Diving, Hilo Vs Kona????

[IrnBear]

Hello All,

I have been reading through the threads and see a lot of suggestions for shore diving out of Kona.

I have been to Hilo and Loved every bit of the shore diving there.

I am in the planning stage for a diving trip to the Big Island with my Fiancee and Daughter in January. They have never been to Hawaii.

I hear that the best Big Island Diving is in the Kona area.

My Question: Is Kona really better than Hilo for diving?? Or is Hilo better??

We plan to stay sometime in Hilo and Kona, 10-12days total.. Just trying to figure out how long on each side.

My Big Island experience: Hilo Shore dives (day and night), Jumped off the cliffs and climbed back up that crazy ladder at South Point (planning to make a stop there for my daughter to make the jump), Snorkeled at Kapoho, wow, does the snorkeling get any better than that?...

Thank you,

IrnBear

 

[tarponchik]

Kona offers more variety. I haven't heard anyone diving with dolphins at Hilo, for example. Corals are also generally better. Also, surf can be pretty bad at Hilo. Maybe you were lucky to sneak in at perfect time, but last time I've been to the island we have to wait for couple weeks before it calmed down for a good Hilo shore dive.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Living and diving in Hilo, I'll provide a little perspective.

1. Weather: Since Hilo is on the windward side of the island, we are exposed to the prevailing tradewinds. This can result in rougher seas and more rain. This can result in lower visibility, surge, and in some cases no-dive days. Kona, being on the leeward side, has more dive days per year.

2. Dive locations: In Hilo, there are three main shore dive locations (Leleiwi, Puhi Bay, Richardson's). Along the Kona and Kohala coasts there are numerous shore dive locations.

3. "Quality" of the dive sites: The section of coastline in Hilo where we shore dive has an extensive, healthy reef. I've been diving here since 1976, and have only scratched the surface of what is out there. On a good day, I rank Leleiwi as one of the premier dives on the island and in the State. During certain times of the year, a large pod of dolphins makes the small bay off Leleiwi "home", and you have a great chance of seeing baby dolphins. Whales and their calves come in very close to shore along the Hilo coast as well. The turtle population at Leleiwi is higher than at any other dive site I've been to on this island. The fish population is large and healthy.

Here lies the crux of the problem with diving in Hilo: Hilo is a great place to dive during nice weather, but Hilo is on the windward side, and windward on any island anywhere in the world can often result in rough ocean conditions, and Hilo's weather conditions can change from hour to hour.

For that reason, I always recommend diving the Kona side to visitors, because they have the best chance of finding good-to-great diving conditions, and have more sites to choose from.

Best wishes.

 

[diversteve]

Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: The Big Island, Hawaiian Islands gives some idea of options on both sides.

 

[rbeck]

Living and diving in Hilo, I'll provide a little perspective.

1. Weather: Since Hilo is on the windward side of the island, we are exposed to the prevailing tradewinds. This can result in rougher seas and more rain. This can result in lower visibility, surge, and in some cases no-dive days. Kona, being on the leeward side, has more dive days per year.

2. Dive locations: In Hilo, there are three main shore dive locations (Leleiwi, Puhi Bay, Richardson's). Along the Kona and Kohala coasts there are numerous shore dive locations.

3. "Quality" of the dive sites: The section of coastline in Hilo where we shore dive has an extensive, healthy reef. I've been diving here since 1976, and have only scratched the surface of what is out there. On a good day, I rank Leleiwi as one of the premier dives on the island and in the State. During certain times of the year, a large pod of dolphins makes the small bay off Leleiwi "home", and you have a great chance of seeing baby dolphins. Whales and their calves come in very close to shore along the Hilo coast as well. The turtle population at Leleiwi is higher than at any other dive site I've been to on this island. The fish population is large and healthy.

Here lies the crux of the problem with diving in Hilo: Hilo is a great place to dive during nice weather, but Hilo is on the windward side, and windward on any island anywhere in the world can often result in rough ocean conditions, and Hilo's weather conditions can change from hour to hour.

For that reason, I always recommend diving the Kona side to visitors, because they have the best chance of finding good-to-great diving conditions, and have more sites to choose from.

Best wishes.

