One of my pledges this year is to complete more reviews of dive shops & sites. Keauhou Bay is one…read moreof two sites in Kona for night manta dives, I've done one there. But some Kona dive friends have introduced me to much better dive opportunities there during the day time. Located on Ehukai St near the old location of the Sheraton, now an Outrigger hotel, there is a cross walk that leads out to a concrete path. At the end of the path, there is a jump off point into the water, and rock pathway out of the water. Once in the water (don't forget your dive flag), follow the reef out about 100 yards. This is an active boat channel, so if you surface swim out partways, stay on the side closest to the hotel. There will be a slow incline, then it will rapidly descend to the bottom. Stay along that ledge going out until you see a concrete pylon on its side. That is the area the becomes the "campfire" on the night manta dive, where all the lights are set to attract the mantas. During the day, that area is a manta cleaning station, where they slowly move around to allow fish to come and clean them by eating algae and other things that irritate their skin. As fun as it is to see the mantas rushing around at night trying to eat plankton as fast as they can, there is a poetic beauty to seeing them moving slowly during the day. For 2 out of the 3 dives I've done there, we've also been lucky enough to see sub-adults who are a lot more curious than most and got came very close to us! The reef there is pretty dead there, so there pretty much there isn't much else to see there. But to see the mantas gracefully moving around the cleaning station, wow! Repeat and recommend!

It is almost always crowded at Keauhou Bay especially around sunset and night and that is because…read moreof all the night snorkeling tours that go out to view the manta rays! There is roadside parking on Kamehameha II Road but that fills up very quickly as expected. Anyways, the bay itself is beautiful to check out and it is protected from rough waves and currents. But it's mostly full of commercial snorkeling companies and resorts, so there isn't a whole lot to do outside of that other than standing or sitting and enjoying the views.

For 8 days we've been looking for a nice sandy beach you can enter the water from without crawling…read moreover lava rocks, off-roading or going through a resort lobby. Last day here and we stumble across this place purely by accident. Beautiful sunset and a very nice secluded beach not overrun by tourists.

A small harbor, but a very up close and beautiful time for photo buffs . Easy to walk amongst the…read moredocks.

This place no longer exists. Phone number disconnected. Went to the location and it's not there…read more The only legit kayak rental place at this location is Ehu and Kai Adventures that you book online- closed Sundays. According to a local I talked to there are a lot of fly by night kayak rental places that are not permitted and technically illegal.

This kayak rental spot right off the water which means no lugging your kayak anywhere! The…read moreemployees were really thoughtful. I originally had a reservation for a Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm but the employee was honest and said the water was really choppy and it wouldn't be fun or easy to get to the Captain Cook Monument. Recommended I come back the next day day so I did and was so glad! I rented a double kayak and was able to pay card upon arrival. Came out to just under $63 for a rental I could've used all day. They opened at 7 am and we got out on the water by 7:30 am. The bay was like a lake that Monday morning. Bay Side Kayak lent us a large water bag that kept our belongings dry and safe. Would use this company again!

I never been here closer to the ocean, just happened to see this while we are strolling the area…read more And I must say it's a pretty lit pier. Saw people diving and happily playing on the water. I learned from my friend that diving, snorkeling, sport-fishing and other water adventure starts right here. And it is located 1 mile from eateries and souvenir shops in downtown Kailua-Kona. From afar though I see homeless people on the corner which is kinda off, most of them don't even wear face mask. The best part though is the beautiful sunset in here which I find more romantic watching it with your loved ones. This spot is great for that! Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps!

I recommend coming here on day 2 of your trip to Kailua-Kona. This is where they have the tourist…read moreshops, restaurants, and vibes going on. It's a great walk of about 2 miles and the scene is nice to take in. There are many established to visit, lots of photo opportunities, and a lot of other people walking around. Night time is pretty cool too. This is where a lot of Iron Man festivities take place.

