Hawaiian guides on the big island have developed great skill in finding the unique: Spanish dancers, rare juveniles, and lionfish. Kailua­Kona is filled with trendy shops to extract dollars from tourists in tacky hula shirts.... The major bill is the fishing industry, with dead marlin and sailfish as scenery du jour in the harbor. The diving is mostly lava flow dives with relatively low coral cover. Sea turtles belly-up to boats of snorkelers to be fed lettuce, dogfood, or "turtle chow".... There's excellent access to good shore diving at City of Refuge and at Puako at the northern end of the bicycle route for the Iron Man competition; still, the right guides provide fish fanciers a great experience.... Kauai has special trips available only in the summer, but Maui diving's not much; take day boats to the backside of Molokini or Lanai. Development in Honolulu has burned out most Oahu diving.... There's limited fish diversity here compared to further west in the Indo-Pacific. Some reefs are barren due to commercial collection for aquariums. There are few soft corals and dull hard corals, but colorful, plentiful, and unusual fish make the diving interesting.... Expect clear water, visibility that's often above 100', and air temperatures in the low 80s. Water temperatures range from 73 in January and February to 80 in August and September; visibility is usually better than the Caribbeanaround 100 feet.... From December through February, squalls can last several days; otherwise the climate's pleasant and unoppressive year-round.... There are plenty of condos available everywhere (many with cars, which you'll need since the dive boats are not berthed at hotels); ask your dive shop to find you a place; they often have good prices. . . .

For a full review of the following Hawaii destinations, see:

Kauai and Beyond, In Depth- February 1997

Kauai Several Operators, In Depth- July 1995

Hawaii (the Big Island or Kona)

Aloha Dive Co, April 1998, Bob Greaves, Bonita, CA. Enjoyed 4-2 tank dive days with Mike Nakachi owner. Max of 6 divers on most, comfortable clean boat. Dive sites remote from other dive boats. Some days 2-4 divers. Found several outstanding nudibranch. Lots of turtles. Vis: 70-80 ft. Water: 77 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced were reasonable limits. The rule seems to be practice safe diving and do not hurry your bottom time. (Ph: 808-325-5560/800-708-KONA, e-mail Dive Adc @ Kona.com)

Aloha Dive Co., August 1998, Scott Seidman, Oakland, CA. Fabulous alternative to the cattle-boats of Eco & Kona-coast divers. Mike Nakachi has a custom built 30 foot boat and dives both local and (with a 25+ knot cruising speed) distant sites. Never more than 6 divers, plus Mike or his divemaster Earl. Vis: 75-85 ft, water: 78 degrees. Dive your computer, or enjoy Mike's expert knowledge of indigenous and endangered species. Oxygen, VHF, cellphone, delicious cookies, juice, sodas, water and laughter help make Aloha Dive the best. They include all gear in the price! Compare this operation to Dive Makai, another excellent Kona-coast operator.

Eco Adventures, September 1997, Andy Larsen, Lahaina, HI. No mantas on manta dive! Hawaii has lost most of their reef fish and corals to collectors, pollution, agricultural run-off and over fishing. Vis: 100-140 ft. Water: 79-81 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced were depth and follow the guide. I am a Maui resident; diving here does not compete with Caribbean or Australia. (Ph: 800-949-3483 or 808-329-7116, e-mail ecodive@bigisland.com)

Eco Adventures, Royal Kona, March 1998, Yvonne Clarke, Rohnert Park, CA. Dove with them four days. My partner did O-W check out dives first two days. Regular divers get pampered. They set up your gear, store it in between dives, lengthy dive briefings, large comfortable boat, nice snack between morning dives (except no fruit). They never did ask me how many dives I had (140) or how long since last one (17 months). Dive restriction; dive with group. . . . All went well until last day. Afternoon dive was so-so. No snack before night manta dive. Water was extremely surgy, but they said it was ok for my partner (on her second day certified) and another diver certified the previous day. At the bottom it was a nightmare of surge; one divemaster stayed with my partner. I was ok except within 5 minutes I ran out of air! Divemaster gave me octopus, brought me to surface. My partner saw we had both disappeared and found someone to bring her up. Divemaster apologized for not checking my gauge when she put me in. Owner did not want to refund money for our dive, but agreed to refund me the difference between a one & two tank dive ($30) but was reluctant to refund my partner's dive, but eventually refunded $30. I asked the other newly certified diver if she had seen any mantas and she said "no, I was just trying to stay alive. Though I knew that Eco Adventures claims to check all your gauges before putting you in the water, it is also my responsibility to check my air (which normally I always do, and certainly always will in the future). The out-of-air situation was quite traumatic for me. (I hyper-ventilated for quite awhile afterwards.) If I were the owner in that situation, I would have gone out of my way to make sure I had a satisfied customer.

