Help...Please...Looking at going to Hawaii

[Scuba G]

I'd recommend Wanna Dive which is a small six-pack operation. I dove with them last December and had some of my most memorable dives with them. Capt Steve and his crew are very knowledgable about dive sites and critters and I'll go back in a heartbeat.

I also dove with Jack's Diving Locker two years ago and had a good experience but the advantage of a smaller boat is that they can take you where YOU want to go since there are four of you.

As far as the manta dive goes, book one early in your trip so you can schedule another one later in case no mantas show up.

Have fun, you're going to have a great time in Kona!

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

Thank you everyone for your responses! So, we have narrowed it down to Kona...have to do the Manta Ray dive! Now, my question is has anyone worked with Bottom Time? I have sent an email and left a voicemail with them and have not received an email or phone call in return. Does anyone have any other recommendations for dive ops in the area?

Thanks, again, for all your help!

There are several good dive ops in Kona.

I've only tried Jack's Diving Locker and was really happy with the experience. My family did the Manta Dive with Jack's, plus several day dives with them about a year ago. It was a nice change from our usual shore dives. We'd happily dive with them again.

As "Scuba G" mentioned Jack's runs larger boats, and they will typically be picking the dive location(s) based on the ocean conditions that day, which is actually fine because the captain will always try to give the clients the best dive possible, and there are a large number of dive spots to choose from. With a smaller boat you may have more flexibility in the type of dive you do, especially if you just charter it exclusively for your group.

Which ever way you go, have fun! Kona is a terrific place to dive.

 

[Thalassamania]

From what I've seen the best "full service" dive operation is probably Jacks Dive Locker, but Kona Boys offers some interesting shore diving alternatives.

 

[Ixy]

No insult taken, it's understandable most areas are dangerous due to the flash floods, "bugs", strong currents and other hazards , but when I lived there I dove the rivers and streams and just wanted to show that hawaii has other experiences than the ocean for diving as well. Plus its a nice place to snag some watches .

 

[Black_3000psi]

hey heres an idea. im sure theres a board where you are from why dont you post on that board that your making a trip to hawaii and want some ideas. at least this way your getting info from people that have nothing to gain, and likely from people you know. try that then take that info and work from there.

 

[kidspot]

So, I am at a total loss. There are four of us that are looking to head to Hawaii at the end of April to do some diving...but we have NO CLUE where to look. I saw an add in Sport Diver for a Stay and Play on two islands for $1400.00 per person. That seems totally reasonable to us, but need some feed back. Have never been to Hawaii...always seem to head to Mexico/Bahamas and need to step out of the box and try something new.

Any help and/or advice would be MUCH appreciated!

Thanks!

Contact friscuba here on the board, he (Steve) owns Wanna Dive and runs a small, but very personal boat - with 4 divers travelling you would nearly be the whole boat, and he can make sure to personalize the diving to your needs/wants.

For a good writeup (by Steve) check out this thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/tr...ffer-daily-2-tank-guided-dive-trips-kona.html

Wanna Dive has a great reputation here on Scubaboard, and many of us have dove with Steve (I dove with him when he travelled to Maui for vacation)

A small operation can be a really customized one, as opposed to a group of 12-18 divers who all have to go to a predetermined site.

Also for rooms check out http://www.vrbo.com - lots of options there from renting a room in someone's home to high end resorts ...

Have a great trip - Kona is one of the premier dive locations in the world ... and I've yet to get there for some serious diving ... one day

Aloha, Tim

 

[vanisleboy]

If your prime objective is to Dive, you should consider the Kona Aggressor liveaboard. I was on it in January this year and had a great time. When you add up the cost of hotel, diving, food and drink, liveaboards can be quite reasonable. Not to mention they have a larger range, allowing you to dive sites that are not practical for day boats.

Have fun!

 

[Shark Whisperer]

Thank you everyone for your input! We have booked our trip. Going to dive with Steve at Wanna Dive for three days and then find another dive op since he was full for the other two days. Found a great deal on a vacation condo on the vrbo.com site. Very much looking forward to the trip and diving in Kona!!!