended up with some views of pectoral slaps, tail slaps and a few breaches. Worth the Groupon price, but no more.
Oh! After the tour ended we were all treated to a spat between the office guy and the deck hand, which included specifics about her salary! Yikes, hopefully it was just an off night, but it left a sour taste.

The Meh is in relation to first dive site. Dove with Honolulu Scuba the day before — a sister company. When booking future dives I let them know we were definitely not interested in booking any more ship wrecks as we were on the hunt for live, colorful reefs and marine life so HSC’s Sara suggested we do the am dive with Island Divers and booked it. Guess they were so busy she forgot we were Nitrox divers and and they didn’t have enough ready when we got there. Also the am dive includes a wreck called Baby Barge — the last thing we wanted to do… Current was so strong we were swimming on a treadmill going no where, just to see a boring, rusty, barge. By the time we got down there we were turning around to come back up. Unfortunately that was a waste of the one Nitrox tank we had. The 2^nd dive was Spitting Caves. Much better! Wish we could have stayed down for a full tank. The boat was packed so if you are used to smaller groups this is not the one for you. But the highlight was Steven! He picked us up, set our gear up on the boat, was our dive master and brought us back. So polite, caring, professional and the most pleasant person. What an asset to this dive shop.

Easy diving…
I am Advanced Open Water certified and found this company great to dive with. Wet suits (⁵⁄₃), and all diving equipment were provided by the company (or you can bring your own equipment). They will set it all up for you, or you can ask to DIY.
They picked me up from right of the Waikiki strip and dropped me off after everything was done.
I recommend the two tank dives even if you are only Open Water certified (but not if you’ve never dived in the ocean or are a nervous diver as the dives are often a little deeper or drift dives); though, the sites are much more interesting.

Two words: Larry Hogan.
Brought my own wetsuit for my last 3 & 4 open water dives (hence the upgraded rating) and then jumped into the deep end (literally) and went on an advanced dive — 80ft and a drift dive.
Larry is the Master. His calming demeanor instantly boosts your confidence. Learning the skills is only a part of scuba, the other is really believing you can. If you are nervous, I’d recommend requesting Larry. He is a lovely man and he is such an expert that you don’t worry because he’s got you and then you can simply enjoy the dive.
Also, make sure to pick up his CD of pictures. Not only is he a talented diver, he’s a phenom underwater photographer!
Thank you Larry! You are truly a superhero.

We had a family reunion of sorts with 11 divers of various skill levels. We were very impressed with Mary and Paul our dive masters who worked with us on several issues of things not going as planned. First being that the winds changed and the water got choppy. We were able to complete the first dive, however several of us got sick during the break between dives and Mary was wise enough to switch our second dive to a more calm dive area instead of the wall dive we were planning on diving… The boat was clean, equipment worked well. All in all we recommend them and would dive here again… Aloha and Mohalo

Best dive team yet. My wife and I have been certified for a few years now and explored several locations throughout that time. Island divers met and surpassed our expectations and even surprised us at times.
The staff and crew were courteous, knowledgeable, patient and professional. They greeted us with smiling faces and happy attitudes. Our minds were at ease well before we even got on the boat. The gear was setup and ready with our names taped next to it.
My wife chose not to wear a wetsuit and ended up getting colder than expected during the first dive. The crew heated up water to dump over her and provided hot cocoa to warm her up before the next dive. On our way back to the dock, the crew provided cut up pineapple.
It’s the little things that count and this establishment is filled with them.
The last surprise was an email with a link to our dive report so we could add the info into our dive logs.
We’ll be back again during our next visit!
Thank you!

Island divers were great! Larry took my friend and I on our first deep dive after being certified. Larry was so patient and kind. He stayed right next to you the whole time and made sure you were doing okay. He even showed us turtles and octopus on our dive and was gracious enough to send me the pictures from our dive for free. I would highly island divers to anyone who is scuba certified.

We just completed our 10^th dive with Island Divers and we decided that they are our favorite operator anywhere! The staff is knowledgeable, professional and helpful. The boat is easy to dive from. The rental gear is in good shape. The shop and the free shuttle are super convenient. Most of all, the dive teams are so great to dive with. Everyone has a great time. Every dive is a blast!
We will see you next time :)

Great time with the crew. Very friendly and happy crew. This team was very organized and my gear is ready to go and very helpful. We’ll definitely recommend to our friends and ohana. Bravo Zulu to sara, mary, larry, Matt, kye captain joe and walter. Mahalo Nui Loa

Went on a dive while visiting Oahu. Able to make a reservation the day before. Staff was very friendly and helpful, we didn’t bring any of our own equipment but the shop was able to outfit us quickly and efficiently. All of the gear was clean and in excellent shape. We went on a two tank dive to a wreck and a reef with Larry and it was awesome! I would definitely use Island Divers on my next dive in Hawaii and they offer a military discount!

