One Ocean Diving

The ocean was flat, the Sharks were plenty and beautiful, some jumping dolphins and humpback whales got spotted during the boat ride. That gets 5 stars easily.
But… I got pretty frustrated with the experience. This is the type of snorkeling where the crew wants you to hold the boat line and stay on the surface. because they assume you don’t know to swim maybe?
If you’re like me a diver with DM certification/​500 dives plus dives, you won’t like be screamed at you because you take the initiative to go 2 feet down in the water (especially if 2 minutes earlier it was ok), and when it feels the people who pays for the picture package gets more underwater time– because they need to get their pictures done maybe?!
When you remove your mask for 2 seconds on the surface after hearing the word «whale!» And get screamed at you (again): put your mask back or go back on the boat (ok I also don’t want to pollute the ocean — and it’s also my $ 100 mask — but it kinda made me laugh since a crew member accidentally dropped a snorkel on the way).
Finally it’s super expensive for 40 minutes (max ?!) in the water, you don’t get any snacks or even water. I paid the same price for 2 dives in Hawaii where I spent 5 (fantastic) hours on a boat, where dive gear was included and drinks fruits and sandwiches were provided.
I love ocean and sharks so much and will do that again, but I’m sure there are plenty of other companies to give my $ too.

Don’t buy the picture package. They were the worst pictures ever. Just bring your own GoPro. It was just a group of kids running the boat. And you probably will get sick have fun

The Pelagic diving trip that we took was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I went with my cousin and a friend. Jules was our Dive Master and Kevin was our Captain. We went on the 10:30am trip. They provided everything we needed and went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and protected even before we left dry land. On the boat ride out, Jules educated us on marine life focusing especially on sharks and how important they are for our ecosystem and world. She was very knowledgable and passionate. She loves her job and it’s obvious which is so wonderful to see and be apart of.
Once we got out to our diving point we saw a humpback whale do a dive while the Sharks were gathering around the boat. Jules jumped in first and accessed the behavior and mood of the Sharks and then allowed the first group of three to get in, which just so happened to be us! I was a little nervous when looking down and seeing dozens of sharks surrounding the boat, but was immediately put at ease by the helpful ropes near the boat that steadied me so that I could get comfortable in this new creatures habitat. The rest was history. Seriously so amazing and life changing. We saw 4 Galapagos sharks and about twelve Sandbar sharks as well as hundreds of fish that I, of course, have already forgotten the name of. They were close enough to touch. Jules let us explore and get curious while keeping us in a controlled and safe environment. I even got a teeny little complimentary jellyfish sting on my arm, which I barely noticed after it happened. We dove in intervals so as to not upset the natural order of the Sharks home too much. When underwater we could hear whales singing to us, while above water Kevin was telling us stories and showing us other marine life nearby.
Their passion and dedication to their job is so inspiring. I would 1000% go again as well as 1000% recommend to anyone. Their love of this to me, mysterious world has totally rubbed off on me and is changing the way I will interact and consume in the future. Thank you so much guys!

If there was a higher rating than 5-​stars, One Ocean Diving is the type of business that deserves it.
A week ago we were in the water with over a dozen sand sharks on a One Ocean expedition. It was awesome! While just getting through the experience may warrant all five stars, my rating is grounded on one idea — RESPECT.
I respect the work that One Ocean is doing to study sharks, educate the masses, and protect the ocean. Their team respected everyone on the boat, nervous or excited, and really helped to address misinformation about sharks while helping all passengers to get comfortable and excited. Most importantly, they taught us all about respecting the waters and the animals that inhabit them.
While I was completely stoked and ready to jump in immediately, some of the other passengers were a bit tentative. By the time we reached our dive spot, every person was ready to get in the water, and everyone was extremely confident that not only would it be safe, but it would be a once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience.
I can’t wait to be back in Oahu and out on the water with the One Ocean team. Fingers crossed for a Tiger or Hammerhead next time!!! I can’t give them a more genuine and shining endorsement. Juan — you’re the man!
Don’t hesitate — BOOK YOUR TRIP — It’s absolutely worth every penny!

