2-Tank Wreck & Reef Scuba Dive - Sea Tiger, Yo-257, Corsair, & More

Yes! Ride-along options are available but you cannot enter the water at any point during the duration of the adventure.

All guides are certified, and safety equipment (first aid, oxygen kits) is on board. Conditions are checked daily.

Yes, Dive Oahu encourages reef-safe sunscreen, follows Leave No Trace principles, and supports ocean conservation through education.

Yes, please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled departure for check-in and gear fitting.

Wreck Sites– Sea Tiger, Corsair, YO-257 & San Pedro, and Navy Tug

Sea Tiger

• Depth: ~85–123 ft (26–37.5 m)
• Overview: One of Hawaii’s deepest recreational wrecks and the most popular on Oʻahu.
• Marine Life: Frequent sightings of green sea turtles, white-tip reef sharks, bluefin trevally, and massive schools of pennant butterflyfish. You’ll also find trumpetfish, snapper, filefish, and nudibranchs. The structure often hosts moray eels and octopus in crevices.
• What Makes It Special: At 189 feet long, this former Chinese trading vessel is fully intact and easy to navigate, making it a great site for both wreck and marine life photography. The depth and dramatic atmosphere offer a thrilling deep dive.

Corsair

• Depth: ~115 ft (35 m) Overview: A WWII-era plane wreck, perfectly preserved with its propeller and cockpit still intact.
• Marine Life: Surrounded by sand eels, garden eels, sandbar sharks, and Hawaiian stingrays. Occasionally, eagle rays and goatfish pass through the area.
• What Makes It Special: It’s the only wreck dive in Oʻahu that’s an actual plane, not a sunk ship. It’s located in the middle of a sandy plain, offering a surreal, isolated underwater scene. Because of its depth and currents, it’s considered an advanced dive.

YO-257 & San Pedro

• Depth: ~85–115 ft (26–35 m)
• Overview: These two wrecks sit close together, allowing for a dual-wreck dive when currents allow.
• Marine Life: White-tip reef sharks, turtles, needlefish, butterflyfish, and surgeonfish frequent these wrecks. You’ll often see schools of jacks and trevally, and the wrecks attract nudibranchs, urchins, and blennies.
• What Makes It Special: The YO-257 was a navy oiler, and the San Pedro was a Korean fishing boat sunk intentionally. You may spot submarines full of tourists passing by—yes, real ones—adding an interesting twist to the dive!

Navy Tug

• Depth: ~65–85 ft (20–26 m)
• Overview: A smaller wreck located in calm waters, ideal for intermediate divers.
• Marine Life: Pufferfish, boxfish, filefish, and crabs are commonly found here. Octopuses and eels are often tucked into the structure.
• What Makes It Special: Less visited than the Sea Tiger, it offers a quieter, more peaceful wreck experience with great visibility and a manageable depth.

Reef Sites–Ewa Pinnacles, Keehi Pipe, Turtle Canyon, Nautilus Reef, Horseshoe Reef, Kewalo Pipe, and Fantasy Reef

Ewa Pinnacles

• Depth: ~55–90 ft (17–27 m)
• Overview: A cluster of large coral pinnacles surrounded by sandy bottom.
• Marine Life: Eagle rays, reef sharks, turtles, schooling goatfish, porcupine pufferfish, scorpionfish, and moray eels are common. Look closely for nudibranchs and crustaceans.
• What Makes It Special: Towering coral formations make it feel like diving through an underwater canyon. Great spot for wide-angle underwater photography.

Keehi Pipe

• Depth: ~25–40 ft (7.5–12 m)
• Overview: A shallow reef dive near a storm drainage pipe—don’t be put off by the name!
• Marine Life: Frogfish, octopus, boxfish, triggerfish, and Hawaiian green sea turtles. Also a hotspot for nudibranchs and cleaner shrimp.
• What Makes It Special: It's a macro photographer’s dream. Shallow and full of nooks and crannies, it’s perfect for long bottom times and slow exploration.

Turtle Canyon

• Depth: ~25–40 ft (7.5–12 m)
• Overview: Located just offshore from Waikīkī, this reef is named for its abundance of sea turtles.
• Marine Life: Green sea turtles are almost guaranteed. Also common: parrotfish, surgeonfish, butterflyfish, moorish idols, trumpetfish, and urchins.
• What Makes It Special: The cleaning stations here attract turtles that hover while small wrasses and cleaner shrimp groom them—an amazing behavior to witness up close.

Nautilus Reef

• Depth: ~30–50 ft (9–15 m)
• Overview: A reef near Waikīkī with moderate coral coverage and mild current.
• Marine Life: Hawaiian squirrelfish, wrasses, moray eels, tangs, and the occasional white-tip reef shark.
• What Makes It Special: Easy and scenic reef dive that’s perfect for a second tank. Known for its healthy hard coral formations and calm conditions.

