Went on a two-tank morning dive with Kona Honu Divers on 07/17/2026. From the time I signed up until I was shaking hands with Captain John, their communication and customer service were excellent. No problems finding the boat at the Marina, and the dive staff that day were beyond outstanding. Anna, Sara, and Captain John made these dives the best dive trip I have ever taken. I was placed with dive pro Anna, and from the very start she exuded confidence and experience you always hope for when going on a dive with a dive group you have never been with before. Safety was paramount, and nothing was left to chance before we set off into the deep blue. When your dive master and dive pros are just as excited to see marine life as the divers are, you know you are on the right boat. It made the dives so much more fulfilling for me, seeing Anna so excited to find us and point out different marine life during our dives. Anna is a true "Ocean Whisperer," and I will absolutely seek her out and Kona Honu Divers in the future when I return to Kona, HI. Thank you, Anna, for the great dives you took us on and your passion for diving, the ocean, and all that is in it! Thank you, Kona Honu divers, for providing the absolutely best diving experience anyone can ask for.....til next time! Mahalo!! read more

Crew was very nice and helpful. Enjoyed the smaller boat / party size. We went to more remote dive sites off the beaten path read more

Absolutely amazing day diving with Kona Honu Divers!! Two tank advanced diving with Capt Kai and Jeff was fantastic! Lava tubes, picked up a net floating in the ocean and rescued so many frog fish! Jeff is so knowledgeable about all things we saw and pointing out oceanic life to us! Snorkeled with pilot whales, had some dolphins swim with the boat...besides the diving!! Did I mention we saw a tiger shark as well?!? Great dive briefings, great crew! Manta night dive with Sara who was beyond fantastic!! She's so excited about showing and telling us all about what we will and did see! She took our group of six and truly made our night dive's magnificent!! 7 mantas joined us that night....words can't describe the beauty of Mantas. Sara and I hit it off "swimmingly"....i think we were besties in our previous life!! She is AMAZING!! Trust me...book the dives!! Ask for Captain Kai, Jeff and Sara....you will not be disappointed!! read more

Another 5 star experience with KHD. 2 tank charter with Capt. Kimo and Dive Master Holger was fantastic. They were so attentive and accommodating for a rookie diver like myself. I can't wait to return for another dive with them. read more

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I completed my Open Water Certification through Kona Honu Divers and it was a dream come true! I am a 23yo girl from Northern California, an avid swimmer and tide pool enthusiast, and have been interested in diving my whole life. After lots of research and planning Kona Honu Divers was what I chose and I am so glad I did. I did it independently and there were 2 other people in my group who were great! When you sign up you immediately get your PADI online learning modules. I would suggest a week to complete and digest the information. My instructor was Sarah, she has been teaching for 13 years and is trustworthy, safe, and positive! Once you get to the island for the pool day it is very straightforward. You complete a swim test (10 short laps (200ft) + 10min float test), learn all about your gear, and do all the skills outlined in the PADI modules. Sarah was great in teaching about the gear: how it works, how to set it up, and take care of it. I was a bit nervous about the equipment but it was explained clearly and made a lot of sense (over the rest of the course you will set up/brake your gear down 10+ times to drill it in). The rest of the pool day we practiced lots of skills with Sarah who demonstrated everything first. A positive and curious mindset is needed for this day as it is long and a lot of new information; nonetheless it is approachable and achievable. I felt great after and was really excited to get in the ocean! On day 2 we were greeted at the boat slip with a fabulous crew. There were other divers on board doing their morning dives, this was a great opportunity to watch how people dive after the cert and I was glad I could observe this. Everyone on board is encouraging of the new learners on board. Sarah guided us through our dive plans for our 2 dives and all of the exercises we would be doing. The first moments you jump in are amazing, the sea life is breathtaking and it is so cool to experience SCUBA diving in the ocean. In the dives you practice skills and explore with your instructor. If needed there is time to repeat things till you master them! We saw lots of cool animals and beautiful coral. On day 3 we did two more dives with some skills and more time to explore. We got to plan the dives, have autonomy, and enjoy the sea life with Sarah. This is where I fell in love with SCUBA diving and I didn't want to get out on the last dive! Sarah was great about letting us know what to expect after our cert and showed us how to be safe divers in the future. We got to take more control and build confidence on these dives. After getting my OW cert with KHD I feel comfortable setting up and taking care of my gear on my own, planning and completing dives in a safe way, and taking care of and respecting the ocean. Overall this experience with Kona Honu Divers was incredible. I felt safe the whole time and taken care of by my instructor and the crew. They are consummate professionals that care for you, the ocean, and their equipment. The KHD shop is also one of the best on the island Rebecca, Conor, Hannick, and Liz were great. The first day I was on the island I went in to try on some masks and they let me know about the Try Before you Buy program, where you can try on a specific mask/equipment during a pool/dive day for 24 hrs $10 before buying it. This allows you to find the perfect fit and not waste money. The staff in the dive shop are extremely knowledgeable and are welcoming to newcomers in the sport. I highly recommend KHD to complete certifications, do dives, and meet awesome people. I am so grateful for the whole KHD staff and crew for teaching me a skill I will be able to enjoy for the rest of my life. read more

