2000 Chapbook

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., June 1999, Stevie Nelson, Danville, CA. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 77-79 degrees. Restrictions: use computer. Mike Nakachi has a big, fast, uncluttered new boat. 6 divers max, remote sites worth extra $. Mike and Earl helpful and flexible to meet divers' desires. Mike's wife makes best cookies for snacks! Smooth dive operation, custom feeling. Would opt for more remote sites. Excellent experience. (Ph: 808-325-5560/800-708-KONA;e-mail Dive Adc @ Kona.com)

Big Island Divers, January 1999, Francine Alexander (skyking1@earthlink.net) Vis: 60-100 ft. Water: 76-78 degrees. Restrictions: 130 ft. Smaller six-pk. boats. Best experience we've had in Kona. Seven schooling hammerheads, lots of white tips, migrating humpbacks, spinner dolphins, hundreds of turtles, Spanish dancers, abundant tropical fish. Crew knowledgeable, friendly and efficient. Patrice's brownies #1. (Telephone 800-329-6068 or 808-329-6068; Fax 808 326-5654)

Dive Makai/Diver Dan's B&B/Hilo Oceanside B&B/Kona Makai/The Hilton, Pamela and Powell Arms, Narberth, PA. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water: 72-75 degrees. Weather: sunny. Water: choppy, surge. Stayed at several locations and did both shore and boat diving. Diver Dan's B&B in Papa Bay where the Aggressorhangs out. Based on his brochure and talking to him, it seemed we would have a short walk to a pier and great pristine diving. Actually, we had to travel 25 minutes north to get our tanks from Meesha of Old Hawaiian Coffee Divers (328-2277); great guy, instructor with an organic coffee plantation will take you diving. To get to the supposed pier close by we had to drive back 25 minutes and then another 20 minutes down a one lane road to get to the nearby site. It was rough so we dove Honaunau, near where we got tanks. Good site, Place of Refuge, spinner dolphins. Diver Dan's B&B is a distance from any restaurants easy dives and we felt like intruders in his house. Watch out for volcano smog; killer on the allergies, bad south of Kona!. . .Stayed at Hilo Oceanfront B&B. Great views, laid back host, Jay, a diver. Nautilus Dive Shop in "downtown" Hilo is great; owner gave us maps of shore dive sites and told us about a wreck. The B&B is awesome with a hot tub, welcomes children, and is an exceptional value. Shore diving very good, we enter one site via a cold water spring with a surface thermocline. Wild diving and looking at snow topped Mauna Kea at the same time. . . .Kona Makai is very child unfriendly, my 9 month old was not allowed in the pool, though I told the person I booked with I had an infant. Our unit was substandard though others were great. The average age of the population was 70+; not for the younger folks.... Headed north to the Hilton in Kohala; not ideal for diving in Kona, but a good rate and child friendly. Three incredibly delightful days with Dive Makai; the manta ray dive was a must; mom and baby humpback whale came up to the boat, as did dolphins. First class operation. Impressed by their professionalism and thorough briefings. They let me do my thing. My husband and I have 300 dives between us, and this was one of the best operations. (Telephone 808-329-2025; Fax 808-329-2025)

Dive Makai/Eco-Adventures/Condos Aston, November 1998, Hank Goichman (goichphoto@earthlink.net), Los Angeles, CA. Vis: 75-80 ft. Water: 75-77 degrees. Both Dive Makai and Eco Adventures did a nice job. Slight advantage to Eco Adventures; the boat's much better than Dive Makai's, which lacked a head. Briefings good, equipment was fine, price slightly less with Eco. Dive Makai accepts only cash. Diving in Hawaii is fine but not comparable to Cozumel or Caymans.

Dive Makai, November 1998, Amy Simon, Alexandria, VA. Vis: 60-80 ft. Water: 75 degrees. Restrictions: 2 dives/day, follow divemaster or do your own thing. Manta night dive. Did day dives with Lisa, wonderful sites, saw white tip, huge pufferfish, neat critters. Coral disappointing but sea life more than compensated. Large caverns and swim throughs in day dives. Manta dive unbeatable. 12 to 14 ft wing span, they swoop over your head, inches away. No snorkels allowed because they scratch mantas' bellies. Stayed at disappointing B&B. Volcano Park was fascinating. Good food throughout Hawaii but expensive.

