We just got back from ou trip to Oahu and it was a blast. I just wanted to let you know about our experience with Hawaii Shark Encounters. They were WONDERFUL! My husband and I had a fabulous time and would do it again in a heartbeat.
We arrived at Halewia harbor at 7:00 and our boat was to leave at 7:30 (always give your self plenty of driving time as it took us about 45 minutes on a weekday to get there from Waikiki). They were docked exactly where they said they would be and you need to make sure you do not mistakenly go to the wrong boat. There is another shark tour with a boat slip in the harbor, but they have a sign that reads "North Shore Shark Adventures". Their boat is old and yucky looking and looks like it would sink at any moment. That is the wrong company to go with. HAWAII SHARK ENCOUNTERS is the way to go! Just follow the directions available at Hawaiisharkexperience and bring a cell phone & their # in case you need to call them.
There were a total of 7 people on our trip and after a brief 15 minute ride out to sea, we arrived at our diving spot. The cage was lowered into the water and 3 of us got in for the 1st dive. It was roomy enought for us all, by the way! Holy Hand-Granades was it amazing!! Sharks just started coming up to us and soon there were 25-30 sharks, ranging from about 4 ft at the smallest to about 10 ft. Some reef sharks, Galapogos and sandbar sharks. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life. One of the boat guys was feeding the sharks fish and the photo's we took were amazing. For $100 it is totally worth it. Be sure to tip the guys, as they work really hard to ensure a smooth experience!
After about 20-30 minutes in the water, the next group went in for about 30 minutes and when they were finished, they said we could go back in if we wanted to since there was plenty of time. The water was about 76 degrees but was not too chilly at all and we were more than comfy, and this was at 8:00 am.
They were even nice enough to get some action photos of my Raggedy Ann doll with some sharks. (She is an adventure seeking-well traveled doll who I have had for 25 years and have taken her with me around the world.) Cheesy, yes, but it made for some great photos!
I strongly recommend going on the earliest boat trip since the currents and water choppiness gets more noticable as they day wears on. The crew, Chris and Jimmy were way cool and totally nice guys! They went out of their way to show us a good time! I can't wait to do this again, the next time we go back to the islands!