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I can't say enough good things about this experience. I signed up with him April 2026 to do the mid ocean Blackwater Dive!!!!! Oh very experienced technical diver, and have dived all over the world with many different outfits. The professionalism, Care, expertise and friendly atmosphere is beyond. The black water dive is something I've never done and it was an amazing must do experience in my opinion. I saw many different incredible creatures and got some amazing photos and video. I actually cannot recommend the high enough, and that coming for me is something I don't easily give out. read more

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Always my go to divers when visiting from Oahu. The crew very professional and friendly....mahalo and a hui hou read more

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Ive been diving wth Kona Honu Divers (KHD) for years and Ive always been happy with their commitment to safety, service, professionalism, great rental equipment, and their awesome dive guides. I went on a dive boat with them on Friday. My groups dive guide was Holger (Tim), others on the boat were Emily, the captain, Jason, Kevin, and Milo. On our first dive we had the privilege of seeing a whale shark. Unfortunately, I hadnt taken my camera in with me, but luckily Jason did and was willing to share the video. It was incredible. I highly recommend KHD for any on island dive or snorkle trips or equipment. read more

My husband and I had a fantastic anniversary dive with Jospeh from Kona Honu Divers. He was great at briefing us and making sure we were all taken care of throughout the expedition. They were efficient and detailed at getting all of our gear organized and prepared and got all our sizing and weights right. We got the 2 tank manta dive package. The first dive was a tour of the reef where our manta dive would be. It was really great. We saw octopus, flounders, boxfish, Eels, shrimp, garden eels! And even a manta came to visit early! I like that they let divers stay down until their air is low instead of making everyone surface at the same time. I was able to get a while longer exploring the reef even after a few of our members surfaced which game me the chance to see the manga before sunset. In between the the dives they had sandwiches and snacks for us and I took full advantage of the hot shower. We also got visited by one of the 6 monk seals on the island that likes to rub up on the boats ropes. It was awesome to see up close. Then came the show of a life time...the Manta dive. This one can't be put into words. You just HAVE to do it. It was a life changing experience. I was in awe the full 45 minutes as many as swooped above my head, brushing me occasionally and dancing at the "campfire" (the viewing area, where we all gather and kneel to watch the mantas eat the plankton that gets attracted to the lights. Do not miss this chance of a life time dive. We scheduled with 2 other dive companies for this Tuesday night dive and they both canceled on us because there were not enough sign ups. Kona Honu Divers was luckily running a scuba dive that we got onto and the other divers were so great to get to know. It was a great grouping of people: captain, divers, dive masters and all. read more

Kona Honu Divers - Coming up from garden eel cover afternoon dive before manta night dive! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kailua-kona, Hawaii

Friendly spot and service! I received my FII level 1 certification here! Suggest the safety training here. I'm frequent here to get my new bands replaced and spear sharpened here! read more

