Tips for diving near Kona

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Moby_

Contributor
Messages
97
Reaction score
24
Location
Boynton Beach, FL
# of dives
100 - 199
I'll be in Kona for a month and would love to get some tips on diving there, both shore diving and boat diving.

My wife currently has partial frozen shoulder in both arms so I'll probably be doing most of my diving "solo" with boat groups so I have built-in buddies or guides. If there are easy shore dives, I think she'd be able to manage just fine and I'm sure we'll do a bunch of snorkeling as well.

My home dive site is Monterey, CA and I'm bringing everything we need except tanks and weights. So, I'd be interested to hear any tips you have related to sites, considerations for safety or any other thing that might help make my diving safer, easier and more enjoyable.

Also, if you're looking for a dive buddy near Kona Nov - Dec, please send me a message. I'd love to dive with some locals and I'm really conscientious about social distancing and covid safety.

Thanks!
 
Don’t miss the snorkeling & diving at 2 Step, south of Kona! Would be nice and easy getting in and out. Snorkelers enter the water at the 2 steps in the Lava and divers are able to walk in over a low place in the lava on the far right side.

Has Hawaii lifted their mandatory quarantine for visitors which will allow you to get out? I’m envious if you can make it to 2 Step.
 
Shore dives: Puako Rd has lots of good sites, Mahukona is a great easy dive it's an old railhead, South of Kona my favorite is Black Pebble beach but only on a calm day as we call it Mini Monastery and 2 step as others have said.
Dive Shops: Blue Wilderness is a good resource for shore diving and they do tank cards they also have a RIB that goes out of the Puako boat ramp "I heard they where going out of business?", Kahala Divers, Big Island Divers and Kona Honu Divers are our go to shops and we do their advanced or extended range trips. If you what to venture to the Hilo side Nautlus Dive Center does guided shore dives and Bill the owner is a wealth of information, he is old school.
 
Honokohau Harbor often has a tiger shark or three. It's beach accessible but you have either carry your gear over the lava and set it up or kit up and walk a ways over the lava to the sand beach. Be careful about the boat traffic. I treat it as a hard deck overhead if I'm even a little bit off shore. Boat operations dive it too. There are three mooring buoys there.
 
captain jacks has a GREAT night manta ray dive you shouldn't miss
 

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