Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Kona Honu/Paniolo Greens in
Hawaii/Kona, Big Island

Kona Honu/Paniolo Greens, May, 2004,

by Paul Lima, TN, USA (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 27 reports). Report 1073.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 5 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Signed up for 2-tank manta ray dive at Garden Eel Cove which is where the mantas come since the closure of the Kona Surf Hotel to the south. The Kona Honu is a large, new, clean boat with good set-up and lots of room. Briefings were thorough and entertaining. We were free to move about the boat as we wished while underway. It was a short ride to the site and we saw mantas as we attached to the fixed moorings. First dive was the evening dive and we saw our first daylight sighting of mantas above us. Went to 51 feet and watched the garden eel colony in the sand. Refreshments during the surface interval were very good with sandwiches, chips and a variety of soft drinks available. The night dive with the mantas was incredible. People had to time their giant strides to avoid landing on a ray. We were bumped repeatedly while on the surface waiting to descend. There were 15-17 mantas feeding at the lights set up on the bottom in about 30 feet of water. Each diver was provided a high illumination light source and several lights were set up on the bottom to draw plankton to the site. A wonderful dive and highly recommended. The only drawback was that the divemasters did not seem to value the beautiful coral in their backyard. They had guages unsecured and repeatedly bumped,touched, leaned on and kicked off the coral. If they had been more environmentally responsible I could enthusiastically recommend this operation. As it was our group left with a bitter-sweet memory.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 51-100 dives
Where else diving Florida Keys, Caymans, Maui, Lanai
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas surge
Water Temp 78-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 80-100 Ft/ 24-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions [Unspecified] accompany divemaster
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics 5 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
Was this report helpful to you?
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 655 dive reviews of Hawaii and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 

Want to assemble your own collection of Hawaii reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.12 seconds