Super professional operation with friendly captain and crew. They clearly take safety seriously and spend more time talking about it than many other outfitters I've been with. Also, their rental equipment is in good shape. Did both a morning and manta ray dive with them - captain John and dive guides Milo and Anna were all friendly and made sure everyone was comfortable. I'd definitely dive with them again! read more

Very professional and friendly crew! Did the night manta dive (July 2026) and was an incredible experience. Sarah gave an informative and entertaining dive briefing and kept a close eye on all of us as we were mesmerized by the many mantas! The mantas were magnificent and graceful as they fed on the natural plankton in the water. Many times had to duck my head down they were swimming so close to me. Highly recommend this experience with Kona Honu divers! read more

Great dives. Great dive guides and instructors. Best manta ray dive ever. Highly recommend. Would do this again and again. read more

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Great time out on the Honu One with Kimo, Max and Elias. Super friendly, welcoming, and informative. Kona Honu Divers is the best dive shop on the Big Island, can't wait to adventure with them again. read more

We popped into this dive shop hoping to buy or rent a full skin suit. They only had separates for sale and a no-returns policy, so we ended up renting wetsuits instead. They worked perfectly for our night swim in the ocean. The staff was incredibly friendly and took the time to help us find exactly what we needed. Just note: rentals must be picked up before 4:30 p.m. and returned out front by 4:00 p.m. the next day (unless you're renting for multiple days). read more

I did my 4 PADI open water cert dives with Kona Honu Divers and I can't recommend them highly enough! My instructor, Sarah, was amazing! Super helpful, patient and so effective in how she taught and shared her knowledge with us. Captain John was also great - made sure things went smoothly the whole time. Along with the instructional portion of the dives we were able to do see so many awesome sea creatures! Tons of beautiful fish and lots of eels, a couple of octopi, several puffers and even a baby white tip shark! Again, I can' recommend Kona Honu Divers highly enough. I will for sure be back. read more

This was my third time diving with Kona Honu Divers, and every experience has been outstanding. I get one special dive day each summer during our family vacation, and I always look forward to spending it with this amazing team. Taka has been the boat captain all three years ('23, '24, and '25), and he's consistently cheerful, helpful, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable -- a true highlight of the trip. Each year, I've booked the advanced long-range charter, and this time I had the pleasure of diving with Sarah as our guide. She was fantastic -- attentive, enthusiastic, and great at pointing out underwater life I never would have spotted on my own. One unforgettable moment was encountering a beautiful female manta ray who gracefully looped around us for nearly ten minutes -- a magical experience! Although we only made it to a true long-range site one year (due to weather in '24 and a small group in '25), every dive has been excellent. Even with a smaller group this time, the team made sure the experience was top-notch. We repeated "Touch of Grey" on this trip, and it was just as stunning the second time around. I can't recommend Kona Honu Divers enough. They're professional, friendly, and passionate about what they do -- truly the best dive outfit on the island! read more

Kona Honu Divers - A female manta that circled us for 10 minutes. - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kailua-kona, Hawaii

I did 3 charters with Kona Honu during my trip and each one was a great experience. The morning local reef dive was super fun, night manta dive is incredible and the long range advanced boat was the perfect way to end the trip. The Captains were great and my dive guides: Anna, Zoie and Jeff all went out of their way to ensure a great time. I highly recommend this operator. read more

If you're on the fence about booking a night dive with KHD...just do it! We went out hoping to see mantas and ended up feeling like we accidentally RSVP'd to an underwater rave. The crew was awesome--super knowledgeable, chill, and clearly knew exactly where the VIP manta party was happening. They made everything easy, safe, and fun, even for those of us who were half mesmerized, half questioning reality. read more

The staff were all extremely nice and helpful. The dive guide (Jason) had a relaxed pace during the dive as well as keeping a close eye on our air consumption & group. Only drinking water/prepackaged snacks provided, no sodas/fresh fruit available. Mantas were dream come true. Looking forward to diving with them again read more