Wonderful dive shop in O’ahu. I did the 2-​day PADI certification with instructor Matt, and he was awesome. Very thorough, focused on safety and helped me progress quickly and efficiently. Matt literally didn’t miss a thing. I feel very confident in my abilities and am glad I got paired up with Matt and the supporting crew for my first SCUBA dives. Beautiful dive spots too: we went to Koko Craters and a few other spots that were gorgeous with 45 – 50 feet of visibility. I highly recommend Island Divers Hawaii and Matt.

My sons, aged 15 and 18, and I (51) dove with Island Divers August 7, 2015, taking the early boat (Sea Fox). This dive isn’t mentioned in their blog for good reason. The first dive was to a wreck that was wonderful. The second dive was a drift dive that started at Spitting Caves. And while the dive itself was very nice, the way it ended was very dangerous and horrifying.
On this drift dive, you drop to the bottom, drift along «the wall», then surface. That’s when the boat is supposed to pick you up. In our case, there was no boat. And with very rough 6ft seas, it was outright scary. We bobbed in the water almost an hour before the boat found us. In the meantime, most in our 8-​person group had gotten sea sick and vomited. This is not to be taken lightly, because we’re wearing our regs due to the rough seas. In the process of removing the regs to vomit, most swallowed sea water. The problem was that the boat captain misjudged the underwater current. This would have been avoided if they had used a floatation device, connected to the diver instructor — a procedure they did not follow. The captain admitted his mistake, and said we drifted 1.7 miles (including across the entire opening of Hanauma Bay)
The people were very nice, including Mary who was our dive instructor/​master. She had to work very hard to keep spirits up, and keep us from drifting apart from each other. In seas that rough, it’s very hard to spot a single person. If one of us had gotten separated, it could have been fatal.
I’ve never written a negative review before, and even waited two days to write this. I had hoped to get more of an explanation from Island Divers on what went wrong, but they never responded to my inquiry. I can only assume that they don’t care. It’s easy to get a good review when conditions are nice (they have many), and all goes well. But you can really see how poor a company’s processes are when things go bad. And in this case, it’s not about customer service, it’s about your own personal safety. The attached pic is of Mary helping my son while we waited for the boat.

Great day with Island Divers: organized shop, briefings, equipment and crew. My gear assembled exactly as I requested. Nitrox is available and self-​analysis is organized.
They have dives for beginners and intermediate divers, but my boat was for advanced due to depth and possible current. We did a wreck dive and a drift in very choppy seas, and the crew delivered on the critters. White tipped reef shark, Eagle Rays, colorful nudis, the biggest Green Turtles I had ever seen.
Staff did not control the roiling surf, but when it got too rough and I had to commune with Neptune over the side, I was delighted to be offered water and a moist, warmed, mint-​scented towel to recompose myself.
Island Divers is safety conscious, expert, provides good value for the diver’s dollar and are very nice people.
Recommend.

I went to Island Divers for my first ever dive and I am SO glad that I did. I was a bit nervous about going, but my instructor, Bradley, was super patient and knowledgable. He made sure to take his time with me and give me all of the proper tests before I continued on with the dive. Having a good diving instructor was important to me so I definitely recommend going with Bradley whether you are new to diving or if you are advanced.
The staff on the boat are professional, welcoming, fun, and friendly. Neal was the captain and he was very good at speaking to our large group (I think we had over 40 people on the boat). Greg was funny and did a great job at making the instruction portion entertaining and educational at the same time. Chris was helpful as well and helped me mentally to stay calm. You can really tell the staff here enjoy what they do! I look forward to diving here again in the near future!

Went on my very first dive, didn’t have a reservation. The staff was able to rally and get another instructor to come in at the last min. They were very accommodating and were really nice.
Kevin was my dive instructor. Props to him for being so patient with me and making me feel safe. I can’t wait to go back out.

Outstanding staff makes an already fun activity even better. Very safe and friendly crew, excellent service in the water and in the boat. Highly recommended
I’ve had many dives with this company and have felt comfortable bringing friends who are new to diving; knowing they’re in the best of hands with island divers Hawaii

