We loved our time with Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures! A great crew took us out-- Flipper, Colin and Sam. Thanks guys for an excellent adventure. The two tank morning dive this week departed around 7:45-8am. There were three of us with one dive master, Flipper. Mahalo! read more

Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures - Eel of Gardens! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Amazing time for my back to diving after almost 6 years. Felt well surrounded and safe. The team was perfect, the equipment is great and the trip was very well organized. 2 dives on the morning through arches, corals and amazing life: viper moray, turtle, octopus, nudibranch, and so much more. I cannot say more than just go for it. read more

We did the snorkel and dive manta ray excursion and couldn't have been happier! The guides (April, Flipper and captain Mike) were enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They easily accommodated people of all different skill levels and were sensitive to a swimmer with medical conditions. They provided all the equipment - wet suits, snorkels, masks and dive gear for the scuba folks. The mantas were active and it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The swim itself was 30 min. The boat ride was about 20 min including putting down the anchor. I cannot recommend them enough! read more

Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures - The snorkeled hold on to the board and are led around by an expert guide - Scuba Diving Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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These folks are excellent. I have recommended them on the HGV page to people staying at King's Land. My son and I have gone out with them a number of times. They are safe, knowledgeable, and fun to dive with. The fresh chocolate chip cookies after the dives are themselves worth going for. read more

These guys and gals are out of this world fantastic! Flipper, Sam, April, and Captain Joe are all awesome! If you have a chance to dive the Manta Rays at night do not pass it up! It is beyond anything you could ever imagine. Thank you Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures...we will be back! read more

Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures - Scuba Diving Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Did a night Manta Ray Dive with Blue Wilderness. It is the smaller dive operators like THIS that make diving fun! The DM, Phil was one of the nicest Dive Masters I have ever met! He made everyone comfortable and really did a great job! The boat is a trailered boat, and the ramp is quiet and out of the way from the hub-bub of the other dive outfits. This made the trip that much more enjoyable. As I was on SCUBA, my daughter enjoyed the snorkeling experience and she will never forget it! I would highly recommend Blue Wilderness for any dive! read more

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This is not the place for a beginner diving experience. Luckily for me, I did an intro dive before so I'm not throwing in the towel, but they could have turned me off from the whole thing. First, the pool session lasted all of 5 minutes, which is ridiculous, instead of practicing and just swimming around with the tank that was it. We should have flooded the mask, tried going up and down, and in general spent time underwater. Then they paired with someone that they knew was a bad instructor and has no patience or knows how to make someone feel comfortable, he literally wanted to drag me down with him so he could dive. That made me feel incredibly uncomfortable and I ended up snorkeling instead, which is not what I was wanting to do. The fact they knew this guy was not good and still paired him with me just shows how they run their business. The certified divers had fun, although, it seemed they were very liberal with how deep they went, and they did pick up an octopus and had people pet him, not really respecting marine life. They did refund me, but I would have rather had a great experience a nd gone diving. read more

THE. ABSOLUTE. BEST. EXPERIENCE. EVER! Flipper, Sam, and Colin made this adventure the greatest experience of our entire vacation. I can't recommend Blue Wilderness Dive Adventure any more. You've never seen Manta Rays this close and will NOT be disappointed. read more

Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures - Another Manta coming in for a flyby. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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We had a great time and appreciated all the knowledge and information that was given to us about the local area, and ocean wildlife. Would go back again. read more

April, captain mike and flipper are masters of snorkeling, diving and our manta ray experience! Kind, funny, and able to help in every way to help ensure a wonderful experience. They provided the gear, flippers and a treat! Thank you for your patience, kindness and knowledge!!! read more

Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures - Scuba Diving Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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Great two-tank dive! Hats off to Dive Master Flipper and Boat Operator Colin who took great care of us! Not a cattle boat operation which is great. Lots of local history and interesting information on all of the marine life from Flipper and Colin. A great time! read more

What a great dive company! been around the world diving and this was one of my favorites! They are fun, knowledgeable, and easy to dive with. You know it's a good company when every time you dive with them, there are multiple divers who had dove with them a dozen + times. read more

What a great day! The crew Flipper, Steve, and April where friendly, funny, and very knowledgeable. Just one thing... if you dive with them you better be up on your Caddie Shack movie lines. read more

Great adventure! Saw some incredible scuba sites. Ask for Flipper and Colin. These guys really know their stuff.

