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Dive Review of Aloha Dive Company/Royal Kona Resort in
Hawaii/Kona

Aloha Dive Company/Royal Kona Resort, Feb, 2006,

by Richard Troberman, WA, USA (Contributor Contributor 13 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 1592.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Aloha Dive Company is a first class dive operation in every respect. Owner Mike Nakachi and first mate Earl Kam have an amazing knowledge of these waters and the fish and creatures that inhabit them, and their service is unsurpassed. I timed this trip to coincide with the annual whale (humpback) migration to the Hawaiian calving grounds, and I wasn't disappointed. The whales were abundant, and it was not at all unusual during the rides to the dive sites or during the surface intervals to see whales breaching, spy-hopping and tail-slapping on the surface. On occasion, a curious whale would even venture near the boat. But whales were only a part of the story on this trip. On our first dive, we were treated to four large manta rays being cleaned, as they circled around us almost continuosly throughout our dive. On a subsequent dive it was four eagle rays. On yet another dive we were treated to several grey reef sharks, white- tip reef sharks, barracuda, and jacks. And during our surface intervals we were often surrounded by schools of spinner dolphins or pacific bottlenose dolphins. We also saw eight large pelagic mantas on the surface on the way to one divesite. This was some of the best large animal diving I have ever experienced anywhere (although it is not always like this). All in all, on a scale of 1 to 10, the diving on this trip was an 11. And that doesn't even include Buffy's (Mike's wife) amazing cookies between dives! The Royal Kona Resort is an older hotel (built in the 60's) that has seen better days, but it is in a prime location on the water at the edge of town, within convenient walking distance of everything, and is a great value for the money.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Tahiti, Palau, Australia, Galapagos Islands, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent, Bahamas, Maui, Florida Keys
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm
Water Temp 77-78°F / 25-26°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 75-150 Ft/ 23-46 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales >2
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 5 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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