Eco Adventures/Royal Kona Resort, August 1998, Tom & Roxanne Boysen, Iowa City, IA. Well organized. Experienced divers put together; most trips had a large group of beginners. Dive guides knowledgeable on marine life and took care of your gear. Wanted to see mantas on night dive, but none showed. Vis: 50-75 ft, water: 77-79 degrees. Royal Kona resort nice with comfortable rooms, private balcony facing the ocean, and refrigerator. Food and facilities excellent; package for diving and hotel a good deal.

Eco-Adventures, Royal Kona, September 1998, T. Lopatin, Lake Hopatcong, NJ. Vis: 50-100 ft, water: 79-80F. Between providing food for the table and fish for the aquarium, the hard coral-only reefs are sparsely populated. Most divers are beginners and Eco-Adventurers gives them pre-dive briefings that seem longer than the dive. One interesting contradiction to this safety conscious approach: bring beginners into some tight caverns/caves where a panicked diver could wreck havoc on the group. Bring a light on all dives. Don't miss the Manta Ray Madness night/evening combo. Also take the helicopter ride (Blue Hawaiian) around the island and visit the park.

Jack's Diving Locker, July 1997, Jessica Summers, Benton, IL. Manta ray night dive spectacular. Manta put on a great show, beautiful creatures. Vis: 37 ft. Water: 75-80 degrees. Service was great. Kellu videoed our dives; exceptional video. (Ph: 800-345-4807 or 808-329-7585, e-mail dive@ilhawaii.net)

Jack's Diving Locker, January 1998, James & Jennifer Mills, Monroeville, PA. These guys were pure fun! Vis: 70-130 ft, water: 72-78 degrees. One hour dive with "Taz," a manta ray.

Jack's Diving Locker, May 1998, Scott Van Tyle, San Mateo, CA. Completed PADI Advanced class in 3 days (2 tanks/dives each day) for $355. Dive crew outstanding! Ecology oriented. Have done 29 dives in last three years in Kona. Few problems and no complaints! Vis: 100-125 ft., water 76-78 degrees. Good diving with really dedicated people. Great deal.

Kona Coast Divers, February 1998, Pat Hennessy, Morrison, CO. Made us feel at home. Took us to sites where we could see the things we looked forward to seeing in Hawaii. Vis: 50-70 ft. Water: 75-77 degrees. Depth and time limits. Ming, Bob, Jeff, Larry and Melanie were just great. (Ph: 800-KOA-DIVE or 808-329-8802, e-mail divekona@kona.net)

Kona Coast Divers, February 1998, Cathy and Gordon McGowan, Beaverton, OR. Excellent service and instruction. Staff is informative, friendly, knowledgeable, safety conscious. water: 74-76 degrees. Fantastic experience!

Ocean Sports Wakoloa/Royal Waikoloan, April 1998, Lydia Klein, Long Beach, NY. Royal Waikoloan needs renovation; service great, rooms clean, a bargain. Ocean Sports Waikoloa has ended discounts for frequent dives. To spend $500 on 5 days of diving is outrageous on a tattered old boat! From now on I will dive with Kohala Divers (Turner and Jorinne are wonderful) who use the same competent and fun crew as Ocean Sports. Or Jack's Diving locker (Janice is great!) Water 76 degrees, 2-3 degrees colder than usual in April. Vis: 70-125 ft. Dolphins accompanied us to sites. Good vis, no currents. Scorpion fish, 6' white tip, all kinds of wrasse, butterfly fish. Octopus on almost every dive and turtles! Great diving! (Ph: 808-885-5555, Fax: 808-885-5863)