I've been out with this company on multiple trips for many reasons. The reef is great. The visibility is usually amazing and you can get 2 full dives in and still be back by 11:30am. Seems like some other companies actually come to the same area from further away. I always see amazing marine life. On my last dive a few weeks ago, I saw a manta ray, turtles, shark, octopus, eel, went through well lit swim throughs and saw several endemic fish. The staff works hard to make everyone comfortable. There are some beautiful beaches to visit next to Puako Bay too. In my last review I said they did not take us into deep water, but they certainly did this time. Flipper is good every day, but better on Monday. read more

Our two tank dive with Blue Wilderness Dive Adventure was everything we expected and then some. Flipper and Collin went above and beyond to make our experience one to remember. My wife was on her first ocean dive post-certification and was a bit apprehensive. Flipper stayed with her for the entire dive and put her mind at ease. If you are debating whether to bring your own gear or rent, don't be afraid to choose the latter option. The gear provided by Blue Wilderness was far better, both in condition and level of function, than any rental gear from any other outfitter I have used. We have already booked a night dive with Blue Wilderness, and if we have time may try to fit in another daytime dive before we grudgingly head home to the mainland. read more

We were staying in Waikoloa Beach Village and wanted a dive location closer to the village- what we got was a great crew and an amazing experience. The evening manta dive was perfect. My sister dives less than me- we told them she was nervous and the dive master helped take extra care with her to make sure she had an amazing experience too When we go back I'll gladly choose this crew again Thanks read more

We had an amazing time. We were in Hawaii for a week and made 2 trips. Blue Wilderness guarantees success and will take you out again at no cost if you do not see a manta. We went out on Monday with no luck and decided to rebook for Friday and man did they deliver. We got 3 mantas. The trip is super easy and not a huge time commitment so that's why we were so inclined to try for a second trip. Flipper and April are rockstars!! read more

The Blue Wilderness Dive Company pretty much ruined my expensive diving trip to Kona Hawaii. My family of 5 divers, prepaid for 5 days and one night of diving. I have been scuba diving since 1985, and was a police search and rescue diver in a Texas town. I have hundreds of dives under my belt, mostly in the Caribbean. Blue Wilderness "dive shop" works out of a convenience store, similar to a small 7/11 without the gas pumps. The attendant who tried to organize our equipment needs was also serving customers purchasing chips and soda at the same time.....making communication challenging. The Blue Wilderness dive preparation system: After arriving at the loading area, divers are required to give their BCs and Regs to the dive master. The divemaster and Captain then mount and hooked up the BCs and Regs to the tanks and used their own weight pouches adding weights to BCs. The Blue Wilderness dive employees were extremely rough with our expensive diving equipment. After arriving at the dive site, BCs, Regs, and tanks were dumped in the water and attached to ropes on the side of the boat. Divers were then told to enter the water and get into their equipment. Twice, divers were not able to descend when given the sign....as weight pouches were not properly mounted in their BC, and had dropped to the bottom of the ocean. Once my air was not turned on all the way......finding the air flow weak. Many tanks were not filled properly to 3000psi. Tanks had to be exchanged with divers in the water finding their tank with low pressure. The first day we had a woman dive master, and the two dives were uneventful with depths at about 30-40 feet. Really not much to see...visibility was about 1/2 what the Caribbean typically has. I was surprised to see very little color on the site with few fish comparatively. The second day we had a different divemaster a big bald guy that knows all and says all. On the first dive, I watched him pull an octopus out from its home and play with him on his arm for about 5 mins...before it was able to escape after spewing ink. A few minutes later I found what I thought was a camouflage frog fish. They look like rocks and I just barely touched the tail with a reef rod to verify it was a fish, as it's head was in a crevice. (I have carried a reef rod for many years.) This was judged to be a BIG mistake. The dive master got angry at this, waving his his hands and arms shaking his head. His chastisement continued after surfacing. The next day during the dive briefing, I was cautioned again by the woman divemaster. Apparently I had been labeled as a "problem" diver. Day 3's diving was uneventful with the woman dive master. On day 4 our party did two dives in the morning, and returned in the evening for a night dive with mantas. At the loading area that evening I handed the male bald divemaster my BC (with my reef rod attached as always.....using a stainless 70mm steel snap clip to the D ring on my BC which then ran through a lower D ring). My stainless steel reef rod has a nylon 550 paracord lanyard with a fluorescent orange rubber wrist tightener. I have found over many years, a reef rod is a valuable piece of diving equipment. It helps keep a diver off a reef in current, it's a great tool to point with, and is also a tank banger to get the attention of other divers. When I entered the water and swam over to my BC, for the night dive, my reef rod was gone. The dive was in 20 feet of water with a white sand bottom. My reef rod was no where to be seen. I was later told by the captain....my reef rod was not anywhere on the boat. It is my firm belief that my reef rod was tossed over board during the trip to the night dive site by the male bald dive master. Needless to say after paying over $10,000 on a dive trip to Hawaii, I was not a happy client. I did not go on the final day 5 of diving with the male bald so called "divemaster." The experience left a bad taste of bile in my mouth, and sad to say it will not be forgotten. read more

