Pelagic Magic or Manta Night Dive?

[LittleNat]

I hope to do both, but if you had to pick one, which would you do? Will be there February 15-18.
Think Jack's Diving Locker is the place for the Pelagic trip, but who do you recommend for the night dive?
Thanks!

 

[bethie]

They are both awesome, and completely different. Jack's has a calendar online that tells you the number of Mantas seen and we were able look at that and cancel our trip last year because there had been no Mantas for days, just super rough water. The year before, though, the Manta trip was great (my partner snorkeled and I dove and we both had similar fantastic experiences)

Pelagic Magic feels solitary and almost like sensory deprivation, Mantas have hundreds of people underwater.

I did the Pelagic Magic with Jacks because their start time was earlier than the other places who go out after the Manta trips come back. I think Big Island Divers gives a discount if you do both the same evening. Enjoy!

 

[Oz Chris]

I haven’t done the pelagic dive, but did the Mantas with Big Island Divers and they were excellent. Did it as double boat dive - you do it as a reef dive just before sunset, surface interval as the sun comes down, and then the Mantas.

 

[AZTinman]

I usually try to schedule the night manta dive twice when we travel to the Big Island. It's an amazing experience.

I lost interest in the Black Water Dive (Pelagic Magic) after another diver told me about Oceanic White Tips showing-up when he did it. I guess that doesn't happen often, but I decided it wasn't for me.

-AZTinman

 

[Rocketman3]

I used Kona Diving Company for the mana ray dive. Our trip was just the one dive - but we were the first boat there and last boat to leave. Idea spot close to the campfire, then a bit of night dive after to finish the tank of air.

Only 6 customers on that trip.

It was great!

 

[JamesBon92007]

I. Idea spot close to the campfire,
It was great!

What's is like close to the campfire? I've only done it once (so far) and I was on the outer circle and it was incredible to have the giant mantas gliding less than an inch over my head! I would say, based upon my one experience, that a very good spot is parallel to the shore on the outside edge (they were swimming parallel to the shore).

The "Black Water" dive, as Big Island Divers called it, was cancelled due to weather so I missed that one.

From OP's schedule both sound possible.

I'm planning on booking my flight to Kona on Monday

 

[AZTinman]

Night Manta Dive operators use two dive sites; a site out by the old airport (Garden Eel Cove) and a site by the Sheridan. Opinions will likely vary, but I like the old airport site better than the Sheridan site.

The set-up by the old airport creates an amphitheater type of setting with operators configuring divers in a large circle. It's pretty easy to get in on the manta action with all of the operators working collaboratively.

The structure of the reef at the Sheridan site requires that operators work independently. The manta action tends to be kinda of a hit and miss thing.

Which site is used depends upon where the mantas will most likely be. Of course, the amount of plankton available at the sites determines where the mantas (and how many mantas) will probably show-up.

-AZTinman