Instant Reader Report on Diving
Jack's Diving Locker/Orchid at Muana Lani in
Hawaii/Kona Coast - Big Island in
2002/03

 Great Lakes & many Caribbean locations 

Dive Conditions

We were limited to 1 hour or whenever we hit 500 p.s.i.  

There was a camera rinse tank on the boat and photographers were catered to
but not in a lavish manner.  

Overall Rating

Diving: Kona Coast diving was as nice as I thought it would be.  The staff
at Jack's was friendly and helpful.  The 2-tank trips begin at 8:30 but you
don't get back until 3:30 or so.  It isn't that the trips to the reefs are
that long but it takes them a while to assemble their guests, transport
them (a 5 to 15 minute van trip) to the dock & get under way.  I won't
say that their 38' boat was overloaded, but it certainly was filled to
capacity with 14 divers.  Like just about everything else in Hawaii, this
was no bargain: Their 2-tank trip is priced at $98.  I would say that a
full 3mm wetsuit is the minimum a diver would want.  Divers more sensitive
to the cold may want to bring more protection.  The evening manta dive was
an experience I would suggest that everyone try at least once.

Accomodations: The Orchid is swank and expensive.  It is at least a 30
min. drive from the Orchid to the dive shop in Kona. 

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