Kona Honu Divers
Kona Honu Divers
5
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Hawaii's Top Rated dive company and Scuba Diving Magazine Reader's Choice Award winning dive operation in the Pacific. We bring the highest quality boats, gear, and people to deliver the safest experience available in Hawaii. Just read our reviews and you'll see why our divers keep coming back year after year.
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
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Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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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
1,676 reviews
Excellent
1,515
Very good
89
Average
22
Poor
15
Terrible
36
randolphc129
San Mateo, CA10 contributions
Jan 2020
Walked into the dive shop on 01/17/2020, after renting a car next door (Enterprise). Staff at the shop was great, explained the different types of dives they offered and price. Had never done a night dive or seen Manta Rays in person, when I heard about this dive I was sold.
On 01/20/2020 met the crew at the pier around 2:30. Crew was Captain Luke and Kevin H. Went out for a 45 minute boat ride until we arrived at the first dive spot. Kevin had all the gear ready for the divers on the boat. Obviously check your gear (doesn't hurt). Liked the setup they have to get you into the water. You don't have to walk several feet on a rocking boat with flippers on. They have a single person seat where you sit, they bring your gear to you, take three steps and your in the water.
Since the first dive was pretty early in the afternoon, there was still a lot of sunlight. Amazing sea life.
We came back up and there were snacks and drinks as we waited for about an hour and a half until sunset. The crew told us about cool things to do on the Island as well as their experience. The boat drifted maybe 200 yards to the second dive location. I was a little nervous since I had never dove at night, Kevin explained what to expect. Each diver is provided a flashlight and your dive master has a different flashing light from the group as well as everyone else in the water. Easy to know where Kevin was, since he had a red light.
While down there we were able to see a large Manta. We did a little reef dive and returned back to the (fire pit) to continue observing the manta ray. I used a Go Pro Hero 4 for this dive. Kevin advised me to leave my camera on the factory setting. Got some amazing videos and photos.
One of the best dives I have ever done in my life. If you are on the big Island and certified to dive, skip the booze one night and do the dive. Well worth it. We were back around 8pm.
On 01/20/2020 met the crew at the pier around 2:30. Crew was Captain Luke and Kevin H. Went out for a 45 minute boat ride until we arrived at the first dive spot. Kevin had all the gear ready for the divers on the boat. Obviously check your gear (doesn't hurt). Liked the setup they have to get you into the water. You don't have to walk several feet on a rocking boat with flippers on. They have a single person seat where you sit, they bring your gear to you, take three steps and your in the water.
Since the first dive was pretty early in the afternoon, there was still a lot of sunlight. Amazing sea life.
We came back up and there were snacks and drinks as we waited for about an hour and a half until sunset. The crew told us about cool things to do on the Island as well as their experience. The boat drifted maybe 200 yards to the second dive location. I was a little nervous since I had never dove at night, Kevin explained what to expect. Each diver is provided a flashlight and your dive master has a different flashing light from the group as well as everyone else in the water. Easy to know where Kevin was, since he had a red light.
While down there we were able to see a large Manta. We did a little reef dive and returned back to the (fire pit) to continue observing the manta ray. I used a Go Pro Hero 4 for this dive. Kevin advised me to leave my camera on the factory setting. Got some amazing videos and photos.
One of the best dives I have ever done in my life. If you are on the big Island and certified to dive, skip the booze one night and do the dive. Well worth it. We were back around 8pm.
Written February 4, 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.
Diane V
Smyrna, GA8 contributions
Oct 2019
We made 14 dives with Kona Honu in October 2019 and it was awesome! The team is experienced and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the predive briefings where they showed the possible sightings using a guidebook with pictures (which I could reference after the dive). The valet service where they bring your gear to the back of the boat is very useful for an older diver. The dives were usually over 1 hour (up to 72 mins of you breath slowly!) with an average depth of 30-40 ft. The surface intervals were at least 1 hour and they have the most amazing snack assortment that I have ever seen in over 600 dives. After the dives the team goes to work rinsing all the gear, so no stinksuits. We did the manta night dive twice because it was so incredible. Back on the boat there is hot coco. The black water dive was also a new amazing experience. They provide high-powered Sola dive lights. I recommend you do this before needing reading glasses because the creatures are tiny.
The only improvement I would see is to slow down a bit during the daytime dives rather than cover territory, especially for photographers.
