Dive Review of Kona Honu Divers/Westin Mauna Kea in
Hawaii/Kona

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Kona Honu Divers/Westin Mauna Kea: "Missed the Mantas, but 3 days with a well run shop.", Sep, 2021, by Joel Horie, UT, US ( Sr. Contributor 20 reports with 14 Helpful votes). Report 11822 has 1 Helpful vote.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Dove three days. First day was the two tank Manta. It was like Jacks Diving locker, with late afternoon Eel cove dive, followed by the night Manta dive in the same area. They told us they hadn't seen any Manta the previous week and we were the only two boats there. During the afternoon surface interval, a large female Monk seal showed up to hang and scratch on the anchor line. No Mantas showed on the night dive. After about 20 minutes(lots of Opaka paka and Trevaly), we just went off on a night dive. A group of large bluefin Trevaly were hunting with 3 or four morays. Boat was a large 46 twin ladder, with upper bridge. Lots of room. The next night we did the black water dive, with Captain Andy and DM Jeff Milisen. Jeff wrote the book "A field Guide to Blackwater Diving in Hawai'i". He gave an excellent pre dive brief/class. We had a full boat of 6 divers. School of small squid, siphonophores, a clapper jelly. Every one was seeing different creatures. At about 20 minutes, Jeff started banging on his tank and lighting up a small Oceanic Whitetip shark(4-5 feet?) It was right on my corner of the boat, so I got a great show. It started off just circling in the distance, but kept making repeated passes directly toward the boat. Jeff kept blocking the shark with his camera rig and it would swim away into the dark. Eventually it was making continuous passes at the boat, coming underneath. Jeff gave me the briefed signal and I ended the dive. Jeff made the rounds getting everyone back on the boat, while keeping the shark away from the divers. Even though it was a short 25 minute dive for me, it was really interesting watching the shark behavior. Jeff is on Instagram and Twitter. I highly recommend his book, especially if you are going to do one of the Kona black water dives. Also, did the two tank long range dive. Nothing big, but it was a scenic ride south along the coast. Highlight for me was a Flame Angel playing hide and seek behind a Spanish Dancer egg cluster(I never got a good photo). The black water dive and the long range were on a smaller boat, a Worldcat 330. It was setup really comfortably, with cushioned floor decking and padding on vertical surfaces as well(something soft to lean against). Shade almost the length of the boat and a padded foredeck as well. The cat ride is pretty plush, compared to similar size monohull. The Worldcat launches at the boat ramp. Before launch, you can drive right up to the boat on it's trailer and the crew will help load your gear up onto the boat.
Websites	Kona Honu Divers Westin Mauna Kea
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Hawaii, Belize, Grand Cayman, Socal, Bonaire, Roatan, Cabo Pulmo, Cozumel
Closest Airport	KOA Kona	Getting There	Hawaii Safe travels, for pre arrival COVID info.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	79-80°F / 26-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Stay with the DM, until the end of dive, then finish on your own near the boat. Black water, stay tethered until ready end dive.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	1 or 2	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		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Table and tank on the large boat. Just a tank on the small boat.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Kona Honu Divers/Westin Mauna Kea in Hawaii/Kona

Kona Honu Divers/Westin Mauna Kea: "Missed the Mantas, but 3 days with a well run shop.", Sep, 2021,

Photos Submitted with this Report

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/Westin Mauna Kea in
Hawaii/Kona