Kadena North Steps

I dove here on 12/26/2024 With a PADI open water certified buddy. I have my PADI open water and my SDI Rescue Diver Cert. With just over 50 total open water dives including high altitude cold water lakes and thermal Spring lakes in Utah. Also ocean dives in the Keys FL. This was my 1st. Dive at this location. My buddy took his open water cert. At this site. The Dive Shop had a caution rating at the time of entry 12:30pm. My gear Zeagle Ranger BCD with air 2 Atomic SS1 titanium & T3 primary. 3 mm BARE Reactive. 5mm Bare boots. Mares avanti Quattro + fins. Atomic ultra clear low volume mask. Oceanic Pro + 4. Exowear 1mm gloves. Max Depth 49 ft. 16 lbs weight. Average 33 ft. 29 min dive. 2900 psi tank to start. 500 psi end. I would recommend a turn around air pressure of 1500 psi or a little more under strong conditions. I was followed by a sea snake briefly. Lots of coral and fish. There is a small yellow buoy, a couple hundred yards from shore. I wouldn't recommend going out past it. If I dove it again I wouldn't even go half that far out. Current was medium strong & easily takes you out further without noticing. Stay straight out a little North, but not too far. There's surf brakers further north u want to avoid. I was going to use my Cressi toe buoy but boats don't come near the Dive site so I didn't need a flag. Performed a 3 min safty stop at 18 feet. Long swim on my back to shore steps where the surf was breaking on the steps worse than when we started our dive. 3 ft. breakers tosing us up 4 steps, then pulling us back down three several times. minor elbow injury. Gloves are a must trying to grab on steps against waves pulling us back into the ocean. Would recommend doing this location on a sunny day with mild seas. Not on a caution day. I would dive this location again under milder weather conditions. Overall I like this area. 🤿