Kauai is known for its stunning coastline, green mountains, plentiful waterfalls and lush valleys. But the Garden Isle offers equally amazing underwater views, and scuba diving opens up a whole new world to explore below the ocean's surface.
"You can dive a site over and over again and still see things that you've never seen before," said Jeannette Auber, owner of the Kauai dive shop Fathom Five Divers. The 40-year-old boutique company has a wide range of small-group shore and boat dives.
"We try to keep our groups small and personalized, and we pretty much cover every type of dive that's possible on the island of Kauai," Auber said. "We have over 20 sites out of the south side that we can go to and choose from on any given day, and then we have probably at least 10 more that we can go to on the west side and then there's the Niihau [boat dive], which is kind of our premium. We do that twice a week."
All of the tours are guided. "We make it a point of showing people what our sites have," Auber said. Before going into the water, participants are given a briefing on the marine life they may encounter. Then once underwater, the guide uses an instructional board to communicate important information and to point out species.
Fathom Five's small group sizes enable the guide to pay attention to each diver. Auber also said that unlike many companies that will end a tour when the first person is low on air, Fathom Five will "let our people use their air": Divers who use their air ahead of the others simply wait on the boat until all divers in the group have finished.
Divers in the "keyhole" rock formation on Lehua, a moon-shaped islet a half-mile off Niihau. Photo Credit: Shaun Doyle/Courtesy Five Fathom Divers
Forbidden Island views
The 11-hour Niihau 3-Tank boat dive is Fathom Five's bucket-list offering that takes divers on a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride southwest of Kauai to Lehua, a moon-shaped islet about a half-mile from the Forbidden Island of Niihau. (It's called that because it has been privately owned since 1864, and access is restricted.)
The tour does not land on Niihau, although it will give divers close views of it. The three dives are in the remote waters surrounding Lehua. Roughly 284 acres in size, the islet is a volcanic cone. One of its geological formations, dubbed the "keyhole," is a popular spot for divers.
"For an individual that hasn't seen Niihau before, just imagine, you know, you're looking at this beautiful outcropping from sea," said Mauricio Escobar, marketing coordinator for Fathom Five. "And when you submerge your face underwater, you see that continuation of that outcropping plunges far beyond your visible line of sight and basically disappears into the abyss."
Auber, who loves underwater formations, agreed.
"The topography alone is incredible. You have pinnacles. You have arches, you just have probably all the best of what you can get in Hawaii is at Niihau," she said. Marine life seen on the tour can include manta rays, sharks and monk seals as well as green sea turtles, octopuses, angel fish and other unique species. "It's world-class diving," she said. "You know, you don't have to go to Palau or Fiji. Niihau is definitely up there."
The site called Sheraton Caverns on the south side of Kauai, named after the Sheraton resort that's nearby, is one of the most popular dive spots for Fathom Five.
"It's a series of more arches, lava tubes, and it's not deep. It has lots of turtles," Auber said.
Divers can spot green sea turtles in the waters off Kauai. Photo Credit: Shaun Doyle/Courtesy Five Fathom Divers
Easy entry on shore dives
Auber said visitors should also consider Fathom Five's shore dives, which she said are more enjoyable in Hawaii than they are in other places, like California, where the waters tend to be rough along the shore, making diving more difficult.
These dives offer an easier entry, with scuba divers walking into the ocean from the beach instead of jumping right into deep water. Shore dives are also good for all skill levels, including beginners and people who need a refresher on diving. Certification isn't necessary.
"I've had an incredible experience at our shore dive, Koloa Landing. I was out there with a group one day and this pod of dolphins came around and interacted with us for over 10 minutes," Auber said.
Auber never aspired to be a dive shop owner, but her love for diving led her to it. She first visited Kauai in 1988 and fell in love with the island, eventually moving there and working as a divemaster. She got her scuba certification in 1990 and has been diving ever since. She bought Fathom Five in 2001.
Fathom Five pays commission of 20% to 25%. For more, visit www.fathomfive.com.