Diver Reviews:    (Please share your own experiences by clicking here!)

03/31/2008 Joe Foster (Avg: 3.45 Review) - Dove this site on March 16th, 2008 with my 2 boys. Out of our 17 dives during our vacation, this was the 2nd worst exit. 2nd only to the Mauna Lani (ouch) It blew up while we were down, and the exit was not very pleasant. That being said the dive was wonderful. Loads of fish, Turtles, Eels, even an Eagle Ray. If you get a day that is flat, go for it, but be ready for the exit if it blows up while your down! I would recommend the Puako Village end over this site, for ease of entry & exit.

12/26/2007 Brian Xavier (Avg: 3.86 Review) - Great dive spot but very rough on the day I went. Went out through the channel in front of the house with the shiny roof. Very rough and only dove to about 25 feet. Saw lots of fish here, but rough during the winter. Park in the lot between the houses, and walk to the left to find the channel area. Pick a day when the wind is down, as the wind blows here sometimes.

09/05/2007 Clare (Avg: 3.38 Review) - It was a little difficult to find from the road, but what a fabulous site. Lots of turtles here, though most were basking on the rocks and the shore. Entry is a little tough but totally doable!

09/28/2006 Yuri (Avg: 3.61 Review) - Puako was our best site on Big Island. Entrance was not a problem, just try to swim as soon as you can. My advice, hang something bright, like a T-shirt, on one of the dry trees by the entrance, so you will know where to come back. Puako area is interesting not only for rich wildlife, but also for very interesting lava and coral formations. Though we found the other site in Puako, Village End, better than this one, it is still an awesome dive.

11/21/2004 Alison (Avg: 3.83 Review) - This was a great... GREAT...dive! Ignorance was bliss for we started our second dive at dusk with 2/3rds the dive a night dive... it was amazing, however... a place where tiger sharks are common at night (we were told). We saw none but I'm sure it was only because they were just out of 'our' sight. Turtles - turtles - turtles!!! Morays were all out hunting and stunning. Sea life was so colorful and what a great thing to see a Parrot fish sleeping in a corner right out in the open. The entry and exit are hard... you have to catch the wave just right... the darn spiny urchin's are in every little whole just waiting to stab you. Serious... you have to be pretty accurate with the entry / exit or you'll be reminded of those little but painful urchins.

10/12/2004 Anonymous (Avg: 3.53 Review) - A little bumpy going in but, once past the shallow water, I enjoyed one of my best snorkeling dives ever. A virtual aquarium of fish. Once past the reef you find yourself in deeper water with a terrific level of visibility. My best dive in Hawaii was of the southern point below the boat hoists. I went in with calm seas and was fine. This is not an area for a beginner at all.

05/21/2004 Janna Nichols (Avg: 3.73 Review) - The little road that leads to the Puako Church site is now blocked off. We simply parked along the street, not wanting to intrude on the church's parking lot. (although it was empty). The entry is a bit tricky, and I highly suggest you hold onto your buddy and walk side-by-side out to deeper water. There is a very long shallow portion you must walk through, full of dips, holes and uneven ground. Once out, swim out a bit more until you are in front of the home that's to the left of the entry site (facing the beach). Go down into a lava hole (a turtle was there to greet us!) and swim out to the reef. Reef was VERY healthy and beautiful. I loved diving this site!

03/19/2004 Rick Inman (Avg: 3.58 Review) - Wow! So many lava tubes and caverns and pukas. Awesome structure! Slide into one hole, out and through another. And turtles everywhere. I dove here 4 times, two different days and never saw another diver. My wife and I had this romantic, secluded beach all to ourselves. This is what diving Hawaii is all about. The dirt road down to the beach has been closed, so there is now a short hump of your gear, which may be why we had the place to ourselves (easier access a mile down at Puako Village End). Also, at low tide, the swim over the shallow reef through the surf can definitely be a challenge. And it is a long way out to the drop-off and the good structure. There are buoys planted out there, and the best stuff is between them. On the second time we went here, while enjoying a lunch of left-over ono on Hawaiian Sweet Bread between dives, we saw humpback whales playing out about 200 yards beyond he reef. Then during my second dive, I could hear the whale's song for the entire dive. Wonderful! I kept waiting for one to swim up and visit me, but no such luck. On the way back in, I saw the biggest Morey I'd ever seen. Out of 16 dives in 8 days at 9 different sites, this was my favorite dive.

01/03/2004 Sheila (Avg: 3.86 Review) - 5/2003 We were surrounded by sea turtles - like our own National Geographic movie! Best snorkling we did on the big island was here. Need to be careful to leave a marker on shore you can see from the water because it is easy to lose your entry/exit site. Can't wait to get back 1/2004.

12/05/2003 Wayne-Melody Kinslow (Avg: 3.66 Review) - Nice site with no crowds. Entry can be a little tricky if the wave are medium to large sized. Worth the trip.

11/29/2003 Rob Bennett (Avg: 4.05 Review) - Only my third dive (using "hooka") and using underwater video I felt I was diving in an aquarium. Spotted a turtle while walking out to deeper water, many species of reef creatures including an Eagle Ray just off the reef edge. Second day found easier spot to shore dive 1/4 mile north (pole 115) as waves were crashing on shore at church access. Highly recommend this area.

10/22/2003 Anonymous (Avg: 3.93 Review) - Favorite dive spot for ten years now...

08/06/2002 Kim (Avg: 3.50 Review) - Beautiful place to dive - snowflake eels, large morays, turtles. Nice, shady, uncrowded parking. Entry is manageable at high tide - easier to float/swim out over the lava/rocks.

08/04/2002 Bill Stohler (Avg: 3.19 Review) - I thought this was a great site. From the beach just a few steps from the parking area, I watched as a large group of green sea turtles fed on the sea grass and algae in the shallows practically in the surf. Heading over the reef, then South, there's some good topography, and out to sea it drops off pretty well. Good critters and reef. Variable visibility. As usual with this side, it's best to dive before the trade winds kick in, and don't try it if the surf's up.

04/17/2002 Jon Knight (Avg: 4.02 Review) - Have done this site twice and enjoy it. Very shallow entry takes patience. Scenery isn't the same as Puako-Village End, but it still has vast coral beds with lots of life.

07/20/2001 C Hepburn (Avg: 3.71 Review) - My buddy and I had different opinions about this site. I thought it was a pretty dive my buddy thought it was boring. Parking was a breeze and the car is only about 10 yards from the ocean. The entry can be a bit tricky (that's why I rated it intermediate) because it is slightly slippery, but being from Massachusetts, we're used to the slime covered rocks. The lave tubes drop to about 25-30' and that's where we found the most life. The mini-walls are quite scenic.

05/28/2001 Tom Mellor (Avg: 3.44 Review) - I actually dove a site just a couple hundred feet south of the Puako Church, but it is essentially the same area. This is turtle sanctuary and one can study these fascinating creatures sunning themselves on the lava or as they swim effortless in 20 - 60 feet of water. The entry along here and in many Northern Big Island sites can be a challenge, especially at low tide. The lava is rough on feet, footwear and gear. It is usually better to dive at high tide - but always be careful of urchins if you use skin-diving fins. Another entry challenge can be wind driven surge, though it isn't as difficult as other Hawaii sites. The swim to 40' depth is about 300 meters at high tide - I would suggest that seasoned divers put their snorkels back on and use them on the surface swim there's much to see and it will make swimming through the surge easier. Once at the 20 - 40' levels, just drop down and swim among the lava tubes that have become healthy coral walls. The yellow tang, wrasses, butterflies, other common Hawaii reef fish are prolific here - ostensibly beyond the reach of collectors in this protected area. The turtles are tolerant of divers who don't present themselves aggressively. Morays are also friendly to those divers who keep a non-threatening distance.

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Diver Averages for  Puako Church  (1=worst, 5=best)