I will be in Honolulu End of October first of November. I'd love to do the manta night dive off the big island. It would be a shame to be so close and not do it. Although it is a far way to go for just one dive. Is there a charter/service to get from Oahu to the big island, without spending a small fortune. Any other options ? I could stay overnight which would seem the only option.
Honolulu to Big Island
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You would have to stay over because I think that the "wait to fly after diving" rule will apply to interisland air transport, although the Manta dive is a shallow dive. Hawaiian Air flys to the Big Island from HNL and there may be other carriers, too. I remember that t wasn't a long flight, less than an hour.
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Aloha Joe
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There’s no boat from Oahu.
You can do Day diving from Big Island as well, some say the best Hawaii diving is from Big Island.
I did manta Dive, it was amazing.
You can do Day diving from Big Island as well, some say the best Hawaii diving is from Big Island.
I did manta Dive, it was amazing.
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Mokolule is the other local air option. Mokulele Airlines | Affordable Adventure Awaits last I checked it's about $200 rt
I'd stay in Kona - besides the easiest as far as food etc. most shops are based there and keep their boats at Honokohau harbor a few minutes north of there - nothing there but the harbor. You'll pass it from the airport. If you're going to rent a car - do it in advance there's a huge price difference there for some reason for walk-ips. Might be cheaper than the cab ride from the airport.
Several of them - Kona Diving Co. and I believe Big Island - are in the same industrial mall a little east of downtown.
Jack's Diving a few minutes south on Alii Dr. Generally you check in at the shop then meet at the boat.
The King Kamehameha is actually a Courtyard by Marriott in a central location in town.
If you have time, you can shore dive the Kona/Kailua pier also - it's out front of the King K.
If you have a bright light - bring it as you may attract your own Manta briefly. My buddy did but his is a 4K lumen video light, He had more light than the paid videggrapher on their KDC boat.
Before you spend the money check that there will be Mantas at that time of year.
I'd stay in Kona - besides the easiest as far as food etc. most shops are based there and keep their boats at Honokohau harbor a few minutes north of there - nothing there but the harbor. You'll pass it from the airport. If you're going to rent a car - do it in advance there's a huge price difference there for some reason for walk-ips. Might be cheaper than the cab ride from the airport.
Several of them - Kona Diving Co. and I believe Big Island - are in the same industrial mall a little east of downtown.
Jack's Diving a few minutes south on Alii Dr. Generally you check in at the shop then meet at the boat.
The King Kamehameha is actually a Courtyard by Marriott in a central location in town.
If you have time, you can shore dive the Kona/Kailua pier also - it's out front of the King K.
If you have a bright light - bring it as you may attract your own Manta briefly. My buddy did but his is a 4K lumen video light, He had more light than the paid videggrapher on their KDC boat.
Before you spend the money check that there will be Mantas at that time of year.
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Damselfish
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Unless the mantas have become 100% reliable, be aware that you could get skunked anytime. My husband did it when he was there on a business trip once and there were zero. (We did it on another trip and had 20+) It's neat but I don't know I would take the trouble of flying to another island for just one dive. Is there any way you can spend a few days?
How crowded does the manta night dive usually get - with divers and snorkelers? I see that several ops offer excursions that board at dusk for a night dive or night snorkel. How many boats are usually on the site at the same time? I imagine that the volume varies with the tourist seasons.
We were on the Kona Aggressor and didn't start the dive until later at night - and we were the only boat on the site - there were lots of mantas and it was a fantastic experience!
I've thought about doing the manta dive again if we ever get back to Kona, but as a land-based dive and not from a liveaboard; but I am not interested in doing it with 100 or more other people!
We were on the Kona Aggressor and didn't start the dive until later at night - and we were the only boat on the site - there were lots of mantas and it was a fantastic experience!
I've thought about doing the manta dive again if we ever get back to Kona, but as a land-based dive and not from a liveaboard; but I am not interested in doing it with 100 or more other people!