Kona Honu honestly exceeded my expectations. I did a Blackwater dive and not only were they were incredibly thorough during the dive briefing, I had a solid understanding of what to expect and how the dive would work. Max was my dive guide and he was patient, kind, and incredibly enthusiastic about the dive and the creatures we were going to see! We had an encounter with an inquisitive oceanic whitetip (which elevated the dive to one of my top three favorite dives ever) and Max did a phenomenal job keeping everyone safe. I can't recommend these guys enough. If you're looking for a reputable dive shop that knows what they're doing and will ensure you have a good time, look no further than Kona Honu! Thank you for such a spectacular blackwater dive! :) read more

All the 5 star reviews are right. We did the Manta Ray night dives and a couple of day dives and had an amazing time! My wife really liked their focus on safety (like free nitrox) and the guides and Captain were very courteous and professional. They took care of setting up your gear and changing tanks but in a very unobtrusive way. My son had an issue with his mask leaking and the Captain (John) let him try on a bunch of different masks and was really kind and helpful. The store was amazingly well stocked too and had things I wish my local dive shop carried. The staff there was also really helpful and had a "try before you buy" option for renting dive masks before purchasing one. Out of all the dive shops on Kona I'm glad we picked this place and will definitely dive with them again! read more

Went on the Manta night dive and it was the coolest dive I've ever done! Holly was our guide and was just wonderful. Really the whole crew from the boat driver Taka all the way down was wonderful. Super professional. I also visited the ship for rentals for shore dives and Becca was really helpful. I cant recommended this shop enough. read more

I had a great time diving with Sarah and Taka with Kona Honu Divers yesterday. I was on the long range advanced boat which was great for more advanced divers. We even got to snorkel with some pilot whales on the way to our dive site, as well as see Mahi Mahi and an Oceanic Whitetip Shark! This was a highlight of the trip for me. The dive sites were amazing as well and Sarah was an excellent guide. We went to Au Au Crater and Twin Sisters sites which had excellent reef structure. read more

Kona Honu Divers - Oceanic White Tip Shark! - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kailua-kona, Hawaii

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This was an excellent dive! We got to see 8 manta rays and the dive was amazing. The captain was entertaining and the dive masters were friendly and very patient. I am a new diver, so this was one of my first recreational dives, so I appreciated the patience and support. read more

I've dove all over the world, and Kona Honu Divers is one of the best outfits I've dove with. Look no further for Big Island diving. The manta night dive was excellent. What a cool experience. 5* service, 5* equipment, 5* boat, and even 5* effort from the mantas The manta night dive is a bit pricey (~$230) but lives up to the hype. At one point, we had three mantas in the mix and a 4th circling the snorkelers 40' above us. AMAZING, AMAZING experience. We were met at the skip at 2:45pm and departed after 3pm once everyone showed up. The first dive is a daytime dive in the vicinity of the manta "campfire" area. The campfire is the spot where they have all the lights to attract the plankton which the manta feed on. It does look like a campfire. Safety and service from the Team was superb. Thanks to Matt, Joseph, and Captain Andy. They grabbed our gear, set it up, and got us all ready (~5 people per guide). It was a 30 min ride to the site. I think we do the 1st dive in the same spot to get a spot early. We were told that it can get very, very crowded with boats. Great experience. I wish I'd had more time for some regular dives with the group. Lots of fun. Great effort. Easy, easy 5* experience. Definitely look no further for Big Island diving. read more

Kona Honu Divers - Porcupine Fish - Scuba Diving Near Me - Kailua-kona, Hawaii

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A very pleasant and professional crew. A nice big boat too! The Night Manta Ray dive is awesome!

