I have been able to do a handful of boat trips with Jack's Diving Locker in Kona. They have been good to me!! The dive sites are good, and they try and accommodate requests when possible. Their boats are clean and comfortable....Goldie Lock's Size: Not too big, not too small. Crew has been fantastic...I'll particularly say a big thank you to Jim who was a DM for me one day, and Captain another day. He's a real pleasure to chat with topside and equally fun to follow underwater!! Kim was also stellar on the advanced boat and worked hard to ensure everyone had a good day and made it a personal experience. If you have the experience, I would recommend the advanced boat...you'll get different sites, and smaller group. It's worth the extra money if you can do it. Thank you JDL for the great time...I'm not far away, I will be back! read more

Absolutely amazing experience with Jack's Dive Locker on the Big Island. This was honestly one of the highlights of our trip. Keller had us laughing nonstop. His dad jokes were so good and made the whole boat feel relaxed and comfortable right away. He brought a really fun vibe to the whole night. Our guide Michell was incredible. Super friendly, easy to talk to, and she took us to the perfect spots. You can tell she really loves what she does, and it made the experience feel even more special. And the manta rays... unreal. Watching them glide right under us was something I'll never forget. It didn't even feel real. If you're in Hawaii, you have to come here. Jack's Dive Shop is the place to go for an unforgettable adventure. read more

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We've been diving with Jack's diving locker for over 30 years. It is our go to for big Island diving for both day trips and always a night Manta dive. They are also one of the few to have a night Manta dive and snorkel if your party has snorkelers. That said, with both divers and snorkelers on the same boat either party ends up, waiting for the other. If you need gear, they have all the equipment and the service is fantastic. There are light snacks and plenty of drinking water. Also, hot showers off the deck and shampoo and conditioner. read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Not so common and very hard to spot Frog Fish - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Jack's is the BEST dive company in Hawaii! Captain Gary is the absolute best! His attention to making sure everyone has their gear in perfect condition, especially masks, is exceptional! The crew members are wonderful! We love Jack's!! read more

Diving with Jack's was hands-down one of the coolest experiences we've had in Hawaii. 10/10 would get photobombed by a manta again. Only downside: now every other dive has a lot to live up to. read more

Large solid selection of upmarket quality equipment at reasonable prices (for upmarket equipment) Do not come here expecting to purchase a 20$ fin and mask set. Knowledgeable staff. Can be a little busy and hard to get attention of a staff member, but once you've got someone you're set. You can get quality gear to go out and have a darned good time while doing some serious exploring. They are more accessible than a strictly pro shop having a wider range of merchandise to choose from and the demographic they serve appears to range from those who appreciate quality to the Advanced Intermediate Diver. read more

The boat we went on had a very cute dog, Grimly and he was great at making everyone feel welcome. The staff was very knowledgeable and unlike other manta Rey night dives this group has snacks, drinks and warm water to wash with or just warm up. We had an incredible experience seeing the mating ritual with multiple Mantas coming up to feed!! Highly recommend this group read more

Jack's is my favorite dive shop. I received my Master Dive Certification with Jack's. They provide concierge service by setting up your dive gear each day and storing your equipment at night. The crew is professional, knowledgeable, helpful and entertaining. They make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. The night manta dives are my favorite. We had an excellent manta dive with Anna S. She is an excellent dive guide. She is professional, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. My favorite special touch of the excellent customer service provided was Anna sent us photos of our dives. They are awesome! Jack's is my favorite dive shop. I received my Master Dive Certification with Jack's. They provide concierge service by setting up your dive gear each day and storing your equipment at night. The crew is professional, knowledgeable, helpful and entertaining. They make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. The night manta dives are my favorite. We had an excellent manta dive with Anna S. She is an excellent dive guide. She is professional, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. My favorite special touch of the excellent customer service provided was Anna sent us photos of our dives. They are awesome! read more

