Beginner Scuba, No Experience

Kauai Scuba Diving for Beginners runs through Seasport Divers. Rated 4.7 across 49 reviews. Runs 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.). From $215.15.

Check park access before you go. Stops inside state parks (Waimea Canyon, Koke'e, Wailua River and Secret Falls) follow current DLNR notices and can be closed. Check the booking page for which stops are running on your date.

Overview

This is a beginner scuba experience run by Seasport Divers from their dive center at 2827 Poipu Rd in Koloa. It runs about four and a half hours and is built for people with no diving background at all. The listing caps each session at four travellers.

The flow is simple. Everyone checks in at the dive center, meets their instructor and gets fitted for gear. From there the operator provides transport to Koloa Landing, a shore dive site used as the training area. Multiple reviews describe reef diving there, with sea turtles, schools of fish and eels reported by several travellers.

A PADI medical questionnaire is required before diving, and some participants need a physician's sign-off. The listing also asks that divers avoid going above 1000 feet of elevation for 18 hours afterwards, which rules out flights, helicopter tours and trips to Waimea Canyon that day. Several nervous first timers said the instructors' patience won them over, and families with teenagers in their group have dived with the shop.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Check in at dive centerMeet at 2827 Poipu Rd, Koloa to check in, meet the instructor and get fitted for SCUBA gear.
2. Transfer to Koloa LandingComplimentary transportation is provided from the dive center to Koloa Landing, the training area and dive site.
3. Dive at Koloa LandingDivers explore the reef with their instructor at Koloa Landing. The full experience runs about 4 hours 30 minutes.
4. Return to meeting pointThe activity ends back at the dive center where it began.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical things shape how this tour goes, from the medical paperwork to the shore entry.

• Do the paperwork early. The PADI Diver Medical Questionnaire must be completed before diving, and some answers trigger a physician's sign-off. More than one reviewer lost money by handling forms late, so fill them out as soon as the confirmation email arrives.
• Shore entry. Koloa Landing is a shore dive, not a boat trip. One reviewer found getting out to the dive site from shore a bit difficult, though the instructor helped.
• Small group. The listing caps the tour at four travellers. Several reviews describe instructors working patiently with complete beginners, including teens and older family members.
• Snacks and water. Bottled water and snacks are included, along with all gear, wetsuit and fees. Gratuities are not included, so bring cash if you want to tip.
• Plan around flying. Divers must not go above 1000 feet of elevation for 18 hours after the dive. That means no interisland flights, helicopter tours, skydiving or Waimea Canyon visits afterwards.
• Gear is provided. The wetsuit and all SCUBA equipment are supplied, and fitting happens at the dive center before the transfer to the water.

Common issues. The medical screening is the biggest source of trouble: reviewers report being turned away for recent surgery, heart problems or high cholesterol, and one reviewer lost their payment by not completing forms in time, with no refund inside 24 hours of the start. One reviewer said the medical release arrived only the day before, after the refund window had closed, and described a paid phone consultation option with a doctor. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, hotel pickup is not included, and the operator requires a minimum number of travellers plus good weather, with a different date or full refund offered if either forces a cancellation. Visibility at Koloa Landing was called merely adequate by one first time diver.

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