Perfect for the Waikiki traveller who wants to try the Discover Scuba experience. Very well situated for easy hotel pickup, personal 1 on 1 instruction in pool with top grade equipment, then a short ride to some world class dive sites. Sean's crew is experienced and dependable, there for everything and happy to make a slight detour when the whales appear. This was our second diving excursion in two years with Reef Pirates. Although the diving conditions this year were not as good as last year, the crew has grown and improved and for all the reasons above I'm recommending it to my friends who are looking for easy, incredibly fun things to while in Waikiki. 2 thumbs. read more

I have never felt compelled to write a review on Yelp but my experience with this company must be told, to prevent others wasting their holiday time and money. Bud the owner was more than happy to plan my dive experience for 5 days, 2 dives per day. Via email I was assured his company was superior to competitors and that they could make sure I saw all the things I was hoping to. After cancelling twice due to being robbed and then not wanting to do two shallow dives (after specifying deep dives) I finally got to dive with them. I was told I couldn't dive two of my planned days (the 11th and 12th of April) due to bad weather. However I was taken out by Dive Oahu and had two BEAUTIFUL dives. Perfect visibility and conditions, friendly staff and on time drop offs. Before I arrived in Hawaii I asked Reef Pirates to book me a one on one instructor (for which I paid an extra $100USD per day) so that I could get the most out of my dives and see the things I wanted. The instructor was lovely. However, it was her FIRST DAY working in the area and as a result had no idea about the dive sites (she hadn't even been briefed beforehand) and I ended up showing her around and missing everything the other divers saw. Terribly disappointing. It was the opposite experience of what was described. Both dives I had over a third of oxygen in my tank. The other two divers were under qualified for a dive of 105 feet. One had their open water and another was still completing it (but had done another course). This is not recommended by Padi. To make matters worse, I phoned the dive centre and owner several times and left messages asking to cancel further dives. No one answered, yet they had answered very promptly when they wanted my business. Had I only paid for the first dive I wouldn't go back but the owner insisted I pay upfront $700.13USD (3days, 2dives/day, one on one instructor but other divers onboard) When the owner finally took my call he was rude, and told me off for calling him while he was on the boat (his job) and said he would not give me a refund and now thinks he should have charged me for the two previous dives which were cancelled. He never mentioned I should've paid for them at the time and used them for leverage to keep money for 2 remaining days after the service wasn't provided. With this logic I could argue I should be refunded as I was able to dive with another company on the 12th and 13th of April when he told me the weather was too bad. I'm sure the owner of Reef Pirates will defend this decision by saying they have a 48hr cancellation policy. But when I arrived before my first dive, and asked to pay the balance afterward, it was before the 48hr cut-off. While Bud is refunding my $100/day for a one on one instructor I won't be able to enjoy my next two days with them. I am yet to receive said promised refund and doubt I ever will. I found the manner of the owner to be unprofessional, rude, and aggressive. I thought one of his staff was officious and made no effort to be friendly so that the experience could be more enjoyable. It was a rush job, with both dives ending while there was plenty of air. This was explained by the fact we would need less decompression time but I'm sure for the money we paid that we would've enjoyed more time and then relaxed onboard for longer than 25min. The equipment was old and the flippers were the worst I've ever used. The second dive site was clearly too rough and this be seen from the surface. The visibility was shocking and the current strong. I had been to the same sight the day before (which I was told wasn't possible by Bud due to weather) and it was crystal clear and beautiful. After disembarking we then had to wait around for 30min while one of the staff marked a Padi test. To add insult to injury, I hired a camera at a price of $50USD for one day and the captain who said he would pass it to me once I was in the water forgot. Due to the rough conditions I failed to asked and wasn't offered a refund (which i asked for). The owner told me this was my fault for not asking! I have done over 200 dives and have never experienced anything like this. There are many dive companies I would recommend but this is not one of them. read more

I have always wanted to scuba dive, so the first thing I did when we booked our plane tickets to Hawaii, was immediately start researching every dive shop on Oahu because we wanted to dive with the best. After much research, I decided to book with Reef Pirates, and I'm so very glad I did. From the moment Bud picked up my Husband and I from Waikiki, I knew we were in for an epic day! We had a small group size (4 divers and 2 snorkellers on our trip), with excellent and very attentive instructors, and an extremely thorough and attentive boat captain. There was not a moment I felt unsafe which allowed me to fully relax and take in the whole experience of breathing under water! We saw turtles, eagle rays, some moray and spotted eels, and a bounty of beautiful fish. Whilst we were on the boat another dive operator went past, and it clearly had double the students for each instructor. I felt like I definitely got my money's worth with Reef Pirates as they only take 6 people max each dive, and the instructor was able to attend to and give attention to each diver with ease. I've seen a review that was not happy with the snacks offered midway through the experience. I thought the snacks offered were great - between dives you do not want anything heavy or substantial, and you could help yourself to the options available. The team at Reef Pirates have a very finely tuned operation, and I would recommend them to everyone. My only regret was not booking another dive, but I am looking to get my certifications and come back! read more

We had a great couple of days diving with Reef Pirates. This is a safe group. I am very comfortable recommending them. We dove the shallow reef yesterday and the Corsair today. Thanks for a great time. read more

I'll save you some time-LOOK NO MORE, and SAVE YOUR SPOT with Reef Pirates. I looked around and called about 5 dive shops in Oahu before going and they are the best one. Last week I went diving with them for 3 days and had different crew each time. They were all awesome and laid back but also professional, the boat wasn't cramped only 6 people or less. I saw some with about 20 people on the boat it seems like. Anyways..... The first day was 2 shallow dives with Noah, Jake and Lauren. The group I went with were doing their skills for open water cert. so you probably know how that went but the crew was really great. The second day was AMAZING! With Noah and Lee and the group I went with was cool as cucumbers. As soon as we got to the site we dove right in and stayed down as long as possible. Both sites were amazing the ship wreck and another site with bunch of huge turtles, an octopus even stayed on my hand for a while. Also, Lee was nice enough and took videos of each of us with our cameras. Overall it was my favorite, and everyone definitely had a great time. The third day was with Arthur and Crash, it was also AMAZING! We drifted on the first dive and plane wreck the second dive. Arthur gave me the shells he picked up during the dive which was cool. Overall, it was also my favorite and I would definitely recommend them to anyone. read more

We booked the boat for the entire day for our family and I would highly recommend it to others. The diving was amazing, the aircraft dive was very cool. The kids saw a lot of turtles and had an amazing time with Bud, Peter and Amber. Thank you for providing an amazing experience for our family. read more

Hands down the place to go if you want to do your PADI certification. My fiance and I went here to get our PADI open water certification. Satoshi and Crash were absolutely amazing and so accommodating with our schedules. They even came to our place to do the confined water dives in our pool! I cannot say enough positive things about Crash. During the last day of our course I started to panic before our descent and Crash took his time making sure I felt safe and encouraging me to continue. With his help I completed the course and now we're PADI certified! read more

I had a fantastic first time scuba experience (the discover scuba program), as well as lots of personal attention and training. They can pick you up from your hotel in Waikiki, or you can get to the dive shop yourself. They take no more than 6 students on the boat at any time, and there is at most 4 students per instructor. There is a 15-minute orientation/training before you get on the boat as to the equipment we used, hand signals, and safety instructions. Bob and Pete recap some of that while on the boat too, as well as pointing out local landmarks. On your first dive (there were 2 30-40-minute dives on the tour), they guided us through water entry (falling backwards off the boat), practice finding our respirators if we lose track of them, finding and using the alternate respirator, clearing water out of the respirator, equalizing ear pressure, and clearing our masks. It was a very thorough introduction with practice before they brought us more than a few feet below, and I felt like they were very concerned about our safety. Bob and Pete stayed by us the whole time to make sure we were ok and weren't in distress. There was water and snacks on the boat (although not a full meal). They took everything with good cheer and aplomb: my husband had a panic attack, and I and another student had equalization issues (just sensitive ears) and took a very long time to descend. Bob and Pete were very patient, friendly, and encouraging. Pete even offered to take us all snorkeling instead when the three of us couldn't make it down to the bottom for the first dive. When I did finally make it down, I got to see lots of turtles, and lots of colorful fish. It was just a great experience with knowledgable, friendly, and informative instructors who clearly take safety very seriously. read more

