Help with October trip to Kona

[kogara]

My daughter, new open water diver, and myself will be visiting Kona the third week of October. We are planning on doing a couple of days of boat diving and a couple of days of shore diving as well some hiking. Volcano Nat'l park is on the list. I would love some recommendations for dive operators, good shore diving sites (nothing too difficult though since my daughter is new to diving), and good hikes on the island. I would love to see Mantas while there. Is there a particular site or operator where I'll have a better chance of seeing them? Thanks for any help you can give. :06:

 

[montyb]

Check out www.divemakai.com. They do an excellent job with new as well as experienced divers.
Montyb

 

[Kini]

Great spots for shore dives are Place of Refuge (AKA 2 step), Puako, Mahukona Harbor, Honokohau Harbor, Old Airport . There are several other good places besides these. I listed by my preference. Would love to do some dives while your here and meet the group. I'm In the heart of Kona. Kini

 

[Wildcard]

I second all those shore dives except old airport. I didn't like it at all...There are many good dive operations here, and some bad. Do you want a cattle boat or a small boat?..As for the mantas, they have been a little rare for a while. All the manta dives go to the same place, so I guess one is as good as another. Give me a hollar when your here and I'll show y'all around.

 

[gkndivebum]

I second all those shore dives except old airport. I didn't like it at all...[...]

Interesting; there are actually a couple of different ways to dive that site. I think
that most people swim out and drop in near the lava arches to the south, and
mess around in the area there. It's a long swim to the Shark Fin Rock mooring,
which is commonly done as a boat dive. The visibility through there tends to suffer
a bit until you get to deeper water.

Another option is to turn right (more or less to the north) and cross the field of
finger coral and head over to the Air Tanks mooring. This is an easy swim.

Cruise around there, head down into the "bowl" at air tanks and find the other
welding cylinder at about 90 FSW (nb - my wife and I saw a white tip cruising
through there a little while ago). Work your way up shallow and explore the
somewhat surgey lava arches near the shore. Lots of cowries there and a
good variety of fish that prefer shallow water and surgey conditions.
Head back towards the lava arches across the sand patch (look for helmet
shells on the way) and finish your dive on the "back" side
of the northernmost arch.

 

[Wildcard]

I'll bring the boat if you will show me around there. I did one dive and wasen't impresed at all. Haven't been back.

 

[friscuba]

Old airport (end of the runway) is one of those sites you're going to have to try in three directions before you pass judgement. As mentioned earlier, if you go left of center off the beach it'll bore you fairly quickly. Off the beach I usually veer right to the Air Station mooring then head deep and left to see garden eels and finish off with the shallow arches on the south side. It makes for a very nice and varied 50-65 minute dive.

If you have a boat, there are lots of options in that area, expecially if you just have someone who likes to drive boats and is willing to follow your bubbles. The Bay off the Old Airport was one of Kona's earliest no collection areas. There are flame angels, psychedelic wrasses, occasional bandit angels and other nifty stuff in the bay and we see pelagics (mantas, even the infrequent whale shark) right off the dropoff from time to time.

I've dove several spots over here that on my first exploration were somewhat lame that later tunrned into favorites.

later,

Steve

I'll bring the boat if you will show me around there. I did one dive and wasen't impresed at all. Haven't been back.

 

[pigletfish]

We have had good experiences with Jack's Diving Locker (small boats) and EcoAdventures (big boat).

I highly recommend that you purchase Hawaii: the Big Island Revealed (Wizard Publications). It has great information, including detailed hiking routes and snorkleing locations. The maps are accurate, and so are the opinions - if someplace sucks, they tell you. The best guidebook I have ever come across! (They have one for Kauai and Maui as well).

Cheers!

 

[DeputyDan]

I have purchased that book (from Wizard Publications) in planning a trip in July 2005.

It's a hoot just to read and the information appears to be excellent.

 

[sea nmf]

One thing you have to keep in mind when planning the diving along with visiting the volanoe is the altitude of the volcanoe and how it can prevent you from diving for awhile. So plan your diving and volanoe visit wisely.