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Alex's Aquatic Adventures
Category: Active Life Diving Scuba Diving Scuba Diving
4132 Napali PlHonolulu, HI 96816
(808) 292-0616
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
12 reviews for Alex's Aquatic Adventures
12 reviews in English
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Review from Angela M.
Pasadena, CA
4/2/2012
If you're a first time scuba diver, you should definitely dive with Alex! If you're an experienced diver, you should still dive with him too. My husband and I went scuba diving for the first time with Alex's Aquatic Adventures. We were picked up by Ryan at our hotel in Waikiki. Four certified divers also joined us. I was impressed at how incredibly friendly and encouraging everyone was. Ryan dropped us off in front of the dive boat, and Alex greeted everyone. When you first arrive at the dock, you might feel overwhelmed seeing a bunch of other dive operators and certified divers getting their equipment ready and trying on their wetsuits. Don't be overwhelmed by all the chaos. Alex has everything under control.
The Discover Scuba Package included everything such as wetsuits, booties, fins, mask, air tanks, weight integrated BCDs, instruction, boat ride, and two dives. I had the best deal on the entire island! Additionally, Alex also hands you a dry towel and a hot washcloth after your dive. I was proud of the fact that my dive operator Alex had a cool, British accent and an excellent sense humor. He was the life of the party. He shares great husband and wife jokes. He enjoys getting to know all of his clients and keeps you well entertained.
As a first time diver, I cannot stress to you how important it is to have a small 4:1 ratio of a Discover Diver to a licensed PADI instructor. During my dive, I got to receive one-on-one attention from Alex the entire time. I cannot imagine how other dive operators could toss several novice divers into the ocean all at once. That would literally freak me out and make me cancel my dive. Fear not! Alex will go out of his way to make your first dive the best experience possible.
My challenge during my dive was learning how to breathe comfortably underwater. It's a lot harder than it sounds. It took me 50 minutes to get used to it. Alex was incredibly patient. He knew how to calm my nerves. Once I got the hang of it, the rest was simple. All I had to do was to keep breathing and keep equalizing. Alex took care of my buoyancy for the rest of the dive.
My husband on the other hand wasn't able to equalize no matter how hard he tried. He descended about 10 to 15 feet and got a nosebleed. He had to cancel the rest of his dive. Safety is Alex's number one concern. However my husband still had a blast the entire time. He enjoyed cracking up from Alex's jokes and also had a friendly conversation with the boat captain. It was better for my husband to try out and see if diving is right for him instead of flushing several hundred dollars to get certified back home. He still got to see some fish too!
On my first dive, Alex took me down to about 30 feet. I didn't know how to swim or maneuver myself underwater so Alex tugged me along. He led me to the sea turtles, and it was the most awesome sight I had ever seen! My eyes were literally blown away because I never saw anything like it in my life. I got to swim with the sea turtles for a few moments, and Alex captured it on his camera. On my second dive, Alex took me down to 40 feet, and we spent 30 minutes underwater. The only obstacle that I had was that water kept leaking into my diving mask. I couldn't clear it no matter how hard I tried. Alex fixed it easily. I exhaled through my nose while he removed and fitted on my mask underwater. The rest of my dive was perfect. I saw coral, tropical fish including the blue and white parrot fish, and quivering sea urchins. I was completely satisfied with my first two dives!
If you plan to sign up for diving with Alex, here are some tips I would like to share with you. Watch his "Discover Scuba Diving" video on his website. It'll give you an idea on what to expect before your first dive. Read his website thoroughly and familiarize yourself with diving. Never hold your breath while diving. Never rise faster than the bubbles. Don't wear your wedding or engagement ring during your dive. It will slip off your finger. Don't fly on a plane within 18 hours from your last dive.
When you sign up for diving, please do Alex a huge favor and give him your actual weight instead of subtracting pounds. If you subtract pounds from your actual weight, you'll end up wearing a wetsuit that's one to two sizes smaller than your actual size. When you do that, it rips up the wetsuit even faster. Alex constantly buys new equipment and wetsuits because he cares about his business.