I was diving in March with Reef pirates and had a great experience! They are a professional, fun and very nice group of people. they are the only operation that schedules dives very early in the morning and will not take more than six divers. I've been diving all over the world and will only go with operations that take small groups but they are not always easy to find. My experience with smaller groups is that you have a lot more fun. Also, as difficult as it is to get up that early on vacation, its worth it! You're out of the water before any of the other dive operations arrive and you have you're entire day ahead of you to relax and enjoy a mai tai or two or schedule other activities. thank you to the crew of Reef Pirates for a wonderful 3 days of diving! Hope to return soon. read more

It was a great company to dive with. They took out a small group, which was nice. They were informative about the area and what to look for. I would dive with this company again. read more

We had two great trips with Reef Pirates during which my son completed his open water dives for his PADI certification. Bud and his son Michael were excellent dive masters, and we had a great time seeing tons of turtles. read more

Reef Pirates is the best on the island of Oahu. With the small groups of 6 or less the individual attention is great. They want to cater to the customers interests. Safety is also very important to Reef Pirates. Before we got aboard the boat or Dive Master gave a detailed safety brief and made sure everyone was comfortable with what we were doing. During my 2 dives Dive Master, Jake, and his assistant, Laura, were always pointing out different points of interest and different aquatic life. The boat captain, Noah, is also very knowledgeable and eager to assist. Look no further than Reef Irates. read more

The staff was friendly and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed my two tank boat dive. I felt like the staff cared about safety but truly wanted me to enjoy my dive. I highly recommend this shop. read more

"The best friends money can buy" I was on O'ahu for work and decided to do my open water certification. I did a lot of research on the different dive shops near Honolulu and decided on Reef Pirates because they had the best reviews, were reasonably priced and had an awesome name, who wouldn't want to dive with "Reef Pirates"?! I say the best friends money can buy because that is seriously how diving with these guys felt. Jay picked me up at my hotel and we went to the pool to do my confined water dives. He worked me hard, but I learned a lot and we had TONS of fun getting stuff done. On our drive back, Jay went over my biggest problems, my mask (laughing underwater) and making sure my tank was pointed in the right direction when I was attaching it to my BC. The next day Will picked me up and we headed to the marina, again we hit it off right away and it felt more like my friend was taking me out and teaching me to dive! We talked about my pool session and the things I needed to watch out for and what we were going to go over in the water. That day we had 4 other divers with us, so he had to split his time and make sure we were all ok, but I was good to go, it didn't really bother/affect me, I just stayed within a few feet of him at all times and practiced the things we were going over. At one point we even had to trade masks, he let me borrow his because mine basically sucked (it was one I had bought a long time ago, but my cheeks are too round especially when I smile or laugh, so the smaller mask worked better for me :) the dive was awesome, we saw lots of colorful fish, coral, sea turtles, and a frog fish. The second dive was just as cool and we went over more skills. Day two with Will was also a blast, except I had to take my written tests, easy but nerve wracking with someone always standing over your shoulder! Just kidding, they were a breeze and I finished them pretty quickly, we went over the few I got wrong and then were at the dive site. We worked a lot on buoyancy and I definitely felt more comfortable in the water than the day before, especially on the last dive. I think the third was the coolest because I'm mesmerized by the sea turtles, I just love watching them. The last dive we focused mostly on buoyancy and did a CESA. It was my favorite day because I basically got all the attention I needed as I was Will's only diver/student. All of that to say, if you are looking for a company that will not only teach you to scuba dive but will also make you feel right at home with the instructors and in the water, then you should choose Reef Pirates, because I promise you won't find anyone better! Thanks Jay and Will, (makes inverted "ok" symbol)....I hope to see you guys again soon!!! Mahalo! read more

I called them 3 times and they never picked up. Understandable, could be underwater but I did leave voice messages and nobody returned my calls. So there you go. Lost my business. read more

