South Point Cliff Dive

The location was simple to find, however I was not able to find the sign many people posted indicating that South Point was the southern most point of the USA. There was a sign at the crossroad, however, I was not able to find the exact location of South Point.

We came a couple weeks ago and it was perfect conditions. Only a few guys were jumping, though it was packed. Last time I was here the ladders were still up. The ladders aren’t up anymore! So you’re going to be scaling rocks to come back up — which isn’t hard. This place is a must see, even if you’re too chicken to jump. But I recommend jumping for sure!

If you’re reading this because you’re remotely interested in jumping but still hesitating… do it. Take a leap of faith. Jump. There’s a reason why you’ve made it this far and trust me, it’s a phenomenal experience.
Just take a deep breath, and dive down with feet pointing downwards (when the waves aren’t too strong).
I jumped late Jan 2016 for the first time. I will be back.

I jumped and it was great!!! Terrifying but great. I knew if I did not jump I would regret it. Last thought I had in my head was that you only live once. That is what convinced me. I made my sweets jump first because I was more worried about climbing up the rusty hanging ladder. I was scared that if I jumped I wouldn’t be able to get back up. It turns out that climbing up the ladder was my favorite part.

So we were driving to the green sand beach, and this is where the fork in the road will take you if you don’t go towards the green sand. So what the heck, take a few minutes go the other way just to see the views. We were not planning on jumping off the cliff, but apparently that’s what people come here to do.
We were there REALLY early in the morning so we only saw people setting up to start fishing, but this is where it’s the southern most point in the US (the states, not any territories).
There is nothing here other than the views really. There isn’t even a sign here to say that you are at the southern most point, like they have in Key West.

Worth doing the dive. Not as bad as it looks. Ladder going up was rusty — that was scarier. The bolts were loose and didn’t look too safe.

If you’re driving to see the volcano from the west side of the island, you might as well stop by since it is on your way. Best if you have a few hours to stop here. Unfortunately for us, it was cold, windy, cloudy, and raining the day we stopped in. So we never made it down to Green Sand Beach. Still good for some pictures though. We met some divers that were spear fishing… one of them nailed a 48 lbs bull Dorado (Mahi Mahi).

A big disappointment for me. My husband and I had been told this is a must see so we drove two hours for some beautiful scenery but not much else here.
There were two port-​a-​potties but one was closed and the second was nearly full to the seat and filthy –trust me ladies it’s the worst toilet I’ve ever seen so be prepared to hold it back to civilization!
I had also read you could cliff dive from this location but that was also shut down due to risk of injuries. All that was there was fishermen.
It is a beautiful lookout with cliff views and some of the most beautiful colors of the ocean that I’ve seen but it was extremely windy and rough the day we made the trip. It’s too bad the state doesn’t do more with the area and make it a state park or something — I was sadly disappointed.

This is just so much fun. Risky obviously… but that doubles the fun ;)
If you want an adrenaline shot — got for it! I did.

A defining moment in my life. You must jump. You absolutely must. I won’t say it’s life changing. But you might.

Fun! FUn! FUN!!! Gorgeous drive down through the country road to get there. No life guard on duty. You’re on your own so if you have kids with you you’re going to have to keep an eye on them. (This is what makes it awesome) Not for folks that can’t climb the ladder back up or swim around to the cliff to climb back up the embankment to the trail.

A leap of faith. I do not know what gave me the courage to jump off this cliff but I am so glad I did. It was my first time in Hawaii and my friend brought us to South Point for a visit. He told me it was a popular cliff jumping spot and I wanted to do something crazy before leaving Hawaii. After looking down at how far down the ocean was, I started to panic. It was definitely an adrenaline rush. I was told to just «pencil in» meaning to jump straight down. This was helpful because I had a smooth drop with only a scratch from the water. Climbing up the ladder was worst than the jump since it was pretty tough and slippery.
Definitely a once in a lifetime jump and I recommend everyone to try it at least once!

South Point Cliff Dive is 20 minutes off Highway Belt Road Route 11. Just take South Point Road all the way down until you reach a fork in the road. To the right is the road leading to the cliffs and the left road leading to a small gravel lot from which you can use to park your vehicle and hike to Papalokea Green Sand Beach. There is a sign marking which road leads to what so don’t be too concerned. Just be careful driving down South Point Road. It’s very narrow and often requires pull over to the side to let oncoming traffic through. Also be cautious where you decide to pull over as there are small narrow bridges that span what seem to be dry river beds. Once you reach the end of South Point Road park you vehicle carefully. There is a gravel lot that is downhill of the road and is fairly close to the cliff but it can be difficult for sedan to navigate because of their low clearance. There was one party that damaged their car and was leaking fluid as they left as they attempted to get back to the paved road.
Nevertheless, once you arrive you will be blown away by the beauty of them and power of the ocean. It’s a very scenic sight and depending on the weather you can get a beautiful view of the Hawaiian Coastline. For most the view will be rewarding enough but for the adventurous few you can dive into the water. The cliff has a ladder that you use to climb back up and in some sections the cliff can be used to climb back up. When I was there the weather was great and the waves calm. Many people were diving in, relaxing under the cliff overhang, and enjoying the water.
I didn’t jump in but many in my party did. From their experience and observations I would make a few suggestions. The ability to dive off this cliff depends on weather conditions. The biggest concern are the waves. Strong waves can smashed you into the rocks and cause serious injuries. Therefore, if waves look violent it would probably be best NOT to dive in. If the conditions are right and you are willing to dive in then make sure to dive in properly. A member of our party was terrified of making the leap but she was able to muster enough courage. However, she hesitated and nearly hit the rocks on the way down because she did not jump out far enough. Make sure to jump out far enough to clear the rocks. Furthermore, it is probably a 30 – 40 ft drop to the water and thus it’s important to dive in correctly. Try to minimize your surface area when you impact the water because falling into the water improperly from that height can be quite painful. I saw many people winch in pain once they surfaced because they didn’t land correctly. Additionally, there is what seems to be a blow hole in the cliff that connects to the open water. One adventurous diver dove into the hole. However, I would strongly discourage this. He was a strong swimmer and it was a calm day but he struggled to find his way out. His dive was poorly timed and he dove in just as a large swell entered the blow hole. He was visibly shaken up and out of breath upon his return.
Overall, this place is beautiful site to admire the beauty of the pacific and the coastline of the island of Hawaii. However, keep in mind the strength of the water and treat it with respect. Keep the limitations of vehicle in mind and drive safely. The road to this place is narrow and there are hills which make it difficult to see oncoming traffic. Use common sense and you will leave this place with a life long memory. If you have time I would also bundle this adventure with Papalokea Green Sand Beach.

Since they paved the road South Point is a «MUST SEE» stop on the Big Island. Dramatic views from the cliffs. If you head to Green Sand Beach do not get taken by the guys in the upper parking lot. Follow the dirt road carefully (better to have four wheel drive) to the lower lot, saves you a mile walk. If you have for wheel drive you can drive down. Be careful, it is 2 miles of dirt road. Good swimming. Not worth it just to see the Green Sand Beach.

Such a thrill! The roughly 40 ft jump doesn’t look so bad when watching others do it, but when you step up to the edge and look down, you realize just how high up you are. Before you jump, take in the view; it looks like you’re at the end of the world with nothing but water extending past the very cliffs you’re standing on. This is the southern-​most tip in the US, after all. After you’ve jumped, there are two ways to get back to the top. One is to go through the opening in the cliff and out the blowhole… NOT recommended! The waves flow in and out so you can get slammed on the rock wall or sucked back out into the ocean if you don’t get out quick enough. I did it once (safely) and won’t ever do it again. Even though the ladder doesn’t look like much, it is sturdy enough and much safer.
The road to South Point is long and a bit bumpy, but is MUCH improved. It used to be quite terrible, but is much more accessible now. It is also very windy when you get there; it’s doesn’t really affect too much, but just as an FYI.