Most importantly, have fun! -
Review from Joann C.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2012
I agree with Nick D.'s assessment of diving on Oahu. All these guy charter boats that have to keep a schedule. This means a lot of people at the dive site with you and limited amount of time in the water. Not Alex's fault, just a fact of life diving here, but I'd love to see Alex get his own boat back so diving here could be elevated. However, as Alex explained the industry on Oahu doesn't support individual diving boats.
Now specific to Alex. I got certified over 6 months ago and since then I've been on 4 dives before I reached Alex's operation. Two of the four dives were problematic and I was a bit nervous about entering the water. Alex though blunt explained that those dive operators probably over weighted me. He put less weight on me and finally I felt neutral buoyancy again. He gave me my confidence back to go diving again.
As he explains on his website, Alex provides dive computers. This was my second time using one and I must say for no decompression diving they're amazing. Next time I go diving I'd pay extra to use one.
Yes he talks a lot, but he's pretty stereotypically British in his demeanor. I found nothing wrong with him. I think you have to be not easily offended to get along with him. He tries his best to provide a great diving experience given the limitations in Oahu. Evaluate yourself before booking Alex, if you're not easily offended and safety is your highest concern Alex is your guy. He's unapologetic about his personality and I respect that. -
Review from Lisa M.
Bothell, WA
Updated - 12/16/2011 8 photos
I had a GREAT TIME as always. I saw a Monk Seal, a Lion Fish...tons of turtles, dolphins...you name it!
Ok, as you can see there is a trend with me going to Alex for my diving fix in Hawaii. There's a reason. Due to a charitable feeling relative, I had a Groupon for Waikiki Diving given to me as a gift. I scheduled to dive with them on Dec. 3. Feel free to look at my review of my experience with them.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Needless to say, they won't see me again, ever. To sum it up...with Waikiki Divers...and Groupon diving deals... YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. :(
I dived with Alex on December 4th and December 9th. Yay!
The best things (in order of my priorities) about diving with Alex is...
He takes pride in his business and although brash (at first kinda offensive, but ends up being endearing)...conducts his business with unrivaled integrity.
He is licensed and certified and is ready to bust it out and show you.
He adheres to PADI guidelines for diver safety - no exceptions.
He has A PERFECT SAFETY RECORD....NO mishaps!
He is attentive and on point in his knowledge and skills.
He is a wealth of information, and his information is accurate...I've looked it up to confirm.
He has new diving equipment
He likes his clients and talks with them...and remembers them when they come back to dive! This is especially great because through becoming familiar with your dive master/instructor, he can become familiar with your diving skill and can adjust the level of attention you require. Excellent for safety!
He takes photos of your dive that you can either just view on flickr or if you're the type who likes original size (like me), you can buy them from him for just 25 bucks!
He's a practicing comedian...(best suited for the thick skinned and not easily offended folk)
his van is clearly marked and clean...no worries about jumping into the wrong van by mistake.
he's ON TIME...generally 5 minutes early!
he keeps you informed of ANY and ALL changes or delays should unavoidable delays happen such as road closure for parades, events, etc..prevents him from keeping on schedule.
HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES AND IT SHOWS
Now the frills....
He brings dry towels...hot towels for after the dive to get all the cruddy saltwater off of your face-ooh, it feels so good when the wind is blowing your body heat away....he brings candy and snacks...and is really willing to customize your experience..just choose the options you want and he'll adjust the package cost. Nobody else does that.
The only concession is that because of the high costs and extreme competition of the diving operators in Hawaii, many businesses have to buy spots on chartered dive boats. Alex's Aquatic Adventures is no exception. However, Alex generally uses the same guys, and the boats are well laid out and in good condition. If you're curious, look at his website, the boats are there. I went with Waikiki divers who own their own boat...and trust me, I'll take the charter over their boat any day.
Alex costs a little more (not much) than other budget dive operators out there, but think about this...you're in the ocean...down about 40 to 150 feet depending on the dive. My safety and peace of mind is definitely worth a few extra dollars. My experience with Groupon has further confirmed my suspicions that going "on the cheap" is NOT the way to dive.
Alex is the best in my book...and I will never stray again. Next trip?...I'm coaxing him to bring his wife/divemaster and join me in Kona for a giant Manta dive!! Woo hoo!