My wife and I went diving with Reef Pirates yesterday for our first introductory dive. It was nothing short of amazing!!! We were fortunate enough to have Crash as our instructor. He was awesome- attentive, professional and excited to show two new divers what he's obviously passionate about. His attention to detail and instruction based on first, learning safety and second, how to dive safe so you can have fun. He made us feel at ease. The dive itself was incredible!! We were fortunate to also have Greg and also the owner came along for the day. He was incredible and helpful. We watched a video in the office, got fitted for our wetsuits and headed to the boat. While on the boat on the way to the dive site, we received our instruction on how the equipment works, how to function under water, and what to expect, we were very well prepared. We were ready then to gear up, and get diving! We stepped out into the water and a whole new world was opened before our eyes. After we quickly reviewed our safety test with Crash, it was time to dive down. Un-believable!!! We had such a great time. Once you quickly get acclimated to the dive you begin to enjoy swimming underwater and just enjoying the scenery. There could not be a better place to take your first dive, and no better company (people I mean...they're much more than just a company) to take your first dive in. If you've ever wondered what it's like to dive and you find yourself on Oahu, BOOK A DIVE!!! read more

It was a very good experience. My wife and I were a little nervous. We hadn't been diving in awhile. The team at Reef Pirates was excellent and the small group size was fantastic. The afternoon dive was a great way to get back into it and seeing giant turtles spectacular. We will be going back for more. read more

Best in Oahu by far. Sean and his crew (Will and Christine) and all top notch. Safety and incredible experiences are on the list when diving with Reef Pirates. This was my 4th trip to Oahu and my 4th time diving with Reef Pirates. We were picked up on time at our hotel, the divemasters were very knowledgeable and quickly evaluated the skill level of all divers in our party; helping those who needed help. All gear was clean, and well maintained. Reef Pirates did there best to accommodate all site requests and life we wanted to see. Christine seems to be a turtle magnet. On every dive she was surrounded by them..LOL read more

You'll hear Reef Pirates say, "no more than six divers per boat," over and over. It's for good reason; if you've ever been on a dive or snorkeling excursion, you know how too many people can make a bad day. By just hanging their rep on that, though, they sell themselves short. This is a friendly, professional outfit that has also figured out the best policy for getting the most out of dive trips. I came to them as a PADI certification referral. I had taken the confined water portion through an SSI shop. Though there was a discrepancy with my universal referral form, Sean and Will worked with me and got me out on the water. Will was our dive master on day 1. He had his hands full. Two of us were working on certs and a third person was doing a discovery dive. Will was patient and tough. It's something you'll appreciate. My first and lasting impression is that Will is a total professional. Second-day dive master was Sean. Before I arrived in Hawaii I had emailed Sean maybe 10 times. I'm certain I asked a few dumb questions. Sean was always friendly and quick to respond. During our dive, he worked through my skills and took time to swim around the dive site and show me the sea life. The highlight was when he put a piece of coral in my hands, which attracted a feeding school of BEAUTIFUL fish. Getting closer to the reef and its creatures is why I wanted to get certified. It's something I'll never forget. Go for the small groups. Go back for good people who know what they're doing. Thanks Reef Pirates. I'll be back. read more

On a recent trip my son, my sister, and my brother in-law set up a "discovery dive" with this company. I had researched and contacted several dive companies on Oahu that we were interested in utilizing. Of them all, I was most impressed with the response I received from Reef Pirates. They were very helpful in explaining everything and getting it all set up. Due to the fact that my son was only 12 I wanted to make sure I went with a company that I felt comfortable with and my conversations with this company helped to give me as close to a feeling of trust as can be gained through e-mail and telephone conversations. On the day of the dive these guys arrived when they said they would and put us through the paces in the pool prior to going out in the ocean. I thought this was the standard operating procedure for each dive company....until we went out on the charter. I was actually a little shocked that the other dive companies on the charter were giving a dive orientation to their clients on their way out to the dive site. They covered everything (I think) we covered but without the benefit of a pool and actual experience. I'm not sure if all four of us would have been successful if we were trying to take our first breath underwater in the chop. Needless to say some of the clients from the other companies attempted to dive but were unsuccessful. A couple even got off at the gas stop in between dives. Luckily we went with Reef Pirates and had a great time on both of our discovery dives. So much so that my son and I are now certified and enjoying the world of scuba. I hope to go back to HI and dive with these guys sometime again. Definitely recommend these guys. read more