Dive Makai/Silver Oaks Ranch B&B, February 1999, Al Sharp, Littleton, CO. Vis: 50-150 ft. Water: 76-78 degrees. Sunny. Water: calm. Dive Makai is the best! The 32nd-36th days we dived with Lisa and Kendra; took us where we asked and pointed out more critters than I had film to shoot. My lifelong dive buddy (bless her patient heart) and I were on our own to look for good shots. Stayed with Rick and Amy Decker at their B&B that is 1500 feet up the mountain and 10 min. from the Kailua/Kona pier. Rick is with the Kona Underwater Photographers Society so has set up the B&B as a dream for UW Photogs. Huge work table, multiple rinse tanks, hangers for wet suits. Since Dive Makai boat leaves early, Amy stocked our "apartment's" refrigerator with fresh fruit, muffins and other goodies. Wonderful laid back place to rest your head, paddle in the pool or warm up in a hot tub (couple of miles from any beach). Lots of turtles, frogfish living on one permanent mooring. Swam with the pilot whales 3 times. Oceanic white tip shark was present each time too.

Dive Makai/Kona Seaside Hotel, March, 1999, John Crossley, Midvale, UT. Vis: 80-100 ft. Fifth trip with Dive Makai; with over 800 dives I still think they are the very best. Excellent briefings and post dive discussion about marine behaviors. They know where to find the critters and are staunch defenders of the environment. Boat has room for 10-12 divers comfortably with max of 6 divers/guide. Great about letting divers follow their own profile. Computers provided if you don't have one. Snorkeled with 200 dolphins between dives and saw a couple whales in the distance at the surface. Manta night dive was great with 6 big mantas. Water only 74 degrees but most of us stayed in for an hour. 10 turtles. Great diving.

Dive Makai/Royal Kona Resort, July 1999, Kurt G. Schwarz, DDS, Potomac, MD. Vis: 75-100 ft. Water: 78-80 degrees. Royal Kona nice resort, but get room on 5th floor or higher. Disco on ground level too loud and plays till 11:30 p.m. Fri./Sat. We were getting meal plan, due to travel agent error was not booked. Royal Kona wanted $480 breakfast/dinner 9 days p/p. Decided this was too high. Restaurants not that expensive and had a lot to choose from. Dive Makai; the best dive operation I've seen. The reefs are not that spectacular, but lots of interesting animals. Saw decoy leaf and Barber's scorpion fish, lionfish, frogfish, morays, 12 green sea turtles, lobster, regal slipper lobster, eel and a great day time encounter with 10 ft. manta. Didn't do night manta dive; last several weeks very iffy that mantas would show up. Did nice reef night dive instead. Photo-wise, the trip was very productive due to Dive Makai. Allowed as much bottom time as wanted. I averaged 60 minutes/dive. 3 tank adventure dive to the south worth doing. 3 room cave interesting inhabitants.

Dive Makai, September 1999, Ed Pasini (Epas356@aol.com), Henderson, NV. Outstanding, I've been diving with them for 15 years and have made four trips to the Solomons with them. What their operation lacks in boat amenities it makes up for in outstanding dive guides. They attract experienced divers and that also enhances the experience. South trips: three tank all day excursions departing Kailua around 7:30 am and returning about 5:00 pm. 30 miles south of Kailua to the 1950's lava flow. They prefer traditional night dives. Saw 12' manta at The Black Hole; bore the markings of the critters usually seen at the Kona Surf. 10' Pregnant Hammerhead at Kiewe Point. Kona continues to be a worthwhile destination for beginners as well as experienced divers. For years I have referred to the night manta dives as the "fannies and fins" dive, that's all you see when you look in your viewfinder.

