Kona Trip: First of the dives

[skabooya]

Yea we were thinking of doing a week long thing checking out as much of the island as possible. Im a geography major so Im super interested in the volcano aspect of it as well as the marine life. Both of us love hiking and historic things and sight seeing. I want to try to get him to do at least one dive, heck even snorkel. Something is better than nothing. I wanted to do the manta ray thing but my husband thinks they are like sting rays and doesnt want to go the same way as steve irwin. I told him chances of that with a sting ray are very very slim but he dosnt listen to reason lol. oh well.

[silentcivilian]

You can do the Manta Dive, he can cling on too the floaty rings with the snorkelers :P With anyluck you will get to see Rosie the red trumpet fish that is stupidly friendly. I turned my head and she was sitting on my shoulder staring at me. Apperently she does that to alot of divers during the manta dives.

If you are only going to do one dive. I have a recommendation. Call Kohala Divers, its near Hawi, and ask to do Puako 38. Its the turtle cleaning site dive. Its where I saw the most diverse set of animals. Everything from 6foot long Morays, turtles, white tip reef sharks, giant porcupine puffers, nudibranches, morish idols even saw sun coral colonies in the 1000's lining the roofs of some of the caverns you will go in.

Snorkel wise, go check out captin cooks monument. Just dont!!! I repeat DONT! rent a kayak. You get there, and they are like ok, here is your $60 bag of coffee and free kayak.. your like what.. I thought I was just renting a kayak, ya, and coffee! So you paddle over only to find out you cant dock your boat cause its illegal to drag your kayak on shore, so you have to tow your kayak behind you. Sucks, trust me.. didnt read the fine print!

I have a dive map of the big island if you have any other questions, just as reference. It shows 3 dive sites worth mention on the hilo side, and close to 30 on the kona side.