Oh, and people? If you're any kind of Asian or have any uncertainty whether you get seasick or not...please take your meds before getting on the boat. I do...and although I feel fine...it's still not pleasant to watch everyone blow chunks on the boat...no matter how many fish it brings to the surface.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/26/2010
Alex was recommended to me by a colleague to told me about how top notch this dive operator ran his… Read more »
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Review from Jan C.
Playa Del Rey, CA
5/19/2012
Alex is a true professional. Not only does he possess tremendous technical knowledge of diving, but he's able to share that knowledge in a way that makes one feel safe while having a great time. I've been diving with Alex for over 10 years and will continue to come back because he is simply the best and will always go the extra mile to make sure you have a great experience.
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Review from Margo V.
Honolulu, HI
3/16/2012
To meet one of the most important aspects of SCUBA is safety. With Alex you are in the best hands possible for the entire state of Hawaii. He knows the ins and outs of SCUBA more than anyone I've met and he makes all the learning fun. The underwater photos at every dive is also a great bonus. Don't settle for less!!
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Review from S s.
San Diego, CA
4/25/2012
Awesome dives and great people! I dove with Ryan and it was really fun and he was very patient with my descents (quite slow). Alex is very accessible on the phone and seems very enthusiastic to have people dive and he even suggested another company if I couldn't dive during his times due to flying. I miss Hawaii and want to go back and would definitely call Alex to dive again!
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Review from Nick D.
Fullerton, CA
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I havent met a dive instructor that isnt at least a little crazy & Alex is no exception. At first I thought he was a bit rude and arrogant, but by the end of the day I realized he is just unapologeticly honest, and british : ) And most importantly he knows what the hell he is doing in the water.
Apparently due to high costs, Alex sold his private boat and now charters a dive boat with about a dozen other dive operators. A few companies still operate their own boats. Just something to consider, its not ideal, but works out ok. If there is a specific site you want to dive, it may not be possible without advanced notice. Also due to the boat sharing, its important to be ready when Alex says he will pick you up; I made him wait a few minutes to buy coffee and he was anxious and looking at his watch when I met him, now I know why. Diving seems to be the only business in Hawaii that actually operates on a strict schedule, and 7am actually means 7:00am.
As a Padi certified diver, Alex will take you on a morning deep (100+ ft) dive to a shipwreck followed by a shallow (60 ft) coral dive. Alex was good about taking us away from the hoard of other divers on the shallow dive. Not much could be done on the wreck dive since we were all there to see the same hunk of metal. Although, after talking with people above deck, Alex seems better than the other guides at finding and pointing out sea creatures.
His $95 deal of a price includes shuttle service to your hotel, use of basically new reg & bc, dive computers, and flashlights plus wetsuits & fins. He is the only one that I saw giving dive computers and flashlights to customers. Which for the deep dive I was very happy to have to see the true colors of things & to monitor decompression limits. He is also the only guide to bring a large thermos of hot water which he soaks washcloths for us to wipe the salt off and to make coffee. He also took some pretty decent photos of wildlife & us while on the dive that he posts to his facebook.
Alex is a one man shop. He drives the shuttle, hauls all the gear on & off the boat, guides the diving, answers the phone, is the webmaster, etc. Dont be sad if he doesnt pick up, he is probably under water.
Id prefer to dive with just 3 or 4 other people in the water but, since there are a limited number of sites convenient to Waikiki and so many people, that just doesnt seem to happen here. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to use Alex again if I find myself back in the area. Hes got good gear & is knowledgeable & safe in the water. -
Review from Diana W.
Mililani, HI
8/28/2011
Alex is great!
I put a lot of effort into finding a good match for our needs when my boyfriend and I decided to get scuba certified. I wanted a place that balanced value, a condensed schedule, and lots of boat-dive time. Alex really was the perfect combination.
I really appreciated that he worked with our schudule. We did not have to wait for a new class to form, we just told Alex what days would be best for us and that's when he met us. For two of the tree days, my boyfriend and I were the only two students, which was really nice. At other places you'd pay more for this close attention. We were able to learn really quick and Alex really taught us well, at our own pace. It was really clear that he had a lot of experience doing this and that he knew his stuff.