Wonderful trip to see Manta Rays. Captain and guide were both knowledgeable and friendly.

This is still my favorite crew to dive with and best boat to dive from! They are down to earth and super knowledgeable about the ocean wildlife. The boat is small and helps curb my sea sickness so I don't have to take any OTC drugs. We went diving with them again on our return trip to the big island and enjoyed our dives even more than the first time. Plus, their homemade chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies are the best snack I've had on any dive. So yummy! Make it a point to dive with this company when you're here because they are the best! read more

Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures - Scuba Diving Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

This is our go-to dive shop when we visit there. They have various services and products. We usually rent the tank and weights then go to different places along the west coast of Big Island to dive. The staff is knowledgeable with surrounding areas. read more

It was an overall great experience! The guides are excellent and very helpful! We were able to see a few manta rays and they swam right up to us. Would do again! read more

Went on a lovely dive with these guys on Dec. 31st. There were 7 of us and we had the boat all to ourselves. They treated us wonderfully. The 3 staff members (esp. Sam) were all super knowledgeable interesting and attentive. We had 2 dive masters come down with us, which was great because it allowed a few divers to come up early safely. The whole experience was awesome. We'll be back again next year! read more

My family and I had an unforgettable time at the Manta Ray snorkeling experience. The Blue Wilderness crew went above and beyond to make everyones experience memorable and amazing. They did a great job making everyone feel comfortable and safe. I would highly recommend this company to anyone who is a first time divers or anyone wanting to experience the manta ray snorkel or dive. Also, super delicious cookies at the end of our snorkel was the cherry on top of an amazing time. Thank you so much Blue Wilderness. read more

I went out on their dive and snorkel tour and had a great time. I was the only snorkeler but they made sure to direct me to areas good for snorkeling while the others dove. This is my second trip with this company and I highly recommend them. They also serve the best homemade cookies as well! Thank you once again for sharing your Hawaii with me! Cara read more

Super helpful when we came in to buy some new snorkel gear! The guy there was great at explaining the tradeoffs for different options and we left with some great new stuff. read more

Would give 5 stars , they gave the wrong size wet suit , didn't want hold back the rest of the divers on first dive and scrubbed the Dive , should used my own Wet suit that the right size . They ask if I was having a health issue and told them multiple no , that the wet suit I rented from was to tight . This is second time I used there service . The owner told my wife that didn't need a wet suit. But last think I want is is get cut up by the Coral reef a wet suit seem to protect you not just from cold water . My level of diver is rescue diver . Ives been diving since 1985 . Next time don't rent gear , bring your own . read more

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We had such an amazing time diving with Flipper!! Did a two tank dive with one experienced diver and one newbie diver. Flipper made sure we were comfortable and safe the entire time, and showed us so many cool things! read more

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My cousin and I did the Discovery Dive while my step-dad is certified and did the regular dive and it was well worth it! Danielle, Greg and Dave were a fantastic crew to get and we had a ton of fun with them. We were lucky enough to see Blue Whales, Dolphins, a ton of Turtles and sea life....went searching for a white tip Reef Shark but he was out playing. It was a great day that I'll never forget! Great company and adventure so sign up as you will not regret it! Devin read more

Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures - We did a scuba day and it was fantastic! The whole crew was fun, knowledgeable and patient. Saw a ton of ocean life, can't wait to go again - Scuba Diving Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