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Just needed to write another review and celebrate this crew. Did 5 dives this past week and everything was excellent. Shout to Sam for being extremely detailed oriented. Knowing his shit and articulating expectations and checking in frequently. I'll be coming back in the next 6-8 months and will definitely be hitting them up for some more adventures. BIG mahalo! read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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I had an amazing experience and have to give a huge shoutout to Patti, Toby, Gary, Greg, and the rest of the team at Jack's Diving Locker! After finishing some other scuba certifications in Oahu, I came to Jack's Diving Locker aiming to get the PADI Manta Ray Awareness Specialty certification and, of course, dive with the mantas -- and we nailed it! Patti and Toby were awesome, guiding me through the coursework and making sure I was ready for the water. Greg and Gary took me out on dives, and over my four days in Kona, I was in the water almost every day. I saw turtles, dolphins, heard whale songs, and even spotted whale sharks twice -- it was incredible! All in all, Jack's Diving Locker made my trip unforgettable. I'll definitely be diving with them again when I return to the Big Island. Huge thanks to everyone! read more

The only diving company we'll use - Jack's is the best and why mess with the best? My boys and I completed our open water PADI certification last year with Carlos, and he gave us the experience of a lifetime. I cannot recommend him enough, he's patient, knowledgeable and wise in the ways of teaching teenagers. This year (25) we came back to complete our advanced open water certification and Carlos wasn't availablebut we had Elle and Jim to help us with our course. Each dive is something special and this week was no exception - we saw so many epic animals and as usual, the boat was clean, professional, well run and exactly the vibe we love. Jack's is something special, don't look any further, you've found the right place right here. read more

Jack's Diving Locker - 3 new PADI advanced open water divers - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

It has been 10 yrs since I last dove with Jack's Diving Locker, and they are still a great shop! I started this week with a refresher course & 1 day diving with Mel on a 2 tank boat dive, she is patience & has eagle eyes finding all types of critters! I did 2 days diving with Keller on 2 tank Boat dives and he is a great at finding critters & videographer and shared his video with all those in the dive! Captain Bob & Cosmo were great helping us in/out of the ocean & keeping track of our dives, etc. My week has been amazing, we saw pilot whales, Oceanic white tip sharks, Reef sharks, Monk seal, Turtles, Bottle nose dolphins, amazing eels, Frog fish & more!!! I did a Manta night Snorkel trip which was fantastic. The mantas were up close & personal you could see inside their mouths!! I have done many dives with Mantas, this is my 1st snorkel trip with Mantas & I lived it so much I signed up for a 2nd nite snorkel with Mantas. PS, over the course of the week I to replace some of my old gear and they were very helpful. Thank you for making my week special. I highly recommend Jack's diving locker for all your scuba & snorkel needs their staff & crew are very experienced, professional & helpful. read more

I don't leave a lot of reviews but my interactions with Jack's warrants a positive review. Twice I've had issues with my camera while diving on the Big Island and twice Jack's Diving Locker had the parts I needed to fix the issue. The first time, I went to the shop in the marina and the second time I went to the other location. I didn't know they closed at 4 and got there at 4, after they had locked their doors. They let me in and found what I needed. Thank you so much!! read more

My friends and I made reservations to go manta ray afternoon and night snorkeling and dive. Glowing reviews for them for such a great experience! If you want to have a an awesome manta ray viewing experience, this is the place you need to set it up with. There were 4 of us and the 3 adults (including me) went snorkeling while the kid (13 year old) went diving. The kid definitely had a more amazing and fun experience, especially as this was his first dive. He was well-taken care of on his first dive by the staff. Supposedly what's unique about this particular experience is that you get to do snorkeling/dive in the afternoon and night. I was informed that other manta ray excursions usually only go out only in the afternoon or only at night. Even though I did get seasick towards the end, overall I had a great time and was able to see a lot of manta rays during the day and at night. There were several snorkeling and driving groups with each group having a guide who led us around and pointed out manta rays for us to check out. Our guide was a bit grumpy at first but then he was good at spotting and telling us manta rays that he spotted. We saw a lot of them at night and it was a very close up experience. I won't give away too much about it. It was more exciting of an experience because I didn't know what to expect. But they did tell us how many we get to see varies by day, so please go with an open mind and positive vibes that you'll get to see a lot of them. So, if you are reviewing and researching several places for your manta ray experience, this place should be your choice. :) FYI: -During the night time, we had to wear wetsuits because the water gets cold at night. -They provide food, which were sandwiches, chips, fruits, and cookies. -Snorkeling gear is provided, too. -They give you a lot of guidance and go over a lot of protocols, especially safety protocols, so it makes you feel safe and prepared for the experience. read more

