I lived on Oahu from 90 to 94 courtesy of the US Army. The following are my favorites, not necessarily in any particular order:
1. YO-257 wreck ( off of Waikiki Beach) - this is a boat dive offered by many of the dive shops. I went with Aaron’s Dive Shop at the time and was very pleased. The wreck is an old navy oiler ship which rests in approx 100 ft. The ship’s wheel and cabin are at approx 80 ft. Plenty of sea life. If you’re lucky, the Atlantis sub will pass by while you’re on the wreck. That was really cool.
2. Sharks Cove (North Shore). A great shore dive. Plenty of lava tubes to swim through. Tons of sea life to include white tip sharks, turtles, and rays. There is a huge tidal pool there as well which makes a great spot to keep cool between dives and really great for the family to enjoy while you dive the cove.
3. Halieva Trench (at Halieva on the way to North Shore). Another really great shore dive. This one is a wall. You surface swim out from the beach at Halieva Park about 250 to 300 ft. At that point you’re in about 15 to 18 ft of water and at the top of the wall. The wall runs parallel to the shore and drops down to approx 80 ft. This wall has lots of holes and chimneys to peek in to. Definitely bring a light with you, day or night. Lots of very curious and friendly turtles. Lots of lobster as well. If I remember though, lobster or a no no to take in June.
4. Firehouse (next to Sharks Cove behind the firehouse). There is a tiny cove behind the firehouse for an easy entry. Looking down the shoreline, (shoreline being at the twelve o’clock position) swim out at a two o’clock direction. You should see a trench that runs perpendicular from the shore. Drop down into the trench (30 ft depth) and head towards the right. At the end of the trench you will see a very large swim through. Enter this and come out the hole in the roof. There is a wall on the back side of this where you can drop down. A really nice dive.
5. Eternity Beach (At the blowhole). A bit of a climb down to the beach but well worth it. You can enter from the beach, but I suggest going off the rock ledge to the left of the beach and making a beach exit. This is the beach with the famous kissing scene from the original movie "From Here to Eternity". Great topography.
6. Dive off of Waikiki Beach - Do this one at night. The beach is empty and the view of the beach and skyline while kicking out on your back is absolutely awesome. You can enjoy the music coming from the hotels as well. This one can be a bit tricky especially on the return. You’ll kick out about 400 to 500 ft to the reef line. It is pretty shallow on the beach side of the reef but drops off nicely on the back side. Be careful on the return. The waves can be very strong and if you are not careful you can get tumbled pretty good. DO NOT take your regulator out of your mouth or remove your mask, even though it may seem very shallow.
I know this has been long winded, but Hawaii will always have a special place in my heart. I can close my eyes and still see every dive I made there in every detail. There are no bad dives there. However, in June, the water may be calmer on the north shore than on the south. If you have any specific questions, send me a message and I’ll be happy to answer what I can. Have a great time!!