Bill and I are out diving with DiveTekHawaii on the Big Island of Hawaii. I'll try to give you all a nearly day-by-day summary of the highlights.
Dive Tek Hawaii
www.divetekhawaii.com
keith@divetekhawaii.com
DiveTekHawaii is a great operator with a big boat that is licensed for 22 people but maxed out around 10-12, most of the time he runs with 4-6 people. Ill have to have Keith remind me of all the stats on his boat, but suffice to say that its nice and well set up. Nitrox and mixed gases available, good ladder, rinse buckets, head, and plenty of space to watch for whales. Plenty of DMs means very small groups, most of them diving BP/wings. A sign of a good operator: many of the staff have been with the op for years and Keith (owner & one of the captains) even has his staff dive nitrox.
Day 1 we arrive at the boat yard outside downtown Kona (they dry sail the boat) and hand our gear bags over and thats pretty much the last time well have to touch our gear, except to stand up and fall off the back of the boat. Doubles too, they can and will set up your doubles for you!! Within 30 minutes, they have gear set-up, boat in the water, and are heading out of the harbor.
Kona Diving
Kona diving is known for a large number of endemic species, lots of smaller fish, turtles, macro stuff, but also the possibility for large stuff, eagle rays, manta rays, reef and other sharks, even whale sharks. Also not uncommon to find humpbacks (seasonal), pilot whales and dolphins during your SI, especially with an unhurried operator that will take you out a mile or two into 3000 feet of water to swim with them.
On the dives, there is tons of stuff to see in 20 to 30 of water including lots of reef life and mini-caves or lava tubes and the reef slopes down to several hundred feet. Air temp in the winter is 85ish during the day, water temp is 75ish. Wind picks up as the day goes on, and some times of year there can be some current and/or surge, but nothing too much, and it brings the big critters around.
Reefs are protected by a sunken mooring ball system, with several moorings per site.
Day One Highlights
Went north first to Suck Em Up, named after a short swim through in 15 that will suck you to the surface if you go right instead of left at the end. Big highlights were white tips sharks at the entrance of Suck Em Up, getting my *** kicked by the current coming out of the swim through, an Eagle Ray, and the most massive conch I have ever seen.
After a momma and calf humpback on SI, dive two was south at Eel Garden. Lots of moray eels tightly wound into mounds of coral, Fire Dart fish (that just made a reappearance this year after a 5 year absense, and a massive Raccoon Butterfly fish feeding freeny on Sergent Major eggs. Turns out the Butterfly fish are not afraid of divers, but the Sergent Majors are; so the Butterfly fish will start following you along on your dive until you come along where the Sergents have laid eggs. If you back off once the feeding frenzy has started, the Sergents will chase away the Butterfly fish. Now were taking huge Sergents here and 30+ Butterfly fish. Quite a site. And how do I know all this . Colin, our DM, told us cause Im an idiot when it comes to fish behavior.
GUE Spoken
Of course, Dive Tek Hawaii caters to all divers, but they also speak DIR/GUE if thats your ball of wax. Gases are available and many of the staff has taken fundamentals. And can arrange diving from nice and shallow to deeper technical.
Pictures
1. Yup, that many Raccoon Butterfly Fish
2. Raccoon Butterfly fish with pissed off Sergent Majors in the background
3. Something I have completely forgotten the name of, roughly the size of a football.
Dive Tek Hawaii
www.divetekhawaii.com
keith@divetekhawaii.com
DiveTekHawaii is a great operator with a big boat that is licensed for 22 people but maxed out around 10-12, most of the time he runs with 4-6 people. Ill have to have Keith remind me of all the stats on his boat, but suffice to say that its nice and well set up. Nitrox and mixed gases available, good ladder, rinse buckets, head, and plenty of space to watch for whales. Plenty of DMs means very small groups, most of them diving BP/wings. A sign of a good operator: many of the staff have been with the op for years and Keith (owner & one of the captains) even has his staff dive nitrox.
Day 1 we arrive at the boat yard outside downtown Kona (they dry sail the boat) and hand our gear bags over and thats pretty much the last time well have to touch our gear, except to stand up and fall off the back of the boat. Doubles too, they can and will set up your doubles for you!! Within 30 minutes, they have gear set-up, boat in the water, and are heading out of the harbor.
Kona Diving
Kona diving is known for a large number of endemic species, lots of smaller fish, turtles, macro stuff, but also the possibility for large stuff, eagle rays, manta rays, reef and other sharks, even whale sharks. Also not uncommon to find humpbacks (seasonal), pilot whales and dolphins during your SI, especially with an unhurried operator that will take you out a mile or two into 3000 feet of water to swim with them.
On the dives, there is tons of stuff to see in 20 to 30 of water including lots of reef life and mini-caves or lava tubes and the reef slopes down to several hundred feet. Air temp in the winter is 85ish during the day, water temp is 75ish. Wind picks up as the day goes on, and some times of year there can be some current and/or surge, but nothing too much, and it brings the big critters around.
Reefs are protected by a sunken mooring ball system, with several moorings per site.
Day One Highlights
Went north first to Suck Em Up, named after a short swim through in 15 that will suck you to the surface if you go right instead of left at the end. Big highlights were white tips sharks at the entrance of Suck Em Up, getting my *** kicked by the current coming out of the swim through, an Eagle Ray, and the most massive conch I have ever seen.
After a momma and calf humpback on SI, dive two was south at Eel Garden. Lots of moray eels tightly wound into mounds of coral, Fire Dart fish (that just made a reappearance this year after a 5 year absense, and a massive Raccoon Butterfly fish feeding freeny on Sergent Major eggs. Turns out the Butterfly fish are not afraid of divers, but the Sergent Majors are; so the Butterfly fish will start following you along on your dive until you come along where the Sergents have laid eggs. If you back off once the feeding frenzy has started, the Sergents will chase away the Butterfly fish. Now were taking huge Sergents here and 30+ Butterfly fish. Quite a site. And how do I know all this . Colin, our DM, told us cause Im an idiot when it comes to fish behavior.
GUE Spoken
Of course, Dive Tek Hawaii caters to all divers, but they also speak DIR/GUE if thats your ball of wax. Gases are available and many of the staff has taken fundamentals. And can arrange diving from nice and shallow to deeper technical.
Pictures
1. Yup, that many Raccoon Butterfly Fish
2. Raccoon Butterfly fish with pissed off Sergent Majors in the background
3. Something I have completely forgotten the name of, roughly the size of a football.
