This is one of the most well-known and popular scuba diving spots on the Big Island. It's the location of the old airport that was closed around 1970. The runway still exists, running along the shore, so there is no shortage of parking. Most of the shoreline is lava and exposed to waves so it's not really possible to safely enter the water except at the North end of the runway, where there is a short trail to a small sandy beach.
We went snorkeling here a couple of times. We swam out to the right along the lava shoreline that dropped down under water to about 15-20' deep. This small underwater cliff had fingers sticking out, some of them forming arches.
I thought the snorkeling was pretty good here, but our favorite part of this place was that it was uncrowded. Many of the beaches around Kailua-Kona were pretty crowded, but whenever we were here, there were only a couple of other people so it's a nice, relaxing place to hang out for a bit. There is also a kind of community botanical garden, which makes for an interesting walk.