The only improvement I would see is to slow down a bit during the daytime dives rather than cover territory, especially for photographers.
Written January 17, 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.
Andrea P
Mississauga, Canada56 contributions
Nov 2019
We dove with Kona Honu Divers in November 2019 and had an excellent two weeks and would highly recommend this outfit. We were on their local boat, their two tank Manta Night Dive, and the Honu Lele for the three tank dive day and several long range dives. All dives on the local boats were excellent. The dive sites always offered excellent wildlife and beautiful lava formations. Dive crew was always outstanding. We were fortunate on our Manta Night Dive to see thirteen mantas. Highly recommend this dive. Make sure you bring your snorkel gear. You can get in the water between dives (or before if you only do the one tank Manta Dive) and encounter mantas and monk seals since they are often in the area. The Honu Lele is more of a valet diving experience. The boat is fast and can go to sites unavailable to most other dive boats in the area so you are rarely sharing sites with other divers. On the way, whale and dolphin encounter opportunities might be available. We were able to snorkel in the water with three bottle nose dolphins on our way back to the harbour one day. The Honu Lele is a beautifully outfitted boat, certainly the best we've been on and an excellent lunch is provided. All the shop and dive staff are extremely knowledgeable, friendly and positive. We will be diving with Kona Honu next time we visit the big island. Overall, outstanding in almost every way!!
Written January 14, 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.
JJTripper
Orlando, FL71 contributions
Feb 2020
First off, let me say that this company was very professional and all the dive instructors were very helpful.
Problem was the weather was very overcast, water was 77 degrees and very choppy. We failed to see any manta rays at all.
We checked in at the marina at 3:15pm and waited for everyone to show up. Left close to 4pm for a 30-45 minute ride to dive site. The first dive was at the same manta ray site. It was a meaningless dive with very little to see on the lava rock bottom. The biggest fish I saw all night was a boxfish. That was it. No sharks, eels, turtles, manta rays, nothing! Did see a 3-4’ trumpet fish but that was it. We did see a bunch of garden eels but big whoop! They always duck down when you get near them so nothing interesting
After this first dive, we had some food and drinks and waited probably an hour and a half for darkness. The snorkelers swam a floaty with handles on it to the fire pit area where it was lit up to attract the plankton. Scuba divers then went in with more flashlights to also attract the plankton and, normally, the mantas. However, none came in. There were 6 other boats in the same area all doing the same thing.
If the mantas come in, this is a fabulous thing to see. This turned out to be a very choppy boat ride with very cold water and nothing to see for approximately $210 per person if you rented their good equipment and wet suit. They also took care of us so all we did was go to the back of the boat and they brought our gear to us. Very nice. They even changed tanks between dives so all we had to do was dive. No cleaning equipment afterwards on our part.
None of the negative things I mentioned are the operator’s fault. Be aware there are nights when you will not get to see the wonderful mantas.
We returned to the marina around 9 pm.
Problem was the weather was very overcast, water was 77 degrees and very choppy. We failed to see any manta rays at all.
We checked in at the marina at 3:15pm and waited for everyone to show up. Left close to 4pm for a 30-45 minute ride to dive site. The first dive was at the same manta ray site. It was a meaningless dive with very little to see on the lava rock bottom. The biggest fish I saw all night was a boxfish. That was it. No sharks, eels, turtles, manta rays, nothing! Did see a 3-4’ trumpet fish but that was it. We did see a bunch of garden eels but big whoop! They always duck down when you get near them so nothing interesting
After this first dive, we had some food and drinks and waited probably an hour and a half for darkness. The snorkelers swam a floaty with handles on it to the fire pit area where it was lit up to attract the plankton. Scuba divers then went in with more flashlights to also attract the plankton and, normally, the mantas. However, none came in. There were 6 other boats in the same area all doing the same thing.
If the mantas come in, this is a fabulous thing to see. This turned out to be a very choppy boat ride with very cold water and nothing to see for approximately $210 per person if you rented their good equipment and wet suit. They also took care of us so all we did was go to the back of the boat and they brought our gear to us. Very nice. They even changed tanks between dives so all we had to do was dive. No cleaning equipment afterwards on our part.
None of the negative things I mentioned are the operator’s fault. Be aware there are nights when you will not get to see the wonderful mantas.
We returned to the marina around 9 pm.
Written February 17, 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.
David K
1 contribution
Aug 2021
2 tank Manta Ray dive delivered 6 manta rays over 45 minutes. This outfitter provided a large high quality dive boat and a skilled captain & crew that accommodated everyone, regardless of diving experience. I would highly recommend this outfitter and specialty dive for divers of all skill and experience levels.
Written August 20, 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.
Adlai_n_Ewie
St. Petersburg, FL45 contributions
Aug 2021
What a pleasure to be diving with a company with dive masters that love what they do and care tremendously about their guests and guest experiences.
My partner and I had two 2-tank dives with Kona Honu, including an evening with the Manta Rays. Each and every dive was professionally led by a great crew who spent the time teaching us about the sea life we would see and had incredibly eyesight to point out everything along the way. Their passion for diving and attention for the guest experience created an environment where we had great fun, met new friends, and enjoyed each others company.
Based on other dive company experiences in Kona - Kona Honu truly is the best. Would strongly recommend them to all looking for a great experience and great diving around Kona!
My partner and I had two 2-tank dives with Kona Honu, including an evening with the Manta Rays. Each and every dive was professionally led by a great crew who spent the time teaching us about the sea life we would see and had incredibly eyesight to point out everything along the way. Their passion for diving and attention for the guest experience created an environment where we had great fun, met new friends, and enjoyed each others company.
Based on other dive company experiences in Kona - Kona Honu truly is the best. Would strongly recommend them to all looking for a great experience and great diving around Kona!
Written September 3, 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.
Jarrod W
Keller, TX20 contributions
Jan 2020
My wife & I booked the manta ray night snorkel & it was breathtaking! We were fortunate to have 2 large rays feeding literally INCHES from us as we floated on top of the water. They would swim down to the bottom (probably 20ft of crystal clear water) & shoot back up to where we were & just as they reached us, flip upside down, open their mouths & skim the water just below our lights to feed on plankton. I dive a few times a year & have rarely been that close to such a large animal in their natural habitat.The guys did a great job getting us back & forth & ensuring we had a fantastic time. First class company for sure.
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.
HoustontravelinDave
Houston, TX104 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Captain John and dive masters, Kevin and Julia made the trip great. They were professional, friendly and made sure we were prepared for the dives. The boat and rental gear is all in excellent condition. My personal regulator developed an issue so they quickly swapped it out with one of theirs to make sure there were no surprises. The first dive is a great way to get refamiliarized with your gear and the underwater environment. That way you are prepared for the big show…..Manta Rays! After a short break to swap tanks, eat lunch, tell tall tales about our first dive, we had the briefing for the manta dive. Wow did we get lucky! Once we got into our positions on the bottom, the show was intense. There were already several large rays cruising around us but, before long there were 18 of these massive rays jockeying for position. They just glide though the area inches from you. It seems like it just can’t be real. They were huge and so many of them. While I’m comfy on the bottom, a large green eel (Frank) swims right up to me and goes between my legs and stops to look at everyone else……while still between my legs. He decides to just chill for a bit. This is the second time I have done this dive with Kona Honu divers and they did not disappoint.
Written October 16, 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.
Moana
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • Solo
I did the black water dive
I’m Dive Master Certificate but haven’t scuba dive for a while since I began practicing freedive. I tried to talk about my concerns but I’m a foreign and english is not my first language. They didn’t have patience with me and my question, being rude and making me feel uncomfortable.
Besides the high price I didn’t know how expensive would be to rent the gears
Won’t go back and I don’t recommend
I’m Dive Master Certificate but haven’t scuba dive for a while since I began practicing freedive. I tried to talk about my concerns but I’m a foreign and english is not my first language. They didn’t have patience with me and my question, being rude and making me feel uncomfortable.
Besides the high price I didn’t know how expensive would be to rent the gears
Won’t go back and I don’t recommend
Written July 17, 2023
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.
Aloha,
It sounds like you did not meet our requirement of having been diving within the last 6 months and being able to speak and understand English clearly. These are listed on our website as REQUIREMENTS, NOT suggestions. This is for your safety. Since safety is our #1 value I can understand the divemaster's frustration when you showed up.
We have seen time and time again when somebody brings up their divemaster qualifications it's to compensate for the fact that they have not been diving in a really long time. Perhaps you should go for a refresher before attempting one of the most challenging dives available?
Best,
Byron Kay, Owner
Written July 27, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tristan K
San Francisco, CA9 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
Can’t recommend the Manta dive enough. It’s luck of the draw, but we saw 11 different Mantas and up to six at a time soaring through the water, doing barrel rolls, and skimming inches from our face.
An unbelievable experience. Even Frank the local eel put on a show in the underwater campfire area in the darkness. Just do it!
An unbelievable experience. Even Frank the local eel put on a show in the underwater campfire area in the darkness. Just do it!
Written August 31, 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.
My family of 4 (certified) would like to plan a 1 tank dive sometime between Dec 22 and 25th. The 'wrinkle' is that my son's new wife is not (yet) certified and we'd like to 'try' to do a shallow dive together. What would you suggest...maybe "Snuba" or an intro effort and thena shallow dive?
Written November 28, 2019
Call the shop and see what options they might have. I do think they can arrange a "discover scuba" intro, I think on one of our dives there was a couple doing that and they had their own DM - if your daughter in law wants to get certified you can have her do her pool and course work in advance of the trip and then she can do her checkout dives to certify with a dive shop there.
Written December 3, 2019
현지 윤
Busan, South Korea
hello.
My husband and I are going to experience Manta ray diving next April during our honeymoon.
I have some questions about your Manta ray diving course.
1. We have PADI license but we don't have any experience of diving more than 1 year.
So, We are not used to diving.
Can we enjoy your Manta ray diving course without trouble?
2. Before your diving course, is there any orientation about the course and diving skills?
Please check my questions and give your answer.
Best Regard.
Written March 4, 2018
Aloha,
We ask that you have been diving within the past 2 years, it sounds like you have. Our dive guides give a detailed briefing on viewing the mantas and what to expect at the dive site. The guides also help with gear set up and breakdown.
However, if you are feeling uncertain about diving and want some extra attention, I would recommend a private guide for you and your husband. It is $100 for a private guide, if you choose to go with the private guide it will be a tailored dive experience for you and your husband.
Mahalo,
Ali
Written March 8, 2018
Does this company offer photography service during your dive/excursions? Thanks
Written August 15, 2017
Aloha Mark,
We rent sealife cameras for $49/day or if you would like something more hands off please e-mail us @ info and we can arrange for a photographer
Written March 8, 2018
As anyone done the open ocean safari and if so, how was your experience? I'm having trouble deciding wether to do the open ocean safari or the dolphin tour. Thanks in advance
Written August 6, 2017
I would stick with Kona Honu. They are very respectful of all ocean life.
Written August 6, 2017
I have two children - will be 12 and almost 8 at time of travel. They are both swimmers. Would the night manta ray snorkel trip be appropriate for them? They are both interested in seeing the mantas up close.
Written April 11, 2017
I just saw this since the NSA stranded me in London for 6 months so I'd be an illegal immigrant in Europe which was after they drugged me in my hometown so I'd get a DUI and be "ineligible" to ever work in the IT security industry for as long as I lived.
Anyways, hope you had fun in Hawaii.
I was going to say as long as the kids don't fall off the floating noodle, it'll be o.k.
Written December 23, 2018
Better to snorkel or dive to see mantas?
Written February 12, 2017
It is much better to dive to see the Mantas. It was very choppy when we went, so my wife was not able to see much while snorkeling. Meanwhile I had an amazing experience diving below. The mantas were all over us; gliding right at us such that we had to constantly duck to get out of their way. It was amazing staring them in the eyeball, then ducking and looking up to see their white underside just inches above.
Written February 12, 2017
Why choose them instead of Jack's ?
Written October 11, 2016
Their boat is much nicer, bigger, with two decks so you could walk around. The gear is newer and better too. The new owner made a lot of great upgrades but kept the staff who were friendly and experienced.
Written October 12, 2016
Hi Chris,
When did you go diving? What dive did you do? Was there a lot of marine life?
Written March 7, 2016
Freeze face and Airstation I saw 61 different fish species at freeze face and 64 species att air station. I recorded the following notes in my log book:
Freeze face - Ewa fangblenny, two or ocular velvet fish or as others call them two coral crouches, very large yellow cummerson's frog fish, two flame Angels , a blue fin trevally (a jack) hunting with two blue goat fish
Air station - two mid night sargets up in the surge, electric blue stripped squirrel fish (one I have yet to ID s I have never seen this myself before), two HI turkey fish ( if you dive the Carribean this is the name for lion fish) lots of Achilles tang, a and a baby HI hog fish!
Both dives were on February 11, 2016
Written March 9, 2016
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