Big Island shore dive for Tinker's Butterfly

[grantwiscour]

Any of those sites good chance to spot a Tinker's?? I watched an episode from Expedition Drenched and they shore dived around Kona somewhere and filmed a Tinker's.

I've been on the lookout since I saw your post the other day. We dive several times a week at the South Kona sites...I'll keep an eye out and try to find a spot with some of the Tinker's.

Today was Haolewood/North Miloli'i and no Tinker's. We did get a nice, up-close (within two feet) fly by from a very mature Eagle Ray...so close I was studying his multiple eye-lids. The Conger Eel and other usual suspect were also there. My wife found a medium sized black, white and yellow nudibranch on return.

 

[zenpash]

Those are the usual spots for South Kona. There's several most listed on Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: The Big Island, Hawaiian Islands

Hi
I'm planning a trip to Hawaii this month...could you recommend a dive operation? Thanks

 

[grantwiscour]

Hi
I'm planning a trip to Hawaii this month...could you recommend a dive operation? Thanks

We mostly shore dive South Kona but when boat diving we go with Big Island Divers. I have gone out with most of the Dive Ops on this island and can say that most/if not all provide top notch, safe and fun dives. Most of the ops go out of Honokohau Harbor.

If you prefer/need larger tanks, Kona Honu has 100 c.f. tanks.

Enjoy your trip! The water has been great. We've been seeing some Tiger Sharks...always takes it up a notch!

 

[Deinonych]

I've never seen Tinker's Butterflyfish shallower than 120' (off of Lehua near Ni'ihau). I have yet to see them on Hawai'i Island. I've been told by some of the locals that they can be found near South Point, but it's not exactly shore dive-friendly.

 

[jonhall]

Hi
I'm planning a trip to Hawaii this month...could you recommend a dive operation? Thanks

Where are you staying? That will help others be more specific with ops that may be closer to where you are staying.

When we we in Kona we dove with Jacks Diving Locker and had a great time, but as @grantwiscour indicated, all the ops seem to get high marks from folks here on SB. We are staying more north in the fall nearer the Kohala Coast so I will be looking for ops in that area.

 

[grantwiscour]

Waikoloa Divers is further north up the coast. They get good reviews from all levels of divers. Another good op is Kohala Divers.

As for South Point...the water has been really rough down that way lately. Without a boat, I don't see how it is diveable. We had a swimmer get swept out and drown a couple weeks ago...he was swimming at Papakolea/Green Sands.

 

[cpace]

We've been seeing some Tiger Sharks...

If you don't mind could you indicate where you spotted the Tiger Sharks? We will be on the Big Island, south of Kona, this September for some shore diving. We stayed and dove with "Gary" in 2017 and had a fabulous time.

 

[grantwiscour]

If you don't mind could you indicate where you spotted the Tiger Sharks? We will be on the Big Island, south of Kona, this September for some shore diving. We stayed and dove with "Gary" in 2017 and had a fabulous time.

The Tigers have been spotted up and down the coast over the past few weeks. The best chance for divers to find them is to dive Alua Beach at the end of Honokohau Harbor. We were diving with Garry when we saw the last one.

 

[Aquanomad]

@grantwiscour I live in Naalehu near South Point and was actually the diver that found and marked the location of Chads body. The swimmer who drowned recently at Green Sands. A helicopter put 2 divers in on a basket to do the recovery on the SMB I marked the site with. Big seas. Bad vis. And took 45 minutes on a dpv to locate him. Heavy day to say the least.
With that said the south side is a good place to see Tinkers and Bandits but without local knowledge and ideal seas the risk likely outweighs the reward for a tourist diver. It's important for visitors to understand that south point and even Hilo are much more dangerous than the lake like conditions of the Kona coast. I do see tinkers as shallow as 30' but most often 90'-150'+. I'v spotted them as deep as 250' and assume their range goes beyond that. They are plentiful island wide but with limited NDL and no DPV I understand why they are perceived as rarely sighted. If your lucky enough to fin up to a pair enjoy their curious and playful demeanor. They are by far my favorite fish. Both pics are from between Old A and Pine Trees.

 

[tarponchik]

Tiger Sharks: multiple times at the "Dog Beach" a.k.a. Alula/Alua/Crescent Beach/The Harbor; once at Hookena.

Tinkers: Milolii "The Rock" at 145 ft, 2-Step at 80-100 ft.

Bandits: Most often at 2-Step. There is one who hangs around the bottom where the plate corals grow at 70-90 ft. But if you buy my book you'll find where to look for them.