Shore diving vs boat diving on the Big Island

Hello everyone, I will be heading to both the big island and Maui in the beginning of January for 6 days each and I'm looking to dive a bit. I've been to Maui a few times and done a couple shore dives there but not boat dives and I've never been to the big island. My wife and I have been diving for a few years now and have about 100 dives each with most of those coming from Fiji and Belize but we have heard Kona is one of a kind. Outside of the manta night dive in Kona, do you guys recommend boat or shore dives on the big island? We will be staying in Kona and have no problem exploring places on our own but I was curious if it would be worth it to jump on a boat and do the dives that way. We do have other things planned on the island so I don't want to dive every day, we were thinking maybe 5-6 tanks worth. Also, are there any "can't miss" spots to dive on the big island? Same thing for Maui. Thanks

sjukich:

we were thinking maybe 5-6 tanks worth. Also, are there any "can't miss" spots to dive on the big island? Same thing for Maui. Thanks

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Have been to the Big Island once and did 14 dives while there, both by boat and shore. When your doing a boat dive, and you can see people shore diving the same sight, well you can add what ever phrase comes to mind at this point To me a don't miss spot for a real easy, yet great shore dive is "place of refuge" In fact the next time I go there, I will take three tanks rather then two. As far as boat dives, I highly suggest going out with Kona Dive Company on their 2-tank manta dive which includes a twilight dive at any spot, then the actual Manta night dive. And I would also recommend their 3-tank long range if the funds are there. But again, the place has so many shore dives I would have a hard time paying the money to get on the boat again but that is part me being a "cheap a$%". Hope that helps some.

Most of the boat dive sites are a short swim away from shore. On my first trip to Hawaii I paid for boats every day. After that I rented a tank and dived from shore. I enjoyed that much more, except for walking across lava. My favorite site is Alua Beach. The coral reef begins a few feet from shore, so there isn't much swimming required.
Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: The Big Island, Hawaiian Islands

The shore diving is great - it's just a matter of knowing the weather (when the trades kick up and pound the shore), tides, and the ins/outs. We loved the shore diving in the Puako area up north.

We enjoyed grabbing a tank per person, traveling to a dive site and going shore diving, then touring around and visiting the rest of the day. Keeps the woman happy, which makes me happy and I got to dive some. We put 740 miles on our rental car in 7 days.

Midge907:

As far as boat dives, I highly suggest going out with Kona Dive Company on their 2-tank manta dive which includes a twilight dive at any spot, then the actual Manta night dive. And I would also recommend their 3-tank long range if the funds are there. But again, the place has so many shore dives I would have a hard time paying the money to get on the boat again but that is part me being a "cheap a$%". Hope that helps some.

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I am an new 8 dive OW novice and will be spending December in Kona visiting friends. So far I love diving, but have never done a shore dive. I already know that (if possible) shore diving is about 1000% (=100%, I know) more my style than boats. Of course, at my level I need accompaniment and have much too learn. Do dive ops do organized shore dives (especially in Kona). If I have friends there that dive but are not DM is it a bad idea to just go with them? I know how inexperienced I am and choose to define a very conservative comfort zone. BUT, I KNOW I WANT TO SHORE DIVE (and learn the protocols and improve my skills).

IMPORTANT TANGENT - I saw the recommendation for the night dives. If there are, can anyone recommend a LDS for shore diving. Also,I will probably sign up for my AOW only because I want to work on my buoyancy skills and nav skills and maybe go a little deeper than 60' and that's pretty much what AOW is. CAN anyone recommend an LDS in Kona for AOW. I never thought my OW course was that good to begin with and with what I read on SB my mind gets blown a little when I read about dumping your air to ascend for 10 pages and it all makes sense although it took me two pages to even figure what people were talking about dumping before I got it. So I think my OW was a "diploma mill" and it is important to me that my AOW (both instructors and attitude) in Kona be as good as it can be. So, any recommendations for a LDS for AOW in Kona.
BTW, I looked up "tough love" in the dictionary and a picture of SB came up. Thank to all!

Hi Rambo2,

Some stuff about shore diving in general, and shore diving on the Big Island in particular:

1.) Shore diving is wonderful!!! I've been shore diving here since the 1970's. I shore dive exclusively here on the Big Island.

2.) Shore diving gives you 100% freedom to dive on your own schedule, and dive where you want to dive... however, that freedom comes with a price tag: You need to be your own "Dive Master". You need to be able assess the dive site, recognize whether the ocean conditions will permit a safe dive, and be able to plan and execute a safe dive on your own. Navigation ability is a must, and ability to monitor (and plan!) your air use is critical. Otherwise you could be in for a long surface swim, and there can be surface current that makes this a challenge in some spots.

3.) Hawaii shore diving: Is awesome, and generally the conditions are fairly benign on the Kona side, and just about anywhere you can safely enter the water will be a great dive spot. But you do need to be able to navigate back to your entry/exit point accurately since in some areas there may only be one safe spot to enter and exit the water due to lava and shallow reef. Even in clear water, you should be referring to your compass along with "natural" navigation techniques in order ensure you do not get "lost"..... it is easy to get distracted by the pretty fish, and all of a sudden one coral head begins to look a lot like all the rest... and you cannot remember which way the exit was.

Getting additional training is a great idea, especially if you think your basic OW class was a "diploma mill".

Jack's Diving Locker did a great job with my 3 kids' AOW training several years ago, and I've also heard good things about the other dive ops in Kona. I'd recommend calling or e-mailing several of them, and choose the one that is the best "fit" for what you are trying to achieve.

If you feel like you need a little extra one-on-one time with an instructor prior to beginning AOW (which may be a good idea), you might want to arrange that as part of your AOW course. I imagine any of the instructors with the Kona dive ops could spend a little time with you and greatly improve your "basic" skills and help your confidence immensely prior to beginning AOW.

Have fun with whatever path you choose! Shore diving is the best!

Best wishes.

If you want to shore dive, there are literally dozens of good to great dive sites with parking close by, from 20 miles south of town, to 40 miles or more north. Having a car with good ground clearance helps for many sites. About the easiest entry is Two-Step/Honaunau/Place of Refuge, 20 miles south of town. It's also probably about the best coral dive. It's popular and there are usually other divers there, and lots of snorkelers who tend to stay close to the entry. It's always good for several tanks, each time I go to Hawaii. You can get in there on days when most everything else is too dangerous, as the entry is at the back of a small bay.

The vast majority of other sites are much more dependent on sea state, and to a lesser extent wind and tide, for ease of entry and most especially: exit. Having said that, it's not uncommon to have several days in a week with many sites to choose from. Most shore entries are off the lava bench into deepish water - much preferable to gradual sloping transitions, IMO - but it's often critical to pick just the right little point or leeward pocket to climb out at, so as to avoid getting slammed or dragged over the top. Conditions become impossible with very little increase in groundswell.

I'd say about half of the boat dive sites are shore accessible, and there are numerous shore access spots along Alii Dr, and elsewhere, that the boats don't use (they pretty much stick to sites with mooring balls). I doubt you'd think any boat dive was not a pretty top notch spot.

Now, Maui is another matter altogether ....