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Dive Review of Wanna Dive/Kona by the Sea, ResortQuest in
Hawaii/Kona

Wanna Dive/Kona by the Sea, ResortQuest, Jan, 2008,

by Lynn Opp, CA, U.S.A. ( 1 report). Report 3840.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments My husband and I spent 4 days on the Big Island for volcano viewing and 2 days of diving. We happened to be on island during a large surge, so our first dive day was cancelled. We were very concerned we wouldn't get into the water at all. Luckily Wanna Dive came to the rescue and took us out for the 2nd day even though we were the only guests on board. Steve, the owner was the Captain and Cathy was the divemaster. They did a fantastic job. We chose Wanna Dive because of good reviews, the boat leaves at 9 am instead of sunrise and they have a 6 person max. We were not dissappointed. They handled all our gear including rinsing, gave incredible dive briefings, led a great underwater tour and provided first class service every step of the way. I noticed Cathy began accessing our skill and risk levels right away. She's been diving and captaining boats in Kona for 30 years. I'd feel very comfortable diving with her no matter what my skill level was. Steve was very accommodating and made sure we received all the service and information we could handle. He's also a great source of underwater information. The boat was recently refurbished and was clean and comfortable. Because of the surge conditions, our diving choices were limited. We moored at nearby Pawai Bay, a beautiful refuge full of colorful fish with whales singing in the background. We also viewed a couple humpbacks on the way to the dive site. For more details on Kona critters go to kona-scuba-diving.blogspot.com where Steve provides a wealth of information on Kona diving. When I scheduled the diving, I requested a 3 dive charter. Steve told me he could save us some money by doing 2 very long satisfying dives. He was right. Each dive was 60 minutes and covered a lot of ground. When I surfaced, I didn't feel the need to dive a third time that day. The company website is wanna-dive-kona.com.

We stayed at Kona by the Sea, ResortQuest. It was a large condominium with a king size bed, a full kitchen, 2 baths, a large living area and a balcony overlooking the ocean. We spent most of our time on the balcony watching body surfers just below us and whales migrating in the distance. There's a pool and hot tub on the grounds and a sea water pool a few yards away. They also have gas BBQs available on the beach. There's no beach access--it's all rocky shore. But the grounds have a sandy area with lounge chairs overlooking the water. The main town is about a mile away with a large choice of good restaurants and bars. There are no restaurants on the grounds. Safeway is about a mile a way. I made our reservation through Costco but you can call them directly. Costco provided a good package with the condominium and rental car. I strongly recommend an "ocean front" room rather than an "ocean view' room which isn't as close to the ocean.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Fiji, Palau, Cayman Islands, Belize, Yap, Channel Islands CA, Maui, Cozumel, Riviera Maya-Dos Ojos, Florida Keys, Caribean, US Northeast Coastline, Laguna, Monteray
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas no currents
Water Temp 75-78°F / 24-26°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions 60 minutes, 80 ft, 500 lbs on board
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

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

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments There seemed to be enough room for all the gear including camera equipment.
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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.

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