This is truly one of the best experiences of my life. One Ocean Diving is amazing. I was excited by just the idea of swimming with sharks and they truly made our experience phenomenal. Juan was amazing. He explained about shark behavior and answered all our questions. If you guys are afraid, DON’T BE! You will be amazed to know that these creatures aren’t as harmful as we humans think of them to be. This is a must experience for everyone! We saw at least 40 sandbar sharks. Cannot express in words how beautiful the sight was. We paid for the video package. There was a mix up in providing the right footage but the folks were very patient when I texted them about the missing videos and they provided the right link in a day! Overall, fantastic experience. Would do it again!

very impressed. Conditions made for a challenge in the water during our dive but our guide got us in and more importantly out safely. Currents were strong and white caps were present at times so each of us only had 3 – 7 minutes per dive but this seemed dictated by safety given conditions. The knowledge and confidence the staff have are astounding… I learned so much and this was absolutely one of my top 5 underwater experiences EVER!

Me and a friend of mine decided to try One Ocean Diving out after hearing the great reviews about it, and to have the opportunity to free dive with these majestic creatures. Juan/​Julia/​Kevin took us all out and gave us the experience of a life time! A bit choppy out in the water but Julia and Juan had made sure that we were always in safe conditions. We witnessed 20+ sharks swimming around us and even had a few that came in for a peek at us. Words cannot describe how amazing it was. I look forward to coming back!

Let me start by saying I am a big chicken. HOWEVER, something possessed me and I convinced my boyfriend that we should do the open water dive.
He, of course, was crying about the $. And even more so when I told him they would do a GoPro video of us with the sharks for an extra $ 50. ‘WHAT?’, he said. ’50 BUCKS! That better come with a …’ It didn’t.
The experience was AWESOME. Worth every penny — which even he will now admit. As luck would have it, he and I were the only two passengers who booked that tour time so we had a private tour.
They counted 23 sharks around us — all I know is there were A LOT of sharks. They got very close to us and one even bumped the GoPro camera. I believe my fin also got bumped once by a shark. I could have reached out and touched a few of them.

I’m not going to deny it; initially I was pretty nervous about swimming with sharks because as with most people I had developed a negative perception due to the media. It had definitely heightened with all the shark attacks that happened the week prior to our trip. However, after diving with One Ocean Diving I developed a new sense of respect for them and actually felt completely at ease in the water. At first I was really hoping not to see a tiger or great white, but when they said there was a tiger roaming on the outside I got a little excited.
The experience itself was amazing, the only thing I did not like was our lack of freedom but I know it was for safety purposes especially because the day we came they were very curious and us roaming freely would make their job much harder, especially since we tend to scatter. In the future I think it would have been more beneficial if we had come in a smaller group. With five people hugging the side of the boat it made it a little difficult to move anywhere without kicking someone in the face (as my friend kept doing to me).
The crew was awesome and they were extremely knowledgeable. You could tell that they were passionate about what they did. It was a totally different experience from shark cage diving where they head out, put you in the cage, and done. They spent the entire trip out and back teaching us about shark behaviors, what we could to expect to see, how to tell the difference between the sharks, as well as the dangers sharks face because of humans. I won’t go into much detail because you should definitely experience it for yourself and I don’t want to spoil it for you.
If you’re debating whether to go in a cage or not, don’t. It’s definitely a better experience without it. Without the cage you’re among the sharks and you get a better sense of their behaviors. On the other hand, in a cage I felt like an animal in the zoo. Except I was an animal equipped with a GoPro and I was more worried about getting a picture than the experience itself (and if you were wondering, yes I got kicked in the head in the cage as well).
Usually with most things that are a little pricey I’m a one and done type of person, but I would actually consider going out with One Ocean Diving again, and hopefully next time I’ll see something new.

I’ve LONG wanted to try this trip. I did the cage dive awhile ago with another company and somehow totally missed this open water free dive opportunity… This was SO much more liberating and stimulating than being stuck in a metal cage. In the open water, I didn’t get nervous, especially after learning on the short boat trip out about the expected behaviors and situations ahead. It was a powerful and great experience. In hindsight, I’d not waste time with the cage trips as this one is MUCH more natural, educational, and helps support AWESOME and CRITICAL work through out the world. I hope this experience will help create more pro-​shark people, and remove the fear of these amazing species which are being destroyed every second.
No mo better Unilocal review could be added without a word from One Ocean Diving’s founder:

Namaste Ocean!!!

I can’t say enough about One Ocean diving. This dive was the highlight of our trip, 40+ sharks, 3 different species (sandbar, galapagos, and a hammerhead!!!) As well as the knowledge and over all positive energy and attitude from Ocean and Juan made the entire experience one for the books, we will definitely be back again and again. Aloha!

I swore I would never swim with a shark in my life… But my friends booked it and I got talked into going along. Everyone made me feel so comfortable and oddly enough I didn’t wanna get out of the water! The sharks are so majestic and not aggressive at all! Would highly recommend this!!! Thanks guys!

This was not my idea. But true to my nature, I said yes to my coworker without even batting an eyelash.
The day arrives, we get on the boat, and learn about what not to do around the Sharks. I’m the second person in the water! Eeee!
Casually gliding through the ocean were sand bar sharks and Galapagos sharks. Swimming all around me! Humans are not their choice of cuisine, yay!
I was amazed at how calm they were, with us in THEIR territory, bumbling around, sticking gopros in their faces. Beautiful, sleek creatures that look so vicious.
I’ve always had a slight fear of the ocean, but today, I conquered those fears!
The two women that led our group were incredibly informative. They educated us thoroughly before letting us in the water and watched us while we moved amongst the Sharks. When some of us became seasick, one offered us ginger chews to settle our bodies.
I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! If you’ve ever wanted to see these beautiful creatures up close, definitely book a trip with these guys!

I don’t even know where to begin… this is just such a beautiful and eye opening experience.
We booked our trip through Turtle bay resort but in a way got lucky… we were going to book the shark cage tour and one of the guys over heard and asked us «why not just go snorkeling with them?» Totally caught me off guard, but was for sure intrigued. He showed me some of his pictures and showed us a video and I was immediately sold!
There were only 4 of us on the boat when we got there plus the Captain and Juan (Juan Shark =)) which was awesome cause we got the photo package and he took some amazing shots of us.
The whole experience is pretty eye opening. Its sad how uneducated people are about these beautiful creatures. Juan really changed my whole perception.
I was the second person into the water and all I can say was wow! I strongly recommend the 7AM dive. When we first got in there were almost 30 sharks in the water! Wont lie, its very scary but just watching Juan swim around with them really puts you at ease.
Took me a while to let go of the rope and finally start swimming around.
This is such an amazing experience. how many people can say they have swam with sharks? haha Its just incredible.
Out of all the tours and adventure tours I did in Hawaii… actually ever This by far has been the most amazing experience.
If you’re ever in Hawaii you HAVE to do this! Its one of the reasons I want to go back again!

I strongly recommend this program over any other «shark tour» here on the island. They are experts in their field and have spent the last two decades studying these animals to become so. The Snorkeling program educates you on pelagic life and safety; factoring animal biology, physiology, behavior, body language and communication as well as interspecies hierarchy and appropriate responses to sharks and other marine life from a practical stand point. Highly educational program with highly useful and practical information great for surfers, swimmers, divers, beach goers, people scared of sharks and people that love sharks. Bonus, the program supports shark research and conservation in Hawaii and internationally.

