Dive boats on the Big Island

[swdke]

I will be on the Big Island and looking to dive on November 20. I'll be staying at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, and have noticed that Red Sail Sports operates a dive boat from the hotel. Due to this convenience, I am interested in going with Red Sail Sports, and hoping someone can share their thoughts and/or experiences with/about them. I am aware of Jacks Diving Locker, and I was certified with them about 10 years ago. I really enjoyed the exprience, thought they were great, and had always hoped to return to dive with them again. However, now that I am returning, I find myself considering Red Sail because they are so conveniently close to where I am staying. Would I be making a mistake if I were to go with them? Thanks for your input. Steve

 

[Wildcard]

Ive never heard much about them either way. Dont miss out on the manta and black water diving. Big Island Divers and Konaquatika are both doing them. Most awsome dives! Search here for pics and reports.
Aloha

 

[LioKai]

Red Sail has the shortest drive if you are staying at the Hilton, nice boat too. But Red Sail does not do the Manta dive, (if that was a concideration). If you dive with Jacks, request to dive on a boat that is departing from Honokohau Harbor and request to check in at the Jacks Diving Locker Harbor Shop so you don't have to drive all the way to town. This will save you 10 miles round trip. FYI, Jack's offers special pricing for divers that were certified by Jack's Diving Locker.

 

[chepar]

Last summer I stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa for a long weekend and dove with Red Sail specifically because it was located at the resort. I was already driving into town on one day to do the manta dive and I didn't want to drive into town again for such a short stay.

No complaints about my experience with Red Sail at all - I had two great dives with them. I rented all the gear from them and it was all well maintained and in good condition. I swear the boat they were operating used to be on Oahu - if it isn't the same boat, then there's another one with the exact same layout. But it is very nice.

We did two shallow reef dives, which is the type of diving I prefer. The divers were separated into 3 groups. Although I was buddied with the DM for our group, he pretty much let me do my own thing while he kept a closer eye on the rest of the divers with us.

The cost for a two tank dive at Red Sail was not as competitive as what you'll find in town - but I guess that's the price for convenience.

 

[drbill]

Oh, you mean Hawaii. I thought you were referring to the "Big Island" that we can see from Santa Catalina. You know, the one with Lost Angeles, Chicago and New York City on it.

 

[Gradual Ascent]

I will be there the same hotel, different time. I'm looking for suggestions too.

 

[RJP]

I stayed at the Hilton back in May and decided - based on feedback from folks here mostly - I opted to drive to Kona each morning to dive with Dive Makai.

Great folks, had a blast. Small boat, small group, great time.

Drive was well worth it. People told me "it could take an hour or more" but it took 30min or so each day.

Didn't dive with Red Sail, so I can't truly compare the two, but I'll go out with Dive Makai again if/when I go back.

Ray

 

[Rick Inman]

If you DON'T want a cattle boat, but DO want personal service, knowledgeable DM's and a boat run for divers, not tourists, try ScubaBoard's own Friscuba: http://www.scubaboard.com/member.php?u=860

His Web site: http://www.wanna-dive-kona.com

I had a great time with them!

 

[SFScuba]

I think Red Sail is the only option up where you are staying and I have heard that they are a large, but reputable operation.

However, if you deivde to drive down to where the other operators are, my wife and I had a great time with Patrice (owner, dm) of Pacific Rim Divers. This is a six-pack boat. She seems to get fairly high reviews and is always known for her killer brownies. We dove with her two years back as our first post-cert dive. There were others on board with much more experience, but she balanced out the dives so that everyone was happy. We will dive with her again the next time we're back on the Big Island.

We also used Aloha Divers for the night/manta diver and had a great experience as well. They operate out of a shop and have a pretty big selection of rental gear.

 

[espantoon]

I second SFScuba, Pacific Rim Divers is my favorite. We use Patrice every time we go the the Big Island, and will be using PacRim again in March when we return. We usually stay in Waikoloa, and dont mind the drive down to the harbor as it usually takes about 30min (leave a little earlier during the school year). It really is convienant to go to the harbor instead of town to meet the boat.
That said, you really cant go wrong with most of the operations as the dive community in Kona is pretty tight and do want you to have the best dive experience you can.