All around awesome experience with Jeff and captain Mo. If you are going to do a backwater dive this is the shop . Jeff wrote the book on black water dive creatures in Hawaii . He has an incredible amount of knowledge that he freely shares. read more

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Top notch professional scuba outfit in Kona. I did the 2 tank Night Manta dive with Kristine, Max and Anna and then did the two tank morning reef dive with Holly, Matthew and Holger and captain Andy. Highly recommend this company and crew. Very fun, friendly, professional and safe! And If you do multiple dives with them they will store your gear for the next dive. We saw an insane number of "performing" manta rays on the night dive. Lotsa different species of eels too. When I come back for the black water experience I will definitely use these guys :) read more

Had a really nice dive with Andy and Max last night. Lots of mantas out to feed. Well organized trip. read more

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We rented tanks and weights so basic how do I rate it 5 star. The staff!!! Shame on me for not having there names to thank them again for absolutely wonderful service. They are friendly, help with dive sites, and created the kind of environment you want to visit. My wife is a new diver and they directed us to sites best suited for her. Purchased new fins for her, the advice she received was spot on. She loves the fins and they are so much easier for her to manage than my hand me downs. The girls were absolutely wonderful and our future visits this will be our dive center. read more

My daughter signed up for the Discover Scuba diving course and had a fantastic experience. Her instructor Sarah made her feel very comfortable as a beginner and the crew was very welcoming and friendly. read more

Had two great dives this morning with Holger as our diver master and John as the captain. I really appreciated how all the crew worked as a team, including Kevin, Milo, and Sarah, the other dive instructors. The small diver:instructor ratio and the dedication everyone took to safety was greatly appreciated, especially as these were my first dives in 4 years. ETA: second day of diving was frankly... incredible. Holly was our dive master, and Holger was there again along with an excellent captain. We went straight to the spot where they do the ray dive so we did our first of the afternoon there. Holly found a ton of cool things for us to look at, including about 8 rays, a nudi, multiple eels, and the star of the show, one of the eight monk seals on the island came out to play for a bit. The manta ray dive was one of the coolest things I've ever done. There were 21+ rays all around us. I would highly recommend it for any diver. I was worried about a night dive being eery but honestly would do it any time I'm in Kona, again and again. Amazing. read more

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We had booked several trips with this company and upon arrival we found out that do not accommodate anyone with a disability. They are not an ADA compliant at all. I would recommend other dive shops if your headed to Big Island. The boat captain kept giving excuses of why they couldn't help my disabled friend and even asked if she could even swim. He humiliated our friend and she was embarrassed. read more

In search of dive booties I stopped at three of Kailua-Kona's dive shops. Four staff members at the first shop were too busy chatting behind the counter and could not be bothered by customers, the second shop had exactly 2 pairs in stock, both the same wrong size. Kona Honu Divers had a great selection in all sizes. The woman who helped us was really patient and helpful. If you are looking for dive/snorkeling gear I highly recommend this shop. read more

Great dive outfit. 2 tank boat dive. All equipment as ordered online. Dive shop expedited purchasing some booties and rash guard over the phone for my son and it was waiting on the boat for us next morning. Super helpful, courteous and knowledgeable dive staff. Highly recommend. read more

I love Kona Honu Divers! They have everything needed for water play Hannick and Liz and Connor are the best!

An amazingly smooth everything. From signing up to joining the boat to diving to return trip. Everything was smooth as silk. Every staff person did everything in their power to make the trip is as enjoyable and simple as possible. All were exceptionally friendly. All were professional. Everyone's goal was to make my experience the best it could possibly be. And they did. read more

Capt. Emily, Sarah, & Jeff were phenomenal guides and dive buddies during our night manta ray scuba. Sarah was extremely attentive and patient with me as a new diver. The dive site was crystal clear which was phenomenal for both day and night dives. We had a unique manta experience with over 20 manta rays enjoying our campfire. From setting up our gear and doing final checks before you hop in, I cannot imagine any other dive company giving a better standard of service. It truly felt like diving with friends even though we met just moments prior. 100/5 stars if I could. I will absolutely recommend them to everyone looking to dive in Hawaii. read more

Our two morning dives were simply top notch! The crew of Captain Andy and dive masters Sara and Elias were welcoming, friendly, professional, and knowledgeable and made for a fantastic few hours in, on, and under water. Being on the smaller fast boat was a real treat as well. I very much look forward to my next dives in a few days. Kona Honu Divers are highly recommended! Thanks to you all!! Roger read more