This was such an amazing experience! We booked our shark diving expedition while drinking on the beach. It’s amazing what a few drinks will do to you! I never thought that I would sign up to swim in the open ocean with sharks!!!
Juan and the marine biologist on the boat were so amazing and down to earth. This experience really did change my perception about sharks in the water.
They provided great instructions on what to do and what not to do in the water so we would be safe the entire time. Well worth the money. While in Oahu everyone should do this.

Such an awesome experience! I have always loved sharks but getting to see them in the open was truly a forgiving feeling. Completely misunderstood creatures and I think everyone should get to experience swimming with them so they to can understand and spread the word, And hopefully change the way the world sees them!

Me and my boyfriend did whale watching and scuba diving before we decided to book open water swimming with sharks… We should have skipped the first 2 and gone straight to one ocean diving in the first place! This was the most unbelievable experience we’ve ever had! I was terrified at first but Juan, our shark expert has 15+ years of experience and we also had a marine biologist on board and both were wonderful and super informative! On the boat ride out to the dive site, both Juan and our marine biologist educated us on the type of sharks we would see and went into detail about sharks and their agnostic behaviors to look for. They gave us so much awesome information on sharks and how misunderstood these creatures are! It made me more comfortable to actually step foot in the water by the time we got to our site. It helped that Juan and the marine biologist both got in the water with us and stayed close the whole time!
Please educate yourself and go enjoy this ONE OF A KIND EXPERIENCE! We got the picture package and Juan took a bunch of epic photos while we were in the water (because I am terrible with a Gopro and let’s be honest, when I’m diving with sharks I want to be aware of my surroundings)! It was definitely worth the extra money to have great pictures of an unforgettable experience! Thank you Juan and the entire One Ocean Diving Team!

Beyond epic experience. My sister and I got off their boat at the end of the trip more educated, with huge smiles, & wishing we could go out again. Thinking back, we should’ve foregone the shower and gone back out for another trip before our flight.
It’s that amazing.
Juan and Ocean are such passionate, friendly, and open people. It’s hard not to start to love sharks and the ocean as much as they do. The groups are small (I think 6 max) and 2 – 3 people go out into the water with one of them at a time for safety reasons. The anticipation, fear, and anxiety goes away once you lower yourself into the water. From then on, it’s beautiful, peaceful, and calming. Imagine swimming in deep blue waters with these shy & misunderstood creatures while listening to the singing of humpback whales. At no time did we feel like we were in danger.
The boat ride out is pretty choppy. Instead of Dramamine, we got scopolamine patches and put it on the night before (since we were on the 7 AM boat). Driving out and back from Waikiki was torture due to the drowsiness but it negated the nausea that we would’ve felt on the boat.
GoPro: bring your own or rent one from them. I wish we got video.
Photography Package: worth it. The photos from Juan are really good.
Can’t wait to go back.

WOW! Is all I can say about this. Such an incredible experience!
Juan and Ocean (owners) have an amazing thing going here. Anyone that hears they are going shark diving and then find out there is no cage would be a little hesitant (or at least I was). My boyfriend has done this a few times with One Ocean Diving and it’s all he would talk about. So I decided I would try to convince myself that it was something I could do and handle. The morning of I was a little nervous, getting to the boat dock where I met Juan and Ocean my mind was put to ease. Just talking to these two and their knowledge of sharks and the ocean you immediately feel safe.
We were in the water with 16 sandbar sharks for an hour and just watching the sharks in their natural habitat is indescribable. I would say that 8 out of 10 people are scared of sharks and that is something we just know from movies (JAWS). This has changed my whole perspective of them. They are curious creatures like we all are. I am so excited that I did this and I can’t wait to get back out there and do it again.
I HIGHLY recommend this tour to anyone visiting the island you will not regret it at all. I know as soon as I get back to Hawaii this will be one of my first stops. It puts a smile on my face just thinking about how wonderful it was.
Mahalo nui loa Juan and Ocean for doing this and opening my eyes and the eyes of so many people about how absolutely amazing sharks are. See you guys hopefully sooner than later.