Dive Review of Mauna Lani Dive in
Hawaii/Big Island KOna

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Mauna Lani Dive: "A nice resort op", Oct, 2022, by Francis Loncar, WI, US ( Contributor 13 reports with 6 Helpful votes). Report 12285.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude	N/A	Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	During my dive trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, I ended up using 4 different dive ops during my stay, each of which had unique features. In common, they all had the policy of no “island time” where Check-in was concerned, the goal was an on-time departure. The DMs at all the shops were mainly composed of veterans, middle aged full-timers to retirees that help part-time. Weather was in the mid-80s every day, and with water temps around 80F, I did not use a wet suit, but I was in the minority. I will review each dive op separately. Note diving in Hawaii is expensive. Our VRBO was located in a private resort that contained a house diving op for the hotel called Mauna Lani divers. The advantage for me; it was a 5 minute drive. Access is controlled by an electronic gate, that you have to call in to get through. Parking is available about 50+ yards from the dive shop. While the dive shop looks very rustic, it is quite evident they are subsidized by the hotel. The boat is small, gear is stored aft, but you can access it and the passengers sit up near the bow. No bucket for mask or cameras. I would assume the rental gear is in good condition, I heard no complaints. Dive sites are around 10 minutes from the shop, with the surface interval being back at the dock with hot chocolate or hot tea as the beverages and popcorn as the snack. While quirky, it was a nice change of pace. Dive sites were similar to Blue Wilderness, fair with coral conditions varying fair to some interesting reefs. We lucked out with dolphins and turtles, a nice exclamation point on the dives. The crew were all veterans, having many years of experience and created a relaxed atmosphere. Surprisingly, the fellow divers were all experienced, which gave the crew more latitude in choosing dive sites that were more interesting than a shallow reef. No night or specialty dives. If you are staying in the area, this is a nice safe dive op NOTE: I just saw on their website they are shutting down in their current location.
Websites	Mauna Lani Dive
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Kauai, Cozumel, Fla Keys, Wisconsin, Palau, Maui, Grand Cayman, Aruba
Closest Airport	Kona	Getting There	Mnat flights from west coast airports
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	50-150 Ft/ 15-46 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Loosely stay within eyesight of DM, allowed to use your tank
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Mauna Lani Dive in Hawaii/Big Island KOna

Mauna Lani Dive: "A nice resort op", Oct, 2022,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Mauna Lani Dive in
Hawaii/Big Island KOna