KONA HONU DIVERS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For your convenience certified divers and snorkelers meet directly at our boat in the marina. Electronic waivers must be signed prior to your arrival at the boat. Refer to your confirmation email for directions.

The Honokohau marina. You are provided directions in the confirmation email. Do not come to the shop. We do not provide transportation to the boat.

It is recommended to bring a hat, sunglasses, towel, and a sweatshirt or jacket. Please bring mineral sunscreen only. Please check your sunscreen for "benzones", if your sunscreen contains any benzones it is harmful to our reefs. Do NOT use it if you are getting in the ocean. We use, sell, and recommend Tropic Sport.

If you need extra attention then what is typically given in a dive group, if you are feeling anxious or nervous, have trouble clearing your ears and need extra time to descend, need to work on buoyancy skills, want to do a gear familiarization for new equipment, working on achieving better air consumption, are uncomfortable in a dive group, or just want to go at your own pace. Based on availablity.

Divers, students, and snorkelers must provide their own transportation. Taxi's and Uber's are not reliable forms of transportation at this time. Rental cars are a must. Try Turo (Airbnb for cars).

If there is no traffic 45-50 minutes is the typical drive time, but alas, we do have traffic (I know, it is hard to believe!) so make sure you give yourself extra drive time. You don’t want to miss the boat!

Absolutely! Our introductory Discover Scuba Diving course is designed for those that have never dove and wish to try it out before they commit to a class.

Our shop standard minimum age for certification is 18 years of age.

We need to harbor a classroom atmosphere and limit outside distractions so you are unable to join in on the training dives, but you are welcome to join the other certified divers on the charter and tour the reef led by the dive guide.

You must have your open water certification before you can participate in the manta ray night dive.

You can invest as much as you want after certification, depending upon your interest level. Personal equipment (mask, snorkel, and fins) is required for certification or continuing education classes. Dive equipment is available for rent and you can invest in your own dive equipment over time. Travel expenses can fit every budget. Check out places to dive near your home, we bet you won’t have to go far to get wet. A scuba diving vacation can be pretty similar to a skiing or snowboarding vacation.

You should be comfortable in the water and a proficient swimmer. Practice some of the skills you will encounter during your certification. Can you perform a 10-minute tread/float? Can you swim 200 yards without stopping, with no time limit? Chances are you can...

You will need to provide your personal equipment which is a mask, snorkel, and fins. We offer a student discount for this equipment. We would be happy to fit you for quality equipment. Having an ill-fitting mask makes performing the tasks during your certification class more challenging. We will provide BCD, regulator, and wetsuit for the duration of the class.

If you are a PADI certified diver you may obtain an e-card immediately from the PADI website. If you are a certified diver with SSI, SDI, or NAUI you can verify your certification by going to their respective websites and either print it out or taking a screenshot with your phone.

The Kona coast is known for the many varieties of endemic tropical fish, formations from old lava flows and hard corals. You may also encounter dolphins, octopus, eagle rays, turtles, eels, sharks, and manta rays.

Late summer and early fall give us the warmest water temperature of about 80 degrees, sometimes higher! Winter temps run about 76-74 degrees. We have 5 mm wetsuits in our rental, but if you are cold-blooded, bring your hood or vest!

Our manta rays are not seasonal, they are here all year-round. We see them over 85% of the time. Please remember while they are extremely reliable they are still wild creatures and we cannot guarantee their presence.

The whales start arriving in November and stay till April before they make the long trek home. January thru March are the best time to see whales during your surface interval and hear them sing underwater.

Any tip for the crew is greatly appreciated, typically people leave $10 per tank if you feel you have had exceptional service don’t be afraid to show the crew more love. You are also able to leave gratuity on your credit card. It is not expected, but it is certainly appreciated!

Yes! Every diver should have dive insurance. Regular health insurance does not cover any scuba diving related incidents. We highly recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network).

The rules apply to driving above 2000ft or flying. Driving from Kona to Waimea, Hilo, or Volcano will put you above this safe limit.

Diving No Fly Times
One dive on one day = 12 hours
Multi-day or 2+ dives = 18 hours
Deco dive = 24 hours

We are unable to accommodate sidemount diving.

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