Epic Travel → North America → Hawaii → The Big Island → Kona Diving

Location: Kailua-Kona Area, Hawaii

Time Required: 6 hours

Red Tape/Notes: Don’t forget to take elevation into account if you have activities planned after diving – there’s no decompression chamber on the island so don’t be stupid.

What’s Nearby?: Kealakekua Bay, Manta Ray Night Dive

If you’re into diving, the west coast of the Big Island is a pretty nice destination, particularly where the state of Hawaii is concerned. The waters are somewhat warmer than the other islands (though if you’re used to diving in the Bahamas, you won’t be impressed with the temperatures, which run 24-28° C or 75-82° F), and visibility of 30 meters (100 feet) is common. This doesn’t hold true for the east coast, so get your diving in while you’re in the Kona area. There are lots of dive operators in Kona, including Big Island Divers (who used for the Manta Ray Night Dive), but our favorite is Pacific Rim Divers, because they run a small group dive charter (never more than 6 divers – plus a dive master), are extremely friendly and competent (and the delicious brownies are a nice bonus). We had good visibility when we went, and saw loads of fish, a rather friendly turtle, dolphins, and a 6 foot tiger shark (lousy picture below…I wasn’t willing to tempt fate by getting much closer).

Epic Travel → North America → Hawaii → The Big Island → Kona Diving