Kona · United States · Cave & cavern · Reef
Golden Arches
Two lava-tube arches, neither deeper than 9 metres
Area photo: Brocken Inaglory · CC BY-SA 4.0
Two lava-tube arches in no more than 9 metres of water, a short boat ride from Honokohau Harbor. The first arch is the set piece — a thick, wide swim-through with holes punched through the rock and a school of bright yellow reef fish at the mouth. Shallow and slow-paced, it is one of the standard Kona sites for divers still building confidence.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Kona and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
Both arches were formed by old lava tubes and neither sits deeper than 9 metres. The first is the reason the site is named: a thick, wide swim-through with pukas — holes — punched through the rock, and a large school of bright yellow reef fish hanging around the opening. Take a light, because the ceilings, walls and pukas only give up their colour when you put a beam on them.
From the arch the guide leads you over the reef and the coral around it to the second arch, then back to the boat along the drop-off. It is a slow dive with plenty to stop for: triggerfish, rockmover wrasses and whitemouth morays are the regulars, and Commerson's frogfish and leaf scorpionfish turn up often enough to be worth hunting for. Pods of dolphins sometimes swim past while you are down.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Frogfish
- Dolphins
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Kona: Manta rays and reef diving are consistent year-round; Dec-Apr adds migrating humpback whales, while winter swell can occasionally limit access to exposed sites.
Dive videos
Golden Arches & Big Arch Scuba Dive (Short Range Charter) · Diver Down on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Golden Arches good for new divers?+
Yes. The maximum depth is about 9 metres, the route between the two arches is guided, and the first arch is a thick, wide lava swim-through rather than a tight tube. Operators describe it as an excellent site for beginners.
Sources
- Favorite Boat Dive Sites — Jack's Diving Locker
- 7 Top Dive Sites Around Hawaii's Big Island — PADI
In The Logbook
- Frogfish: species, behaviour and where to diveMacro & muck · 12 min read
More dive sites in Kona
Hundreds of garden eels by day, feeding mantas after dark
Sanctuary reef under the cliff where Cook was killed
Pelagic & blue water
Tethered in open ocean at night as deep-water animals rise to the surface
Night
Divers kneel on the sand at 10 m with lights aimed straight up
Pinnacle
Green turtles rest at the base while kole surgeonfish clean them
Two lava steps into turtle canyons at the Place of Refuge
Similar dives elsewhere
A skylit lava cavern with a fallen-rock altar
Swim-through chimneys lit by skylights in the coral
A half-flooded cave chamber entered only from underwater
A dark cave you can surface inside, under large stalactites