Oahu scuba diving Hawaii frequently asked questions on Oahu dive.

OAHUDIVING.COM FAQs 2008

Oahu scuba diving is a fascinating adventure. Diving in Hawaii has many cool things to see so I know you all have many questions you want to ask. We have put together a bunch of regular questions we usually get on a weekly if not daily basis. Scuba diving in Oahu will leave you with thousands of more questions afterwards. We try to keep it simple and up front for you so scroll down to see if you were thinking the same thing.

Questions

How big is Oahudiving.Com ? We are a small dive company, you won't be forgotten with us. We run small and have no ambitions to get bigger. However we are opening a small dive operation in ? winter 2009. (our competition reads our site often so we have to be tight-lipped) shhhhhhhh !

Does Oahudiving.Com operate a store ? Yes and no. Yes we have a small office that we use for scuba course training, dive gear storage. We do sell t-shirts, decals and hats however we do not sell scuba diving gear such as bcds and regulators. We focus our time on actually doing scuba diving, teaching of scuba dive courses and customer service. Selling gear is a time consuming effort that will affect our dive operation.

How do I make a reservation ? Simple, call us right away with the date you want to go diving. We will need information as to how many people are in your party and each persons' height , weight and shoe size. Summer time should be sooner the better; since we keep our numbers low.

What is your cancellation policy ? Our cancellation policy is very generous. We require you to let us know at least 24 hours in advance if you can not make the scuba dive tour. Do to the logistics of putting together a dive tour for you the sooner you let us know the better. If you call us within 24 hours we would have to charge your card the full amount. This is due to the fact we held your "seat" for the dive, remember we don't overbook or pack em' in. No shows will be charged as well. (sorry, but we've been burned before)

Can I bring a guest ? Sure you bet, there is a very small fee due to the fact that we are using that seat in place of a scuba diver. We will provide snorkel gear if needed at no additional charge.

Does Oahudiving.Com provide transportation ? Yes we do if you are staying in the Waikiki or surrounding areas this shouldn't be a problem. Call us, we can always work something out. If you don't need transportation we will gladly go over directions to where we are.

Can I cancel a scheduled dive course ? Sure you bet, but please let us know one week in advanced. Courses are always a little bit difficult to schedule so please be respectful and let us know right away. Failure to not notify us will result in a charge of the scheduled class. Again, we keep our numbers down for customer service so we can't always fill a seat if you decide to just not show or cancel too late.

Dive Questions

Where can we dive ? At Oahudiving.Com we are the only company who actually dives all over Oahu. We choose our scuba dive locations very carefully. Using the internet, we can first check the ocean buoys to see what part of the island will get swells and surf. We also use our close friends who work on the waters of Oahu, this seems to be the best source of information believe it or not.

What is the water temperature ? Wow, I hear this one all the time. Water temperature various according to the seasons. Winter temps range from 71 to 74 and will require a full wetsuit ,say 3mil to 5mil should be ok. The summer months range from 75 to 79. 3mil shorties and smaller mil suits are ok.

How long are the dives ? This question varies according to the person in question. Usually we average about 40 minutes per dive. Again, body size, health habits and movement under water play into this.

Is scuba diving safe ? Does a bear sh...ok , you get the idea. Yes it is, extremely safe. The most dangerous part of your stay in Oahu will be the driving for sure. Not to mention Oahudiving.Com has the best incident-free record on island. We are the safest and will continue to be the safest.

Are there any sharks ? I get this a lot with first time scuba divers. Yes, sharks are here. You have to understand, we are going to play in their "yard" so the chances of seeing sharks are always there. Do we see them everyday ? No we do not. What kind of sharks will we see ? I am sure you are thinking of that question. We typically see the white tip reef sharks then followed by the grey reef shark, the Galapagos shark, tiger shark and hammerhead shark. Encounters are fast, usually 30-40 seconds . Really, sharks are more scared of you underwater, the noise of scuba and our awkward movements make us look like cheese and ham sandwich that was left in the sun for 3 days in your car. No too appetizing huh ?

What kinds of animals will we see ? Another good question I get all the time. We see plenty of reef fish such as the yellow tangs, beautiful Moorish idols, sting rays, eagle rays, turtles, monk seals, butterfly fish and octopuses. You know what the more I think of it i could fill this whole website up with the kinds of fish you will see.

Courses

Which agencies do you certify under ? WE typically use PADI, however we are qualified to teach NAUI and SSI courses to their proper specifications and standards.

Is certifications for life ? Yes it is, BUT, it is a great idea to stay fresh with diving. This means even heading down to your local pool to get a refresher pool dive with a qualified instructor.