Pacific Rim Divers/Orchid at Mauna Lani, July 1998, Gregg M. Gaylord, Sheboygan, WI. Allowed to dive my own profile and depths on my computer. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 77-79 degrees. Excellent operation: educational, interesting and fun! Dives included 13 large sea turtles at Turtle Towers being cleaned by a surgeonfish, eels from common to rare, nudibranchs, turkeyfish, frogfish, countless butterfly fish, spinner dolphins. I was attending a medical meeting that let out too late to make the morning two tank dives; with Frank and Patrice this was no problem! They met me at the Honokohau Bay docks at 9:30 am, put their boat in the water, and off we went. Excellent briefings. Boat carries a maximum of 6 divers (though it can hold more). Two other divers on trips. Frank and Patrice are easy going. Supply of liquids and snacks, rent well maintained Scuba Pro equipment, the feel of chartering a private boat at prices slightly less than average Kona boat; boat has no head on board but restrooms at the harbor; pay a visit before getting on the boat. Three tank dives. (Ph: 808-334-1750, Website: http://www.pacificrimdivers.com/default.htm)

Red Sail/Hilton Waikoloa, September 1997, Jane Williams, Santa Ana, CA. Accommodations at Waikoloa beautiful. Island extremely expensive. Sometimes too many divers in group following divemaster. They change your tanks, both bring your tank/BC to you when you go in, take them from you when you get out. The area we were diving, near the Waikoloa, had been farmed for tropical fish tanks, noticeable lack of fish. But lots of turtles. Night dive with Jack's in Kona fantastic. Three huge mantas, 30' for one hour, worth every penny. Vis: 40-50 ft. Water: 78-82 degrees. Dive restrictions Only cloudy one day. Calm seas. (Ph: 800-255-6425 or 808-8

Kauai

Bubbles Below, November 1997, David R. Lamb, Salt Lake City, UT. 55-2876) Bubbles Below has received many positive reports in this publication. I agree with them all. Major pluses include the knowledge and enthusiasm of the guides and their genuine concern for safety. A hot water shower on the boat; boat is a little crowded with a full complement of eight divers because of the large engine box in the center. Standard entry is the backroll. Lights and computers are provided gratis (no dive shop or gear storage available). The boat operates out of Port Allen and morning commute traffic being what it is, you're better off staying somewhere south of Lihue. Water 79 degree and visibility from 30-70 ft. A two tank dive is $100 . . . expensive. But 10% and 15% discounts with multiple dives and the seventh dive is free. (Ph: 808-822-3483, e-mail Kaimauu@aloha.net)

Bubbles Below, June 1998, Peter Rivas, New York, NY. One of the best outfits I have ever been diving with. Ken and Linda Bail do a great job of showing you hard-to-find critters. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 72-76 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced were no deco dives, back at anchor line with 600 psi. They give a great dive briefing and are safe and fun to dive with. They also do a day trip to Niilau that is outstanding diving.

Bubbles Below/Poipu Shores Condos, Kauai, August 1998, Tom & Roxanne Boysen, Iowa City, IA. Diving with Linda wonderful. She knows about the sea life and is enthusiastic. Charter to Niihou was special. Many sharks and monk seals. Current at times was strong. Vis: 30-80 ft, water: 75-79 degrees. Boat ride back to Kauai (2+ hrs) was bumpy. Another charter several days later was canceled because of the difficult crossing. Dives expensive, but worth every cent. Poipu Shores condos were great. Got a free up grade to a 2 bedroom townhouse on the ocean. Sea turtles (20-30) swam in the small bay by our private patio. Restaurants in the area were good. Keoki's Paradise was our favorite. Hiking in Waimea Canyon was spectacular and should not be missed.

Maui

Dive and Sea Maui/Mike Severens/Maui Coast Hotel, April 1998, James and Florence Metcalfe, Vacaville, CA. Free rental gear if you need it, but expensive operation. Went with no reservations. Low season. Excellent hotel, Maui Coast, 1-2 mile from boat ramp. Could have gone cheaper. Walk-up prices at several places quoted under $60/night. Got new Maui Coast hotel at $79/night. (Would have been $135/night in advance). Severns: did not have good experience, no Mike or Pauline, which may have made difference. Dive and Sea Maui-small operation with no advertising. Excellent. Small boat, max 6 divers. Went to several out of the way locations. No other boats at any site. No handholding. Water: 73-77 degrees, vis: 50-100 ft. For experienced divers.