I dove with Island Divers Hawai’i for 3 days during Memorial Day week 2015. I did 6 dives over 3 days. I am an advanced diver but, except for a refresher course, it had been a while since I’d been diving. I let the shop and Divemasters know that.
I found the shop to be relaxed yet very professional. The dive masters I dove with, Larry, Dave and Mary all knew their craft SO well. They provided a much needed calm to me after being away from diving for so long. The crew and other dive masters were also excellent. They were helpful, informative and always smiling. Matt, Maxine, Ashley (I wish I could name more). They were ALL so wonderful and supportive.
I think it’s a strange thing to jump on a boat with 10+ strangers and essentially put your life and well being somewhat in their care. (Yes, you are ALWAYS responsible for yourself) but I found the team at IDH to bring everyone together and create a sense of team safety, fun and excitement. I dove with my spouse, who was getting certified via finishing up her open water dive portion. So, I also experienced their instruction technique. I loved the calm yet direct nature they all exuded in their unique way.
On our dives we saw white tip sharks, turtles, eels, beautiful fish. We even dove a wreck. So cool.
My spouse and I also got Nitrox certified. I went into the process grudgingly (my wife pushed me to do it) but was so VERY glad I did it. We did the book work and watched a video. We then took a written test, received training and did 2 dives on Nitrox. It was so worth it. Thanks to Mary’s patience and detailed yet fun instruction I learned a lot.
At the end of my 6^th dive with IDH I felt so much more confident. My excitement for diving returned. I would dive again ANYTIME and ANYWHERE with Larry, Dave or Mary. I would even send my kids to them for certification because I know they would train them well and safely.

I said it once and i’ll say it again: Island Divers is the way to go!
I arrived Oahu in the afternoon (4÷23÷15) and immediately was able to book a night dive and next morning dive over the phone with Lauren who was extremely helpful and efficient. The 2 night dives and morning dives were awesome. Night Dive: we saw sharks, turtles, lots of fish, and a Spanish dance that followed us all night. A.M. Dive: the corsair was a lot of fun and getting in the cockpit is great for pictures. The crew was great. We had Max, Matt, and Captain Joe. Max was super fun, had a wonderful personality and such a wonderful energy. Please go dive with them and dont waste your time anywhere else.
PROS:
great rates
small groups
awesome crew
rinsing area
punctual
offer rides to and from Waikiki area
CONS:
none

I tend to write very positive reviews or periodically very negative reviews. The only reason this review is as positive as it is has to do with our instructor Dave, he was the man and Manolo was super cool too.
We went out in 5 ft seas, over the radio the coast guard kept saying that a 20 ft boat had flipped over with 2 ppl aboard in Ka’a’awa… There was evidently an island wide small craft advisory I found out later. That should paint the picture of what we were getting ourselves into. We had been warned though before going out that it was gonna be rough, so that clearly was on us. Understandably no dive co. can control the weather. However, we were supposed to be at the shop at 12 and take off by 12:30. We ended up leaving at 1:40 instead. I am born and raised in Hawaii so trust me I get Hawaiian time (I am often guilty of it myself) but kinda pushing it nevertheless eh? Anyway, we get out there and sure enough it’s Gnarly with a capital G!!! I managed to avoid throwing up before the 1^st dive so yaaaay me!!! It was pretty fun, although my mask was a little Mickey Mouse.
It was sooooo sketch getting back on the boat. 5 ft seas had it whipping all over the place. Super DANGEROUS!!! So we all manage to get back on safely, the captain’s rude assistant actually proved fairly useful helping with everyone’s fins and tanks. His thinly veiled effort to cover up how over working he was failed miserably though. He was yelling at my girlfriend and took a long time to help her with her tank. He did actually help me so go figure.
He asked me in a snarky tone when I closed the cabin window if I was cold. I did it because I was fearful my backpack might go flying out the window with my personal belongings. Seemed pretty captain obvious to me, but clearly I was a moron. Whatever…
Before the 2^nd dive I started throwing up. It was very rough. Others were puking too. 6 of the 15 divers chose not to take their 2^nd dive. I am kinda glad I didn’t go back in because it was gnar gnar, and I have grown up surfing and free diving on Oahu. The anchor line snapped while the 9 who opted not to join the puking party were diving. Fortunately our captain, (Chris I think) knew what he was doing. Waves were splashing over the sides victory at sea styley. I puked 3 more times, and so did several other students. Finally the 9 surfaced and it was intense loading them back into the boat. A solid wave cracked over us. Stoked I was grabbing the rope!!!
Like I said I don’t blame this company for the shit weather, but when I asked at the end if our unused dives could be used in the future (I didn’t even ask for our money back) I was politely denied. I own a surf school and despite having to forego good money from time to time I straight up cancel lessons even though I could take the money and run. Furthermore, if I do give a lesson and my students are anything less than delighted due to sub par conditions I always offer them a future lesson for free. That’s probably why I have 149 five star reviews and one 4 star review out of 150 reviews. Definitely a different business paradigm.
Regardless, it was definitely an adventure. It would have been cool if I could have used our unused dives in the future, especially when it was so cray cray that over ¹⁄₃ of the class opted not to dive. Hopefully something to think about moving forward guys. Ushering people like cattle into MISERABLE conditions and then not allowing them to reschedule a dive when they are puking everywhere may lead to short term profits, but it’s not the path toward cultivating loyal customers.