I went on the "Magic Pelagic" dive with DM Simone and Captain Toby. I had a great time with this pro outfit and I'll be back as I'm here a few months a year. Mahalo! read more

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Staff was friendly but almost too casual for my preference. I prefer a bit more validation of my readiness to get in the water to scuba dive. Mainly in terms of familiarity with rental equipment. Lunch was skimpy and could be upgraded with little effort, making a much better impression. Crew seemed a bit focused on staying close to harbor for our dives to end their day early. read more

I had an amazing experience with Jack's Diving Locker, thanks to Olivia! She made the process a breeze and an unforgettable vacation. Thanks again Olivia and the Jack's team! read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Snorkeling in Hawaii - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

My experience with Jack's Diving Locker was outstanding. All the staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. The time we spent on and in the water with Olivia was top notch and truly a five star afternoon. ***** Our captain Toby was terrific, guiding us to excellent moorings and pointing out many land and sea points of interest. We are truly "Grateful Divers." read more

Fabulous dives with Jack's Dive Locker both times I have visited Kona! Can't wait to return and enjoy another nights with them and the mantas! An absolute thank you for the photos too read more

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Amazing time scuba diving with Jack's Diving Locker. The crew and captain were incredibly informative, fan and safe!! The manta night dive was awesome and they shared great photos afterwards. Definitely recommend diving either them here in Kona HI! read more

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My old snorkel was leaking at the flex joint. Scary in the rough tides. Rather than only sets, Jack' had a great selection of individual snorkels, and had just what I needed. Pricing was great. And they were knowledgeable about the snorkels. A first class experience. read more

I have been diving with Jacks (every 3-5 yrs) for over 20 years. As soon as our flight is booked, Jacks is my next call. They never disappoint. They are so professional with the best guides, captains and boats. This was the first time I had a dive cancelled because of unsafe water conditions and they gave a full refund which was so much better than someone else I met who went out on another company that same night and had the worst experience. read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

If I could give Jack's Dive Shop six stars, I would--though I suspect they'd just hand me another tank and tell me to go earn that sixth one underwater. These folks don't just "run a dive shop"--they run a full-blown happiness distribution center. The staff are like a mix of seasoned ocean wizards and your funniest, most encouraging best friends. They somehow manage to make both beginners they're part of the same adventure movie. A very special shout out to Mel - our Dive master who successfully got our two 15 year olds and two even more difficult adults through our final certifications with superior service (and a smile) that frankly I have rarely experienced in ANY business. She made us earn it, and we I can't imagine anyone else could have done a better job with this group or even successfully navigated us through. She's even more amazing than the graceful manta ray's we dived with. The gear? Spotless and perfectly maintained--like it's been blessed by Poseidon himself. The boats? Comfortable, safe, and stocked with just the right vibe (somehow a mix of laid-back island energy and professional precision). And the dives? Let's just say seeing a manta ray or a sea turtle do a backflip inches from my mask is an experience I'll hold dear the rest of my life. Even better, they're patient and encouraging in a way that makes you feel like you've been diving with family (if your family happened to be world-class dive pros with a knack for dad jokes). Bottom line: If you come to Kona and don't dive with Jack's, it's like visiting Italy and skipping the pasta. Don't do that to yourself. read more