Ed Robinson's Diving Adventure, December 1998, Jeff Chandler. ERDA runs two boats: big boat for larger groups doing two tank dives, small boat for smaller groups or the 3 tank adventure. They have a 48 hour cancel policy, which is outrageous. We booked for Wed/Thu/Fri. Early Wednesday, after seeing both boats, my wife says "no way I'm doing three tank on that little boat Friday." We notify divemaster immediately about possibly canceling Friday and explain why. He radios headquarters and they offer to run the big boat for the Friday trip and they did. The 3 tank adventure was the best of the 3 days and the big boat was basically running empty: 3 divemasters and 3 passengers, boat would take 4 and 13 normally. Dived Shark Condos at Molikini, 85 and Red Hill, all excellent sites, particularly because of divemasters Bird and Kim Gleason. Two days at Lanai and Molikini. Charter includes lunch, beverages, tanks, and weights. Divemasters were up on the local fauna and did not shepherd the group too tightly. (Ph: 800-635-1273 or 808-879-3584, e-mail robinson@maui.net)

Ed Robinson Diving Adventures/Lahaina Divers, December 1997, Carl Rutherford, Redmond, WA. December usually windy, choppy with surge. Close to shore the vis is only 40-50 ft. Offshore it is 100+. . . . Lahaina Divers runs a cattle boat. We took an hour (last time) to go to Lanai, then when we got there they turned around and motored all the way back to South Maui because it was too rough for the snorklers (we weren't told we were going to have them on board). . . . Very impressed with ERDA. Took a three tank advanced computer adventure and an afternoon/dusk and night dive. On the three tank, we did the apartments at 115 ft. Saw a large spotted eagle ray, a few jacks, 4' white tip, long nose hawk fish in black coral, reef scorpion and reticulated butterfly. . . . Met at 6:30 a.m. at Kihei Landing, launched at 7 with 6 divers (max), Captain Bill and divemaster Al. 2nd dive at Jodies Backyard (near 5 caves). Found harlequin shrimp, Hawaiian lobster, slipper lobster, turkey fish, fairy nudibranch. Since too many boats at next site, they motored to Molokini for slow drift 'outside to inside'-a great dive. Good briefings and Al did a great job of pointing things out. Aluminum 80's with good fills. . . . Fish dive was at Molokini near dusk. We were looking for a large frog fish at 80' but had no luck. But in came 4 Mantas (12') to get cleaned. They stayed a long time. 2-4' white tips, several types of eels and lots of jacks. We were the only boat here because of the time. Night dive at 5 caves. Lots of critters out: reticulated 1frogfish. . . . Bad Stuff: One DM told me strongly 'to get my mask off my head while I was getting my equipment out of my dive bag. No explanation was given. I was angry with him and disgusted when this DM lights up at the break between dives next to us. . . . Papakea a good medium-priced condo in Honokowai. Did 6 shore dives also Black Rock (2), Honolua, Ahihi, 5 caves, 13 mile marker. Maui Dive Shop charges $40 for 10 tank rentals. Black Rock still good.(Ed Robinson, Ph: 800-635-1273 or 808-879-3584, e-mail robinson@maui.net) (Lahaina Divers, Ph: 800-998-3483 or 808-667-7496, e-mail lahdiver@maui.net)

Ed Robinson/Maui Coast Hotel, April 1998, Wayne Leonard, San Francisco, CA. Appreciated being able to dive my own profile. I was the last one to surface and never felt pressured to cut dive short since air and computer were OK. Vis: 80-100 ft. Otherwise, the hyped Diving Adventure 3-tank dive wasn't much different from the regular dive except for lack of newbies. Dive crew good to excellent.

