Kona night dives on the reef?

[Sharkboobs]

We’ll be diving in Kona at the end of the month for the first time. Does anyone on the Big Island around Kona or elsewhere offer reef night dives? We’ve booked all of our morning dives and manta trips but we’d really like to explore the reef at night as well. Doesn’t seem like many of the operators accommodate this. The ones who list it as an option on their site don’t seem to be running them.

Are all the boats tied up doing the manta and blackwater trips? Am I on a dead end road here? We love night dives am I’m sure there are some amazing nocturnal critters to be seen in these waters.

 

[covediver]

Night Reef SCUBA Dive - Big Island Divers
1-Tank Night Reef Charter in Kona, HI | Kona Diving Company

Kona Diving Company offers a one tank reef night dive as does Big Island Divers. I have used both outfits but have not done a reef night dive with either. I used to do KDC exclusively but had logistic problems with them on my last trip so the sent me to Big Island Divers and lost a customer as a result. That said, I found their level of service comparable and professional. Take note of Big Island Divers requirement of 25 dives, etc. Don't know if these are the companies you contacts. Many will use one boat for manta dives and a second boat for more advanced long range trips or night dives. As an alternative, you might try a two tank dive that combines a later afternoon reef dive and the manta night dive.

 

[Sharkboobs]

Night Reef SCUBA Dive - Big Island Divers
1-Tank Night Reef Charter in Kona, HI | Kona Diving Company

Kona Diving Company offers a one tank reef night dive as does Big Island Divers. I have used both outfits but have not done a reef night dive with either. I used to do KDC exclusively but had logistic problems with them on my last trip so the sent me to Big Island Divers and lost a customer as a result. That said, I found their level of service comparable and professional. Take note of Big Island Divers requirement of 25 dives, etc. Don't know if these are the companies you contacts. Many will use one boat for manta dives and a second boat for more advanced long range trips or night dives. As an alternative, you might try a two tank dive that combines a later afternoon reef dive and the manta night dive.

Kona Diving Company is who we’re diving with during the week. They said they couldn’t do it while we’re there as did Kona Honu and a few others. We are signed up for a 2 tank manta trip. Couldn’t skip that but we’d love to see the reef after dark too. Since I posted this we might have a lead or two up north but haven’t heard anything back yet. Maybe it’s our experience level but we’re both AOW with 150+ dives? We have no idea how challenging the diving is around Kona. Do the tigers get hungrier after dark or something?

 

[covediver]

Kona Diving Company is who we’re diving with during the week. They said they couldn’t do it while we’re there as did Kona Honu and a few others. We are signed up for a 2 tank manta trip. Couldn’t skip that but we’d love to see the reef after dark too. Since I posted this we might have a lead or two up north but haven’t heard anything back yet. Maybe it’s our experience level but we’re both AOW with 150+ dives? We have no idea how challenging the diving is around Kona. Do the tigers get hungrier after dark or something?

The diving around Kona is not challenging or complicated. When I did the two tank dive for mantas a few months back, we had a lot of mantas and dolphins intoxicated on puffer fish toxin. Quite a show.
The advanced dives are usually drift dives but all dives of the boat are guided. I never did a night dive in Kona. I assume that tiger sharks are always hungry. From where I stay whenever I am there I see people diving the reef off Kona Magic Sands at night, and I assume its a beach dive from Magic Sands State Beach. There are not a lot of beach dives in Kona. Rocky entries and access are two key considerations. have a great time.

 

[Sharkboobs]

The diving around Kona is not challenging or complicated. When I did the two tank dive for mantas a few months back, we had a lot of mantas and dolphins intoxicated on puffer fish toxin. Quite a show.
The advanced dives are usually drift dives but all dives of the boat are guided. I never did a night dive in Kona. I assume that tiger sharks are always hungry. From where I stay whenever I am there I see people diving the reef off Kona Magic Sands at night, and I assume its a beach dive from Magic Sands State Beach. There are not a lot of beach dives in Kona. Rocky entries and access are two key considerations. have a great time.

Thanks a ton for the info. My inability to give up finally scored us some night diving with a company up in the north one night. Looks like we're good to go!

 

[tarponchik]

You can do an easy night shore dive at 2-Step, for example. What you'll see at night is mostly crustaceans and hunting moray eels. With luck, you may see a huge Conger Eel, they hunt at night. The downside is that on some dives the torch attracts dense clouds of krill that make photography impossible. I have no idea how to predict this, Moon phases, maybe, but it happens. I strongly recommend avoiding the weekends and leaving a blinker or a glowstick at the entrance. If you are reluctant to get out of Kona, you can try this at Pahoehoe Beach Park, for example. I haven't tried nightdiving there but I do not see a reason, why not.

 

[NorCalDM]

You could check with Blue Wilderness on Puako road or Kohala Divers in Kawaihae. Both also dive sites the Kona boats don't usually go to. Also lots of good shore diving on the Big Island.

 

[living4experiences]

Kona Diving Company is who we’re diving with during the week. They said they couldn’t do it while we’re there as did Kona Honu and a few others. We are signed up for a 2 tank manta trip. Couldn’t skip that but we’d love to see the reef after dark too. Since I posted this we might have a lead or two up north but haven’t heard anything back yet. Maybe it’s our experience level but we’re both AOW with 150+ dives? We have no idea how challenging the diving is around Kona. Do the tigers get hungrier after dark or something?

Did KDC give you a reason why they couldn't do it? I love night diving, too, and will be in Kona next year, so I'm watching this thread.

 

[living4experiences]

Thanks a ton for the info. My inability to give up finally scored us some night diving with a company up in the north one night. Looks like we're good to go!

What company is it?

 

[Sharkboobs]

Did KDC give you a reason why they couldn't do it? I love night diving, too, and will be in Kona next year, so I'm watching this thread.

No, they just told me they couldn’t accommodate it that week.

What company is it?

Liquid Cosmos