Rain and Vis on the Big Island

[slingshot]

Hi everyone. I'm heading out to the Big Island shortly and have been watching all the reports of heavy rain this week with trepidation (and sympathy to those getting soaked these past few days). How much of an effect on vis does all this rain have? Here in California, a few days of rain can make many shore diving sites pretty turbid, not to mention the coliform bacteria counts climb uncomfortably high. Does the volcanic shoreline mean less turbidity with rainfall in the Kona area? Any recent dive reports to put forth from those of you out there now? Either way, I'm looking forward to diving in Kona, I just know that humpback is going to cruise in for a few up close glamour shots....

 

[Wildcard]

The heavy rain has been on the Helo side. The rain on this side is not that bad. Near stream runoff it is a little murkey but still very divable. What you need to worry about is the west and north facing shores high sufr advisory coming for sunday. The good news? They are wrong more than right.

 

[friscuba]

No rivers or creeks on the Kona side so rainfall generally has no effect here. There was a storm a few years back that washed soil from a golf course which was being built into the Ocean that caused a major mess down by Kealakekua Bay, otherwise I've only seen one rain (late last year there was one rain that made it a bit of a mess down in the Kailua area shore dives) here that's messed up shore diving.

The swell can be a bigger factor. Dive operators can easily avoid a north or south swell just by pulling around a point. A major (8-10' and up)west swell can mess boat diving up on occasion.

You need to realize that in Kona, a 30-35 foot viz day is a very bad viz day and not all that common. I used to dive in 3-4 foot (sometimes less) viz in Oregon - never had that here.

Have fun,

Steve

Hi everyone. I'm heading out to the Big Island shortly and have been watching all the reports of heavy rain this week with trepidation (and sympathy to those getting soaked these past few days). How much of an effect on vis does all this rain have? Here in California, a few days of rain can make many shore diving sites pretty turbid, not to mention the coliform bacteria counts climb uncomfortably high. Does the volcanic shoreline mean less turbidity with rainfall in the Kona area? Any recent dive reports to put forth from those of you out there now? Either way, I'm looking forward to diving in Kona, I just know that humpback is going to cruise in for a few up close glamour shots....