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.

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

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.

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.

I have been able to do a handful of boat trips with Jack's Diving Locker in Kona. They have been…read moregood 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!

Absolutely amazing experience with Jack's Dive Locker on the Big Island. This was honestly one of…read morethe 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.

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

Great people! Went out of their way to help my keiki granddaughter with a life jacketread more

Captain Jerry and Tony were great! We had a wonderful time and caught two huge fish! Highly…read morerecommend! Definitely a highlight of our trip to Hilo!

My sister, brother-in-law, son and I went out with Captain Jerry and First Mate Kimo in pretty bad…read moreconditions--10 foot waves and poor visibility. They were up-front about the battering we were about to receive, which of course was out of their control. We were excited to go out anyway, and felt that we were in completely capable hands (Kimo is also a captain, so between the two of them there are decades of experience on the sea.) The whole morning was an adrenaline rush! We made it back completely safe, although without any fish. These guys are so great that we will definitely try again someday!

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!

For more advance swimmers and more open waters this is your spot. Perfect for snorkeling and…read moreexploring the sea life swim past you. The vibrant colors shimmer at you while you take in the magic of the island as you soak up the sunshine and cold waters. During low time the waters are calmer and great for splashing around. Against the lava rocks are some crawling crabs that camouflage with the rocks so you will see them scurrying around. Parking along the road fills up quick and is rare to get the open waters without running into human feet and bodies as you are snorkel around. Added bonus the public restrooms. Remember to take care of the land and leave it better than you saw it and enjoy!

We came at sunset the first time. It was magical! We came back later to snorkel…read more It does get crowded during the day but it was such a great experience both times. Parking can be hard to find! And the waters can get rough. So be patient and a spot will open.