It’s a far drive out here but it’s totally worth it. What makes the jump scary is the anticipation! Honestly, don’t think about it and JUST DO IT!
Prior to my jump, there were children around the ages of 10 – 15 that jumped and said how fun it was. This made me feel less scared and actually more excited for the jump. If a 10 year old can do it, I can do it too! So I took a deep breath, had some alcohol (which btw is an amazing idea to get you to relax lol), and jumped. I prefer to try to get your body as straight as possible when you jump, so you don’t slap the water as hard. If you don’t, you’ll probably get some red marks on your body from the impact of the water. But it’s not that bad.
I personally think the cliff is not that high (it’s about 40 ft). I calculated it, and you’re falling for about 2 seconds before you hit the water.
Once I jumped in the water, I felt so exhilarated that I jumped 2 more times afterwards. The water was so blue, clear and everything looked so beautiful from down there. The water felt amazing as well! Even if you can’t swim, as long as you can doggy paddle to the ladder (about 5 – 10 ft) away, you’re good! If in doubt, wear a life vest! I’m not a very good swimmer and I did just fine.
Do it! You won’t regret it!

How many times do you get to jump off of the southern most point of the United States? Water is nice, clear, and deep. Plenty of cliff diving locals around that will brag about how many cliffs they’ve jumped and plenty of tourists to look over the edge and retreat.

There’s really not much that can be said about this place beyond the obvious. It’s the most SOUTHERN point in the United States. It’s a rocky coastline worth no real beach. But it’s the most southern rocky coastline in the United states. It’s a great place for a picnic, to soak up some sun, go fishing, hiking or check out some tide pools. It’s a great place to get some perspective. It’s also a place to stop on you’re journey to the green sand beach.
The black rocks of the coastline are home to black crabs known as ‘A’ama. They scatter quickly when you approach them. I saw one jump. I call them «ninja crabs» because the move so fast. They must be jumpy cause they know how tasty they are. Tasty ninja crab.
This is far from most touristy places on the Island but it’s worth the trip if you are as big a geography nerd as I am.

Took what seemed like hours to drive down the ever slimming road to this point, past some really great art, and an awesome tree that goats hang out in sometimes.
I did not do the dive myself. I am a wimp and can’t go underwater without holding my nose. HOWEVER, multiple friends did it and survived. Skip the rickety ladders tapped together and go over a little bit to the rocks but wait for the water to lift you up.
Also, be careful how you land. A few of our friends landed poorly and hurt their backsides or backs a little. Don’t do this if you already have issues, definitely.

The South Point Cliff Dive was my first ever cliff jump. My (then) boyfriend & I were referred to this spot by a local coffee truck we passed by in some random town along Highway 11 between Volcano & Kona. I mean, when in Hawaii, right?
I disagree with what some reviewers say about this place not being worth the visit. The drive along Highway 11 makes the trip worth it alone, not to mention the breathtaking views once you get to South Point. Yes — you end up driving through the country, but you have a gorgeous view of the ocean the entire way down. And frankly, the Hawaiian countryside is unlike any countryside I’ve seen driving through the Midwest!
The cliff dive platform itself is slightly decrepit. Don’t get me wrong. It’s sturdy. You won’t teetering off Wile E. Coyote style, & yet I didn’t exactly feel safe balancing up there looking down at the water. (Okay, so maybe that was equilibrium going out of whack from adrenaline.)
The jump is awesome. Period. You want the bragging rights. Be careful of the suction into the back cave-​like area. Let the waves push you toward the ladder & cling to that sucker for all its worth — then shimmy up (being careful for some sliminess due to seaweed & such) & GO AGAIN.
Can’t wait to go back some day & do this again!