Hawaii (Kona) Diving — United States
Kona's manta ray night dive is a bucket-list experience — sit on the sand at 30ft as mantas barrel-roll through plankton-attracting lights just inches from your mask. The 'Pelagic Magic' blackwater night dive over 6,000ft of open ocean reveals bizarre deep-sea creatures. Hawaii's best diving is on the Big Island.
- Score
- 65.0 / 100
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Pacific
- Area
- Big Island
- Nearest airport
- Kona (KOA)
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Water temperature
- 23–27 °C
- Max depth
- 40 m
- Current strength
- moderate
- Dive types
- reef
- Best months
- April, May, June, July, August, September
- Minimum certification
- Open Water
- Access type
- boat
- Average 2-tank dive cost
- $120 USD
- Budget tier
- mid range
- Key species
- manta ray, dolphins, whale shark, moray eel, octopus, sea turtle
- Google rating
- 0 (0 reviews)
- Top operators
- Kona Diving Company, Jack's Diving Locker, Big Island Divers
- Nearest hyperbaric chamber
- Hyperbaric Medicine Center, Kona Community Hospital (~5 km)
SCORE
19.6400°N
-155.9969°E
Kona's manta ray night dive is a bucket-list experience — sit on the sand at 30ft as mantas barrel-roll through plankton-attracting lights just inches from your mask. The 'Pelagic Magic' blackwater night dive over 6,000ft of open ocean reveals bizarre deep-sea creatures. Hawaii's best diving is on the Big Island.
Hawaii's Manta Ray Night Dive
Score Breakdown
Marine Life
74.0Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.
Click any score to see a detailed breakdown
Key Species
Dive Types
Traveling with Non-Divers?
Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.
Activities for Non-Divers
Nearby Cultural Sites
- Pu'uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge)
- Hulihee Palace
- Kaloko-Honokohau NHP
Non-Diver Partner Score
Excellent for non-divers — they'll love it here.
Safety & Emergency
Dive Insurance
Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.
Learn More at DAN.orgFull hospital and chamber in Kona; excellent emergency services
Top Operators
Kona Diving Company
PADI
Jack's Diving Locker
PADI
Big Island Divers
PADI
What your dive shop won't tell you
The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.
Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.
What will challenge you
- →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
- →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 40 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
What will surprise you
- →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 4°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
Photography brief
Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.
Recommended kit
- →General reef kit — mid-range wide or a 60mm macro depending on the specific site
What this site will teach you
The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.
Deep profile discipline
advancedMax depth 40 m puts you at the edge of recreational limits. You'll build NDL tracking instincts, gas reserve management, and safety-stop discipline you can't get on 18 m reef dives.
Cool-head pelagic encounters
intermediateKeeping your breathing steady and your position stable when a 4 m manta or a school of hammerheads appears is a skill, not a reflex. Learn to slow down when you most want to speed up.
7-day trip, per person
Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.
Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,350–$1,650
- Accommodation / day
- $50–$100
- Diving / day
- $100–$120
- Food / day
- $30–$55
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,900–$2,300
- Accommodation / day
- $120–$220
- Diving / day
- $120–$160
- Food / day
- $60–$120
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators
- Flights (RT from US)
- $2,700–$3,300
- Accommodation / day
- $260–$500
- Diving / day
- $160–$200
- Food / day
- $130–$250
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.
Build a trip around it
Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.
- Channel Islands65.0United States
Same country, different dive character. Easy to combine in one trip without extra flights.
- Monterey Bay61.4United States
Same country, different dive character. Easy to combine in one trip without extra flights.
- Taveuni58.4Fiji
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Bikini Atoll57.4Marshall Islands
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Guadalupe Island56.5Mexico
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- SS President Coolidge56.4Vanuatu
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
Best dive types here