Kahekili Beach Park - Hawaii
We love a good wreck, and the Memories wreck, despite its shallow depth, delivers character. This isn't a deep, dramatic hulk for technical divers, but a cozy fishing vessel – about 25 metres long – that’s become a nursery for an incredible amount of juvenile fish. Dropping down, you’ll find yourself in just 13 metres of water, often with visibility hovering around four metres, which, we think, just adds to the atmospheric charm. It’s too small to penetrate properly, but poke your head into the cabin and you’ll still make out the captain’s chair, often surrounded by a swirling cloud of juvenile spot-tail, Latin, and Cortez grunts. We’ve spent whole dives just watching them flicker in and out of the shadows. Keep an eye on the hull for nudibranchs – the red-tipped sea goddess is a regular – and we’ve often spotted a well-camouflaged speckled scorpionfish or two resting on the metal. It’s a gentle dive, perfect for photographers wanting to capture macro life and swarming fish, or anyone who enjoys a relaxed exploration of a wreck turned artificial reef.
- Location
- Hawaii, United States, North America
- Coordinates
- 20.938300, -156.693600
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District
Best Time to Dive in Hawaii
The warmest water temperatures in Hawaii occur in September, averaging 29.0°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 25.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.2°C
- February: 25.7°C
- March: 25.6°C
- April: 26.0°C
- May: 26.8°C
- June: 27.6°C
- July: 27.9°C
- August: 28.5°C
- September: 29.0°C
- October: 28.6°C
- November: 27.9°C
- December: 27.2°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Hawaii
- Airplane Canyon - 27m (cave)
- Airport Beach
- Airport Beach (cave)
- Anahola Beach Park
- Aquarium - Hawaii (wreck)
- Aquarium - Hawaii (reef)
- Black Rock - Hawaii (reef)
- Black Rock - Hawaii (reef)
- Cathedral II (reef)
- Cathedrals (cave)
- Corsair Wreck (wreck)
- Edge of the World
- Enenue
- Ewa Pinnacles Reef - 26m (reef)
- Fantasy Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Kahekili Beach Park
- Aaron's Dive Shop - ["PADI"]
- Affinity Freediving
- Aloha Scuba Diving Company - ["PADI"]
- Aquatic Life Divers - ["PADI"]
- Black Rock Scuba - ["PADI"]
- Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures Corp. - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Hawaii
Home to 23 recorded species including 17 reef fish, 3 other, 2 sharks & rays, 1 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) - Reef Fish
- Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) - Reef Fish
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - Reef Fish
- Escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) - Reef Fish
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Barracuda (Acanthocybium solandri) - Reef Fish
- Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) - Sharks & Rays
- Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- Remora (Remora remora) - Reef Fish
- Flyingfish (Hirundichthys speculiger) - Reef Fish
- Albacore (Thunnus atlanticus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Flying Fish (Exocoetus volitans) - Reef Fish
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Stripy (Katsuwonus pelamis) - Reef Fish
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Fourwing Flyingfish (Hirundichthys affinis) - Reef Fish
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Kahekili Beach Park
Based on average water temperature of 27.2°C, currents 9 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories