We stay in Waikoloa Village and do lots of shore diving on Puako road and Kohola. When we boat dive my two favorites are Blue Wilderness which leaves from the Puako boat ramp and Kohala Divers which leaves from Kawaihae. Both are usually the only dive boat in the area as they are north of Kona and the boats from Kona don't go that far north. The boats out of Kona all hit the same sites so it can get crowded unless you go out on one of the extended range trips but they don't run everyday and are more expensive.
Kona Side Diving
- Thread starter Zman96
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I have brought my list down to 2 ops, Jacks Diving locker and Kona Honu divers. Jacks is a bit more expensive vs KH (also includes nitrox). From others perspectives is Jacks worth the extra money or just go with KH?
Sure Squintsalot
Contributor
Aren't the manta sighting off Kona seasonal? I went twice over 2 Christmases and saw nothing, only finding out later that they're not there in early winter.
MarkH
Contributor
I was there in early Dec. a couple of years ago and saw lots, although that's technically late Fall, not early Winter.
DivingLane
Contributor
We just dove twice with Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures. The kids and I did a two tank dive one morning, then did the Manta Ray dive the next night. My wife snorkeled while we dove. We had two different manta’s doing laps between us on the bottom and those up on the surface.
They are a great small operation, super friendly, knowledgeable, and safe. I wish I had an unlimited budget and time. I’d dive with them every day. Prices are about the same as the others, but they only take out a limited load, which is nice. They’re out of the Puako area, so perfect for those staying north of Kona.
I wrote a trip report for Kona. Trip Report - Kona, Hawaii-May 2024
You may consider doing day dives with Kona Honu and the manta night dives with Jack's. Jack's is the only operator that offers a manta guarantee, which means if you don't see a manta on the night dive, you can go again for free on a stand-by basis. So you'll want to schedule this early on in your trip in case you need to reschedule for a return dive. Out of five separate manta dive trips over the years, I've only gotten skunked once, and we were able to return a couple of nights later for a successful manta dive.
You may consider doing day dives with Kona Honu and the manta night dives with Jack's. Jack's is the only operator that offers a manta guarantee, which means if you don't see a manta on the night dive, you can go again for free on a stand-by basis. So you'll want to schedule this early on in your trip in case you need to reschedule for a return dive. Out of five separate manta dive trips over the years, I've only gotten skunked once, and we were able to return a couple of nights later for a successful manta dive.
Thanks, I did read your report before I had made my diving decision. For snorkeling, since my son is only 7 and feels most comfortable with me in the water, I am just going to do a snorkel manta excursion.
I always have fun with them. Hopefully you had Flipper for your guide.
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