Kona Trip August

[Diver Lori]

We've booked a week with Kona Village and will be diving with Dive Tek Hawaii. We booked last month with both the resort and the op. Since we were first to book the op, we control the boat....any suggestions on must-do sites?

Also, since we will be only diving for 4 days and sightseeing for 3, what are the must-do topside sights to take in?

I'm also planning to take a 5mm jumpsuit with a 3mm hooded vest or 3mm hood. I've got a cap hood also. Am I thinking correctly from the posts I've searched? I'm a photog, so I tend to stay in one place and would chill faster than most.

TIA!

Lori

 

[ItsBruce]

Make sure you do the night manta dive. Plan a sufficient off-gas time before traveling to elevation. I was in Kona in July and found the 3mm suits were just a bit too chilly for my taste.

 

[Wildcard]

Do the manta then the black water dive. Also search here, there are tons of threads, some very lenghty about what to do and not to do.
Aloha

 

[Mantasscareme]

Daytime shallow dives... my personal favorites were Golden Arches, and Coral Garden (by the airport).

 

[Mantasscareme]

One more thing (sorry): if you want topside attractions, I highly recommend Hawaii Forest and Trail www.hawaiiforestandtrail.com. My personal favorite is the Valley Waterfall Adventure.

 

[Diver Lori]

We've narrowed down our diving. We're definitely doing the Manta dive, but will pass on the blackwater dive. I have a HIGH propensity for sea sickness and I know I could not handle that dive after hearing the description from a seasoned veteran. The last night dive I did from a boat was grueling. The boat was rocking and rolling and I had absolutely no reference whatsoever. Once we got in the water it wasn't much better because the damage was done. I held onto my buddy's arm the entire dive because I had a medium case of vertigo, but the thought of getting back on the boat early was far worse. I did that dive holding onto his arm in both of mine, sometimes dropping my head on his shoulder and closing my eyes. No way do I ever want to repeat that dive. I'm an experienced diver, but that dive was the worst in my life. I was so sick and had bouts of vertigo that I actually cried a little in my mask....it was terrible. But the thought of getting back on the boat was not an option. Thankfully it was a pretty easy dive otherwise so my buddy was able to help me out. We stayed on the wall under the boat and tagged along behind the other divers....staying close enough to make sure all was well. Once the last diver climbed the ladder we got out....me last. My buddy takes care of my gear while the DM gets me situated in "my" spot. And soon we're headed back to the pier.

Don't scoff. I was discharged from the Coast Guard for seasickness. You have no idea how debilitating it can be if you've never been this sick. Fortunately, daylight dives are usually not too much of a problem for me if I'm able to prepare and do my own damage control, but it's hard when it's a night dive. Add surge and rollers and I'm a lost cause!

Thanks for all the suggestions, we're looking forward to the trip!

 

[ae3753]

We recently took a trip to Kona and had a great time. Dove with Dive Tek as well, so we know you'll be in good hands. Next time we're back in Kona, we'll dive with Keith and Dive Tek again.

If you get sea sick, there's always shore diving in Kona. We did a lot of shore diving. We rented tanks from Jack's Diving Locker (24-hour refill policy) and drove around. Just remember to wear thick soled boots.

Here's some video we took:
* Old Kona Airport Arches
* Mile Marker 4's Lava Tube

 

[chepar]

The last night dive I did from a boat was grueling. The boat was rocking and rolling and I had absolutely no reference whatsoever.

My sister (she doesn't dive) is extremely prone to any type of motion sickness. Her husband's uncle has a boat and does a lot of night fishing - so one night they went out with him. Although she had taken her usual motion sickness preventives and the sea was relatively calm, it was the inability to get any reference point (it was completely dark and they were too far from land to see any lights) that completely sent her over the edge. She says she was so sick it was one of the worst experiences she's ever had anywhere.

Darkness and being prone to seasickness don't mix too well.

 

[fdog]

<snip>I'm also planning to take a 5mm jumpsuit with a 3mm hooded vest or 3mm hood. I've got a cap hood also. Am I thinking correctly from the posts I've searched? I'm a photog, so I tend to stay in one place and would chill faster than most.
<snip>

Last August on the Kona Aggressor, water temps were 78 degrees F (briefly in shallow water) to 73 (Southpoint), with just about all the other dives at 75-76.

I, too, am a shooter, and took a custom fits-like-spray-paint 3mm full suit, 3mm Core Warmer, 3mm hood. At 5 dives per day, I'd added a beanie by the end of the first day, added the hood on the second day, was in it all (added the core warmer) at the end of the third day.

I was wishing I'd brought a dry suit like my wife did.

So if you're not moving around much, and generally a cold weanie like me, what you describe should be perfect.

All the best, James

 

[friscuba]

What are you taking for seasickness? I'm assuming you are trying something, there's a simple solution to the vast majority of seasickness we see here and in 7-8 years of doing this I think I may have seen bonine taken on the proper schedule fail once, if ever.