I booked a reef dive for my wife, with me as a ride-along, based on very positive reviews on tripadvisor (for some reason a lot more reviews there than on Yelp). We had a great time, just three divers along on the late morning dive. The crew was very knowledgeable and friendly, and pickup from our Waikiki hotel was on time. I would definitely book with Reef Pirates again and would recommend them. read more

Dove today with my wife, son and daughter in law. First time over 100 feet. We were really taken care of and had a diver with us at all times. Friendly guys on the boat and great equipment. Our safety and comfort seemed to be their main concern. We all felt safe and extremely gratified after we came up after we dove 100 feet for the first time read more

My first time in Hawaii and first time scuba diving I went with this company and had an amazing time. The two gentlemen named Jonny and Pete were super helpful and very professional. They make you feel comfortable and safe and they know what they are doing. The diving experience is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I got to experience a whole new world under the sea and at one point was swimming along with 5 sea turtles. Highly recommended to all. read more

Toshi is an incredible manager. We wanted to do a deep wreck dive and a reef dive but usually this kind of trip is scheduled in the very early morning at 6:30am, which is too early for us to get there. Toshi helped us out and scheduled us a late morning private charter which began at 11:30am. We got our own boat, one captain, one instructor, only 4 of us as divers, yet affordable price! Actually for all of their trips they limit the numbers of divers to a small group size so you don't need to share the crowded boat with another 20 divers lol. This is why you should choose a dive shop which has their own boat. They got a very nice and clean dive shop which is located in a quiet beautiful harbor. The dive experience was very pleasant. Crash is a very responsible and reliable instructor. He paid attention to each of us and managed the time very well. We visited Corsair wreck and saw bunch of turtles, eels, octopus, tropical fish, etc. If you are looking for a great dive shop in Oahu look no further, Reef Pirates Diving is your choice. read more

Great dive company! Small dive groups so those that need attention get it/no one gets left behind. The dive masters know what to look for when looking for local wildlife so you get some great views. Instructors are very patient when teaching. Here on out they'll be the only boats I dive with in Hawaii. Pete, Jonny, and Mike are the best! read more

Couldn't be happier with out experience with Reef Pirates Diving. The team was great and lots of fun! It was a small group which is preferable when diving and we were able to see tons of turtles on our dive. Our guide helped take pictures of us near the turtles which turned out fantastic. Would definitely dive with them again. read more

I am a scuba instructor from North Carolina. I have logged well over 1000 dives. My wife and I recently dove with Sean with Reef Pirates diving in Oahu. If you go to dive in Oahu and you dive with anyone else, you will be wasting your time and money. First, they picked us up from our hotel. Sean was very friendly and talkative. He was answering questions about our diving but also about local places to eat and things to do on the island. We ahead 6 divers on our boat which is the norm. No overcrowding, very organized system. The Captain was also very friendly and she was posing for pics with us and had a great personality for the business. We were off in no time. Sean gave a good and thorough boat briefing as well as a fantastic dive briefing. We were the first dive boat on location for both days of diving we did. He was very professional in and out of the water. We had different skill levels of divers and did a fabulous job making sure EVERYONE made it in the water and down to the dive site. They provided snacks and water for us. We were done with our first dive before another dive boat or excursion boat made it to the dive site. We were done with our two tank dive and back to the dock and finished by 11:00 am which gave us still the whole day for other things to do on the island. Don't take it from their website on having a good day. Take it from me..another dive professional who does this for a living. They have their stuff together.not only did I meet another dive professional but Sean personally provided me with his personal email to keep in touch in the future. There are many dive shops to choose from in Oahu. Also, some come and go. He has been in the business there for nearly 10 years and been successful. Choose Reef Pirates Diving and don't worry about whether you are going to enjoy yourself. Choose the and have a peace of mind they will provide you with a enjoyable dive experience with no crowded boat, a professional and educated staff, and no false advertisements aimed to lure tourists in to just take their money and be done with them. I will dive with them again...no questions asked. Aloha!! Theo Finch Dive Instructor Durham, NC read more