Since you live and dive in Hawaii..........
we have been told that the road from Kona to Hilo now goes over a fairly high mountain. And the mountain is high enough that after you dive in Kona, you need to wait 12 hours before driving to Hilo. Any truth to that?
Thanks

 

[tarponchik]

Since you live and dive in Hawaii..........
we have been told that the road from Kona to Hilo now goes over a fairly high mountain. And the mountain is high enough that after you dive in Kona, you need to wait 12 hours before driving to Hilo. Any truth to that?
Thanks

This may be true if you go the shorter way, via Saddle Rd (Hwy 200). But if you go the longer way in the south (Hwy 11) you won't get higher than 600 m.

 

[kevjli]

The most direct route between Hilo and Kona is known as Saddle Road. It goes up to 6000 ft, and it's recommended to avoid that road after diving. There is another route around the north side of the island thru Waimea that isn't as high. And there's a route around the south side of the island too.

Decompression sickness: Driving from Hilo to Kona after diving?

I'll be on the big island next week. I can't wait to get back underwater! I'm going to visit a friend who lives in Hilo and we are going to plan some dives over in Kona for a day or so. I have read, however, that driving back to Hilo over Saddle Road is very much a risky move for decompression...

scubaboard.com

 

[Hiloscubadiving]

Hello All,

I have been reading through the threads and see a lot of suggestions for shore diving out of Kona.

I have been to Hilo and Loved every bit of the shore diving there.

I am in the planning stage for a diving trip to the Big Island with my Fiancee and Daughter in January. They have never been to Hawaii.

I hear that the best Big Island Diving is in the Kona area.

My Question: Is Kona really better than Hilo for diving?? Or is Hilo better??

We plan to stay sometime in Hilo and Kona, 10-12days total.. Just trying to figure out how long on each side.

My Big Island experience: Hilo Shore dives (day and night), Jumped off the cliffs and climbed back up that crazy ladder at South Point (planning to make a stop there for my daughter to make the jump), Snorkeled at Kapoho, wow, does the snorkeling get any better than that?...

Thank you,

IrnBear

---

Great question — and sounds like you’ve already had some amazing Big Island experiences! You’re right that Kona is often more talked about in dive forums, but Hilo absolutely holds its own — especially for shore diving.

Here’s a quick comparison:​

Kona Diving:

• Generally better visibility (80–100+ ft) due to drier weather and calmer seas on the leeward (west) side.
• More boat diving options, including manta ray night dives, lava tubes, and deep drop-offs.
• Lots of dive operators, and many well-developed sites with easy access.
• More consistent conditions year-round.

Hilo Diving:

• Lush, volcanic beauty and unique underwater terrain — lava fingers, swim-throughs, and diverse marine life.
• Shore diving is less crowded and can feel more “off the beaten path.”
• You’ll see turtles, octopus, eels, nudibranchs, and even frogfish if you're lucky.
• Visibility is more variable (30–60 ft typical) because of freshwater runoff, but the dives are still awesome — especially with a local guide who knows the sites well.
• Great night diving and more chill, local vibe.

Since you’re traveling with your fiancée and daughter (first-time visitors to Hawaii), doing 5–6 days in Kona and 4–5 in Hilo is a great balance. Kona has more tourist infrastructure and consistent diving, but Hilo gives you that lush, authentic Hawaii feel and very underrated shore dives. Sounds like you’ve already fallen in love with Hilo — and it’s a great spot to show your daughter a side of Hawaii that’s often overlooked.


And hey, if you’re planning to dive again in Hilo, hit us up. We are Hilo SCUBA diving — guided dives make a big difference in Hilo because of the hidden entry points and ever-changing conditions.


Let me know if you want specific shore dive site recommendations for either side — happy to help!

 

[tarponchik]

Hilo Diving:

• Lush, volcanic beauty and unique underwater terrain — lava fingers, swim-throughs, and diverse marine life.
• Shore diving is less crowded and can feel more “off the beaten path.”
• You’ll see turtles, octopus, eels, nudibranchs, and even frogfish if you're lucky.

All of these apply to Kona diving. You can find arches and swim-throughs at Puako, Old Airport, Milolii and Pebble Beach, to name a few, and you'll see the same marine life, except I do not think you can see manta rays and dolphins at Hilo (at least I haven't and nobody I know told me they did).

Overall, Hilo diving is more weather and surf limited, IMO. If there is one spot on the whole island where you can dive when the weather is rough this would be Honaunau (2-Step) toward the north wall, and if you can't dive there, you can't dive anywhere. So if you are focused on diving, go to Kona area.

 

[MizzO]

Wow Hilo sounds amazing too. I'm organizing a trip in late June 2026 with a group of East Coast Canadian divers. Conditions wise, what is it like in late June typically for Hilo diving? Maybe we should plan a few nights there too