Had an amazing time with the small crew of this local-run company. Both were extremely…read moreknowledgeable and we learned a lot more than we expected to about the history of Kealakekua bay and Hawaii in general. It's hard to imagine getting a similar experience on one of the larger tour boats that serve the bay. The snorkeling was amazing and we were happy that we followed the owner's suggestion to get started early. We basically had the area to ourselves until the big tour boats started showing up around 10am. Oh and we also had our own private show from a pod of dolphins. Thanks Moana crew!

What a stunning part of my vacation... Gordon and his crew were amazing! The tour across the bay…read morewas the perfect mixture of history, snorkeling and scenery. They even provided snacks (and fruits) that were of the Hawaiian culture! The location is off the slightly beaten path but well worth the trip from Kona. Gordon's command of the local history is exceptional as his family has been there for many many generations. I had stepped into local history orated by the locally renown historian and that alone made the trip worthy! We spent nearly 3 hours in the water... the snorkeling in the bay was fantastic and I always enjoy the varying water temps and amazing tropical ocean life in Hawaii. Thanks again! I'll be back!

Easy to arrange, good communication before dive date…read more Daniel was great on all briefings, great spots, really good debriefs. Everyone was great!

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!

TLDR: Paddling to Captain Cook was a blast and we got to see an abundance of wildlife on what felt…read morelike a super curated tour by our amazing guide, Nina! If you're considering taking the Historical Hawaiian Outrigger tour with Ehu & Kai, consider this a sign to DO IT! From start to finish, this felt like an experience tailored for our group, supported by the friendliest, chillest staff. A special shout out to the friendly helpers on land who were incredibly fun and out-of-this-world friendly! Our tremendous guide, Nina, went above and beyond to curate an exceptional experience. From the lively banter and building camaraderie between a group of strangers sharing an outrigger to maximizing the amount of wildlife we got to see, being out on the water with this crew felt like being out with a group that's known each other for ages. Along the way, we got historical facts about the area, got to snorkel with an abundance of wildlife, and even enjoyed a visit from a pod of dolphins! Nina--you're truly one of a kind and I cannot thank you enough for being so friendly and thoughtful in your approach to this tour. Sadly, our tour was Nina's last before she heads out for a bit. Here's hoping we'll see her back at Ehu & Kai before we know it!

Memorable, unique, exciting experience with a friendly, helpful attendant to get you on your way…read more We saw dolphins and tons of fish. It took us about 30 mins each way to get there and back. Five stars with the caveat that no one was there when we arrived at 9:00 am (the time we booked online). After about 10 minutes or so, the employee appeared (didn't get his name, unfortunately). As other reviewers note, this place is just a table at the end of a road with a bunch of kayaks and a guy who will rent them to you. Don't expect storage for your belongings or bathrooms. Parking is along the street. All that being said, they give you this info in advance, so you should be prepared. We had our own snorkel gear (or did before I lost mine in the ocean later that day ha ha) so we only needed the kayak and dry bag. A dry bag is necessary (see "lost my gear in the ocean"). The employee gives you all the info you need to find your way to the snorkeling area and back. He said they "lose" about one party a day who overshoots the entrance to the cove when returning and they have to go rescue them. Don't be that person! Once at the snorkeling spot near the monument, you'll see lots of other people and boats, but once you're underwater, you won't notice them - it's like swimming in an aquarium. You need to keep your kayak with you at all times, so if you're paddling with someone else, consider taking turns holding the kayaks and snorkeling. You aren't allowed to dock or approach the shore (this is a hard rule - surly tour guides will yell at you if you get too close). Keep in mind that getting in and out of a kayak in the open ocean is not the same as doing that on the shore or in shallow water. There's no shallow water here at all, so practice in advance or consider taking a tour boat if that's not something you're comfortable with.

We had the most amazing time! Patrick, Preston and the captain provided the best experience! We not…read moreonly saw several manta rays but also some sharks amazing! This is a must when visiting Kona!!!

Captain Taylor. Preston and Patrick were phenomenal!! They did EVERYTHING within their control to…read morehelp find a Manta Ray!! Patient kind and everything you want for a crew to make you feel comfortable and at ease in the water!!!!! Perfect!