WORST DIVE OPERATOR I have ever experienced in my entire life. Booked a night Manata Ray Dive/Snorkel trip with Jack's dive locker. Booked for a group of 8 since only a few companies accommodated for divers and snorkelers in our group. When booked was told the MAX on the boat was 18 guests (dive/Snorkeler mix). Boat was a cattle boat with 18 Scuba divers + 10 snorkelers...in addition 4 dive guides, 2 snorkel guides and the captain (35 people!). It was way too crowded. Staff attitude, specifically Captain Jim, Mongo and Maddie started before we even stepped on the boat and throughout the entire trip. Captain's safety brief could barely hear him, he turned boat engines on right before (Still tied to dock), and didn't notify people on top of boat, but yelled at them to come down for brief...after earlier telling the snorkelers to go up top to get out of way of divers. We were not allowed to set up our own gear and asked to stay away from it while they were doing it. At the dive site, we were rushed to get our gear on and get in water (5 mins). No time to do full gear check, but found my husband's weights were not put in his pocket properly. My husband is a master diver since the 1980's and was able to descend so we thought it dropped out of his unsecured pocket. When asking captain about it when we got back on boat, he said he put it in there, but I watched him put it in for 2nd dive...which confirmed he never snapped it in properly and it didn't get lost in the ocean ont he 1st dice. NOTE: we were the only ones using Oceanic BCs with custom bags different than everyone else. Mysteriously both weigh pouches ended back in our gear. On the Dive, Mongo was oblivious to keep track of the group and didn't assist in missing weight issue as my husband swam sideways and showed him. We rented Regs to use, and when Mongo was giving demonstrations on how to use it, he told us to step away since we weren't renting all the gear and would explain to us later on computers. When I asked him later how to use the computer, he was annoyed and rudely told me to push buttons. Mongo's attitude on the boat was that we were all annoying him. He only gave attention to some local lady who always dives with them. Overheard her even say Mongo gives her special attention since he doesn't like to deal with the "other" people. Had an older aged man with us snorkeling who has lots of experience under water. He was telling me he saw a sea horse, and I could hear Captain Jim mocking him and saying that wasn't true and referred to him as a moron. Maddie eventually jumped in a rudely told the older man that he was very wrong. Another snorkeler in our group told us Maddie yelled at her for jumping in when she told her she could. On the 2nd dive, the older aged man's daughter asked Maddie to check if his hearing aids were out before entering the water. The daughter reconfirmed with Maddie prior water entry, and Maddie's responded with major attitude that THEY ARE OUT! NOPE...They went into the ocean! Maddie was more concerned with flirting and her appearance. We saw 3 outfit changes on the boat into 3 different bikinis. Maddie tied up another tour zodiac boat to the back of the boat on the 2nd dive causing what I felt were safety issues making the ladders not clear and safe. Captain Jim yelled at Maddie for doing so, yet the tied boat remained in the way of entrance and exit of the water. I feel this is not a safe diving company. The staff was rude, arrogant and berating, and when issues arose, it became a blame game. After the trip, we spoke with many locals and other dive operators about our experience. Sadly, they told us that is well known that Jacks Diving Locker are greedy and only in it for the money and not the safety of the customers. Luckily the manta night dive was amazing, and we got some amazing footage. But to pay $250 a person and be treated horribly on an overcrowded boat...I'd book with someone else next time. read more

Our experience with Jack's on Aug 19,2025 was particularly outstanding with Captain Cliff and Divemasters Shannon and Adam. Near the beginning of dive 1 I had a major equipment malfunction (my BCD was 24 years old, so I can't be too upset), I thought my day of diving was over after only 6 minutes. My buddy and I surfaced. Captain Cliff helped me onto the boat and he looked at the issue. He quickly found a spare set of rental gear and set that up for me. Divemaster Shannon surfaced to check on our issue and told us to take our time, the rest of our group was "perfectly happy looking at fish under the boat." I appreciated that, as I was feeling rushed and stressed about holding up my group. Captain Cliff had me back in the water in just a few minutes. On dive 1, Divemaster Shannon found 3 octopuses, the tiniest juvenile shortnose wrasse, a whitetip reef shark and a few other very interesting creatures. On dive 2 Shannon really outdid herself finding a dragon moray eel (my dad said "in 30 years and over 1400 dives I'd never seen one of those before!"), a harlequin shrimp, a male Whitley's boxfish, another octopus, and another whitetip reef shark. The best part was that Shannon didn't rush us, she let us take our time and watch these amazing creatures. My sister in law is a newer diver and Shannon specifically pointed out a few things that she did well on her dives. My SIL noticed and really appreciated Shannon's patience and kindness. Despite a major equipment failure, my family had an epic day of diving, thanks to our crew! read more

