Big island manta dive

[scubashannon2]

Hello out there,

I was wondering if anybody could recommend a dive operator for the manta dive out of kona. I get sea sick and only want to do a 1-tank dive. Trying to research the 30 or so companies is very difficult. I've tried Bonine...to no avail. This is a family vacation, with just this one dive (at least the only one we're planning) so I want it to be awesome. The only gear we're bringing is our mask (and maybe computers).

Thanks for any help.

Shannon

 

[scangadah]

Hello

Like you stated there are several companies that offer the Manta Night Dive. Some of the operators go to an area near the airport and two (or more) go down to Keauhou Bay.

I will say that some are set up better for snorkelers on the surface. I took a few friends (non-divers)with an operator that went up by the airport. They dropped them into the water (remember it's night time) and were told to swim to the front of the boat where the lights were and the divers had a light box pointing up. This freaked out two members of the party to make that short swim at night, just to bob around in front of the boat with nothing to hold onto. To add insult they got skunked, no Mantas. (thats nature, and they were cool with that part of it)

Last week we were fortunate enough to take a ride on the Fair Winds boat called the "Hula Kai". This was out of Keauhou Bay. A First class operation for both the Snorkelers and the divers. I did not dive as this trip we had the same non-divers divers and again the apprehension level for them to jump into the water at night was very high so i snorkled with them.
They have all the equipment you will need for the dive (BC's, etc.).
The crew put them immediately at ease and told them exactly what to expect followed by a very short boat ride from the harbor to in-front of the lights from the Sheraton Keauhou Bay. The stern of the boat facing the shore and a lot of lights. Before the boat was on the mooring there were three Mantas 5' off the stern at the surface. That's always a good sign. (they say they get skunked about 15% of the time) I was also told that if the counts are down, the swells are high or it's just not good , they will cancel the dive.
For the Snorkelers there is a ladder of sorts that is made of PVC tubing and those swim noodles and is about 30' long with lights mounted in it that point down. Step off the back of the boat and just grab the "ladder".
The divers get into the water first and position themselves around a large flat rock and place a light box in this position facing up. This in about 30'. The snorkelers then get into the water and hold onto the ladder with the lights pointing down.
We saw 7 mantas that night including one they call "BIG BERTHA" 18' +span... They finally had to pull our party out after a little more than and hour. NOBODY wanted to get out including the two that had totally freaked out with the previous operator. After everybody was back on board there was hot soup, coffee and hot chocolate for everybody.
There is a videographer that will film the entire dive and our mainland friends purchased several copies. Very cool. One of the best water experiences I have ever encountered.
I want to say that I am not putting down ANY Kona operator but I must say that the FAIR WINDS has a first rate operation. Ask for Tracey as she totally took care of our party in a professional manner.
Have a great dive!!!

fair-wind.com

 

[scubashannon2]

Thank you soooo much for the info. We do not have any snorkelers going with us...but I love the part that I can just enjoy the mantas and then purchase the video to relive it later.

 

[dwaters]

Welcome to the 'board!!!

Shannon, feel free to drop on down to your local forum and join in our fun here:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/

Then, when I travel, I always check out their local forum to get input from those that have dived there and those that live there.... check this out:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hawaii-ohana/

Some much to learn here from your fellow divers.. use the search function for your
question regarding sea-sickness and so much more.
Dive safe and enjoy and hope our paths cross someday in the water.

 

[ItsBruce]

Whenever I'm in Kona, I do the night manta dive. I took a fancy to Kona Honu. They have one of the biggest boats, which helps reduce the chance of seasickness and makes packing up at night much easier. It is a good platform. I've always had good DMs and crew. And, they have a booth at the Long Beach scuba show and thereby support it, too.

 

[tc]

I've only been there once a couple of years ago. We went out with Jacks for a couple of boats including the manta dive. The took good care of us and treated us well.

I've sent several friends to them and all have had a good time.

 

[scubashannon2]

Thanks...I'm trying to figure out how to navigate this board...I've never joined one before.

 

[scubashannon2]

Thanks for the info. I'll look into them

 

[scubashannon2]

I looked into Jack's, but they do a 2 tank dive. I'm afraid I'll get sick on dive #1 and then be miserable for the 2nd dive....the manta dive. But, thanks for the info.

 

[scubashannon2]

I figured I'd give my report. Due to my sea sickness, I was looking for a 1 tank dive. I originally set things up with Kona Huna divers but it became a nightmare just on the phone. I didn't get a good vibe, so I cancelled them and went with Big Island Divers. They did a 1 tank dive Easter night. We had 3 divers and 2 snorkelers (though 1 snorkeler didn't make it in the water).

All the divers go down and sit around the "campfire" with dive lights pointing up. The snorkelers hang out on top and point lights downward. The mantas perform a beautiful ballet while feeding. If you are nervous about big animals, this is NOT for you. They get extremely close, even bumping you at times. But, it was an awesome experience.

Big Island Divers was awesome: When I called for the reservations, they took our heights and weights. When we arrived at the shop, they had all our rental gear laid out. A quick size up to make sure the wetsuits would work....then we tried on the bc's and they showed us how they worked (dump valves, inflator valves, disconnects, weights, etc...)THEN, they loaded all of the gear into a truck, took it to the dock (only a few blocks away) AND loaded it into the boat for us. They also set up all the gear (EVEN if you brought your own). So, when we got on board we were taken care of.

It was about a 20 min ride to the spot by the airport. When we got there, we had to wait 40 min. before we did our NIGHT dive. But, they have a videographer who gave us an awesome "briefing" on the mantas, how each has its own "fingerprint" color pattern on the belly, showed us pictures and history. Then the DM went over the dive protocol (not much to it). Then we got in.

Bad part, it was cold. I dive in San Diego...cold water. I was not expecting it to be cold. I had a 3 mm long sleeve, long pant and they added a shorty. The dive boat captain, had neoprene hats (similar to a water polo hat) and we used those. Unlucky for me (and my dad) we got cold so we ended the dive about 15 min. before the others but still had an incredible experience. There were 20 mantas that night.

Martina Wing was the videographer. She knew what groups were together and while underwater, filmed us together in our groups. She did a very beatiful job. I believe she goes out almost every night. It was $50 to purchase a copy (cash) but worth every penny to relive the moments. There is an eel, Crazy Frank, that likes to visit the campfire, so that was interesting also.

So, I can not compare to the other operators (except for bad customer service on the phone with Kona Huna), but I will definitely dive Big Island Divers when we return. They had snacks, drinks, towels and a warm shower. Mahalo to Captain Mike, DM's Joshua and Timmy. It was an experience I'll never forget and will share with anyone who wants my opinion.