Went whale watching first charter of season, 12/22/25, got plenty of action!…read moreSpouts, humpbacks and tails too. Crew dropped a mic in water and listened to singing whales! Gorgeous sunset was a bonus! Kids were enthralled! Capt Ty and Mo & Jessa were the best crew! So much information wrapped up in excitement, and music, mahalo! Can't wait to fish, dive, whale watch, snorkel & hang out with Kohala Divers again!! Da Hess Ohana

Kohala Divers provides a first rate experience! We booked a two stop guided snorkel trip for two…read moreadults + teen and were delighted by the day. Captain Tai, Mo, Kay, Gordon and all the staff were welcoming, knowledgeable and worked together seamlessly. Highly recommend!

We loved our time with Blue Wilderness Dive Adventures! A great crew took us out-- Flipper, Colin…read moreand 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!

Amazing time for my back to diving after almost 6 years. Felt well surrounded and safe. The team…read morewas 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.

Fantastic experience with Martina as our guide. She was very knowledgeable and her passion was…read moreobvious. They limit the group to 6 maximum to make it more educational and enjoyable experience for everyone and less stressful on the Manta. The swim out is very easy especially with the fins and life vest. Would definitely do this again upon our return.

Super Duper Dive Guide. Richard was fantastic and…read moreknowledgeable about local marine life in Puako. He was well prepared and efficient in getting us prepped for the dives. He was flexible about me not putting my bc on at the car, and walked it to the shoreline. We saw resting turtles on the beach, and many in the ocean including a turtle cleaning station!!!! He pointed out many macro animals including a nudibranch. I have a bad back and was not super comfortable with the rugged shore dive, but he was there for me. Great experience and I would definitely dive with him again. Mahalo

I was lucky enough to visit the Big Island in July, 2013. I looked at a lot of big dive operators,…read morebut decided to go with LRB Hawaii Dive instead. Boy, am I glad I did. I'm spoiled now. I love shore diving, and I love looking for small creatures in the shallows. Richard listened to what I wanted, and we did 8 awesome shore dives in Puako. He helped me find and photograph Nudibranchs, Frogfish, Regal Slipper Lobsters, etc. etc. He also showed me local specialties like the Turtle Cleaning stations. The dives were long and shallow. It doesn't get any better than LRB's personalized service. I only hope I can go back soon!

We went on a snorkeling and whale watching tour with Liquid Hawaii for our wedding anniversary, and…read moreit ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. Matt, the owner, was incredibly knowledgeable about the island's history and marine life, and he was kind enough to honor our tour even though they didn't have the minimum group size of four passengers that day. That alone says a lot about the kind of business he runs. He also made our anniversary feel extra special by providing a fresh seafood lunch with fish he had caught himself, which was such a thoughtful and unexpected touch. The tour was about 3.5 to 4 hours total. From the marina, it was roughly a 10 minute boat ride to the snorkel spot. The ride itself was very comfortable. There is some shade on the boat, but it's not fully covered, so definitely bring solid sun protection. A long sleeve rash guard or sun shirt is a good idea. On the way out, we saw a few whales in the distance and once we were in the water, we could actually hear them singing. It was surreal and honestly kind of magical. The snorkel location itself was beautiful, with several sea turtles, tons of fish, and colorful coral. There was only one other boat nearby, so it felt remote and almost private rather than crowded or rushed. Hunter, our snorkel guide, was relaxed and helpful, and we were able to move at our own pace which made the whole experience feel unhurried and personalized. We didn't get to see any whales up close unfortunately, they just weren't cooperating that day, but even hearing them underwater was something we won't forget. Matt was friendly, down to earth, and clearly passionate about what he does. He offers both land and water tours, and we appreciated the local perspective woven throughout the experience. If you're looking for a more intimate, locally run excursion instead of a large crowded boat tour, I would absolutely recommend Liquid Hawaii.

Our manta ray night snorkel was honestly disappointing from start to finish. Trips had been…read morecanceled all week due to high winds, and in hindsight, this night should have been canceled too. It was extremely windy and choppy -- even the boat captain & guide commented, "this is windy," which didn't exactly inspire confidence. We didn't see a single manta ray, and the conditions made it hard to even enjoy being on & in the water. The ride back was rough, freezing, and completely soaked us. It felt more like surviving the ocean than experiencing it. I understand wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed, but guest safety and overall conditions should come first. I wish the company had made the call to reschedule rather than pushing forward in clearly poor weather.

I can't say enough good things about Kona Diving Company. We have dove with them on three separate…read moretrips to the Big Island and absolutely love them. We've done morning dives, the manta dive, as well as the twilight and night dive and every experience has been incredible. The staff is fantastic and always takes such great care of us. I would recommend this shop to both new divers and seasoned divers alike. We've met some really amazing people through these trips and every outing has been organized, safe, and genuinely fun. The boat is spacious, they provide snacks and drinks during the surface interval, and they handle all of your gear setup which makes everything so easy and stress free. The team is super knowledgeable and does a great job grouping divers based on experience level so everyone has a good time. I'd also love to give a big shout out to Daniel and Cody who are always a blast and so much fun to dive with. Maxine is an awesome boat captain and Ashley was incredible dive master as well. She led our manta dive a year ago, gave such a great pre dive presentation, and was super thoughtful and fun to dive with on two separate occasions. Honestly, because of this dive shop we keep coming back to the Big Island and continue rebooking with them every trip. Highly recommend and I wouldn't look anywhere else for diving in Kona!

Kona was highly recommended to us for the Manta Night Dive. I'm so glad we went with them. We…read morewent mid-September. We were cautiously told afternoon dive might not be that interesting, but I was glad to go to familiarize myself with area. And we were lucky, we saw 3-4 Mantas, a shark and lots of small life as well. Our dive master took care to point out interesting things to our group. Regarding night dive- WOW!!!!! Maybe coolest dive or sit I've been on. There were over 20 Mantas all around us. You dive heavy to bottom and just watch the show for 40 minutes. Again, we were lucky. No one can guarantee appearance or number of visitors - but in our case it was spectacular. One in our party didn't dive, but did surface snorkel. She was equally enthralled and I loved the care she received. A dive master/guide was with her the whole time. The boat is in good shape, hot chocolate & snacks were available while waiting. Communication was clear. We found the company to be awesome. We were running late, but called and they were very accommodating. You need to stop by shop first for gear and that can be done during day. My husband and I will use them again and are hoping to come back with our family.

Good company to dive with out of "A" Bay, but I am not fond of the dive sites north of Waikoloa…read more My family and I were staying up at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and the 10 mile drive down south to hop on the Lani Kai was really convenient. I booked the trip through Ocean Sports that has a shack on the beach at "A Bay" also known as Anaeho'omalu Bay. My sister has lived on the Big Island for a few decades and I visit quite often, but I still give up on pronouncing most of the Hawaiian names. DIRECTIONS TO A BAY: If you are heading south from Hapuna Beach turn right at the second light which is Waikoloa Beach Drive. Go past Marriott and make a left when you see Kolea Resort. There is a gate, but look to the left and you will see the public parking lot. Park and walk down the path through the lava field and you'll see the Ocean Sports Beach Shack. Check in there and you'll see the Lani Kai sitting in the water. See my photos. WEBSITE: http://www.waikoloacoastdivers.com PHONE: (808) 895-8387 MY TRIP DETAILS: Date: Thursday, August 23, 2012 Time: 8:00 a.m. to noon COST: $177.00 for two tank dive, including the gear. Walked out into the water and boarded the Lani Kai. Met James and Brooke and we headed north to our first dive site near Puako. All the wet suits, tanks and BC's are provided. James Bach was our captain for the day and Brooke Landt was the Dive Master. Captain James headed north toward our first dive site. On the way there we saw a huge pod of dolphins and we all headed to the bow to take photos. Our first dive site was near Puako. It wasn't my favorite place, but we went through some lava tubes. I don't recall seeing any memorable sea life while down below. James and Brooke caught two big Ono on our way to the second dive site near the Hilton Waikoloa. We saw a blacktip reef shark and some Horned Helmet Snails which were cool during our second dive. I think the next time I go diving on the Big Island I will concentrate on sites south of Kailua-Kona because I think the sites are much better. The Lani Kai was convenient for our hotel though, so we didn't have to drive an hour or more to board one of the vessels down south.

I loved my time out with Gayle, Bob and Wesley. Gayle was very patient with me for my first dive…read moreand I would definitely choose this team again on my next visit to Kona Mahalo! Leah

John is a great instructor for those new to scuba and can offer some unique experiences for those…read moreexploring the waters around the Big Island.

John is an excellent and safe instructor that strives to make sure you understand the basics and…read morefeel comfortable before entering the water. Once in the water John runs through the skills which in some cases may take a little extra time depending on the person but he is very patient which makes it a little less stressful on the student, there is nothing quite like going underwater and seeing the aquatic life I highly recommend using Waikoloa Dive Instructor and Diving Guide for your diving needs while on the Big Island of Hawaii.

We went whale watching & we saw whales! Capt Kiliko &…read moreMorgan were super chill & made the experience memorable. We were kindly greeted at the pier with a quick safety briefing. Our highlight was seeing two whale tails next to each other at the same time. Really enjoyed our trip with them.

Feb 2026 - Based on my experience, I urge you to consider not doing business with this company…read more They appear to value revenue over the safety and comfort of their customers. Due to hazardous weather conditions, the tour we were on should never have left the harbor. Not only were the ocean wave conditions reported by the coast guard to be clearly dangerous, the driving hard rain made the conditions completely unacceptable not only for safety reasons but for customer comfort. Despite my several attempts to point this out to the staff answering the phone one day prior to the tour as well as the captain of the boat prior to departure, they blocked my attempts to reschedule or refund the trip in spite of coast guard and national weather service small craft warnings, beach closures and other tour operators canceling their tours under the same conditions. After waves broke over the bow of this small craft, the captain aborted the tour and turned around. After an unusually leisurely return to the dock, I called and asked for a refund. Later we were told based on our return time, we had received the full tour and a refund would not be issued. After escalating our concern, a senior member of the company emailed us and said we would be issued a full refund. Over six weeks later they have still not issued us a refund. We had to file a dispute with our credit card company.

Myself, in a party of three, booked the nighttime manta ray snorkel and dive instructor Kona. One…read moreparty member is a diver, and myself and the other member are snorkelers. Our diver, Bradly, said that Hannah did a great job as his dive instructor, and she was great at helping the newest diver of the group who was heavily struggling during his dive. Myself and Lisa were snorkeling with Laura and she was very helpful! She was great at finding mantas for us even when they wanted to hang out by the campfire. Chad, our captain, was super friendly and talkative. I get extremely motion sickness very easily. The waters were extremely rough during our visit, and I did get sick during the last five minutes of the snorkel, as well as the boat ride back. All members of the staff were very understanding and kind, and made it very clear that if I had to return to the boat during the snorkel or did have to hurl during the ride, they wouldn't be upset or judge, and wanted to help me in any way possible. A super nice and interactive crew, and they shared lots of stories about the rays that frequent the area we explored! We were lucky enough to see two bottlenose dolphins (a mother and child), a Galapagos shark, 4-8 rays for the snorkelers and 11 rays for the divers. I highly recommend booking through Big Island divers! They provided all of the equipment needed, and we were welcome to wear/use our own if it made us more comfortable. The only request I would make is that the snorkel instructor be more adamant about keeping our feet up straight in the water, as the two snorkelers across from me on the board constantly had their feet in the water as if they were doggy paddling, which over rated our view of the marine life and caused the board to shake (increasing my motion sickness). I chose not to wear fins because I had gotten anxious while wearing them earlier in the day, but I kept my feet up the whole time because of my previous snorkel experience . It would have been really helpful to have our snorkel guide get those guests to keep their legs up, but otherwise every staff member did amazing! Chad let a young girl steer the boat for a while which was really kind.

TLDR: I absolutely LOVED diving with Big Island Divers! I did two different 2-tank dives. The DMs &…read moreBoat Captains were amazing, their customer service is incredible, gear was great, excellent communication and attention to safety. And I had a ton of fun. I will definitely be diving with them again. Thank you Natalie, Lauren, Haley, Emily, and Nick for the incredible experience! Full Review: I booked the two-tank Manta dive and the two-tank morning dive. I'm still fairly new to diving--I was certified about a year ago, and these were my first dives since then. Check in at the shoot was a breeze, and they introduced me to the Divemaster for that day's dives, Natalie. I told her I was a bit nervous and still rusty with things like buoyancy control. She immediately reassured me, told me I'd stay close to her, and said, "We've got you." I rented gear through them, and they handled everything, including bringing it to the boat and setting it up. Our boat captain that day was Nick, who was fantastic. He gave a thorough safety briefing but also brought a lot of personality and humor to the trip. It was clear how passionate he is about diving and the marine life. Throughout the trip he was constantly sharing stories and information, and his enthusiasm really added to the experience. Our group had six divers and two Divemasters: Natalie and Lauren (a DM in training). It was great being in such a small group with two guides. Natalie gave an excellent orientation before the first dive, covering safety, the dive plan, and what we might see. I had a little trouble descending at first, but she was incredibly patient and helped me relax and get started. Early in the dive Natalie pointed out a Galápagos shark--so cool! We also a bunch of eels, a nudibranch, blacknose butterflyfish, and more. I stayed close to Natalie while Lauren brought up the rear of the group, and it felt great knowing both of them were keeping an eye on everyone and pointing out marine life. Lauren led the manta dive that night. After another great briefing, we descended and the dive was incredible--we saw around 15-20 mantas (which is way more than the average). They were beautiful, and the whole experience felt magical. Fifty minutes went by in what felt like ten. On the ride back, Nick turned off most of the boat lights so we could enjoy the stars on the way in. The next morning I dove from a different boat with Captain Emily, who was also fantastic. Our Divemaster was Haley, and Lauren was assisting again. Once again, the crew took great care of everyone. Two guests became seasick on the way to the first site, and Emily and the DMs handled it with kindness and professionalism and without making anyone feel judged. That same pair had some difficulty during the dive, and the Divemasters were constantly checking in and helping them underwater, while still balancing leading the rest of the divers. One thing I really appreciated was how they managed air consumption. They regularly checked everyone's PSI and gave clear instructions ahead of time about when someone should head back to the boat. If a diver reached that point, they could surface while the rest of us continued the dive. That meant those of us with more air could stay down longer and keep exploring. On the way back from the final dive, Emily spotted dolphins and took the boat over so we could watch them surf the wake for a while--a great way to end the trip. All the dives were fantastic, and I can't say enough good things about the entire team. I can't wait to come back and dive with y'all again!