Big Island help

[Kevrumbo]

Big Island Divers has a large, new, fast boat big enough for your whole group to go do the manta dive they then can take whoever wants to go in the black water dive. It will blow your mind! They also have the best dive shop on the isle.

Jack's Diving Locker has snazzier showroom floor, and more importantly, better mixed gas support thru Dive Tek Hawaii for us "Tech Dive Gods and Borg Queens. . ." (as you would facetiously whine & pine about, Wildcard).

Also recommend Dive Ops Aloha Dive Company to cover as well for the recreational members of the group. . .

 

[cuddlefish]

Jack's Diving Locker has a gorgeous facility with lots of variety in their inventory. They have a 6 pak boat, a brand new 10 pak boat, a 14 pak...and a brand new larger Newton being built. They can store all your gear at their facility so you don't have to wash it yourself and drag it back and forth each day.

Something to consider for accommodations... you could all stay at the same condo complex or hotel...those with tight budgets can stay in the economy unit or room...those with bigger pocket books can stay in the nicer ocean front units or rooms. Somewhere like the Sheraton Keauhou or the Outrigger Keauhou Beach hotel are very decent hotels within 5-8 miles of Kailua.

The "Big Island Revealed" is a must.

 

[rhyz]

Kona Seaside is a nice cheap spot to book at, I stayed there while doing my interviews here, right up from Ali Drive which is the water front. All the dive ops go from the harbor around KK, which is about 3-4 miles N of KK on Queen Kam (our excuse for a highway) Morning traffic is a ***** going N, and S anytime after lunch.

I've only dove with Kona Honu Divers out here for my Manta dive. But have rented my tanks from them for the rest of my time so far. I do just mostly shore dives here, alot cheaper and you get a whole lot more time under. But the Black water and Manta are not to be missed while out here.

Dive shops..Kona Honu Divers, Jacks Dive Locker, Wanna Dive, Scuba Shack are all good, all located within a reasonable distance of town, if not right in town.

As for shore diving, spots are all over, closest to town I do are Old Airport, $ mile on Ali, the harbor, off the beach at the Pines. 2 Step in Place of Refuge is beautiful but S of KK.

Big Book of HI is a great place to start, or hit West Hawaii Today's sire for rentals, and shorediving.com for dives spots. Also a great map is available within Kmart, Wally World and various other places that show most of the more popular spots here.

If you need anything more msg, or I'll give ya my digits.

-rhyz

 

[TSandM]

Well, the black water and Manta dives have been specifically requested by the birthday boy, so they're on. I still have to figure out the best lodging for a mixed group of people, some of whom will want VERY NICE hotel rooms, some will want budget accomodations, and some will want places where you can wash and hang dive gear . . .

 

[chepar]

I still have to figure out the best lodging for a mixed group of people, some of whom will want VERY NICE hotel rooms, some will want budget accomodations, and some will want places where you can wash and hang dive gear . . .

Well, given that some of your party will want very nice hotel rooms - I interpret that to mean they want to stay at a resort. I don't know that staying in close vicinity to Kailua town will provide that for them.

I'm sure one of the Big Island residents will be along to provide better information, but to me it sounds like you'll probably end up looking at the Kohala Coast area. In that area is the Hilton Waikoloa, Mauna Kea Resort, Hapuna Beach, Mauna Lani, Fairmont Orchid, Four Seasons Hualalai, etc. There are also tons of vacation condos in the area.

I did a really quick Google and found these sites for vacation rentals in Waikoloa as an example of what's out there:

www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/Waikoloa-Beach-Resort-Hawaii.html

www.ownerdirect.com/accommodations/waikoloa.htm

 

[friscuba]

As far as the accomodations go, if you stay down in the Kailua area, they're all relatively near to each other unless by wanting close accomodations you want walking distance.

The only thing close to "very nice" in the way of hotel rooms in the Kailua area might be the Sheraton, but then again, that pales to the Four Seasons and some other resorts up beyond the airport. lf the luxury seekers head north, there really is no availability of budget accomodations nearby those. If the Sheraton will do, then the whole of Keauhou and the south end of Kailua is in play and you've got tons of vacation rentals in those areas that are fairly close to each other that would put you in the 10 minute drive range from each other and about a 20 minute drive to the harbor in the morning.

 

[Peter Guy]

"Birthday boy" kicking in -- I don't think ANYONE will be interested in budget digs.

Now if I can only convince Papa to spring for all of the accomodations for this -- especially since we'll be saving him so much money by not having to fly to the mainland....

 

[Cacia]

Mauna Kea Resort,

my favorite.

staying in town is more fun, though.

HAVE to have the cake at Hugos!

We were talking about the black water dive last night....you are the bait, Peter.

 

[Lopaka]

Didn't I read Mauna Kea resort was closed due to quake damage? Beach (that I love) is still open, but unknown duration for resort repair.

And I dunno about that blackwater dive stuff. That's when the big squid come up to feed.......................

 

[Diver Lori]

Stayed at Kona Village in August. Definitely upscale digs and pricing.