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LA'A LOA BAY
Four Mile Marker
N19-35.521 by W155-58.286
DIRECTIONS:
LA'A LOA BAY: (Four Mile Marker) 4 miles from KCD. Turn right from KCD entrance on to Palani Rd. It will become Alii Drive at the pier. Stay on Alii Dive to the 4-mile marker, just past Magic Sand Beach. Park your vehicle on the makai side of the road, just south of the guard rail. HISTORY:
Near Four Mile Marker, there is a heiau , called Lele-iwi (bone altar): The famous priest H'wa'e, who served under chief Ehu-ka-ipo, lived at La'-a-loa. Ancient Hawaiians regarded this place very sacred. FOUR MILE MARKER SITE:
This is a little lava wash stone and coral rubble cove. Near the road side is a small lava rock wall.
It is a good place to set up your scuba gear, especially putting your tank on before the dive or removing it afterwards.
Before donning your scuba gear, I suggest you snorkel the area to scout out for the best entrance and exit with scuba gear. The make up of the cove is known to go through seasonal changes. The bottom of the cove is composed of large cobblestones, pebbles and coral rubble and here and there are sand patches. The waters just left of the cove are considered by most divers to offer some of the more interesting things to see. To the right or straight ahead you will encounter a sandy bottom.
Many the local scuba instructors use this area for their students' first open water check out dive.
1. TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Scuba and snorkeling
2. POTENTIAL HAZARDS:
- A. Surf: the water entrance at the beach is rather shallow, 1 to 2 feet. When the surf is greater than two feet, I personally recommend that you not dive this site. The wave break moves much of the sand and cobblestones around, making the visibility so poor that you could injure yourself due to the abundance of our Black Venomous Urchins (echin-hrix diademe) near the shoreline. The Hawaiian word for Urchins is Wana. (The "W" pronounced as "V".)
- B. Reef and Shoreline: Surf breaking on the large outcropping of lava rock to the right of the cove could be a potential danger. Always keep in mind, stay away from shallow reef and shoreline when the surf is up.
- C. Winds: Winds greater than 12 miles per hour coming from southwest, west and northwest can cause higher surf conditions. ALWAYS CHECK THE AREA FROM SHORE BEFORE ENTERING. The best time of day to dive this site is in early and mid mornings.
- D. Current: Usually no current. Mostly what you will encounter is surge due to the shallowness of the cove.
- E. Road: Roads are paved. Be certain to pull your vehicle well off the pavement. Then look both ways before exiting, unloading and loading you diving equipment. DO NOT STAND NEAR THE ROAD WAY WHEN DONNING YOUR EQUIPMENT. (Use the little rock wall)
- F. Seasonal Weather: usually good any time of the year. During winter and spring months this site has the potential of having a little more wave action.
3. SKILL LEVEL: Beginner to advanced.
4. SCUBA AND SNORKELING: Scuba Divers – snorkel out of the cove following the reef on the left. Start your dive in about 25 feet of water keeping the shoreline to left. There you will encounter a ledge of pahoehoe lava running the length of the shoreline with many crevasses, a large archway cavern and sandy chutes. Snorkelers – same as above (but from the surface.)
5. WHAT TO EXPECT AT THIS SITE: Along the dive site route you encounter many pukas in the walls of the crevasses. There many small crustaceas (crabs, shrimps and a varied of lobsters) and invertebrates (octopus, nudibranchs and shell) specially along the return route via the sandy and rubble area in depths of 20 to 30 feet. You will also encounter countless reef fish including lizardfish, squirrelfish, butterflyfish, puffers, triggerfish and many more. And one of mother nature's wonders, a large archway cavern back lighted with a shaft of light coming from a skylight between the arch and cavern, awaits your exploration.
6. WATER DEPTHS: Two feet at shoreline to fifty feet at the sandy area.
7. TYPE OF TRANSPORT TO THE SITE: Two wheel drive (MAKE SURE YOU LOCK YOUR CAR.)
8. SITE FACILITIES: No showers, rest rooms, water or picnic tables at this site, but just 100 yards north at of this site, at MAGIC SAND BEACH, you will find all the facilities also a restaurant near the beach (Jameson's by the Sea).
Hawaiian Dictionary:
La'a loa - Long devoted
Alii - Hawaiian Royalty
Makai- Toward the Ocean
Heiau - place of worship
Pukas - Holes
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Police, Ambulance & Fire........... 911
Coast Guard: seach/rescue (toll free).......... 1+800.522.6458; 1+800.331.6176
Hyperbaric Center: bends treatment (Honolulu).......... 1+808.587.3425
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