Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Akaiwa (北小浦 赤岩) is a boat-dive pinnacle at Kitakoura on Sado Island, Niigata, five minutes from the harbour, with a maximum depth of 27 m and an average around 17 m. It is Sado's signature site, home to a well-known resident Asian sheepshead wrasse nicknamed Benkei that approaches divers as soon as they descend, along with several other adults of both sexes. Usually no current, though sometimes strong; suitable from beginner level. Beyond the wrasse there are schools of horse mackerel and young yellowtail, red-spotted grouper, giant Pacific octopus, rockfish, nudibranchs and many anemones, and night dives show the wrasse asleep.
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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