Recommendations for Tank Rentals Around Captain Cook

[bmbeaty]

I’m planning a trip for my wife and I to the Big Island for the first two weeks in April. We will be staying in a vacation rental 2 miles from Kealakekua Bay. We are planning to do a fair amount of shore diving, so I’m curious what my options are for tank rentals. I saw Big Island divers rents them for $10/day, but they are a fair ways from where we will be staying. I’m also curious if anyone in the area rents tanks on a weekly basis vs daily. An added side note- what should I plan on as far as water temperatures go for while I’m there. My wife gets cold easily so I’d like to make sure we take the appropriate wetsuit.

 

[diversteve]

The only operation I knew of near that area closed a few years ago so I'm guessing your closest option is Jack's Diving Locker in south Kona/Kailua - they're off Alii Drive south of the harbor.

TANKS
– Aluminum
– Air or Nitrox
(80, 72, 63, & 50 cu.ft.)

Several of the other shops including Big Island, Kona Honu and Kona Diving Co, are in an Industrial park just east of downtown - maybe a mile NE of Jack's.

All the dive boats leave from a harbor just north of town - Honokohau (sp)

 

[NorCalDM]

Blue Wilderness has tank cards you can buy and it makes it around $6 a tank but they are in the King or Queens shopping center North of the airport. Don't know of anybody in the area you will be staying most of the shops are in the Kona area.

 

[bmbeaty]

Thanks for the input! I was hoping there might be some lower profile shop in the area but it seems not. I was already planning on having to drive to the north side of Kona for our boat dives, but I was hoping there was somewhere closer for fills, especially since we will be staying so close to Two Step. Oh well. Guess that’s the price we pay for getting away from the crowds. If anyone has any other recommendations etc, feel free to share them- this is our first time visiting Hawaii.

 

[diversteve]

quick tips - almost anytime you drive across the island you're driving to considerable elevation - the Saddle Road for ex. goes to 6000' in one area. Staying along the coast is lower.

On a non-dive day Volcanoes National Park is certainly worth the drive. Being near CC you're about 1/2 way there.

It really is the "Big" Island so plan to do a lot of driving to see it all.

Kailua-Kona Water Temperature | United States | Sea Temperatures

 

[RVBldr]

An added side note- what should I plan on as far as water temperatures go for while I’m there. My wife gets cold easily so I’d like to make sure we take the appropriate wetsuit.

I was there over the holidays and dove several times and my Shearwater says it was a balmy 77F.

 

[ensu]

There is not a shop in that area anymore as they closed a couple of years ago. You might try reaching out to Big Island Scuba Repair. He focuses on filling for the dive ops in town that don't have a compressor but he also has a large contingent of rental tanks. With a card on file he will give you a code to come and get tanks at your leasure and then charge you at the end of your visit. This way you may be able to pick up several tanks and go a couple of days before coming back to swap out for fresh ones. He is a little hard to locate and really only open in the mornings but if you can get hooked up with Brad he will make sure you are taken care of.