Damselfish
Contributor
A regular dive I don't want to do with a zillion boats and people. That particular dive is maybe a little different with many boats than one, but just as fun either way. I've done both. All those lights attracts the plankton and the whole thing with even more divers and lights with mantas swooping all over the place can be quite the scene.
Aloha Joe
Contributor
The manta dive doesn’t feel particularly crowded. I did it with Big Island Divers and recommend them - your dive guides are marine biologists and tell you about what’s going on in the ocean, not just what critters you’re seeing.
You go out on a normal dive boat, so you’ll be familiar with the number of divers on the boat. There are obviously several other dive boats moored at the site, and I think there are a couple of ‘torches’ at the site. It’s dark, so you don’t see a lot of people. Each dive op has a specific colored light they put on your tank so they can tell who’s who. They also give you a light for navigating and to shine at the Mantas. When you get to the site, you sit/kneel/grab on the bottom around a ‘torch’ which is a bright light shooting straight up. It’s kind of like a camp fire. There might be 2 dive groups per torch, so your group on one side and another group on the opposite side. I believe there’s a couple of torches but I can’t remember. All I know is there were a quite a few boats and a few snorkel groups, and I never felt like other people were taking anything away from the dive.
Note that it’s not a typical dive at all - you go to one spot on the ground and stay put. Also note that Hawaii has rules about having DM’s on every dive, and I think there’s a ratio they need to keep. Dive ops aren’t going to pay too many DMs so that keeps the total number per boat relatively low.
It was one of the coolest things I’ve done, diving or not. But I got particularly lucky and had a manta twirling directly over me for several minutes. I must have smelled good that day!
You go out on a normal dive boat, so you’ll be familiar with the number of divers on the boat. There are obviously several other dive boats moored at the site, and I think there are a couple of ‘torches’ at the site. It’s dark, so you don’t see a lot of people. Each dive op has a specific colored light they put on your tank so they can tell who’s who. They also give you a light for navigating and to shine at the Mantas. When you get to the site, you sit/kneel/grab on the bottom around a ‘torch’ which is a bright light shooting straight up. It’s kind of like a camp fire. There might be 2 dive groups per torch, so your group on one side and another group on the opposite side. I believe there’s a couple of torches but I can’t remember. All I know is there were a quite a few boats and a few snorkel groups, and I never felt like other people were taking anything away from the dive.
Note that it’s not a typical dive at all - you go to one spot on the ground and stay put. Also note that Hawaii has rules about having DM’s on every dive, and I think there’s a ratio they need to keep. Dive ops aren’t going to pay too many DMs so that keeps the total number per boat relatively low.
It was one of the coolest things I’ve done, diving or not. But I got particularly lucky and had a manta twirling directly over me for several minutes. I must have smelled good that day!
IslandDiversHI
Contributor
Some of the best pricing for hotel/air comes from this local tour company:
www.pleasantholidays.com
They have an online booking tool. I usually stay at the Royal Kona Resort or Kona Seaside when I'm there for diving. With getting on a plane to get there, there just isn't a budget way to do it. If you do decide to lay out the cash and get the car, check out driving down to Ho'naunau in the morning before your night dive. It is about an hour from Kona and is an amazing snorkeling and diving spot. What is really cool though is that most mornings there will be a pod of dolphins lazily swimming about. Snorkeling is better for this.
www.pleasantholidays.com
They have an online booking tool. I usually stay at the Royal Kona Resort or Kona Seaside when I'm there for diving. With getting on a plane to get there, there just isn't a budget way to do it. If you do decide to lay out the cash and get the car, check out driving down to Ho'naunau in the morning before your night dive. It is about an hour from Kona and is an amazing snorkeling and diving spot. What is really cool though is that most mornings there will be a pod of dolphins lazily swimming about. Snorkeling is better for this.
tarponchik
Contributor
What law are you referring to? Is something missing here?
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