|
Diving Kona FAQ |
|
So you're curious about diving in Kona. I'll try to answer a couple of questions you may have. As I mentioned on the last page, these FAQ pages are a work in progress, so I'll be adding info from time to time. |
|
Will I need a wetsuit? |
|
The water temperatures off Kona range from the low / mid 70's in the late winter to the low 80's during late summer and fall. Most of the local divers wear a 3/2 or 3 mil suit year round, throwing on a hood if they get cold. Many visitors get by with less once the water warms up a bit. Coldest months tend to be Jan, Feb and March.
|
|
What kind of gear do I need to bring? |
|
A lot of it depends on what type of diving and how much of it you intend to do. If you are diving with us, or any of the boat charters in town, tanks and weights are included in the price. We provide gear, to those who need it and are diving with us... a BC, wetsuit and regulator set with computer runs only $10 for the day with us, free if it is part of a class. If you are only diving a couple of times it may just be as easy to use our gear rather than packing extra. For shore diving on your own, complete gear sets can be had for roughly 25-40 bucks a day at most rental operations. |
|
What is the best time of year? |
|
Kona is a marvelous place to dive. The diving off Kona is considered to be the best overall diving in Hawaii. Kona has less sand than many other areas in the Hawaiian islands and has no streams or rivers to produce runoff, due to these conditions our visibility is regularly in the 100'+ range year round. A bad day in Kona and you should be able to find 50' plus viz still. Kona is unique that you can dive it roughly 350+ days per year. We do see some storm driven swells from time to time which can affect diving for a few days, the bulk of which comes during the winter months, but Kona seems to be generally less affected than other parts of the state. Kona is on the leeward side of the big island of Hawaii and is shaded from storms to the east by the island. Most storms approaching from the north are shaded by either the northern part of the island or by Maui and the other islands to the northwest.
|
|
|
|
What's the weather like? |
|
Our weather can in general be characterized as constant. There is probably only a 10-15 degree swing between the warmest (august/september) and coolest months (january/february) of the year. Here's the year round weather report: Clear in the morning with clouds building up on the mountains throughout the day. Evening showers in the hills are possible. That about sums it up in general although winter is usually a bit drier than summer in the areas which see more rainfall. Kona sees anywhere from 10 to about 60 inches of rain a year depending on how far up the hill you are. Only on rare occasions are you more than a short drive from sunshine. So if you are wondering what to expect on an upcoming trip just take a look at the Kona weather report that day and, with the exception of the rare storm front, expect it'll probably hold plus or minus a couple of degrees for the next month or two. |
|
What is the best way to get around? |
|
While you're here you definitely will want to rent a car. Very few of the dive operations are set up to pick up their customers. Kona also isn't set up with beach shacks renting dive gear right at the site as some popular dive destinations are. Another reason you'll want to rent a car is that there are soooo many things to see on the big island. It is larger than all the other main islands combined and has a little bit of everything offered by the other islands to see. I run into a lot of people who spend most of their vacations at the large resorts up north which are out in the middle of 30 miles of lava flow without realizing they are just a short drive away from sights such as the landfall from the movie "Waterworld". The big island is recognized as having all but 2 of the world's climate zones and the topography changes rapidly. |
|
Hey, any dangerous critters I should be aware of while diving? |
|
Sure... Many a local diver has encountered the terror of the Hawaiian deep- "Wana" (pronounced "vauna"). Better known as the long-spined urchin, this treacherous critter just sits there... waiting for divers to attempt to crush them with their knees...so it can leave some nice black puncture marks on it's victims. There are a couple of other critters to be aware of locally. We have a couple of species of scorpionfish with poisonous spines, some poisonous cone snails and the thorns on the "crown of thorn starfish" pack a toxic wallop, so watch where you put your hands. Sharks? Consider yourself lucky to see one unless you are specifically looking for them, they tend to avoid divers. |
|
What is the difference between boat diving and shore diving in Kona? |
|
Shore diving off Kona can be a bit more physical than boat diving due to the entries, most of which are fairly easy as far as shore entries go. The shore diving is good here as there is deep water available near shore. Hawaii is a geologically young island and hasn't had millions of years to develop an expansive reef system which spans way out to sea. Most of the boat dive site moorings are actually within 100-200 feet of shore, but boats do offer a chance to dive sites which are difficult to access from shore. We can generally offer a better variety of types of diving in the Kona area off the boat due to unhindered access. |
