Cheap Kona/Big Island Shore Diving -- Manta Shore Dive?

[MojoMojo]

We are going to Kona in mid February, and I'd appreciate any recommendations regarding shore diving. I've searched to forums and looked at the websites, so I have most of the basic stuff. A few specific questions:

1. Is it possible to do the Manta night dive as a shore dive? Kind of worried about handing over $300 for both of us only to not see any.

2. Which operators do cheap guided shore dives?

3. Any recommendations on the best place to rent tanks? I'd prefer some place that is open relatively late, so we can get refills if we decide to do a night dive (letting us take more than one tank a la Bonaire would be another way to go).

4. Are there any resources that give very specific directions (i.e. driving directions or GPS coordinates) to shore diving sites? Most of the sites/books/maps I've see have been very general.

5. Any of the dive shops have a good reputation for finding Mantas?

Thanks in advance.

 

[fisheater]

1. I don't know.

2. Try South Kona Scuba. South Kona Scuba: Diving Hawaii - Home

3. Also try South Kona Scuba.

4. Try Big Island Revealed (excellent guide for everything) and ShoreDiving.com - Your Shore Diving and Snorkeling Web Community!

5. They all go to the same place at the same time and do the same dive. It's a cooperative effort to get as many UW lights in the same place at the same time to attract the most plankton and, thus, the most mantas. So, as far as finding mantas (actually the mantas find you), it won't matter which one takes you out there.

 

[theorikle1968]

I dove with kona honu they were great to dive with we did 6 boat dives and the manta dive glen the owner let us use a couple of tanks for some shore diving at no cost

 

[friscuba]

We are going to Kona in mid February, and I'd appreciate any recommendations regarding shore diving. I've searched to forums and looked at the websites, so I have most of the basic stuff. A few specific questions:

1. Is it possible to do the Manta night dive as a shore dive? Kind of worried about handing over $300 for both of us only to not see any.

2. Which operators do cheap guided shore dives?

3. Any recommendations on the best place to rent tanks? I'd prefer some place that is open relatively late, so we can get refills if we decide to do a night dive (letting us take more than one tank a la Bonaire would be another way to go).

4. Are there any resources that give very specific directions (i.e. driving directions or GPS coordinates) to shore diving sites? Most of the sites/books/maps I've see have been very general.

5. Any of the dive shops have a good reputation for finding Mantas?

Thanks in advance.

You can do the Sheraton site from shore. It's usually good for 1-3 mantas if the surf cooperates. The airport site, where the big numbers are typically seen, is a boat only proposition. Most of the shops keep track of the numbers at the airport site and often the Sheraton site. The odds of getting skunked are minimal if you dive with a boat operator that goes to both sites.

Guided shore dives are getting fewer and farther between. South Kona Scuba is still offering dives at 2 step, not sure what other operators are doing. "Cheap" is relative. Look for a hundred bucks or so for a two tank guided shore dive, the boats aren't much more.

Most of the retail dive operators rent tanks in the 8-10 buck range.

You probably won't find GPS coordinates for dive sites. Most people who haven't been here before assume it's a LOT harder to find your way around the Big Island than it really is. There is a total of 1 highway running the length of the west side of the island that most tourists will ever drive on. If you can find it (the only road you can get to from the airport), Alii Drive (the main north south road in Kailua along the ocean, including it and the highway there are only 3 major north/south roads in town), Puako Road (the only road in Puako) and Highway 160 (goes straight to 2 Step and Keei from the main highway) you will be able to drive to most shore diving sites here. I hate to sound sarcastic, but it's pretty much that easy. I used LET'S GO SHORE DIVE'N' on the Kona Coast when I moved here and drove directly to every entry point on it, the only thing that wasn't obvious was the easiest entry (out of a few) at Keei.

I hope this helps.

 

[smellzlikefish]

1) As mentioned above, you can easily snorkel from shore and see mantas from the Sheraton. Be wary as the rock entry isn't necessarily easy, so watch your entry and exit.

