Aloha Scuba Diving Company

Aloha Scuba Diving Company is a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre (IDC) situated in the heart of Honolulu on Oahu. The operation is family-owned and run by veterans, bringing a structured and professional approach to every dive. With a shop located in Waikiki near the Ala Moana Hotel and a dedicated boat slip at Ala Wai Harbor, the logistics of getting from your accommodation to the water are straightforward.

As an IDC centre, the facility is a professional training hub capable of instructing the next generation of PADI professionals. This status ensures that the quality of instruction, from basic Open Water Diver courses to Divemaster and instructor training, meets high global standards. The team focuses heavily on safety and marine conservation, operating as a 100% PADI Aware Dive Shop.

The centre also provides specialised dive travel services and VIP excursions for those seeking a more personalised experience. Their commitment to the local environment is integrated into their training, with numerous Aware Dive courses available to help divers understand and protect the Hawaiian ecosystem.

The curriculum covers the entire PADI progression, starting with Discover Scuba Diving and the Open Water Diver course. For those looking to expand their technical repertoire, they offer Advanced Open Water Diver, Nitrox, Deep Diver, and Wreck Diver certifications.

As an IDC, the centre is also a destination for professional training, including Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and instructor development. They also host various specialty courses and Aware Dive programmes focused on environmental conservation.

The centre operates from Ala Wai Harbor, slip #68, using the Diamond T 2. This vessel serves as the platform for excursions to the diverse reefs and wreck sites surrounding Oahu.

The shop in Waikiki is a full-service facility, offering retail sales, air fills, and equipment maintenance. They are a certified repair centre for Atomic, Suunto, Mares, and ScubaPro, meaning you can have your kit serviced locally. For those travelling without their own rig, a full range of rental equipment is available on-site.

In addition to standard scuba gear, the centre is equipped to support various diving interests, including snorkeling and freediving excursions.

The waters around Oahu are home to a diverse array of pelagics and reef residents. You can regularly encounter Hawaiian green sea turtles, whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus), and various reef sharks (Carcharhinus). Large schools of fish, including snappers, parrotfish (Calotomus), and surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), move through the coral formations.

The reef architecture is supported by a rich variety of hard corals and soft corals, providing a home for many invertebrates. You may spot octopus (Octopus vulgaris), moray eels (Muraenidae), and various species of butterflyfish (Chaetodon) among the crevices.

For those with an eye for macro life, the sites offer plenty of interest. Look out for nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani), frogfish (Antennarius), and various species of shrimp (Caridea). You might also find leaf scorpionfish, devil scorpionfish, and various species of goby near the wrecks and reef flats.

Seasonally, Humpback whales can be seen in these waters, adding a spectacular element to the local marine life.

The North Shore is subject to seasonal swells, which can influence the character of the dives in those areas. While the reef flats offer more sheltered environments, divers should always be aware of local conditions when heading out to more exposed sites.