Eco-Adventures, February 1999, Karen Groshong, Tillamook, OR. Vis: 100-125 ft. Water: 76-78 degrees. Weather: sunny, Water: calm, surge. Restrictions: Under the boat with 500 psi; 130 foot depth limit. Best dive boat operation I've experienced. Four or five divers assigned to one divemaster; request for your favorite DM was honored. Gear was stored and dried overnight, and back on the boat, set-up for you. Staff treats your gear as if it belonged to them personally. Pre-dive briefings included map and history of the site, pictures of marine life we might expect. Deli lunch, hot coffee, lemonade, icewater on board, along with gear rinse tanks, camera tanks, hot shower, private head. Hot air popcorn following the night dives; Maximum divers were 20, although the boat was rated for more. Never crowded, nor did we get the "cattleboat" feeling. Would be difficult to find divemasters as great as Rudy and Bob, or a Captain as fun Scott. Scott traveled off course to allow us to see whales, dolphins and mantas. Never in a hurry to get back. The 10-day vacation was arranged by Amanda at Eco Adventures, including airfare, hotel, rental car, diving. It is the first trip, diving, or otherwise, where everything happened as scheduled and promised. (Ph: 800-949-3483 or 808-329-7116, e-mail ecodive@bigisland.com)

Eco-Adventures/Royal Kona Resort, May 1999, Mark Bryant (mdb102058@aol.com), Pensacola, FL. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 74-75 degrees. Sunny. Water: calm. No restrictions. Mark and Warren of Eco-Adventures planned this 2 week dive trip for us, including all dives, lodging, car rental and inter-island air. First week in Kona was spectacular with the manta night five, where 5 huge mantas schooled within several feet and sometimes grazing our heads to eat the plankton our dive lights attracted. Totally awe-inspiring. Another great dive was a Blue Water dive: we were suspended on a 70' long tether in 5000' water, sitting in wait for whatever would come along. We were lucky to see a Humpback Whale and her calf swim by within 30-40' in the 200' vis waters. We could have started a new religion with the feelings that came from that experience. Long-Chain pelagic Tunicates and other equally odd creatures swam by as well. Pilot Whales and Spinner Dolphins swam near the boat; we donned snorkel gear and slipped quietly into the water with our video camera. It wasn't easy keeping up with them but with the help of the boat plucking us and dumping us closer to the pods we were able to get some incredible footage. After Kona, we went to Maui where we stayed in Kei'i first and then Lahaina. We dove the incredible, must-do Molokini Crater where we saw several white-tipped reef sharks and we could hear whales singing. Dove the Cathedrals of Lanai that were definitely awesome and worthwhile. Had I known, we would have stayed in Kona longer and Maui just long enough to do Molokini Crater and The Cathedrals. Saw so many turtles off Kona that we became used to their presence. Let Mark and Warren of Eco-Adventures handle everything. They did a fantastic job.

Jack's Diving Locker/Royal Kona, August 1998, Marvin Glassmann (Marvg13@aol.com), Huntington, NY. Vis: 60 ft. Water: 78 degrees. Many turtles, swam with dolphins. Dive personnel up and spontaneous. Much acclaimed manta night dive a total bust. All the boats gathered and if there were mantas they were probably lying just outside the ring of light watching the biped fools milling about with their lights, cameras and glow sticks. Good, comfortable boat. Water calm, usually choppy. (Ph: 800-345-4807 or 808-329-7585, e-mail dive@ilhawaii.net)