My family of 4 (mom, dad, and 2 teenage sons) did 2 dive trips with Blue Wilderness when we visited Kona during our Spring Break trip. The dives were all different and amazing; turtles, sharks, eels and many other colorful sea creatures. We also enjoyed diving through arches and caves off the Kona coast. We had the pleasure of diving with Flipper on both our dive days. Shout out to Denise, Joe and the rest of the Blue Wilderness crew for their friendly (and safe) customer service during our excursions. This trip is the 2nd time we have dived with Blue Wilderness. We became certified divers because of the experience we enjoyed the 1st time we went with them. read more

Excellent night manta Ray dive! Did it with these guys a few years back and wanted to take my daughter and sister to experience the joy of these beautiful creatures! It was as awesome as I remember. Very comfortable fast boat gets you to the dive site quickly and it isn't crowded with loads of tourists kicking you. The captain and his crew offered great instructions and constantly checked on the two younger boys on the trip while in the water. Can not describe the feeling when these beautiful creatures show up and swim around you so peacefully, so here's a pic or two read more

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Bad place for a manta ray SNORKEL. If you're a diver, this place is fine. We went on the night manta snorkel and the employees told us during the briefing the divers would point their lights up and the surfboard the snorkelers would be hanging onto would have a light as well but pointing down. It would be symbiotic relationship where the manta would have the option of coming up to the surface and going back down. Instead, the divers pointed their lights at each other in a circle and the one manta ray we saw inevitably went around in the circle to only the divers and did not come to the surface. In fact, the manta was brushing masks off the divers and brushing up against them so often that one guy said his bald head was sore. The divers were really selfish and did not follow the directions. The employee monitoring the divers did not care either. Sure, the manta is a wild animal and they have no control, but why didn't they execute the procedure they described? If they are so experienced, why don't they follow their own procedure? They claim the diver's flashlights pointing up would NOT have made a difference but how would they know - it NEVER happened! When I got back home to discuss with the owner, he was accusing me of trying to save a dollar and get a free snorkel trip (really?). I told him I'm happy to spend the money for excursions when the service is delivered as promised. I have never asked for a refund on an excursion before. He said I was taking the term too literally when I told them they misrepresented the fact that the divers would be pointing their lights up and that is not for the manta but to keep the light out of each others faces. This was NOT the representation at the briefing. The briefing said that THE REASON for the divers pointing their lights up and the surfboard on the surface pointing their lights down was so that the manta can eat the plankton attracted to the light. They don't promise mantas, but I expect they would promise the procedure (that they author and put in their briefing) the divers would be pointing their lights up so that the manta would have the option of going up instead of skimming the surface floor with the divers only. It was incredibly disappointing. I would suggest doing the longer drive to Kona and booking with a reputable company if you're a snorkeler. We were staying at the Hilton Waikoloa so this drive was only 10 minutes rather than the 40 minute drive to Kona. Big mistake. The owner basically told me I should've been grateful to even see a manta and did not acknowledge the procedure was not followed. He did not even bother to offer to check with the crew that night whether it was followed or not. Make sure to book the night manta dive (do not snorkel even if you have the option) the first night possible since weather problems can cancel the dive. It was cancelled 3 days the week we were there. They only cater to divers so snorkelers beware! (btw, I'm a PADI-certified diver but decided to snorkel with my bf to share the experience. If I had known this would happen, I would have NEVER snorkeled). They should be more clear that they only cater to divers' experience with the manta rays. read more

Of the two dive companies I used while in Hawaii, they people of Blue Wilderness were the nicest. It was a bit crowded - I think my first dive had about 10-12 divers, so it wasn't as customized as some of the other trip in the area. The dive master and captain were great. We found some whales between dives got to watch them for almost a half an hour. It was the best whale show I saw the entire trip. We also made some laps with some spinner dolphins. The overall experience with this company was the best during my trip to the big Island. Prices were some of the cheaper that I saw on the big island. read more

