Two-Step Big Island Hawai'i

[echtra]

Hello! This is my first post on ScubaBoard, please forgive any obvious missteps. I'll be traveling to the Big Island over Christmas Break (2024), and was curious if there's anyone diving Two-Step that I might be able to join. I am AOW-certified, an experienced diver, with over 100 dives.
My very first dive was at Two-Step (sometime around the turn of the last century), a "friend" hooked me up with a tank and some borrowed gear. He gave me a 10-minute primer on how to dive, and then we entered the water...it didn't go well. He was spearfishing, I got lost, panicked, and almost swam out to sea. It was pretty gnarly, I didn't go back undersea for a couple decades. I have since become an avid underwater explorer, but haven't been back to the Big Island in a long time.
I'll be doing some dives with Jack's while I'm there (blackwater, mantas, etc.), but also thought that it could be an interesting experience to renegotiate my experience at Two-Step (I had snorkeled there extensively, and have swam across to the monument previously, but haven't been back since that fateful dive).
I don't anticipate that locals would jump at the chance to invite an unknown quantity on their dive day, but just thought I'd post here in the off-chance that I could join someone and imprint a new memory of diving at that glorious place!

 

[BjörnBear]

I found two step to be an enjoyable solo dive. Just bring a dive flag

 

[Seaweed Doc]

Whoever you dive with, you'll need a flag in Hawai'i as I recall. (State law, and I think enforced.)

Jack's Manta dive is a blast. Totally touristy, and totally awesome.

 

[echtra]

I found two step to be an enjoyable solo dive. Just bring a dive flag

Thanks for the replies, friends. I am booked to do the night ("Pelagic Magic") and the manta dive...did the snorkel with the mantas over a decade ago, am excited to get down there closer! Watching the divers as we hovered on the surface was such a bummer...and, floating up there with the big waves made me sick, I actually threw up into my snorkel! Ick!
As for a solo dive at Two-Step, that's a good idea...I had been thinking this site would be a reasonable place for this. Might you where to rent a tank and procure a flag locally?

 

[BjörnBear]

There a a bunch of shops in the Kona area that will rent tanks and flags, and none that I know of give stink eye about diving solo. If memory serves me, Kona Honu divers opens a little earlier than the others which is convenient if you want to beat the crowds at 2-step.