Jack's Diving Locker/Royal Kona Resort, December 1998, Sherry & Kevin Graham, Puyallup, WA. Vis: 80-100 ft. Water: 76-78 degrees. Dive restrictions: Dives at 60 ft. due to terrain. Wonderful dive vacation thanks to recommendations in Undercurrent.Four days of boat diving with Jacks, one of the best we ever used. They load and unload your gear and rinse it on the boat. Friendly and easy going. Groups of 6 according to experience. Boats are nice. The 38-ft boat takes a maximum of 14 divers and the 24 ft. boat takes 6. A head on the large boat but not on the small one. Meet at 8:30 a.m. and get back 2:30 p.m. Secured room where you can hang up your gear and leave it. They give you sandwiches, cookies and ice tea. Diving not as colorful as in the Caribbean; coral is all light green. Plenty of colorful tropical fish, some you only see in Hawaii. Lot of different types of eels. On each dive we went in a lava cave swim through. The colors on the walls were spectacular when illuminated by our lights. Huge yellow sponges and small flat sponges that were red, orange, yellow and green. Those wearing full 3 mm jacket and john were cold. After scraping my bare legs in the lava tubes, I rented a skin. Saw humpback whales above the water and I heard a whale song on one dive. Unable to do the manta night dive because the waves and surge were too rough, but did night dive in a calm protected area. 11 days of sun. On a few days, the waves were really crashing, but there was always a calm protected area to dive. Went to several beaches to snorkel. We enjoyed snorkels as much as diving and saw some fish not on the dives. Turtles, eels, and octopus. Kahalu'u Beach Park, Honaunau Bay, Kealakekua Bay where there are resident spinner dolphins. Rent kayaks near park to get you into the bay to snorkel with dolphins. Best snorkel spot was Captain Cooks Monument that can only be reached by boat, kayak (rented at Kealakekua Bay) or by hiking trail. 5 mile round trip hike. Another rewarding hike is to green sand beach at South Point (6 miles round trip). Good for swimming but not snorkeling. All in Robert Smith's "Hawaii's Best Hiking Trails" which you need to find the trail heads. Tank up on free Kona coffee samples at the coffee plantations. Stayed at the Royal Kona Resort across the street from Jack's. We got 50% off on our room by using the Entertainment card. The room had an ocean view, TV, small refrigerator, a coffee maker, and a safe. Dining room had water front seating but never ate there: too expensive. Walk to town from the hotel to many shops and restaurants. We got a discount on a rental car through the hotel at Dollar; $29 a day for a subcompact. By going to a timeshare presentation at the Bay Club in Hawaii we learned how they worked and got a free helicopter ride and luau show.

Jack's Diving Locker, 1999, Jeffrey Strathmeyer, Pleasant Hill, CA. Vis: 100 ft. Water: 79-80 degrees. Shop and sites ideal for beginners or those desiring a refresher. Dives guided in groups of 5-8, but divers may do their own dive if they have a buddy. Guides, all instructors, were good with less experienced divers. Sites selected "on the fly" after polling divers. Great visibility, very bright at 80'. Crew sets up your tanks. Staff attitude A++. They have a good time and so do you. Mantas did not show for night dive. Due to lack of challenges and variety of things to see, I doubt experienced divers would want to stay more than a few days. Typical boat ride to site is 15". Wish my son had done his qualification dives here. He would still be diving. (Unfortunately he got the pleasure of being pounded into the beach in Monterey).

Jack's Diving Locker/Eco-Adventures, January 1999, Thomas Harvey, Hillsdale, NJ. Cool water and choppy seas. With Jack's we paid to dive with the mantas at night on an overclouded boat. No room to move and the seasick patrons were not having fun. The hundred divers trying to play with mantas was a show. Hawaii has only hard coral and few reef fish. Eco uses a large cat more comfortable, but the diving is always chaos. Surge was super strong; 6 divers needed to be patched up on their return, and the 80-100 divers being tossed about as they tried to take pictures of the mantas was scary.

Jack's Diving Locker, August 1999, Zygmunt F. Dembek Ph.D., Suffield, CT. Vis: 50-70 ft. Water: Upper 70's. Made 7 boat dives. Typical Hawaiian tropical fish, sparse coral coupled with lava formations. Up to 16 divers. Sound dive operation that caters to novice divers. When you do a boat dive with Jack's, you will hang around the dive shop until the last diver shows up, usually an hour or more after the scheduled departure time. Also, you will be fed a tuna or turkey sandwich while on the boat, and pay handsomely for it! Most divemasters were highly skilled, amiable, and would cater to more advanced divers if given the opportunity. I signed up for the "blue water dive" and other advanced dives; they got canceled since no one else signed up. I did the "Naked Lady" wreck; after 2 1/2 years immersion, it was fairly barren of corals and growth, but a nearby sunken wooden spool held a large moray and 3 lionfish. Did the manta ray night dive off the Kona Surf Hotel. No mantas showed, though 4 boatloads of divers did. Our boat was divided into 2 groups and each of us had a cyalume lightstick tied to the back of our tank. Some divers in one group followed those from another operation since they had similarly colored light sticks! After having had enough of the dive, I motioned to my divemaster to ask where our boat was in the middle of the overcrowded dive site. I was escorted by my divemaster to 2 other dive boats before ours was found.