Joe was so nice and gave great instructions. Would highly recommend them. They helped me feel completely comfortable snorkeling for future excursions read more

You cannot go wrong with Jack's diving locker. It had been over a year since I had done scuba diving, but the staff was very patient, very accommodating and very helpful with me getting all my equipment together as I was a bit rusty if you are a new diver or just someone who Goes once or twice a year, I would highly recommend Jack's. read more

Best dive shop, and best dive ever! The Manta Ray Dive has been something on our list since we got certified 6+ years ago. So when selecting a dive shop for this excursion we wanted to be selective to make sure we found a shop that suited us. We actually only ended up talking to jacks because multiple people recommended this outfit, and felt very much at home once meeting/talking with Olivia, Adam, and Toby. Olivia assisted us in booking two dives, the classic two-tank dive, and the long anticipated Manta two tank Night dive. The classic was a decent dive exploring some very cool reef structures and underwater topography, with some decent aquatic life sightings here and there, it ain't no Caribbean but the diving here is very unique and cool in it's own right. With many things you don't see in the Caribbean! Finally our last dive trip arrived and we were heading down to see Manta's. Our first dive we spotted a couple, and were pretty pleased...but the second tank is where things really got crazy. I guess an average night is somewhere around 12 manta rays sightings, we saw 31 on our dive! Unreal! My girlfriend gets really cold on dives and our dive master, Keller, took very special attention to make sure he did everything to make sure she was warm and cared for. Big shout out to the man Keller for being a rockstar! Big ups to the rest of the crew for being the most fun and professional, and the outright best crew these couple of travelers could have asked for! Big shout outs to captain Bob, Captain Sierra, Rachel, Jess, Chad, and anyone I may have missed! A+ 10/10 would recommend, and will for sure be back. PS...educate yourself on their history with the Grateful Dead, it's really cool. Sincerely, Grateful Divers. read more

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This was my very first dive from a boat. I was diving single and was a little worried about not having a partner. I also was worried about the fact I was flying out 14 hours after the dive. Also I hadn't dived for 3 years. I did prep early and took a refresher before flying out to Hawaii. (They offered a refresher as well which I didn't take advantage of given my time crunch on the Island.) I told Jack's Diving Locker all my concerns and they addressed them all. I had to basically only do one dive of the two total for the trip. If there was another person snorkeling on the boat by the time we set sail then I'd have the option to dive. I accepted the risk not being able to snorkel but luckily someone did show up, so I was able to get the best of both worlds! Jack's Diving Locker was the 2nd boat at the spot. As our teams went down for the daytime dive I was able to observe them snorkeling as they scuba 40 feet below me, surreal! Our guide free dove to retrieve dead sea urchin husks and a lost snorkel from the bottom which was pretty cool to watch. We even saw 5 manta rays from above. A small rest period before dawn we were fed sandwiches and chips. The night time dive when I finally got to scuba was the best thing I've done in some time. By the time darkness fell there were 15 boats in the water. Lots of snorkelers and lots of scuba divers came to join us for the manta ray show. I wasn't too concerned about the darkness as I did my first open water in Monterey which was murky. We're all given a light and stationary lights fitted with plankton feeders are strategically placed. So there is an ethereal quality down there watching the manta rays lit up close as they swim around. They're so large you can feel the turbulence they kick up as they swim around you. The best part was we were the last team out of the water. Our guide shutdown the last light. Right before that about six manta rays crowded around that last light which was right in front of us so what a show we remaining few got to witness! We swam back to the boat in total darkness with just flashlights which was a little eerie. But what an amazing 53 minutes! We were the very last boat out of the area. Jack's Diving Locker made the whole process easy. I couldn't imagine a more professional and enthusiastic set of guides and captain and crew. Everything was explained in what to expect and nothing seemed to be left out. Would definitely go with these guys again in the future. read more

