Hawaii diving logistics

[KrisB]

No Ka Oi = the best.

(I don't know Hawaiian, but my understanding of languages might have that better translated "there is none better")

 

[friscuba]

The manta ray night dive is only on the Big Island - Hawaii. None of the other islands have this type of dive going on as far as I know. It's been going fabulously for the most part (a few days a couple weeks back nothing was happening) since march.

The lava tubes are interesting, but I don't know that I'd make a special trip to make a 1-3 minute swim through. The tubes most of the dive ops visit regularly are essentially 20-70 foot long halls/tunnels and are a neat portion of a dive. If you take a "long range" charter there's an opportunity to do 3 room cavern, which is a dive where you are spending a significant portion of the dive in an overhead environment. From what I've heard, Oahu has it's share of tubes/swimthroughs too - Makaha caverns and some of the shore dives up around the Pipeline. The Big Island is definitely worth the trip, but Oahu may be more convenient for your schedule.

No Ka Oi translates into "indeed the best" or something along those lines.

Aloha,

Steve

Please translate "No Ka Oi." I have never heard that term. So which is the island where I can do both the lava tubes and the night Manta Ray dive??

 

[justleesa]

Although in planning, I think the ferries won't arrive until 2006.
Yes, Makaha lava tubes is a great dive...not really big tubes like the one you can walk thru on the big Island, more when you go to the one side you can see to the other side, 10 -15 kick sets and you're thru. But lots of turtles. The other thing Oahu has going for it is wrecks. You can check our insider information thread for a few details for some of the highlights on various Islands. http://www.scubaboard.com/t58194.html

 

[DivingDoc]

Thanks for the insider info! How likely are you to see a Manta Ray off of Oahu?

Do you think Kona diving is better than Oahu's?

What is the approximate cost of flying between the islands and can you do one way trips on the fly, or do you have to book round trips ahead of time. Don't want to run up too much money in air fares if I don't have to.

ET
:dazzler1: :dazzler1:

Although in planning, I think the ferries won't arrive until 2006.
Yes, Makaha lava tubes is a great dive...not really big tubes like the one you can walk thru on the big Island, more when you go to the one side you can see to the other side, 10 -15 kick sets and you're thru. But lots of turtles. The other thing Oahu has going for it is wrecks. You can check our insider information thread for a few details for some of the highlights on various Islands. http://www.scubaboard.com/t58194.html

 

[justleesa]

Thanks for the insider info! How likely are you to see a Manta Ray off of Oahu?

Do you think Kona diving is better than Oahu's?

What is the approximate cost of flying between the islands and can you do one way trips on the fly, or do you have to book round trips ahead of time. Don't want to run up too much money in air fares if I don't have to.

ET
:dazzler1: :dazzler1:

I have been living here for 2 years and I have seen 1 Manta Ray...Big fella....but I don't know haw many have seen me though....lol

I have never dove off the Big Island so I can't say that it's better and it always depends....You can have a great dive anywhere...like the day the pod of dolphins just swam past me while I was trying to catch up with the group that was looking for the dolphins....Or th day the whale song was soooo intense that I thought "if I turn around now I'll bump into him".....Or the day I found the tritons trumpet on the wreck and nobody else saw it....then you can have a day were you see nothing....but at least you got to dive. Every island has something going for it and with a little luck it'll be a special dive.

Air fare has gone up. Just the other day they had something about it on TV, that it costs over $100 one way....Check out the net to give you an idea of what the rates are like right now.
Keep on askin...we'll help as best we can

 

[DivingDoc]

It almost seems like I have to choose between doing the Manta Dive and seeing Pearl Harbor. Either I go to the Big Island and do the Manta Ray dive and some tube dives and then go on to my meeting in Kauai, or I go to Oahu, do some dives, and see Pearl Harbor and then go to my meeting.

What do y'all think -- should I hold out for the Manta Rays or for Pearl?

ET

I have been living here for 2 years and I have seen 1 Manta Ray...Big fella....but I don't know haw many have seen me though....lol

I have never dove off the Big Island so I can't say that it's better and it always depends....You can have a great dive anywhere...like the day the pod of dolphins just swam past me while I was trying to catch up with the group that was looking for the dolphins....Or th day the whale song was soooo intense that I thought "if I turn around now I'll bump into him".....Or the day I found the tritons trumpet on the wreck and nobody else saw it....then you can have a day were you see nothing....but at least you got to dive. Every island has something going for it and with a little luck it'll be a special dive.

Air fare has gone up. Just the other day they had something about it on TV, that it costs over $100 one way....Check out the net to give you an idea of what the rates are like right now.
Keep on askin...we'll help as best we can

 

[justleesa]

all depends what is more important to you....hard to give advice there. I am sure the experience with the mantas is something pretty cool....and Pearl has it's own reasons going for it....Any plans for coming back in the future?

 

[DivingDoc]

I'm 57 years old and this is my first trip to Hawaii. I don't know if or when I will have the chance to come back.

Elaine

 

[justleesa]

IMHO If you are into history and sad places..they Pearl harbor is a must.

Other wise go for the rays

 

[bjgove]

by pearl harbor do you mean the arizona memorial and the uss missouri? i ask because i work at pearl harbor and if you're not a retired veteran you're not gonna get on the base. but the arizona and the mighty mo are open to tourists. just get there as early as you can because the lines can be long to get in.

arizona and mighty mo- pretty much guaranteed

big island mantas- hit or miss, when i went we none showed up. so now i'm going back in august. you may not have that luxury.

just my 2 cents.