Lahaina Divers, December 1998, Jeff Chandler. Did 3 tank dive with Lahaina Divers, but stayed in Makena so Lahaina Divers was on the wrong end of Maui for us. Okay, no great shakes. How can a dive shop sell a T-shirt that says: "No Fear, no one can hear you scream at 200 feet" and then have a hissy fit when a diver strays from the profile. I think it's called talking out of both sides of your mouth. All sizzle and no steak. (Ph: 800-998-3483 or 808-667-7496, e-mail lahdiver@maui.net)

Lahaina Divers, May 1998, Yong Choi, Palo Alto, CA. Trips to Molokini Crater leave at 6:30 a.m. Divemaster for every 8 divers for guide. The boats, Endeavor 27 diver and Reliant 16 diver, were very comfortable. Morning dive to Molokini Crater or Lanai two-tanks $105, three tanks $135, afternoon turtle reef two-dive $85, night dive two-tanks $105. Winter gets cool water and rough 71-73 degrees. Vis: 80-90 ft. Restrictions enforced were 70 ft. Staff are very customer oriented and highly recommend trip to Molokini Crater back wall for drift diving.

Maui Divers, March 1998, Dennis McCrea, Sacramento, CA. Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Good dive briefings. If you want better more advanced diving opt for the trip to Lanai. Whales put on a good show. Vis: 50-80 ft., water: 69-72 degrees.

Mike Severn's Diving, July 1997, Jessica Summers, Benton, IL. Exceptional day of diving. Pauline Severn's used the guide book that she and her husband had written to inform us of the creatures that we would see in the Molokini Crater. Saw baby white tip sharks, a male and female eel, colorful tropical fish, large beautiful manta ray. Vis: 135 ft. Water: 75-80. (Ph: 808-879-6596)

Mike Severns, March 1998, Dennis McCrea, Sacramento, CA. Dove 2 days with them. The day Mike was captain he was unfriendly (demanded anyone that wanted to dive the rest of the week to pay in full before the boat even loaded). Treated all divers as beginners. Boat does not have any provision for people with cameras, "Just lay them on top of that duffle bag in the corner. The second time we went his wife was one the boat and he wasn't, what a difference in attitude. Everyone was friendly and relaxed. Vis: 50-80 feet, water: 69-72 degrees.

Ocean Quest/Bubbles Below/Kuhio Shores Condominiums, September 1998, Steve Williams, Highlands Ranch, CO. Water 77-82. George and Jeanette Thompson of Ocean Quest are intimately familiar with shore diving Tunnels Reef on the north side of Kauai. Rainy; visibility was 20 feet, but diving was fun. Exploring the lava tubes and caverns reveals lots of critters. Petted a white-tip reef shark and got my teeth cleaned by cleaner shrimp. Green sea turtles, lionfish, eels, Hawaiian and spiny lobsters, lots of tropicals. Night dive during full moon with Jeannette Thompson at Koloa Landing/Whaler's Cove. White-tip reef shark, green sea turtles, lionfish, eels, filefish, sleeping encased parrotfish, crabs, Hawaiian and spiny lobsters, lots of tropicals. Bubbles Below: Twilight and night dive during full moon with Ken and Debbie at Ambers Arches. White-tip reef shark, green sea turtles, lionfish, eels, filefish, Spanish dancer and fried-egg nudibranchs, exquisite marbled shrimp, sponge crabs, giant slipper lobster, ghost shrimp, Hawaiian and spiny lobsters, large schools of fish. All-day boat trip to Niihau probably the best (and most expensive) diving in Hawaii; 2 hours one way can be very difficult, so be prepared. Dove Keyhole, Arches and Pu'u Mu'u. Many large schools of fish, spinner dolphins, Hawaiian monk seals, critters galore. Vis 75-100 feet.

Scuba Shack/Affordable Accommodations (Bed & Breakfast), January 1998, Robert & Ellie Johnston, Ft. Worth, TX. Accommodations great. A little bed and breakfast five minutes from the boat launch. Pool and excellent place to hang and dry our gear. Scuba Shack outstanding. Their dive boats are state of the art with a warm freshwater shower on board. Easy on and off, boat personnel helped us in the boat and set up our gear for the next dive. Boats limited to 12 divers. Divemasters knowledgeable, explained about the dive sites and about the creatures we hoped to encounter. They also went out of their way when we spotted a whale to get us as close as allowable. Turtle town was terrific experience. Chose Scuba Shack to dive Nitrox. Our tanks were ready every day and were always accurate. First class facility.