Instructor Jimmy and Jack's Diving Locker's Diving Refresher was exactly what I needed to regain my confidence with Diving again. You can tell Jimmy is a legit seasoned diver and the way he breaks things down in the refresher was straightforward and accessible. He made me feel welcome and comfortable as soon as I arrived to the class and I really appreciated how he walked me through the exercises more then once to make me feel extra confident I had everything down. Although I only took one class at Jack's Diving Locker - between Jimmy and the rest of the staff I met there / their office, it definitely gave off vibes of a well-dialed operation! Highly recommend to folks looking for a refresher. read more

Had an amazing time with Jack's Diving Locker. If you are an experienced diver, I highly recommend booking the advanced adventure 2-tank boat trip. You get to dive different sites with a smaller group and the experience is just top-notch. The crew will assess the conditions the morning of your dives and take you to where they think you'll have the best experience. All of the captains and dive masters with Jacks are super knowledgable about local marine life, they will point out wonderful critters you would miss on your own and they exemplify the spirit of stewardship and respect for ocean life. They go over every detail and you feel safe and secure every step of the way. I honestly can not recommend Jack's highly enough. read more

Anna Liv and Cosmos did everything they could to make dive successful and fun! The on board education, the music and the overall vibe was amazing! Not to mention the two dives were spectacular, with 20+ manta rays. Thank you!! read more

What an incredible experience. The entire crew on the boat and to the incredible dive masters made our trip simply Amazing! The Day Dives and Night Manta Dives were well organized and our timing to see some unique sea creatures was excellent. If you're looking for the best on the big island, Jack's Diving Locker is the one. The manta night dive is a life experience dive. read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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The diving was great. Loved the crew, Toby, Keller ,Sam and the rest were great. The manta dive was exceptional. Everything about it was good highly recommend. Loved the "first in, last out" approach. read more

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I've been diving with Jack's since I passed my open and advanced open water with them. Shannon, Keller, Jim, Jimmy, Simone, Gary, Greg, Mongo, Toby, and Olivia are fantastic dive masters. Oh yes Sam's a hoot as well. I now that I'm missing a few. Yes I have dove a bunch with Jack's because they are very accommodating and professional. Patti and Whitney and David have solved our gear issue problems every time. If you're looking the best on the big island, they're the one. The manta dive is a life experience dive or snorkel and Keller Is The Manta Man read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Captain Sierra and her crew were awesome. there's a lot of diving companies to choose from on the Kona side, but I'm glad I found Jack's diving locker because now this is my diving Ohana. I joined their club and now I'm looking forward to taking open, advanced diving from them and more. You can trust these people they are safe, professional, experts, and have a lot of aloha. read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Best day of my entire life. Jeff was the absolute best!! Seriously he made our time so enjoyable and I would come back to Hawaii just for another day on the water with Jeff!! read more

Jacks diving is the best!!! We had a super tight window as we were flying to the big island that day, and wanted to do the Manta Ray Night dive (highly recommended ) I had to do a refresher course, as my last dive was a few years ago. My instructor MEL was awesome and made it happen, while making sure my skills and knowledge were up to par! Thanks again Jacks and MEL !!!!! PS - you get a sick sunset from the boat after your first dive!!! read more

Got back in the diving saddle after a very extended break (+10y) with the help of this amazing outfit. From my first phone call figuring out how to get back into the water, to my refresher pool dive, to an amazing two tank boat dive, I felt comfortable and confident with the advice and attention that I received from all of the staff at Jack's Dive Locker! Highly recommend using them if planning to dive Kona! read more

Very impressive with this dive shop. Friendly staff and knowledgable especially with the best dive spot. GREAT selection of dive gear. I got a good vibe with this shop. Will update before we leave home. read more

Jack's Diving Locker - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii