9 caverns · down to 23 m (75 ft) · 9 suitable for an intro team
Cave diving in Hawaii
- Caverns9
- Max depth23 m (75 ft)
- For intro teams9
- Dive centres5
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Why come here
Hawaii has no cave diving with lines in the usual sense, but it does have lava tubes, caverns and arches in young lava, above all along the Kona coast of the Big Island, off Lanai and on Kauai. You dive them guided from a local dive centre's boat, with daylight in reach, and Open Water is usually enough; a cavern course and a primary and backup light are recommended. Surge sucks you in and out of the tubes, so keep clear of the walls and follow the guide. Kauai's North Shore can only be dived in summer. Kailua-Kona is the base, and between the islands you fly.
Don't miss
- Suck 'Em Up (Kona): a shallow lava tube where the surge sucks you in and back out again, which is where the name comes from.
- Skull Cave (Kona): a cavern on the Kona coast with colourful sponges growing on its walls.
- First Cathedral (Lanai): a lava tube off Lanai that looks like a cathedral inside, down to about 17 m.
- Sheraton Caverns (Kauai): tunnels on Kauai known for the turtles that rest inside them.
On a rest day
- Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau: Walk through the royal grounds and the place of refuge where anyone who had broken the sacred kapu was safe, watched over by carved wooden kiʻi.
- Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park: On the Kona coast near Kailua, see the historic fishponds and their stone walls that sustained ancestral Hawaiians.
- Huliheʻe Palace: The lava-rock summer home of Hawaiian royalty on Aliʻi Drive in Kailua-Kona, now a museum with Victorian-era objects from the reign of King Kalākaua and Queen Kapiʻolani.
- Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube): A long day out to the other side of the island: in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park you walk, dry this time, through a lava tube from a Kīlauea eruption more than 500 years ago, with ʻōhiʻa tree roots hanging from the ceiling.
All 9 caverns
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Cathedral (Lanai)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | 17 m (56 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Golden Arches (Kona)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | – | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Kaiwi Point (Kona)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | – | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Puako Village End (Kohala)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | 23 m (75 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Second Cathedral (Lanai)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | 17 m (56 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Sheraton Caverns (Kauai)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | 21 m (69 ft) | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Skull Cave (Kona)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | – | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Suck 'Em Up (Kona)Backmount · Open water / no overhead | – | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Tunnels (Kauai North Shore)Backmount · Cavern | 18 m (59 ft) | Backmount | Cavern |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Dive centres and fill stations
5 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
Dive Maui (Lahaina)
1223 Front Street, Lahaina, Maui
Guided dives: First Cathedral (Lanai), Second Cathedral (Lanai)
Boat trips to the Cathedrals off Lanai, ~45 minutes from Mala Ramp (Lahaina), Monday to Saturday at 6:45 am. Requirements: certified divers aged 14 and up, Open Water at least and a dive in the last 18 months.
Extended Horizons (Lahaina)
Mala Boat Ramp, Lahaina, Maui
Guided dives: First Cathedral (Lanai), Second Cathedral (Lanai)
Dives First and Second Cathedral off Lanai most weekdays. Check-in at Mala Boat Ramp in Lahaina, Monday to Friday; the crossing takes ~40 minutes. Two tanks in ~5.5 hours, up to 60 minutes per dive, max 10 divers with 1 guide per 5. An AL80 as standard, Nitrox 32% or a steel 100 as extras; the Lanai dives mostly go to 15–23 m. Private and semi-private charters on weekdays too.
Jack's Diving Locker (Kailua-Kona)
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Guided dives: Suck 'Em Up (Kona), Skull Cave (Kona), Kaiwi Point (Kona), Golden Arches (Kona)
Dive centre in Kailua-Kona with boat dives along the Kona coast, including the lava tubes of Suck 'Em Up and Skull Cave, Kaiwi Point and Golden Arches. Also names Long Lava Tube, Casa Cave, Henry's Cave and Black Hole among others, without description.
Kona Honu Divers (Kailua-Kona)
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Guided dives: Suck 'Em Up (Kona)
Dive centre in Kailua-Kona with guided dives through lava tubes, arches and caverns. Requirements per its own site: Open Water; a Cavern specialty recommended but not required for simple swim-throughs; a primary and a backup light are essential.
Seasport Divers (Kauai)
Poipu, Kauai
Guided dives: Sheraton Caverns (Kauai), Tunnels (Kauai North Shore)
Dive centre on Kauai with boat dives on the south shore (Sheraton Caverns among others) and North Shore dives in summer.
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Kailua-Kona and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Where to stay
Find a place near Kailua-Kona, Lahaina (Maui), Poipu (Kauai)
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- Kailua-KonaBooking.com ↗
- Lahaina (Maui)Booking.com ↗
- Poipu (Kauai)Booking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- 911; DAN +1 919 684 9111. The state's only public chamber, the Hyperbaric Treatment Center in Honolulu, was closed for some months in 2017 for lack of doctors: have your dive centre check that it works.
Access and rules
- Requirements: the dive centres usually ask for Open Water (Lanai: aged 14 and up and a dive in the last 18 months). A Cavern course is recommended; bring a primary and a backup light.
Gas and fills
- Gas: air and nitrox at most centres; trimix or CCR support not researched: ask.
Water and season
- Water: swell and surge suck you in and out of the lava tubes; keep clear of the walls and follow the guide. Kauai's North Shore can only be dived in summer.
Getting around
- Travel: Kona (KOA) on the Big Island, Kahului (OGG) on Maui for Lanai, Lihue (LIH) on Kauai. Between the islands you fly; don't fly within 18–24 hours after diving.
Good to know
- Read this first: Hawaii has no cave diving in the usual sense, but plenty of lava tubes, caverns and arches in young lava, above all along the Kona coast of the Big Island, off Lanai and on Kauai. You dive them guided from a boat with a local dive centre, with daylight in reach; no lines.
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