Need Dive Op Suggestion for Big Island

[Kicker1866]

Hey guys.....wife and I are island hoping in June for anniversary. I could live underwater on vacation....she is good for one dive per vacation....so we compromised and will do one dive on this vacation. ( ha ha) I have done research and decided that I want to splash on the Big Island. I am looking at several dive ops....on the board are

1. Kohala Divers
2. Jack's Dive Locker
3. Hawaiian Scuba Shack

I am not married to anyone yet.....I am Rescue Cert with around 300 dives....wife is BOW with around 50. She mostly dives Cozumel when I go down there. So, I am looking for easy diving for her. I'm also renting equipment ( which I hate)

Any suggestion of a quality dive op. I'll hang up and listen

 

[guppyman]

Kona Diving Company isn't on your list. However, we had a good time with them about a year ago. I can recommend them.

I highly suggest the manta night dive. It is freaking awesome.

Billy

 

[Rossia pacifica]

My wife and I had a great experience with Hawaiian Scuba Shack a couple years ago. It is a small shop that seems to cater more to locals, but they welcome visitors too. The owner seems very willing to share all the good shore dives without selling you any tours. If you are renting gear and tanks for shore diving, they have an after hours drop off locker that is very convenient. Simply call ahead during the day to get the lock combo and you can come in after hours to swap your empties for the full ones they left for you. They also carry a variety of tanks including high pressure steel tanks. All the other shops seemed to only rent aluminum 80s.

We used this operation for our Manta dive as well. The boat was a small six pack. The start of the trip as we were loading gear seemed a little disorganized and hectic, but the rest of the experience was fantastic. The owner of the shop seemed to have a lot of experience and local knowledge. He definitely had the brightest light set up, and a good location. (All the night manta dives use light to attract plankton which attracts the manta rays) All the other operations ended giving up on their light set ups and brought their clients over to ours as we had attracted all of the mantas. We had front row seats as we were closest to the lights. The divers of the other operations got to watch jealously from a distance as huge creatures swooped inches from our heads.

My over all impression is that this shop is owned by a guy who loves to dive, loves to teach diving, and loves dive gear but doesn't seem to love running a dive shop. If you also love diving, don't mind a less than polished operation, and are used to diving independently, then I would recommend this place. If you want a brightly lit shop, with brightly colored cheaply made rental gear, that is very good at moving lots a people around, then this isn't the shop for you.

 

[ScubaSteve858]

I'll put in another recommendation for Kona Diving Company. I dove multiple days with them, my wife came along to snorkel with Mantas. It was obvious which boat had the superior skills and knowledge and it felt great to be on it. First to the sites but not last to leave because they actually cared about waiting for the right moment. Nitrox on board and great brownies!!

 

[diversteve]

Where are you staying? Kohala Divers is based in the Waikoloa/Kohala Coast area so only makes sense if you are. Otherwise it's a 30-40 min. drive north. All the Kona area shops keep their boats at Honokohau harbor a few mins. north of town - typical practice is check in at the shop and meet at the boat.

+1 for Kona Diving Co. also - my buddy dove with them for a week, They have a powered catamaran so it might be more stable and only dive smaller groups. Their rental gear reg is an Atomic and includes a computer. KDC

 

[AZTinman]

I've been to the Big Island several times over the last two years and have used four dive operations.

Kona Divers, Big Island Divers, and Kona Honu are all based out of the same small boat harbor. In my experience, all three were good dive operations. Over the course of my first two trips to the island, I found that all essentially hit the same dive locations and use the same dive profile. I attempted to book long range trips with all three companies to see some different areas, but had little success. I enjoyed diving with all three outfits, but felt I was a better fit with the Kona Divers crew.

During my trip last summer, I booked with Kohala Divers. I was pleased with the operation and thrilled to see some different dive locations. I also booked a couple of days with Kona Divers during that trip; I enjoyed diving with them.

I had planned to dive with Jack's Dive Locker during my trip last summer as well; however, I managed to tear-up one of my hands while shallow water snorkeling with sea turtles. The local ER doc patched me up and banned me from diving during my last two diving days on the island. Jack's has an excellent reputation and I'm sure I'll dive with them sometime in the near future. I personally know a lot of divers who have been very satisfied with Jack's.

Depending on the length of your stay, you might want to spread out your diving business. Do a few days with a company out of Kona and a few days up north with Kohala. Insure that you'll see some different areas.

Perspectives vary, but I don't really like the dive profile any of the companies use. Profiles typically involve reef tours that start shallow, drop deep in the neighborhood of one hundred feet, and a return to the boat in shallow water. As a serious photographer, I have little interest in dropping below fifty feet. I'd rather stay shallower where more subjects are available. Next time I go, I'll probably inquire about hiring a private dive master who can hang with me while I do my thing.

The night manta dive is an experience beyond belief. I suggest booking it twice during your trip; once at the front end of your trip and once towards the tail end. On the chance that no mantas show-up or the dive gets cancelled for your first try, your second booking gives you another shot.

I don't have any experience with Hawaiian Scuba Shack.

Hope your trip goes well. My wife and I have really enjoyed ourselves while on the Big Island. It's an amazing place. We look forward to returning.

-AZTinman

 

[NorCalDM]

I like Kohala uaually not many divers onboard and the only dive boat at the site but I stay at that end of the island. Jacks is a good shop but too many divers and students on the boat for me unless you pay more for the "advanced trips". Another option is shore diving Blue Wilderness in the King and Queens shopping center can set you up they also do tank cards so you can pick up and drop of tanks whenever they are open and it's way cheaper. Shore diving off Puako road is nice and you can get to the morning buoys the dive boat use in that area.

 

[Kryssa]

After 140 dives with 15 or so dive shops, Big Island Divers is the gold standard for us anywhere in the world.

If you get to choose, tell them you want to dive "Lone Tree Arch to Suck-um-up" - best dive of both our trips to Kona.

Also - DO NOT leave the island without doing the Manta Ray night dive, regardless of who you dive with. All the shops do it. Your wife can snorkel if she doesn't want to dive, but diving it is WAY better and is effortless. You just sit on the bottom (overweighted) and watch

 

[boulderjohn]

When I was in Kona, my first day was with Wanna Dive Kona. I enjoyed it, but they are a very small operation and were not going to be going out for a couple days after that.

I switched to Big Island for two days. That was OK until the second day, when I watched the DM manhandle an octopus, sending ink all over the place. I do not want to see that, and I let them know.

I switched to Jack's after that, and I thought it was fine. It was a big boat, big enough for three groups, but they separated us by ability. The group I was with had all very experienced divers, and we had great dives. I have, in fact, used that experience to counter the people who say they only show a beginning card because they are afraid of being stuck with beginning divers. In my experience, as was true in this case, showing only a beginning card is a good way of guaranteeing you will be stuck with beginning divers, while the more experienced divers are off having a great time.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I did the Manta Ray Night Dive with Big Island Divers about a year ago. They were very good but when you consider that everyone goes to the same place at the same time it probably doesn't make a huge difference other than which snacks they have on board. I had a very good seat and was situated North of the "campfire." We entered the water after the others had already attracted the mantas and this strategy seemed to work. My DM seemed to be very concerned about the marine life and probably wrote the page about mantas on wikipedia but after reading boulderjohn's experience I think I'll try someone else next time. Also, I dove with Chicos' in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago and since then they have pictures posted on TripAdvisor showing them mishandling critters so I won't go back.