Hawaii diving over Christmas

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Umin Chu

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Location
Okinawa, Japan
# of dives
0 - 24
Hi everyone. My family and I are spending the holidays in Hilo, Hawaii with some family. I'd like to get a couple dives in while I'm there. I've looked up a couple dive shops over there and found Nautlis and Hilo Ocean Adventures.

Can anyone give me any feedback on either of them. I plan to bring my own BCD and regulators, but will probably rent everything else. Here in Japan I usually don't get above a 3mm suit, will I need anything more than that?

Thanks for looking.

Eric
 
No. You'll be fine with 3mm. I doubt they'll even have anything else.

Have fun!
 
Hi everyone. My family and I are spending the holidays in Hilo, Hawaii with some family. I'd like to get a couple dives in while I'm there. I've looked up a couple dive shops over there and found Nautlis and Hilo Ocean Adventures.

Can anyone give me any feedback on either of them. I plan to bring my own BCD and regulators, but will probably rent everything else. Here in Japan I usually don't get above a 3mm suit, will I need anything more than that?

Thanks for looking.

Eric
We are also doing to be vacationing on the Big Island fro Dec 9th to 18th, and are also looking for a good dive operation. Eco Divers and Jack's Diving Locker were apparently highest-rated (in that order) by Rodale, but both appear to be huge, very commercial operations. The is often means "hurry, hurry" cattleboats. Are there any smaller outfits that anyone can recommend.

BTW, based on past experience diving in Oahu and Maui, a 3mm wetsuit should be plenty.
 
Hi everyone. My family and I are spending the holidays in Hilo, Hawaii with some family. I'd like to get a couple dives in while I'm there. I've looked up a couple dive shops over there and found Nautlis and Hilo Ocean Adventures.

Can anyone give me any feedback on either of them. I plan to bring my own BCD and regulators, but will probably rent everything else. Here in Japan I usually don't get above a 3mm suit, will I need anything more than that?

Thanks for looking.

Eric

Nautilus is a long-established dive shop here in Hilo. It is a husband and wife operation. The wife, Masako, is from Japan, so that could possibly help, depending on how good your English is (although from your post, your English is probably better than mine :D ).

3 mm full wetsuits are generally fine, unless you get cold easily. Hilo's water temperatures are a little cooler than Kona because we have more ground water (very cold) seeping into the ocean, but you can still expect water temperatures in the 70's (F).

Enjoy your trip!
 
Thank you LeadTurn, I appreciate the info. I'm in Japan with the Marine Corps. lol, Thanks for the compliment on my English. It never hurts to hear it every now and then.

Nautilus sounds like my kind of place.

Any suggestions for a "post dive" restaurant?
 
For EricK


Have had a number of great dives with Kona Diving Company.
Small number of divers, great crew and dive guides.
Really good boat.
 
Thank you LeadTurn, I appreciate the info. I'm in Japan with the Marine Corps. lol, Thanks for the compliment on my English. It never hurts to hear it every now and then.

Nautilus sounds like my kind of place.

Any suggestions for a "post dive" restaurant?

Oooops, my bad (about English), very sorry! :blush::blush:

But heck, if I'd known you were are Marine, I'd have used much smaller words... (runs and hides).... sorry, as an ex-USN puke I could not resist!!!

Hilo is small enough that there are several pretty good places to eat within a 5 - 10 minute walk of Nautilus. None are exceptional, but all are pretty decent for a post-dive lunch. There are 3 Thai, 2 Mexican, 1 Vietnamese, a few local "lunch shops", a sports bar and grill, and "Cafe Pesto" serves a variety food. Basically it would just depend on what you were in the mood for after the dive.

About Hilo Diving: It is a "weather-permitting" kind of thing. We are on the windward side, and this can often churn up the water. There are not too many no-dive days, but if the trades blow hard it can get too rough to dive, and sometimes the visibility is shot for a day or two afterwards.

We do have a great reef system with lots of fish and turtles about 10 minutes outside Hilo (at Leleiwi), and when the weather is good I'd rate it as one of the top dives on the Island. A "tyypical" dive at Leleiwi will be light wave action and surge, visibility of 40 - 60' in the shallows, and maybe 80' as you get a little deeper. However, those distances can drop quickly if it gets rough, or improve a bit if it is flat calm.

If the weather is marginal, I'd recommend making the drive to Kona to dive. Kona is in the lee, and almost always has good diving conditions.

Enjoy your stay!

Best wishes.
 
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I live on O'ahu, but go to Hilo every year for the Merrie Monarch hula festival. I always try to get some dives in with Bill (Nautilus). Bill takes you shore diving and I've always enjoyed it. And as for eating, try out Pescadore (Italian restaurant in Hilo town).

Enjoy,

Wetfox
 
I want to join in the warning that Hilo side diving can be off and on die to conditions. The Kona side is leeward, and there ar dozens of good sites there, both from boat and shor. It is a LONG drive across the big island, Hilo to Kona taking a few hours. Hopefully the wind and weather will cooperate. Have a great trip.
DivemasterDennis
 

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