Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures
Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures
Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures
5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Waikoloa, Hawaii
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Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
410 reviews
Excellent
372
Very good
16
Average
6
Poor
4
Terrible
12
Willy
6 contributions
Jan 2020
Diving with Blue Wilderness was an outstanding experience. They run an efficient operation out of the Puako harbor, making it the nearest dive trip if you're based out of Waikoloa area. Their boat is new, the trip out is quick and smooth, and I loved the full equipment valet service - they set up your gear, clip it off the side of the boat at the dive site, and you put it on in the water. Hand it back up to them when you surface, making re-boarding the boat a breeze.
I had an awesome experience diving with Kevin, who was keen to show us any and all sealife along the way. He guided us through swimthroughs, peered into all the nooks and crannies to find anything unique.
Probably the best part of diving with Blue Wilderness has been mentioned below, but they let you dive your air. If you're efficient, you can easily get in a dive time of over an hour on a single tank. I feel like I got as much dive time on 2 tanks with BW as I would have with 3 tanks/dives with other dive shops!
Also have to give props to Katie (staff, rescue diver trainee) who gave me a ride back to my hotel in Waikoloa afterwards - saved me a pickup. Thank you!
I had an awesome experience diving with Kevin, who was keen to show us any and all sealife along the way. He guided us through swimthroughs, peered into all the nooks and crannies to find anything unique.
Probably the best part of diving with Blue Wilderness has been mentioned below, but they let you dive your air. If you're efficient, you can easily get in a dive time of over an hour on a single tank. I feel like I got as much dive time on 2 tanks with BW as I would have with 3 tanks/dives with other dive shops!
Also have to give props to Katie (staff, rescue diver trainee) who gave me a ride back to my hotel in Waikoloa afterwards - saved me a pickup. Thank you!
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brandon B.
10 contributions
Aug 2021
We loved our experience with Blue Wilderness. We were staying at the Marriott at Waikoloa so their proximity was a huge benefit but proximate or not, we would love to dive with them again. We had a large group of 11 divers ranging in age from 13 to 70 and experience levels ranging from 7 total dives to 100. We also had additional snorkelers who wanted to join a Manta experience. Blue Wilderness was so easy to work with in scheduling our dives and snorkel trip and when we needed to switch up the divers on some of our trips. Our group was bigger than they usually like to take, but they were willing to accommodate us. They were attentive to our younger and less experienced divers while still providing amazing experiences for our more seasoned divers. Across our two morning dives, we enjoyed four unique dive sites and then of course both our divers and snorkelers had amazing experiences on two separate nights of enjoying the mantas. We also loved that we never ran into crowds. We were generally the only boat in the vicinity for our morning dives and we were the only dive boat in the vicinity for the manta night (+ two other boats of snorkelers). There was no rush on the dives either with the ability to generally enjoy a good 60 minutes per dive. Special thanks to Ari, who joined us on every single trip but Mike, Dave, Phil, Joe, Steve and company were all great as well.
Written August 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill L
Larkspur, CA6 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
Our family did 2 two-tank dives and one manta ray night dive with Blue Water. We had experienced divers and beginners. Everyone had a great time and each experience was tuned to the divers skills. John and Richard were terrific guides. In addition to the Mantas at night, we saw a reef tip shark, turtles, and multiple octopi as John knew exactly where to look. The beginners in my family now want to be certified and we look forward to coming back again and diving with this great team. And yes, the cookies are OUTSTANDING! If there was a sixth star we would award it...
Written January 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kim S
1 contribution
Apr 2021
Extremely disappointed with our experience and absolutely cannot recommend this company. We signed up to do the manta ray night dive, and all the other boats/tours in the same bay that night got to see manta rays except for us. They were closer to the shore than our boat could go. The other group that had this issue had their guests swim over to where the manta rays were but our guides would not do this. When one of the guests asked why, the older guide stated that he didn't think everyone could make the swim so 'the men would have to do all the work and that was a lot of weight for them to carry', implying that women are unable to swim or hold their own weight? Extremely frustrating to not see manta rays even though they were so close and it would have been completely feasible to get there, as witnessed by the other boats we talked to, and then to be given a misogynistic excuse for why they wouldn't take us. I will say that Michael, the younger guide, was engaging and seemed as genuinely disappointed as all the guests to not see any. Absolutely would not recommend this company to anyone hoping for a good experience or who respects women.
Written May 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff P
Snohomish, WA5 contributions
Apr 2021
I signed up for a Manta Ray night scuba dive with Blue Wilderness and I wasn’t disappointed. They do these dives up north near Waikoloa, while most other Manta dive tours run out of Kona. I was a little worried that no Mantas would show up, but two large females did show and spent nearly an hour swooping and looping within inches of us. It was really breathtaking. From what I’ve heard the Kona tours often have a lot of boats out there at the same time competing for the Mantas attention. With Blue Wilderness we were the only boat in the area, in a beautiful spot where we could see the fires and hear the drums of a distant luau. This was an experience I’ll never forget and I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them again.
Written April 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
map4
Island of Hawaii, HI10 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Went manta diving with this company. They were very close to our hotel but were not one of their preferred outfits but we were not disappointed in the least. My husband and a friend snorkeled under the protective eye of Flipper. flipper is not yOur typical mainlander transplant. He is an Uber intellectual that most likely realized that working in a four walked box has nothing on island living. He is incredibly intelligent and funny. His knowledge of the mantas surpasses a causal read and we enjoyed his banter. Our scuba guide was named Charlie. A very conservative and attentive dive master. While waiting for the mantas, he was sure to find a small octopus and check in. They skillfully moved us to a place where not less than 7 mantas proceeded to dance all around us. One in particular was very engaging, swimming inches from us again and again. Diving was super easy- all equipment is carried to the boat and taken from you. Zero lifting. It’s was a total Class act all around. Can not recommend enough. Also, Alice was our captain. She was very helpful and a great captain.
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joemY3087XB
99 contributions
Jan 2020
Did not want to haul snorkel gear in luggage and was looking for a place to rent in Waikoloa area. Went to Blue wilderness and glad we did. Staff was very helpful getting everyone geared up for the week and the prices were more than fair. Will definitely return here when we go back to get gear and maybe tryout one of the Manta ray dives.
Written January 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bslovetravel
Salt Lake City, UT117 contributions
Jan 2020 • Business
After reading good things about this shop, we wandered into their store in Queens Marketplace and met Katie. She was personable, friendly, and helped us decide to do a Manta Ray night dive. My husband is an advanced diver and I’ve been diving for years but never a night dive. It was a great experience and an easy first night dive. If you are here in the winter like us, don’t hesitate to do this dive. They provided 3 mm wet suits so we were warm., and it was nice to have a small group—the two of us plus two snorkel RS. We dove with Katie and our dive master, Charlie. They were great! My fin came off in the water while we were getting ready to dive, and Charlie cheerfully went to the bottom to get it and even put it back on for me! We were well taken care of and saw three mantas. Amazing experience! So glad we picked them for this dive. And yes, the cookies were wonderful! I dropped half of mine in the sea water and was still almost tempted to eat it! Nice friendly staff, and the captain mentioned the good safety procedures in place (we didn’t need them, but it was nice to feel that safe anyway.)
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hhclemrn
Navarre, FL306 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
My family group had 3 divers and 2 snorkelers for the manta ray night dive trip. Flipper was very friendly and welcoming, as was April. The captain was quiet but friendly. April was so personable and knowledgeable. She stayed with us snorkelers, which I really appreciated because my son, who had never done this excursion, was somewhat apprehensive about getting into the ocean at night. Plus, in all honesty, although it was my third time doing this adventure, I still am slightly unsettled by getting in the ocean at night 😂 This was so well done, though, so well organized, I would highly recommend them if you are considering doing this adventure. I will say I was slightly disappointed that there was only one manta, whereas the other two times we saw a minimum of 3 both times, and they came much closer to the humans there (this was down in Kona). But Blue Wilderness obviously has no control over that and this outfit has a more personalized feel to it when compared to the other two companies we have gone through in the past. Would still recommend those also, but these people were just the best. Highly recommend.
Written April 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KathyBC
Vancouver Island, Canada30 contributions
Sep 2022 • Solo
I’ve been diving with Blue Wilderness for a couple of years now. I specifically like this operation because it is efficient, the staff is very experienced and friendly.
The sites around Puako are very good with lots of interesting sea life.
The small boat makes for an intimate experience without the attitude of the crowded boats in Kona.
I’ve seen how they work with students and when I finally get around to my Rescue Diver cert, I wouldn’t hesitate to get my instruction from April.
Flipper is very skilled at finding interesting sea life and is entertaining above the water to boot.
The cookies are to die for.
I’d recommend this operation to all divers, but especially to those who want to just get in the water and blow bubbles with little fuss.
The sites around Puako are very good with lots of interesting sea life.
The small boat makes for an intimate experience without the attitude of the crowded boats in Kona.
I’ve seen how they work with students and when I finally get around to my Rescue Diver cert, I wouldn’t hesitate to get my instruction from April.
Flipper is very skilled at finding interesting sea life and is entertaining above the water to boot.
The cookies are to die for.
I’d recommend this operation to all divers, but especially to those who want to just get in the water and blow bubbles with little fuss.
Written September 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do the snorkelers wear swim vests? Or hang onto a float or something? And do the snorkelers end up doing a lot of waiting around for the divers? Thanks!
Written March 7, 2018
The snorkelers wear wet suits. They hold onto a float. There is no waiting around for the divers, the snorkeling and diving take place at the same time in the same spot.
Written March 24, 2018
I only have a day (or 2 max) to dive the Big Island. I’m coming for a wedding in July 2018. So If I did 3 dives, what would be the Best on offer? I’m Padi Advance.
And what’s the water temp in July?
Written November 23, 2017
Manta night dive a must do. I go 2-3 times at night every trip.
Anywhere else they take you will be great for a second.
Written January 3, 2018
Interested in the night manta snorkel for beginning of September...I have only snorkeled in the Caribbean and I do tend to be on the colder side. Should I plan on renting a full wetsuit for this?
Also, will the snorkel only provide a good experience for viewing the mantas?
Written July 15, 2016
They give you a wetsuit on the tour - mine was only short sleeves and legs but definitely ask if a full one is available.
I did not feel like I missed out at all with the snorkel experience!
Enjoy
Written July 18, 2016
Shore diving on the Big island will AWLAYS require a full suit and booties. Even divers familiar with local shore dive spots don this gear. The reef can be sharp in many places and stepping on urchins can ruin a dive for sure . In the PADI Training manual one of the factors to consider is " Local Conditions ". Protect yourself and stay warm at the same time.
Written May 30, 2016
The above seems to me to be a statement! Trip advisor I am not sure what you want me to answer!
Written May 31, 2016
Riz29
Eatonton, Georgia
6 contributions
Almost the same question as above, but we are coming to the Big Island the end of June and will be doing some shore diving. Would you recommend a 3mm shorty or a full 3mm wetsuit. We plan on doing two morning dive per day. We typically do not get cold, but our past diving experience is in Florida and the Caribbean. Thanks for your help!
Written May 6, 2015
Yes it really depends on the person. In June it is pretty warm so shorties should be fine if you don't usually get cold and if you do get cold then full would be better.
Written May 9, 2015
Noticed from the pictures that they were using shorties. Have never dived in the pacific and had been told I would need a full wet suit.
I dive in the Caribean with either no suit or a shortie. Do I need a full suit there (planning October)
Written February 25, 2015
Aloha, Most people dive with a full suit year round in Hawaii. A few people will dive in a shortie in the summer months. For October I would definitely recommend a full wetsuit either 3mm or 5mm. In our rental locker we use a full suit which is a mix of both 5mm and 3mm.
Written February 26, 2015
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