2) I' not sure if they do cheap guided tours, but I'd kick myself for not shamelessly plugging Bottom Time Hawaii. They are under new ownership who happen to be good friends of mine and solid divers. They'll at the very least be able to rent you tanks and direct you to the best shore diving on the Kona coast.

3) See #2.

4) See #2 and also check out Shorediving.com.

5) They will all find you the same Mantas because they all use the same site. The only chance you'll have of finding more is if you do the shore dive from the Sheraton on the off-day that more mantas showed up there.

 

[mow2000]

My girlfriend and I attempted to do our own manta snorkel back in 2001. The site was an abandoned resort which was billed as a good location to see Manta. The entry was a little difficult - off a coral ledge with plenty of urchins around. The water was murky and the bottom wasn't visible in our flashlight beams. After a short time we realized if anything suddenly appeared out of the darkness it would probably scare us silly.

If it weren't for the "murk" in the water (not sure what that stuff was) then it might have been a little less frightening. Also with stronger lights (we had one large and one smaller dive light). And if the resort had been lit up with lights on the water that may have attracted manta. And diving it might make you feel a little less like bait.

We then did the boat trip and saw none... $200 (diver and snorkeler) down the drain. If you don't see manta the dive or snorkel is almost worthless. I seem to recall that the dive shop had a whiteboard which tracked how many they saw each night and the night before they'd seen one or two. That may be a way to check your odds.

I went back a few years later, did the trip and saw them. Amazing experience. Going back in late Feb this year and hope to see them again.

 

[cuddlefish]

If you don't see manta the dive or snorkel is almost worthless.

It's actually a great night dive without mantas if you're at the Garden Eel Cove site at the airport. (Not so good for snorkelers, though). The night dive at the Sheraton is not so good if there aren't mantas.

 

[sfc_peterson]

I have agree wish fisheater on his comments. Go see Tim at South Kona Scuba and see what you can work out. His guided dives are nice not to expensive. But I have been to Kona four times now have done the Manta Ray night dive at the Sheraton about nine times have never not seen a manta and have been up to nine on the dive. All have been shore entry and never paid for the boat. I just swim up when they are in the water and enjoy the show. After all it is a free ocean.

 

[MojoMojo]

Thanks! Really appreciate the info and recommendations.

Think we're going to do shore diving for a few days and then do the black water and manta boat dives. Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: The Big Island, Hawaiian Islands was a great site and had a lot of GPS coordinates and pics and specific instructions. The Sheraton site wasn't on there, but hopefully it won't be too hard to find a legal place to park and embark from.

Still looking to see if I can find any cheap guided shore dives ($30/person or less hopefully) or places that rent DIN tanks, but if I can't, no biggie.

Thanks again for all the responses.

 

[Alfieboy]

we went February 2012 and did the Sheraton manta dive from shore.
look for your exit point during the day and put a strobe there at night so you know where to go.
get as many strobes as you have (we had 2 camera strobes, and 2 lights and sat at the bottom for 1.5 hrs. we left because we were cold.
there are some high rocks you can jump off of to get to the site.
the incoming tide was a bit pushy and there are many sea urchins by the time you try to exit so face your tank to the rocks and maybe bring gloves. we had a few sea urchins we had to pluck.
but the 15 bucks we spent for diving that day was well worth the pain! (bring ibuprofen)

We are going to Kona in mid February, and I'd appreciate any recommendations regarding shore diving. I've searched to forums and looked at the websites, so I have most of the basic stuff. A few specific questions:

1. Is it possible to do the Manta night dive as a shore dive? Kind of worried about handing over $300 for both of us only to not see any.

2. Which operators do cheap guided shore dives?

3. Any recommendations on the best place to rent tanks? I'd prefer some place that is open relatively late, so we can get refills if we decide to do a night dive (letting us take more than one tank a la Bonaire would be another way to go).

4. Are there any resources that give very specific directions (i.e. driving directions or GPS coordinates) to shore diving sites? Most of the sites/books/maps I've see have been very general.

5. Any of the dive shops have a good reputation for finding Mantas?

Thanks in advance.