Place of Refuge (Pu'uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park)

Here is the deal. Of the three sites we went shore diving on the Big Island in July, the other two being Mile Marker 4 and Puako Village End, I would actually rate this the hardest entry/exits of the three. There are two problems. The place can be overwhelmed by snorkelers all of whom are trying to enter and exit from the same place. So it can be a waiting game because of both the volume of people and the inexperience. But on top of that, when the tide is low, getting out is difficult because finding the leverage to get onto the first 'step' is not easy. If the tide is high, it is much easier. Once in the water, it is easy enough to get far away from the snorkelers. And you don't have to go far to hit the wall and be able to achieve as much depth as you might want. We bottomed out at 70 feet or so, but could have easily gone deeper and seen some nice things. We dove south along the wall to hit the second and deeper 'Aloha' sign on the sandy bottom at the edge of the way. A large reef shark was resting there. We saw turtles and a lot of marine life. The visibility was excellent. Very enjoyable dives. Beat the crowds if you can by getting there early. Also it is worth paying the $5 for the parking right by the site. It makes everything easier.