Horseshoe Reef

• Depth: ~30–60 ft (9–18 m)
• Overview: A U-shaped reef formation with swim-throughs and coral heads.
• Marine Life: Butterflyfish, pufferfish, octopuses, nudibranchs, and scorpionfish. Great site for spotting peacock flounder and decorator crabs.
• What Makes It Special: The unique shape makes navigation easy, and the variety of habitats means there’s something different to see around every bend.

Kewalo Pipe

• Depth: ~25–45 ft (7.5–14 m)
• Overview: A long pipe covered in coral, running parallel to the coast.
• Marine Life: Frogfish, lionfish, nudibranchs, hawkfish, and moray eels. Also a great spot for octopuses and turtle sightings.
• What Makes It Special: Known as one of the best macro diving spots on Oʻahu. It's shallow, so bottom time is long—perfect for underwater photographers.

Fantasy Reef

• Depth: ~25–50 ft (7.5–15 m)
• Overview: A reef system with archways, coral overhangs, and tunnels.
• Marine Life: Triggerfish, parrotfish, trumpetfish, eels, and cleaner shrimp. Occasionally Hawaiian monk seals or spotted eagle rays.
• What Makes It Special: One of the most fun reef dives for exploration—it's like swimming through a reef playground. Great for newer divers too, thanks to the shallow depth.

Scuba diving off the coast of Honolulu offers a vibrant mix of marine life thanks to Hawaii’s unique location and protected reef systems. On the wreck dives—such as the Sea Tiger, YO-257, San Pedro, or Corsair—you’ll often spot large schools of pennant butterflyfish, bluefin trevally, and snapper circling the structures. Green sea turtles frequently rest on the decks, and white-tip reef sharks are often seen cruising the lower levels. On the reef dives, like Fantasy Reef or Keehi Pipe, expect to see endemic fish like Hawaiian sergeants, saddle wrasse, potter’s angelfish, and bandit angelfish. You may also encounter eagle rays, octopuses, moray eels, crabs, nudibranchs, and urchins hiding among the coral heads and lava tubes.

Scuba diving is great year-round in Honolulu, but the best conditions are typically from May to October, during the dry season. Summer months offer calmer seas, better visibility (often over 100 feet), and warmer water temperatures averaging around 78–81°F (25–27°C). Winter months (November to April) can still offer fantastic diving but tend to bring larger ocean swells and slightly reduced visibility. However, winter diving has its perks—this is also humpback whale season, and while you can’t dive with them, you may hear their haunting songs underwater or spot them from the boat.

These dives are not recommended for beginners. A minimum of Open Water Certification is required, and due to the depths involved—some wrecks reach 123 feet (37.5 meters)—these dives are better suited for intermediate or advanced divers with experience in deeper environments and capable of handling occasional current. If it’s been a while since your last dive or you’re newly certified, it’s recommended to do a shallower check-out dive first or consider a refresher course before booking this tour.

Flying directly after scuba diving is incredibly dangerous and could result in a life-threatening illness called the Bends/Decompression Sickness. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) guidelines for flying after diving include:

• A single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000 ft (305 m) interval of 12 hours suggested.
• Multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000ft (305m) interval of 18 hours is suggested.
• Dives requiring decompression stops are recommended to have longer than 18 hours.

Please discuss with your dive guide ahead of time what is suggested!

Any activity that brings you above 1000 ft (305 m) can trigger the Bends/Decompression Sickness. Please check your hike elevation to ensure that at no time you will be going up in elevation. If the hike does go to elevation, you must treat it like a preflight interval as listed above in the flying FAQ.

Common sunscreens contain chemicals that can harm coral reefs, as the particles are small enough to be absorbed by corals, causing toxicity and coral bleaching. Reef-friendly sunscreens are formulated without these harmful chemicals. Reef-SAFE sunscreens go a step further by using non-nano particles, which are too large for corals to ingest, helping to preserve marine ecosystems. 

Please avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, and parabens. Consider wearing sun-protective clothing, like long-sleeve rash guards, as an alternative to sunscreen. If you choose a mineral-based sunscreen, ensure it is labeled ‘non-nano.’

You can dive with a beard or mustache but it can prevent a tight seal between the mask and your face, which may cause water to leak in. It is often recommended to shave at least your mustache before diving. If you’d prefer not to shave your mustache, please bring petroleum jelly or chapstick with you. If you coat your mustache in that chapstick or jelly, it may be able to seal and prevent water from getting in.

Glasses cannot be worn while diving, but contacts are perfectly fine and recommended for the best experience. Prescription masks are not available for rent, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Additionally, there is an automatic correction effect that occurs underwater due to light refraction, making things appear clearer, but contacts or a personal prescription mask will provide the best visibility.