We dpent one day learning the basics in the shallow waters of Magic Island at Ala Moana Beach Park, which was great. He only kept us there for as long as we needed to, and he taught us very effectively.
The next day we met him for a boat dive, which was really great. Unfortunately, there was low visibility, but we still were able to get used to scuba diving and start to really feel comfortable down there. We had planned to come back for our third day of certification the next day, but Alex called us that morning before we left home to let us know that hte visibility was even worse and we should come back on a different day to have a more enjoyable dive experience. Really great of him! I'm glad he reccomeneded that, because when we came back the day after that, the water was significantly clear than the first dive, and that was great.
On our final day, we were a little held back by another pair doing their first dive. They were very afraid of the water, so we used up a lot of our air waiting for them to get comfortable. But that wasn't that horrible because I know that's the difficulty associated with diving with others, and we did receive all of Alex's attention the ther two days, which was a bonus.
One thing I noticed diving with Alex was that he stands out from his peers. He stood out as more safety concious, more used to working with students who are new to diving and may need an extra equiptment check on the first few dives (another instructor on the charter almost let a new student dive without the regulator properly attached until someone from another group caught the error). I also noticed that we got a lot more time diving than the other groups on the boat: were were coming up from our first of two dives when other instructors' groups were finishing up their second. So Alex was very safe and he provided a good value.
I would totally reccomend Alex to anyone. I already reccomended him to at least four friends and family members! Great choice if you decided you are ready to start diving! -
Review from Angela P.
West Los Angeles, CA
11/3/2009 2 photos
Alex's Aquatic Adventures helped me with my first diving experience and there is a reason they deserve 5 stars.
They did an amazing job, the instructor Alex was so helpful and patient and everyone involved was super cool and helpful. Nothing is better than a day at sea in Hawaii, especially diving.
I highly recommend Alex's, especially to new divers.Listed in: Hawaii
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Review from Tara S.
Honolulu, HI
12/31/2009
Alex took me on my first dive over ten years ago. I went on to get first my basic, then advanced certification with him. I totally trust Alex in the water. He's a smart and funny instructor, too. I don't dive with anyone else.
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Review from Ashley Z.
Denver, CO
4/17/2011
We were really glad we went SCUBA diving! Alex has great prices and picked us up right at our hotel. He was friendly and overall, it was a pretty good experience. We saw sea turtles, all kinds of fish, and lots of coral. We got to go to two places and there were snacks and bottles of water on the boat. Alex also took our pictures and had hot wash clothes to get some of the salt water off our faces when we were done. The only downside was his attitude. At one point each, we both got a little panicked and both felt that Alex could have been more patient with us. Like I said, we were glad we went and both think this was our favorite part of visiting Hawaii.
Comment from Alex m. of Alex's Aquatic Adventures 5/5/2011
Aloha to say I was impatient I believe is a little strong.… More » -
Review from A N.
Chicago, IL
5/5/2011
I had a great experience diving with Alex. I was a little nervous beforehand about the dangers of diving, but Alex's initial on-board lesson completely set me at ease. He very clearly described all the things you can do wrong, and the consequences, so once I got into the water I knew exactly what not to do. I was very excited to go, so once I got in the water I wanted to dive straight down, but Alex had us spend some time on the surface so I could get used to breathing underwater- very glad he did, because once you start heading down you panic more than you would expect! However, once we were ready to descend I felt completely comfortable and could have stayed down there all day if I'd had enough oxygen. He pointed out all the amazing sea life- including sharks, which I had desperately wanted to see!- and always kept nearby to grab me if I got distracted by the beautiful scenery and started to drift away. As a diver, he was completely professional and safety-oriented, and made sure I had the dive experience I wanted. On board, he provided water, snacks, and a towel (I'd forgotten mine). His personality immediately changed from reassuring instructor to laid-back and fun, and he was quick with jokes and stories about his experiences. It was a fantastic experience all around, and Alex made me feel completely at-ease both diving and hanging out on the boat... if I ever make it back to Hawaii, I definitely plan on more dives with him. In fact, I had such a great time I'm considering getting certified so next time I can go on deeper, more exciting dives!
