Kona Questions [macro photography, shore diving, LDS that offers packages, etc]

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

We had decided to use Jack's Diving Locker which was later recommended by someone we knew that lives in Kona. Was glad we did and also did the Manta night snorkel. Liked the the way they ran things, the crew, sites, and their dive shop/store.

Would check them out. Less $$ for 2 tank dives than what you found above and had multiple dive discount (still does according to website.)
 
We had decided to use Jack's Diving Locker which was later recommended by someone we knew that lives in Kona. Was glad we did and also did the Manta night snorkel. Liked the the way they ran things, the crew, sites, and their dive shop/store.

Would check them out. Less $$ for 2 tank dives than what you found above and had multiple dive discount (still does according to website.)
When I'd asked 2 years ago they charged $10/tank, no discounts.
 
When I'd asked 2 years ago they charged $10/tank, no discounts.

$10 a tank for shore dives, I'm assuming? Do other ops discount tanks for shore diving. Not sure I've seen it but I'm mostly a boat diver with few shore dives were I've paid for tanks. Have been several places where tanks are free for shore dives if you use them on the same day you did a boat dive. Don't know if any ops do that in Kona.
 
$10 a tank for shore dives, I'm assuming? Do other ops discount tanks for shore diving. Not sure I've seen it but I'm mostly a boat diver with few shore dives were I've paid for tanks. Have been several places where tanks are free for shore dives if you use them on the same day you did a boat dive. Don't know if any ops do that in Kona.
I already said that Scuba Shack does. You take 4 tanks the 5th is free, or smth like that.
 
Another vote for Jack's, we dive with them often. I also have had great experiences with Kona dive company. Shore diving, 2 step is imo the best on the island. Mahukona is our go to local spot, super easy entry and exit and many things to see.
 
I recommend shore diving at Puako. There are 3 or 4 good entry points and lots of cool, shallow lava tubes. When I went, we were staying in Puako and I went out with a company called LRB. They have since changed their name to Puako Dive Company. Great guide, long dives. Hopefully, they're still in business. If not, just grab some tanks and go on your own - the entries were easy. I did a couple boat dives out of Kona harbor, and we did the manta night dive, but the Puako dives are what I enjoyed the most. If I had to pick one site, it would be Puako End of Road, but all the Puako sites were great. Here are some images - these are all from shore dives on Puako.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjJzWGuN
 
I recommend shore diving at Puako. There are 3 or 4 good entry points and lots of cool, shallow lava tubes. When I went, we were staying in Puako and I went out with a company called LRB. They have since changed their name to Puako Dive Company. Great guide, long dives. Hopefully, they're still in business. If not, just grab some tanks and go on your own - the entries were easy. I did a couple boat dives out of Kona harbor, and we did the manta night dive, but the Puako dives are what I enjoyed the most. If I had to pick one site, it would be Puako End of Road, but all the Puako sites were great. Here are some images - these are all from shore dives on Puako.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjJzWGuN
If you haven't check other sites, of course you'll consider Puako to be the greatest of them all. However, diving at Puako has its limitations. Most notably, the deep reefs of Puako are surprisingly poor in marine life, so the dive is limited to the arches and cliffs where life is blooming. This can be exciting but you miss way too much if you explore just one type of Hawaiian marine habitats.
 
If you haven't check other sites, of course you'll consider Puako to be the greatest of them all. However, diving at Puako has its limitations. Most notably, the deep reefs of Puako are surprisingly poor in marine life, so the dive is limited to the arches and cliffs where life is blooming. This can be exciting but you miss way too much if you explore just one type of Hawaiian marine habitats.

To each their own I guess. I like long, shallow dives. At Puako it was easy to get in 90-120 mins and I managed to see much more than Shark Alley, Kaloko Pond, Kona Airport, and Leileiwi in Hilo combined (the other places I dove). 10 species of nudibranchs, frogfish, turtle cleaning stations, wrasses galore, schooling tangs, crabs, tritons, 4 species of eels, pipefish, lobsters, puffers, butterflys, cup coral, idols, whitetips. For me, it was the best of the big island.
 
$10 a tank for shore dives, I'm assuming? Do other ops discount tanks for shore diving. Not sure I've seen it but I'm mostly a boat diver with few shore dives were I've paid for tanks. Have been several places where tanks are free for shore dives if you use them on the same day you did a boat dive. Don't know if any ops do that in Kona.
Free refills within the 24 hour rental are available at a couple of places at least. Jack's and Big Island Divers are two I know of, most likely there are others. I've never found that to be useful unless you take pains to dive pretty close to town. I don't recall the exact terms, but after Big Island was sold a couple of years back and switched to the $10/day deal that everyone else offers, I found a bit better deal at Kona Honu (just up the street from Big Island).
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom