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)
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World Class
Intermediate
Hawaii (Kona)
United StatesPacific
65.0

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

Visibility15–30 m
Temperature23–27°C
Max Depth40 m
Currentmoderate
2-Tank Dive$120
Best MonthsApril, May, June, July
CertificationOpen WaterIntermediate

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

ML74.0CH72.0VIS81.0SV33.0TMP68.0DA62.0OP73.0TS64.0GT68.0VAL50.0CRD57.0SP57.0

Marine Life

74.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity
96
Megafauna Encounters
84
Reef Fish Abundance
98
Macro Life
0
Endemic Species
50
Marine Life Diversity
74.0
Coral & Reef Health
72.0
Visibility & Conditions
81.0
Dive Site Variety
33.0
Water Temperature
68.0
Depth & Access
62.0
Operator Quality
73.0
Topside Experience
64.0
Getting There
68.0
Value & Cost
50.0
Crowding
57.0
Social Proof
57.0

Key Species

manta raydolphinswhale sharkmoray eeloctopussea turtle

Dive Types

reef

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

manta ray night snorkelVolcanoes National ParkKona coffee farm toursMauna Kea stargazingbeach hoppingdeep sea fishing

Nearby Cultural Sites

  • Pu'uhonua o Honaunau (Place of Refuge)
  • Hulihee Palace
  • Kaloko-Honokohau NHP

Non-Diver Partner Score

9/10

Excellent for non-divers — they'll love it here.

Family FriendlyYes
Restaurants & Nightlifevibrant

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.org
Hyperbaric Chamber5 km — Hyperbaric Medicine Center, Kona Community Hospital
Nearest Hospital5 km

Full hospital and chamber in Kona; excellent emergency services

Skill LevelIntermediate
Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Kona Diving Company

PADI

4.8
420 reviewsNITROX

Jack's Diving Locker

PADI

4.7
380 reviewsNITROX

Big Island Divers

PADI

4.7
280 reviewsNITROX
Compare This Dive Site
Current conditions
10/10
Waves1.26 m
Swell0.94 m
Wind10.1 km/h
Air26.1°C
Overcast
9d ago
Honest reality check

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.

Recommended logged dives
40+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification
Advanced Open Water
“Most reliable megafauna encounter in all of diving. And the blackwater dive might be the most otherworldly.”

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.
  • →Manta dive is beginner-friendly but blackwater over 2000m at night is psychologically intense.

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.
Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down.

Morning
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    mild
  • Crowd
    light
  • manta ray night dive
  • pelagic magic blackwater
  • wide angle

Most reliable manta encounter in the world. Lights attract plankton, plankton attracts mantas. They barrel-roll through your beam from 6pm until you run out of air.

Afternoon
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    mild
  • Crowd
    moderate
  • reef dives
  • blackwater dive
  • dolphin encounters

Pelagic Magic blackwater is a night dive over 2000m. Larval aliens from the deep.

Night
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    slack
  • Crowd
    empty
  • manta ray night dive
  • blackwater dive
  • everything

Kona's night dives are the main event. Manta is famous, blackwater is what experienced divers talk about.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month Viz (m) Temp (°C) CurrentSea RainConfidenceHighlights
Jan19–2725ModCalmDry55%conditions vary
Feb18–2625ModCalmDry65%conditions vary
Mar18–2625ModCalmDry78%conditions vary
Apr19–2726ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
May19–2826ModCalmDry88%conditions vary
Jun19–2826ModChopLight88%conditions vary
Jul19–2725ModChopLight88%conditions vary
Aug18–2624ModChopWet88%conditions vary
Sep18–2625ModChopWet88%conditions vary
Oct19–2725ModChopWet78%conditions vary
Nov19–2825ModCalmLight65%conditions vary
Dec20–3025ModCalmDry55%conditions vary
Shoot here

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.

Macro subjects33
Wide angle69
Viz stability65
Hover friendliness70
Natural light57

Recommended kit

  • →General reef kit — mid-range wide or a 60mm macro depending on the specific site
Level up here

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.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget
$2,650–$3,750

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
Mid-range
$4,050–$5,950

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
Splurge
$6,600–$10,100

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.

Pair with

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.

Best dive types here