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Dive Review of Kona Aggressor II in
Hawaii/Kona

Kona Aggressor II: "Easy diving, colorful fish, and good value.", Oct, 2016,

by Elisabeth Sykes, NM, US (Reviewer Reviewer 5 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 9213.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments GOOD:
- Captain Cliff selected fun dive sites and encouraged us to enjoy them. We felt that he was not only a competent boat captain, but also an engineer that could repair problems on the boat if they occurred (fortunately, the boat was in excellent shape and had no mechanical problems).

- the salon of the boat has been updated since August 2015. There are new seat cushions for the "sofas," there are new, attractive, dining tables, and the kitchen has been refreshed. Also, the paneling in the salon is new, along with a new air conditioning unit in the salon. These updates make the salon feel fresh and new.

- the chef Kevin is the best chef we have encountered on a live aboard dive boat. He is a bona fide chef, and not a scuba instructor who knows how to cook. Kevin planned the menus in advance, bought fresh local produce, and cooked magnificent meals. The food was tasty and abundant. Typically, snacks were provided after the first morning dive and in the afternoon between dives.

- on the stern, there are showers with ample hot water on each side of the dive deck. Shampoo and conditioner are provided. However, liquid body soap was not offered this year (it was in 2015).

- Nitrox EAN 32 is available and meters to check the fill are provided. Typically, the 80 cubic foot tanks were filled to 3,100 - 3,200 psi.

- the crew: Captain Cliff, Chef Kevin, and Jeremy, Cameron, Brett, and Ashley were helpful.

BAD:
- some of the divers would move onto the dive platform before they were ready. They would check their dive gear and then realize they were missing something and delay other divers from entering the water. We feel that the crew should remind the divers to check their gear BEFORE moving down onto the dive platform.

- after diving, the crew would promptly fill the scuba tanks. However, the dust cover for the first stage was only secured to the regulator about one half of the time.

SUMMARY:
- this was our fourth trip aboard the Kona Aggressor II (2005, 2011, 2015, and 2016). The boat has a fresh new feel after the salon has been updated. The chef Kevin is outstanding, and Captain Cliff is superb (observant and very helpful with one's gear, etc.).
- we feel this boat provides a comfortable week's diving experience with decent marine life, comfortable accommodations, and a good crew.

Elisabeth Sykes and Vick Thomas
Websites Kona Aggressor II   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Yap-Micronesia, Republic of Palua, Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Sea of Cortez, Cayman Islands, Belize, Bonaire, Bahamas, California, Mexico, Florida Keys, etc.
Closest Airport Kona Getting There Direct flights are available from Phoenix, Los Angeles, and perhaps other airports. One can fly to Honolulu and then fly to Kona. Note, however, Hawaiian Airlines did not honor our confirmed seats on the flight from Honolulu to Kona. We recommend a direct flight from the mainland U.S. or elsewhere if possible and avoid flying on Hawaiian Airlines.

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, cloudy Seas calm, no currents
Water Temp 82-83°F / 28-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 2
Water Visibility 30-70 Ft/ 9-21 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions A 110 foot maximum depth was advised. However, we saw no reason to go anywhere near this deep on the sites we dove. If one consumed alcohol, no diving until the next day.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish N/A
Large Pelagics N/A

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments The dive sites offer macrophotography to wide angle shots, e.g. nudibranchs to manta rays and sea turtles. If there are many photographers with digital SLR's and twin strobes, the camera table could get crowded. However, this was not a problem on our trip. Outlets for charging batteries are provided on the end of the camera table.
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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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