Dive Hawaii trip- have no idea where to start.

[devinesigns]

Thank you diversteve! The geography is the exact thing I was having trouble understanding...the reason I asked about proximity to the dive shop is that in my experience, that's where the dive dock is It looks like since we will have to drive everywhere then we may as well just stay wherever we want as long as it's a reasonable driving distance.

I did check out vbro.com (and have used them before) and was very pleasantly surprised at the selection. Everyone I know who has been to Hawaii (all non-divers) have told me how expensive it was....but the condo rentals seemed very reasonable. As is the boat diving....we typically paid $200/day for 3-4 tanks, so $120ish for 2 tanks is right on par with that.

 

[diversteve]

That was what we noticed last summer. Several owners on vrbo mentioned that due to the economy they were offering deals.

We found a newly refurbished 2br condo just south of Kona that was $700 for the week + deposit. Looked very nice as the owners live there part-time - flat screens, stainless appliances etc. End unit so the view to the ocean/Kona looked good. They said you could walk to town from there. Pool but on the lava so no beach. Probably the closest one would be Magic Sands. Nice people - I actually had to ask for my deposit back a few days after I sent it since we changed to a house when my niece and her gf decided to go. Received a check right back from them. I may still have it bookmarked on my laptop - if so I'll PM the link tomorrow.

btw, there's a shuttle that runs from Kona town to Keahou all day. Keauhou Honu Express Shuttle Alii drive is the street that runs along the ocean all the way south. My niece used it to move between the beaches.

 

[MMM]

Not to belabour what others have posted but we used to vacation A LOT in Hawaii. We liked Oahu for all the touristy stuff. After I started diving we went to the Big Island a few times and loved it. Rented a condo through VBRO and also a car. Tried out a few dive ops but sadly the one I liked best has closed its doors (dive Makai). I did one dive on Oahu. While it was only one and I should probably give it a few more chances, my advice would be to save your money there for touristy things and sushi.

 

[acooper]

I would have to agree with the posts above on the dive boats. The one option I might throw out is that many of the same sites the boats use are quite easy to access from shore, particularly if there is no substantial surf. We do a few boat dives each year as treats, but most of our diving is shore diving. This morning we dove near the airport, wonderful conditions, very pleasant dive. At one point in the dive I looked up to see the Kona Honu dive boat moored overhead. You might consider mixing it up, shore&boat if you want to get a few more dives in or save some cost.

Actually, Steve wasn't kidding by much on the few seconds to reach the dive site from the harbor! One site that is often used is right beside the harbor entrance!

 

[Thalassamania]

On the Big Island there are a few musts, snorkeling at Hookena with the wild dolphins (don't chase them, let them come to you), a night dive with the Mantas and a black water night dive in the open ocean.

 

[RTee]

From a diving perspective, when is the best time of year to visit Hawaii wrt temp, weather, wind, surf, etc?

 

[friscuba]

From a diving perspective, when is the best time of year to visit Hawaii wrt temp, weather, wind, surf, etc?

Right now we're just coming out of the high northwest surf season, winds can be a slight issue at times, water's at about the coldest point of the year and should start warming with a peak around September/October. Last year the water temp swing in Kona was only about two degrees over the year, I'd call it more like 6 in most years.

Best time is relative, most of the islands offer diving facing different directions so you can avoid weather/surf related issues by choosing a different spot to dive. For instance, on Kauai and Oahu during the winter months I'm thinking the south side is pretty well protected from surf and offers decent diving, their west and north sides opens up in the spring. Maui is partially blocked by Kauai and Oahu from northwest swells, I'm not really up on the surf patterns there as there are so many islands involved, I'm sure the locals can clue you in. The Kona side of the Big Island is shaded in the winter by Kauai, Oahu and Maui in many cases, but we can still see some surf bumps in January/ February, usually, assuming you can get out of the harbor, you can pull around a point and find decent diving and good viz. All islands offer generally year round diving, with the occasional day or few days that it's maybe just better to pass.

 

[devinesigns]

Acooper- we actually hate shore diving which is why we're willing to pay for boat diving We did a lot of shore diving in Bonaire, which is probably the easiest place in the world to shore dive given how calm the water was/the sheer amount of options. But we hate entering and exiting from the shore and also hate lugging our gear from place to place. I know there are a lot of hardcore divers who think that's crazy, but I like diving for fun and relaxation; it's my vacation. Not into heavy lifting. The only thing I dislike about boat diving is when there's a big group following a dive master. In those cases, we just hang back and follow at our own pace. My favorite boat diving is in Australia and Key Largo because you use the boat for transportation but there are no guided dives.

Thasa- thanks for the tip about the dolphin snorkel! I am normally not a fan of snorkeling (because it is lame compared to diving) but that opportunity sounds awesome.

 

[DiveMaven]

I'm with you about not liking the work involved in shore diving, then you add sand into the mixture, and it's a total pain for me. I liked shore diving Bonaire since there was no sand, the amount of lugging was as minimal as you can get for shore diving, and I totally loved being able to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and for how long I wanted. We boat dive in Hawaii (Maui) and think it's worth the cost.

 

[freewillie]

I have the most experience on Maui since I've been there the most but in my predive certification days. I've been to Molokini Crater and Lanai for snorkelling, both of which were really nice. As a family we prefer Maui, there is a nice quiet feel to the island, many top notch restaurants to dine (Sansei sushi in Kapalua and Mama's Fish House in Paia.) There are plenty of shops to make my nondiving wife happy.

I've been to Kauai and Oahu. To us Oahu was a little like Los Angeles on an island. Lots of highways, buildings, and concrete. It does have the Polynesian Cultural center for non diving activities.

I've never dived on the Big Island, but the one snorkel trip on the Windjammer was one of the best snorkelling I've ever done. I can't wait to dive there this summer! My last trip to Hawaii my wife also swam with the dolphins at the Mariott Hotel Dolphin Quest. She really enjoyed that. The Kona side is a little on the barren side with lots of lava fields, but the Hilo side has more of the rainforest green that we think of when we think of Hawaii.

Just depends on your preferences for what you are looking for in a vacation. Have fun.