You cannot scuba dive at Pearl Harbor. The harbor is part of an active military base, and wrecks such as the USS Arizona are protected as war graves and memorial sites. Furthermore, these sites are difficult to dive due to their state of decay, and even the professional divers who assess the state of the warship find it difficult.
This doesn’t mean that you’re out of options if you’re looking for historical dive sites in Oahu. Keep reading to learn more about why you cannot dive at pearl harbor, the current state of the USS Arizona, and a few alternatives to scuba diving at Pearl Harbor.
Why Can’t You Scuba Dive at Pearl Harbor?
It’s first important to distinguish Pearl Harbor from the historic wreckage of the USS Arizona, as many believe these are interchangeable.
The harbor itself remains part of the active military base. While historic sites are open to the public, it’s still protected by strict security measures that prohibit unauthorized diving in the surrounding water.
Most of the interest in scuba diving at Pearl Harbor rests in the chance to explore the sunken USS Arizona, but this would carry a high degree of disrespect. This memorial wreck marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 marines and sailors who died aboard the ship during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Decades of decay and acclimation to the aquatic environment make it difficult to navigate the site, even for familiar divers. It’s still leaking oil, and there is no good reason to open the site up for recreational diving.
What’s it Like Diving the USS Arizona?
The protection of the USS Arizona involves annual evaluations by preservation divers. The low visibility of the site, combined with the continuous oil leakage, increases the difficulty of the dive, and those who do explore the memorial feel the weight of what happened every time they visit.
Evaluation is necessary to determine the state of the wreckage, monitor the oil leaking from the USS Arizona, and plan for the future of the memorial.
Low Visibility
Divers note that the visibility is rarely good and most often bad. The ship itself is 608 feet long and 100 feet wide, and you’re lucky to get a visibility sphere near 12 feet in diameter. This range can get as small at 3 to 5 feet, and as large as 25 to 30 feet if you’re lucky.
The location of the USS Arizona makes it prone to suspended sediment from boat traffic and steam runoff emptying into the harbor. You’re most likely to see things in shades of olive or brown, and much of the ship is overgrown with sponges, corals, and other marine life.
Oil Leakage
It’s estimated that the USS Arizona still holds half a million gallons of oil inside its stern, and the National Park Service must monitor this situation to ensure the flow of the leakage is slow enough. It’s currently estimated to leak 2 to 4 quarts a day, but this can change as the ship deteriorates.
An estimated 14,000 to 64,000 gallons have leaked from the ship since the attack, and estimates project as much as 500 years of leakage before it runs out.
The oil leakage contributes to poor visibility, but the Navy and National Park Service do not consider the leaking oil a significant concern at this time.
The Future of the USS Arizona
The future of the USS Arizona is not clear. There’s no way to remove the oil without destroying the memorial, so NPS maintains regular evaluations of the warship’s conditions so they can craft a plan of action to maintain the memorial without much intrusion.
Doing anything with the warship is a sensitive subject due to its historical significance and its current position in the ecosystem of Pearl Harbor.
Other Places to Dive on Oahu
While Pearl Harbor garners attention from divers, it’s not an ideal dive spot. Oahu has plenty of other sites to visit with both historical significance and unique settings.
YO-257 (Wreck)
This yard oiler built in the early 1940s was purposely sunk in 1996 to create an artificial reef off of Waikiki.
It spent decades in action and was used in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam war. It’s now covered in corals and sponges and sits between 26 and 30 meters deep, housing moray eels, green sea turtles, and countless schools of colorful fish.
Sea Tiger (Wreck)
The Sea Tiger Wreck is located west of Waikiki and has depths of 24 to 40 meters.
This Chinese trading vessel was purposely sunk in 1999 to create an artificial reef in the area, but it’s still at a low level of decay and easier to explore than some other wreckages. You still need the appropriate experience and certification to explore the wreck.
The Sea Tiger has attracted a variety of marine life, including moray eels and reef sharks.
Turtle Canyon
Turtle Canyon is close to the Sea Tiger Wreck and popular for both snorkelers and scuba divers. Its shallow depth makes it ideal for beginners.
This finger reef system is home to hard corals and you’ll find reef fish, moray eels, octopi, and white tip reef sharks.
Kewalo Pipe Reef
The Kewalo Pipe Reef is an old storm drain overflow that is no longer connected. The steel pipeline broke into smaller pieces and took to the reef existing nearby.
It’s easy to navigate in this area, and you might see lizardfish, scorpionfish, wrasses, and dragon eels.
Shark’s Cove
Shark’s Cove is another popular snorkeling and dive site off the north shore of Oahu. While it can get crowded, it remains one of the top shore diving spots in Hawaii and worldwide.
The cove is marked with unique arches, reefs with caves, and open ended lava tubes.
Hanauma Bay
This flooded volcano crater is another popular dive site at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. Because of its popularity, it can become crowned, but there are parking and beach access limitations to minimize the effects of diving in the area.
Hanauma bay has many fish that will swim right up to you.
Visiting the Pearl Harbor National Memorial
You can still visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial to pay your respect without diving in the harbor. This is the most popular tourist attraction in Hawaii, with over 1.8 million visitors each year.
Entry in the memorial is free, but it’s limited to 2,600 visitors per day. You can reserve your spot for $1.50 per ticket, and a single person can set a reservation for 6 individuals.
The memorial runs tours starting every 15 minutes from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM, and they’re limited to 150 visitors per tour.
Related sites to consider are the:
While diving at Pearl Harbor is not possible, you still have plenty of opportunities to pay your respects.
References
https://www.nps.gov/perl/uss-arizona-memorial-programs.htm
https://www.pearlharboraviationmuseum.org/
https://www.scubadiving.com/diving-uss-arizona
https://xploredive.com/scuba-diving-travel/can-you-scuba-dive-in-pearl-harbor/
https://www.nps.gov/perl/learn/underwater-at-the-uss-arizona.htm
https://scubaboard.com/community/threads/can-you-dive-pearl-harbor.305051/