Kona Coast Divers, May 1999, Jeffrey D. Lang, Charleston, SC. Cruise on S.S. Independence docking in several ports in the Islands. A dive was set up by a travel agent with Kona Coast Divers with a pick-up in Kona. The day prior I called Kona Coast Divers and informed them of the ship's change of ports and was told they would meet us at the dock the following day. I called the shop to let them know we were ashore and waiting for them, but the person I spoke to did not know where we had docked, and was looking for us in the wrong location. Kona Coast Divers stated they were canceling the dive agreement and would refund the money. We did get to dive that day with another dive operator, the dive was the best of the trip. (Ph: 800-KOA-DIVE or 808-329-8802, e-mail divekona@kona.net)

Mauna Lani Sea Adventures/Orchid at Mauna Lani, June 1999, Steve Nielson, Danville, CA. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 77-79. Use computer. Mauna Lani Sea Adventures is ideal for visitors at Mauna Lani Properties on the Kohala Coast. Shuttle to and from dive operation. Boat is small and crowded with six divers. Nearby sites good, lots of turtles. Snacks not good; bring your own eats. Helpful divemasters and land staff. No charge to fix a leaking reg and free use of a prescription mask. (Telephone 808-885-7883 or 808-885-5813; Fax 808 885-8848)

Pacific Rim Divers, June 1999, Stevie Nelson, Danville, CA. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water: 77-79 degrees. Restrictions: use computer. Fast, good sized boat (new), 6 divers max. Patrice is engaging and found many small critters. Good sites close to harbor; Eel Cove wonderful site. Fruit, cookies, sandwiches and drinks. Flexible as to sites, helpful to beginning divers. Excellent experience. (Ph: 808-334-1750, Website: http://www.pacificrimdivers.com/default.htm)

Pacific Rim Divers/Kona Isle Condominiums, July 1999, Richard F. Davis (ifrparrot@aol.com), New Orleans, LA. Vis: 50-100+ ft. Water: 80-88 degrees. Sunny. water: calm. Patrice mentioned a 130ft limit, but we never got deeper than 100. Briefed to plan our safety stop with 700 psi, but they treated us like adults. Frank and Patrice Heller run a first class operation. They operate one boat, with a maximum of 6 divers, though on our last day it was just 2 of us. Kept our gear overnight, rinsed and ready to go the next day. During surface intervals they provided juice, water, fresh pineapple, and homemade brownies. Corals growing all over old lava flows, lava tubes, tropicals, crustaceans, turtles, giant mantas, spotted eagle rays, a white tip. Six days on the island wasn't enough.

Sandwich Isle Divers/King Kamehameha Hotel, November 1998, Bob Greaves, Bonita, CA. Water: 79-80 degrees, Vis: 70-90 ft. Second trip with Sandwich Isle. Max of 6 divers. They find unusual critters. Titan scorpion, leaf scorpion, razor wrasse. Several kinds of nudibranch. Strong current on one of eight dives. Hotel fine. Took most meals at Quinn's across from hotel. (Telephone 808-329-9188 or 808-329-5068; Fax 808-326-5652)

Sandwich Isle Divers/Sea Village, April 1999, Ardith and Terry Bowman, Beaverton, OR. Vis: 80-100+. Water: 73-75 degrees. Water: choppy, no currents. Restrictions depend upon Sandwich Isle's knowledge of you. Fun to stay with group and see what is discovered. Small group leads to flexibility. Steve and Brad are experienced at photography and video. One hour processing at Walmart is the best price. Third year diving with Sandwich Isle Divers and Captain Steve Myklebust. Limit boat to six divers. Steve and crew are fun. Steve will help you find critters. Have experienced amazing dives with Steve (from minuscule nudibranchs to sharks). Steve understands the biology of underwater life and offers a balance between guidance and flexibility. We have confidence in the safety of operations and technical expertise.

Kauai