Halona Blow Hole

Halona Blow Hole

Oahu, Hawaiian Islands
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advanced
Viz (last reported 97581h ago)
Max Depth
23 ft

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Halona Blow Hole

This is the beach where Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr got hot and heavy, making out in a wicked beach break in the movie "From Here to Eternity". (I think I would've found the waves a little distracting. Seriously, they're getting their backsides handed to them big time and I doubt they enjoyed filming that scene at all.) It's also called Cockroach Cove by more recent generations, not sure why. It's a very nice dive site. Use caution for the current and waves which can be treacherous. Only go when it's very docile. Rocks may be slippery as well. After swimming out shallow cove, turn a little north and find the big crack that leads into the actual blow hole. If there's any waves at all, stay away from blow hole. Seriously, people have died in there (usually by getting sucked in from above, though) and you don't want to get stuck inside. Just use your head. If wave action is okay, it's pretty cool dropping down into this itty-bitty canyon. Pretty good chance to see green sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, octopus and maybe a white-tip shark. At first glance, Halona Blow Hole appears to be an easy, protected site for both snorkelers and divers. However, a list of SCUBA fatalities since 1971 shows that more fatalities by far occur at Halona Blow Hole than any other dive site in the state. First off, the sea cliffs that make this stretch of shoreline so great for diving also precludes any easy exit sites. This, coupled with the strong current, slippery rocks, waves on the ledges, and lack of lifeguards makes this coast one of the most hazardous on the island. Be especially careful on this stretch of coast! The nearest facilities are at Sandy Beach to the North, so take plenty of water. Halona Blow Hole, on the South Eastern shore, can be found at a large touristy turn out between Hanauma Bay and Sandy Beach Park.
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Seth Bareiss
Seth Bareiss
Aug 8, 2004, 12:00 AM
scuba
Monstrous currents can develop from near-zero starting conditions, in the course of a single dive. As a dive master trainee, I was purple with embarrassment for being stuck at the surface with an unfightable West-bound current and a diver who couldn't equalize her ears. I'd planned to get out at Lanai Lookout, but a HELICOPTER called in by a local fisherman got there first. To the east is Sandy Beach, the place where most cervical vertebrae fractures occur in Hawaii (off-road biking, body boarding, wakeboarding). The walk down from the parking area is intimidating if your legs are weak. Usually turtles are there, in shallows quite close to the beach. Visibility is poor near shore, due to wave action, but typical (30 to 40 feet) for Hawaii shore dives, further out. Car break-ins are common here and at nearby Lanai Lookout. It's a dive that can be moderately rewarding on a good day, and your worst nightmare on a bad day. No phones nearby, unless you're willing to walk to Sandy Beach. Not every dive in Hawaii is a winner: This one's like a dollar on top of a mountain-- a small reward for big effort and big risk, unless conditions are juuust right...or you like helicopter rides.
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