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Corsair Plane Wreck - Oahu Scuba Diving Locations

Diving in Oahu, Hawaii

When scuba diving off of Oahu , the Corsair plane wreck is not to be missed; this site is not too far from the Yo-257 shipwreck scuba dive. Oahu Diving is the perfect choice for wreck diving in Hawaii and other scuba adventures. Deep dives like the Corsair, Sea Tiger, Mahi and the YO-257 are made daily. When scuba diving in Hawaii you should visit the WW2 era Corsair airplane wreck, located in Maunalua Bay just a quick boat ride from Hawaii-Kai. Oahu scuba diving wouldn't be complete without visiting one of the most famous Oahu shipwrecks (well, it's actually a plane wreck scuba diving adventure). Close to Honolulu, this is an advanced scuba dive of Hawaii. A brief story about the Corsair wreck -- it crashed in 1946 on a routine training mission. Rumor has it the pilot is still alive and living well in Hawaii , however it's just a rumor, folks. Also he swam back! OUCH! But yes, he definitely made a water landing. Check the propeller out! The props are bent back indicating a water landing. It actually is quit amazing the plane stayed intact upon impact. It is a perfect site for diving in Oahu.

Corsair Wreck Hawaii

The Corsair wreck is strictly an advanced boat dive. Getting setup before departing the boat docks should cut down on any problems with getting sea-sick and is highly recommended. The ocean in this particular area is a little rough and this is the reason why you don't want to start assembling your gear once you arrive. The ride itself is out to the Corsair plane wreck can be extremely bumpy so if your prone to seasickness I would suggest either skipping this dive altogether OR take some natural ginger tablets. You know I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you to take motion sickness medication. The Corsair sits in 113 feet of absolutely beautiful blue Hawaiian Pacific waters. A free descent down to the wreck is highly discouraged to due since the area has erratic currents that like to ruin dives. Use the line to help you get to the plane. Free descents will only cause you a number of problems, plus the mooring line is not connected to the main frame of the Corsair therefore you will have to swim over to the Corsair about 30 feet away. In the old days the mooring line actually was attached to the prop shaft causing stress on the plane. This would have eventually destroyed the plane. Bottom times are usually around 14-16 minutes. Visibility should be better than your local swimming pool ! (80-100 feet). Keep your eyes on your gauges, air goes extremely quick and this place has been known to give divers trouble.

Corsair Scuba dive Hawaii

The Corsair has a lot of cool Hawaiian reef fish. The first thing you will notice is the plane is surrounded by yellow stripe snapper with squirrel fish peeking their big eyes from inside the plane. I have seen everything from huge Hawaiian stingrays to passing Galapagos sharks; friends of mine even had the fortune of encountering a humpback whale! Obviously you can cover the whole area of the Corsair in 1 minute, it's just a plane right? So have fun, be creative. Try jumping in the cockpit, this can be a thrilling adventure in itself taking you back to the WW2 days, then of course a butterfly fish will swim by which will give you a reality check. Small note- just take a good look around before trying to play Pappy Boyington. Moray eels love to hang in this area and are not to keen about getting a temporary roommate with big feet shoved in their face. Opps !

It is not just the life in and around the plane that is exciting. A quick look around into the abyss you will notice spaghetti like white strings waving from the sand. Upon further investigation this isn't mama's spaghetti, little buggers quickly hide in the sand before you can get a good look at them. These are one of Hawaii’s neatest marine life fish called the garden eels. I recommend laying on your chest in the sand, breath slowly and stealthy crawl towards the eels. You might get a cool picture. ( I can never get a good picture, if you have any please send em' to me, I'll post it) Also, fish that you might have scared away when you showed up such as amber jacks and stingrays usually will hang around the perimeter of the Corsair waiting for everyone to leave. I noticed divers really fixate on the wreck and seldom actually look around. Keep those eyes moving. These big animals don't make noise! As I always say, WATCH your gauges ! 1000 P.S.I. is a great time to start your ascent back up. DON'T DO THE 500 P.S.I. dash for the boat, it is unsafe and very unprofessional and you might find yourself in a bad position. The only drawbacks I have with this scuba dive is the fact that you do not have an upper deck, say like the Yo-257 in which you can hang out to get more dive time. The Corsair is just deep, 115 foot the whole time.

Ok times up on the computer and it's time to start making the ascent . Once back on the mooring line pay close attention which line let that air out of your BCD and start making a relaxed control ascent back up to 15 feet for your safety stop. Three minutes there then slowly head back up. Very important, once you're back to the boat ladder grab firmly then take your fins off. Remember the currents are sometimes brutal here. Be bad to throw your fins up on the deck only to need them to get back to the boat. (slightly embarrassing too huh ?)

In conclusion the Corsair is a great dive. As a matter of fact an excellent dive. I'd say 9 out of 10, doesn't get my full10 because the surface conditions are mostly rough. This dive is strictly for advanced divers so be sure to be honest with yourself and of course with us. Don’t do this dive unless you're qualified. This is not a place to practice your diving skills, you should already be good and confident underwater. We scuba dive the Corsair regularly and would love to take you on this Oahu Hawaii scuba diving adventure .Feel free to call us about this wreck.

CORSAIR FACTS -The Vought F4U Corsair was used in the military by both the Navy and Marines. It is a radial engine fighter known for both its bent wings and its unique sound. The corsair was 33' 4 long, 16' 1 high and had a wingspan of 41'. It had an empty weight of 8,982 lbs and a gross weight of 14,000 lbs. The f4u corsair used one Pratt and Whitney R-2800 engine which produced 2200 - 2300 hp. The corsair had a cruise speed of 182 mph, a max speed of 417 mph and a max climb rate of 2,890 ft/min. The corsairs maximum range was 1,015 miles. This airplane was mostly a carrier based airplane however it was also used from land based runways in the pacific by now well known pilots like Pappy Boyington of the Black Sheep Squadron.

Thanks for visiting Oahu Diving shipwreck diving Oahu, Hawaii. Weekly trips to the Corsair plane wreck scuba location. Corsair plane wreck of Hawaii.

Advanced dives in Hawaii !

Hawaii Scuba Diving Locations Corsair Wreck

Oahu dive locations are endless. Getting to the right diving spot requires a dive boat. Beach dives although plentiful do take a lot more work and effort and in the end the reward is far below that what you could have seen diving from a boat.

Oahu south shore dives are hands down some of the better dives you will find on Oahu. Most people think areas such as Honolulu and Waikiki may ruin coastal diving locations in Oahu. Frankly speaking south shore of Oahu with wreck dives such as the yo-257 or the Sea Tiger, then around Diamondhead, The Corsair and the Barges are some of the most requested dives.

Oahu Diving Locations

  • Based on weather and surf conditions
  • year round diving in Oahu
  • Wreck diving in Hawaii
  • Great beginner or first time diver locations

Curious about scuba diving courses or would you like to continue your diving adventures ? Below we have a list of out diving course programs along with the First Time Diver Program.

Scuba Diving in Hawaii