Kona

Kona is the dry west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The volcanoes Mauna Loa and Hualālai block the trade winds, so the coast stays relatively calm for most of the year. Lava flows shaped the reef into arches, tubes and caverns, and green turtles, moray eels and Hawaiian reef fish are common.

Kona is best known for its manta ray night dive. Boats anchor at Manta Village near Keauhou Bay or at Garden Eel Cove, divers settle on the bottom and point their lights upward, and the plankton they attract brings manta rays in to feed. Mantas live here all year, and operators report seeing them on most nights, though sightings are never guaranteed. The other well-known night dive is blackwater: divers hang on a tether a few kilometres offshore over very deep water to watch small drifting animals. Operators usually ask for Advanced Open Water and around 50 logged dives for it.

Most reef dives are easy. Current is usually light and the water ranges from about 24°C in winter to 28°C in late summer, so Kona suits newer divers as well as experienced ones. Exposed areas, such as the far south of the island, have stronger current and are only for experienced divers.

Diving runs all year. Summer, roughly June to September, brings the warmest water and the calmest seas. Winter brings north swells that can make some shore entries unsafe, but it is also humpback whale season, roughly November to March. Boat diving from Kailua-Kona and Honokōhau Harbor is the main option, with shore diving at sites such as Two Step on calmer days.