Awesome experience! My girlfriend and I did the non certified diving option, we had never dived or even snorkeled before (still consider ourselves good swimmers though). They picked us up in Waikiki for free and took us to the location some 20-30 minutes away. We dove with Johnny and Samanta, but Johnny was our main instructor. He was an awesome tour guide, very friendly and reassuring and took very good care of us in the water. I had a moment on the dive where I was taking in water in my mask over and over again and he calmed me down and helped me fix the issue. It was a crazy first time experience but I never felt unsafe, in large part to Johnny but also because the owner Budd takes safety very seriously. Def recommend for first timers! read more

I would highly recommend Sean's Reef Pirates dive outfit to anyone looking for a great diving experience. Although it had been 7 years since my last dive, Sean planned two dive sites that comfortably got me back in the water. We worked out the details online, he showed up at the hotel, and about an hour later, we were on the boat heading out. The small dive group was especially nice as it kept the boat-logistics time to a minimum. He even offers to send a few free pictures from your dive via email. I would definitely recommend Reef Pirates to anyone looking for a great dive trip. read more

I decided to do private open water referral certification dives with Reef Pirates after finding them online. I found them at another site that had 140ish reviews with only 2 being negative....2 being 4/5 stars and the rest were 5 stars. Seemed good to me and I was more than impressed with my experience. Everyone was very professional, experienced and helpful. It is a small outfit which makes it feel much more personal and not at all like a cattle call tourism nightmare. I felt like I was diving with family. I dove with Sean and he was great about showing me everything there was to see at the sites in between the skill testing. I chose to do private dives for my certification just so I wouldn't have to hang out while a bunch of other people did their skills. Sean and I shared the boat with another of Reef Pirates Dive Leaders named Krystal who was awesome as well. She took her group and Sean and I went off on our own. After seeing how small the groups are (the first day there were 4 paying divers and my second day there were only 2) I will be doing group dives in the future with them. I would recommend them to any of my friends and I will deferentially be diving with them again! read more

This company was recently switched over to new owners. At first I thought that the people who worked there were a little too sarcastic....it seemed that if we had a question they would have a snarky come back. But as the day went on it got much better and we all got to know each other on the boat. I love how it is 6 divers or less. It is always so much better when you can have room for your equipment and to sit and prep for your dive. The first diver we attempted was the WW2 aircraft but the current was too strong. I am actually glad it was because we got to do a sunken in lava tube diver where we got to see a monk seal (please note we did not approach it and our dive master said that is the first time he saw one there). We also got to see sharks and more fish then i have ever seen before. The second diver was devoid of color but did have interesting fish. The dive master is more of a conservative diver, which is what I prefer. I do recommend this diver company. They start very early! at 7am but that means your dive day ends at 11 and that means you have the rest of the day to be on the beach! read more

Recently I was in a Hawaii for a vacation and looked up Reef Pirates and made a reservation on line. Sean at Reef Pirates got back to me immediately and I gave him my hotel info and the days I wanted to dive. Sean will pick you up at your location and take you out to the Cattamaran that you will dive from. His compnay shares the boat with a couple of other dive shops but in four dives there were never more than 15 people on the boat including the crew. Time to dive sites from Marina about 10 minutes. Sean takes care of everyhting from hooking up your gear to assessing your level of experience and making good suggestinons so you can enjoy your dive. Also Sean only takes six divers a day so book early as possible. Sean is a great diver and gave me some pointers as I have only been diving for four years now. He really helped with my buoyancy as I usually dive with a wetsuit and didn't need one in Oahu. Overall excellent dive experience and Sean is very knowledgeable of the dive sites. He will take photos of you (no charge) and make sure you are totally comfortable and have an excellent diving experience. Also he is great with local marine life for your photos (Octopus, Eels) so bring your camera. Afterward we were all dropped back to our hotels after about a 15 minute ride from the Marina. Check him out you won't be disappointed. Thanks for everything Shawn and I will look you up on my next trip to Hawaii. read more