A really nice employee (I believe his name was Ted) helped us rent snorkel gear and pointed us to a few great snorkeling spots. My absolute fave spot was in Paniau (end of the road) although the waves were fairly choppy the day we went out, so I definitely wouldn't recommend it for newbies. The snorkel gear worked out really well for us - and was fairly priced in my opinion (approx $50 for masks, snorkels, and fins for my husband and me), and I definitely recommend shelling out an additional $6 or so for a little bottle of anti-fog gel. We applied it to our masks every time before we went out and it worked great! read more

If I could, I would give these guys 10/10!!! We got married this morning and all I wanted to do to celebrate was to swim with the rays! Kevin was our hilarious guide/driver of the boat and Denise is the captain, AKA the biggest bad ass I've ever met. We saw tons of rays, 7 8 9 feet long! They came so close to us and even got a feel of their sandpaper belly! We felt so safe and we're surrounded by amazing people. HIGHLY recommend this place! Love Rae and Rob! read more

ow that everyone can work remotely, we thought -- why not work from Hawaii? So we came to the Big Island for five weeks. I did about three dozen dives with Blue Wilderness. I am an experienced diver but do not have any advanced training. Here's what I like: * Staff friendly and relaxed. (We did try another outfit one day but it was a much bigger boat, more expensive, and not as chill.) * Small boat. Yes sometimes it was a bit crowded but I liked that you got to chat with everyone. * Small dive groups. I don't think we ever had more than six people on a dive. * Professional Dive Masters. Most of the dive masters are also dive instructors so they really know their stuff. They were relaxed and helpful. And they find critters remarkably well! * Familiar with all the dive sites. The DMs know the area well and share where to find unique things. * Pretty close to Waikoloa where we were staying. They have a shop here which we visited a couple times but mostly met them at the boat launch. They also own the General Store at Puako where they rent/sell dive stuff and food. * Saw a lot. The DMs don't control what you see but they checked spots for visibility, current, and what they saw last time. We saw (during regular morning dives): sharks, eels, eagle rays, manta rays, octopus, frog fish, nudibranchs, shrimp, turtles, and lots and lots of tropical fish. Some places the coral is better than others. They said the water was too warm about 5 years ago and lots of the coral died. There are lava tubes and other formations that you can swim through if you want. But if you don't feel comfortable, they have you wait outside. * We did the night time manta dive and saw 3 mantas -- pretty cool to have them swim so close they hit your head! *Accommodating. We had our kids and different friends visit. We were changing who wanted to dive when pretty frequently. They did not complain. * Good value. They sell 10-packs that you can use for anyone in your group and get a good discount. * Cookies! And last but not least - they give you these great chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies during the interval. They also have water for before/during/after diving. read more

I was verbally abused several times by the crew. I was not given a pair of goggles, so I politely asked for goggles. A crew member said "You missed the call for goggles!" He threw a dirty pair at me, and then said "Adddoooyyyyy!" At this point, he was impersonating someone with an intellectual disability. I would have walked away from the experience at this point, but I was in the middle of the ocean. Later in the water, as I was connecting a snorkel mouth piece to my goggles, the owner yells at me in a sudden angry outburst "Give me your goggles!" At the end of this experience, a crew member offered everyone macadamian nut cookies. I politely said, "no, thank you," and the crew member's response was, "oh, come onnn!" He continued on in an upset rant about how I need to live "more dangerously." Nut allergies anyone? Why am I being bullied and verbally abused on this trip? If you believe in treating others with respect and supporting businesses that do so, I would highly suggest choosing another company. read more

The team is pretty cool. Captain Dave delivered us fast and safely to the spot. Phil was super nice and made sure we had the best experience in manta diving. We've seen a couple of mantas and the dive was pretty chill and easy. Easy in and out off the boat, all gear is taken care off and homemade delicious chocolate macadamia cookies! Highly recommended. Looks like snorkeling folks had lots of fun as well and were touched by mantas. read more

My wife and I did our Advanced Open Water certification at Blue Wilderness and highly recommend them. The folks at the shop were great about working with us to set up a schedule that got all the required dives done in two days, and all the instructors we dove with (Dave, Denise, and Michal) were very knowledgeable and great teachers. The dives themselves were great too. We did two dives the first day, then the night manta dive, then two more the next day. The night manta dive is everything all the other reviews say it is. Just an incredible experience. We also saw several turtles and a bunch of other beautiful fish. Overall we had a great experience with Blue Wilderness and would definitely recommend them, either for a course or just to dive for fun. read more