Dive Review of Kona Honu Divers/VRBO in
Hawaii/Kona, Big Island

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Kona Honu Divers/VRBO: "Kona the better diving in Hawaii", Sep, 2023, by Francis Loncar, WI, US ( Contributor 15 reports with 6 Helpful votes). Report 12798.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation	N/A	Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I went to Kona for the 2nd year in a row and dove with Kona Honu, Big Island Divers, and Jacks Diving Locker, all big operations, but last year I was disappointed with small shops. Each of the 3 operators offers the same suite of diving: Local 2 Tank Dives, Advanced 2 Tank using a smaller boat with only 6 divers and going to more challenging dive sites, the Manta Ray dives either 1 or 2 tank, and the ultimate experience the Black Water Dives. Each shop will have you do a local dive charter first to observe your skill level before allowing you on the more advanced trips. All go out of Kona Harbor just north of town, you do need a car to get around. All 3 have their large boat docked at the harbor, while KH and BI launch their smaller boat from the ramp, which works equally well. The water off Kona is very clear, which results in less nutrients, thus fish tend to be smaller on the reefs. Coral is more sparse also, but the underwater topography is dominated by huge lava formations with canyons, swim throughs and lava tube caves. Thus, it is different from Caribbean diving, but very interesting. The crowd favorite is the night Manta dives where underwater lights are set up, which attracts plankton, and in turn attracts Mantas. Most nights it works, but for the first time in 6 dives we got skunked with no Mantas. You can get a raincheck for a replacement dive, but no refund. The most challenging dive is the BlackWater Dive, where you go out after dark into the deep water (5000') and are tethered to the boat with a 40' line to watch the creatures from the deep come up at night to feed on plankton. This is not large creatures but mainly small ones that are only a few cm in size. They are virtually transparent, so you have to get your light at just the right angle. For photographers, a video is best and you need to have the camera in one hand and a diffuse flood light in the other to play with lighting angles. The actual diving is not difficult just disorienting at first, and most of us come up "it's been 70 minutes already?". Note since you are up late, don't schedule a morning dive the next day, with BI Divers they do it after their Manta dive and we got back after midnight. Getting to Kona is easy, there are flights from the west coast. We went in the fall, the crowds are gone, water is warm and calm. The only thing you need to plan around is Ironman happens in Oct and diving shuts down for a couple of days. I don't use a wetsuit, but most will be happy with a 3 mil, a few times I wish I had brought my vest. For the Manta dives you need a rash guard on your legs.
Websites	Kona Honu Divers
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Kauai, Cozumel, Fla Keys, Wisconsin, Palau, Maui, Grand Cayman, Aruba, St Lucia, Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos
Closest Airport	Kona	Getting There	Served by all major US airlines
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	78-80°F / 26-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	100-300 Ft/ 30-91 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Staying within sight of the group, for Manta and Dark Water dives the rules are strict for protection of the diver and sea life
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Basic accommodations for cameras on the boats, if you are bringing a big rig there may not be room in the bucket.

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Dive Review of Kona Honu Divers/VRBO in Hawaii/Kona, Big Island

Kona Honu Divers/VRBO: "Kona the better diving in Hawaii", Sep, 2023,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Kona Honu Divers/VRBO in
Hawaii/Kona, Big Island