Kona in October

[ian hanna]

Hi there! Im hoping to head to Kona in October (fingers crossed the island is back open by than) and was wondering if anyone on here would like to meet up for some shore dives???

Ive got about 10 dives so far so still novice but im easy going and would love to meet some new people and have fun dives!

 

[tep]

I'm trying to decide when I'm going to Kona and Kauai this year, myself. Normally we would do the week after school resumes to avoid the mongol hordes! I def don't want to be there in late November again, the entire north shore of Kauai was un-swimmable, let alone diveable that late in the year.

October sounds like a good compromise. The question will be whether or not there's sufficient testing, the case counts are low enough, and if HI is still quarantining vistors from off-island.

I could use a good crystal ball.

I want to be hopeful, but then again, the new neighbors just threw a multi-family pool party yesterday as "the whole virus thing is a hoax". I weep for our species. Maybe the dolphins will take over and do a better job?

 

[ian hanna]

yup im just being hopeful, the tickets are fully refundable. i went last year at the first part of December and it looked great. unfortunately i didn't bring my dive gear since i didnt know how i would like the island (been going to Maui my whole life, it was first time to big island). let me know if you end up going in october, im planning to be there the whole month.

 

[nippurmagnum]

You've given me an idea for a trip . . . I've been to Kona twice, and it's got fantastic shore diving. Kona is very dependent on tourism, so if sanity prevails, it might well reopen by October. Airbnbs in Kona are quite nice, but traditionally owners are inflexible on cancellations -- but that may change in the current circumstances.

 

[ian hanna]

ok so ui just changed my ticket to Oct 23- Nov 17...apparently my last dates fell right on the usual Ironman Marathon dates and all the rates were jacked up. so i moved it back to get better room rate. i did find a nice beach side shack that allows cancellation upto 30 days prior to arrival...so will probably go with that one.

 

[abnfrog]

if you can do the night manta dive with cpt jacks it was really amazing I thought ...and that was a week after diving BIKINI ! so you know it was great !

 

[nippurmagnum]

if you can do the night manta dive with cpt jacks it was really amazing I thought ...and that was a week after diving BIKINI ! so you know it was great !

Jacks Diving Locker does a nice two-tank manta dive. The best part is that you do an afternoon/twilight dive during which some mantas are already in the area, in anticipation of the evening plankton feast, and you see them move about in more natural surroundings (and in daylight). Then they do the night dive, which is spectacular in a different way. I thought the two-tank manta dive was well worth the money. The other good value is the blackwater dive. We were lucky enough to see an oceanic whitetip during that dive, at night! Even without that, though, it's pretty amazing.

Aside from that, boat diving in Kona is very expensive and not worth the money. You will see all the lava tubes, turtles, rays, sharks, and dolphins you care to see right from shore.

Seen on a shore dive:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2T5oRtSLNEhE3RY58

Oceanic white tip:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nBkPn2q4JDTBJdWT8

My daughter next to a manta, almost got swallowed like Pinocchio:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/hRzsQBrKYZtYSFjz9

 

[ian hanna]

Jacks Diving Locker does a nice two-tank manta dive. The best part is that you do an afternoon/twilight dive during which some mantas are already in the area, in anticipation of the evening plankton feast, and you see them move about in more natural surroundings (and in daylight). Then they do the night dive, which is spectacular in a different way. I thought the two-tank manta dive was well worth the money. The other good value is the blackwater dive. We were lucky enough to see an oceanic whitetip during that dive, at night! Even without that, though, it's pretty amazing.

Aside from that, boat diving in Kona is very expensive and not worth the money. You will see all the lava tubes, turtles, rays, sharks, and dolphins you care to see right from shore.

yea i did a lot of boat diving in Maui but wanted to mainly focus on shore dives in Kona. #1 so i can meet new people and possible dive buddies for future trips ( i travel at least once a year to the islands) and #2 so i can get lots more dives in and start feeling more natural and confident at diving (like is said, only about 10 dives, so still a novice)

 

[nippurmagnum]

yea i did a lot of boat diving in Maui but wanted to mainly focus on shore dives in Kona. #1 so i can meet new people and possible dive buddies for future trips ( i travel at least once a year to the islands) and #2 so i can get lots more dives in and start feeling more natural and confident at diving (like is said, only about 10 dives, so still a novice)

I would suggest starting your shore diving in Kahaalu beach, which is quite shallow, protected, easy entry, and has tons of turtles. Once you've sorted out your buoyancy, gotten reacquainted with your gear, etc., try some of the more challenging dives. If you don't have a buddy, you can always wait for a local diver to show up, and ask if you can tag along.

 

[abnfrog]

the surge on our night dive was something wild, I don't know if that's normal but earlier in the day it wasn't that bad but there was a definite current