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Explore Kona’s underwater world with 6 adventure dives in a 3-day Advanced Open Water Diver Course, including the world-famous Manta Night Dive. Elevate your scuba skills amid Hawaii’s vibrant marine life.
Explore Kona’s underwater world with 6 adventure dives in a 3-day Advanced Open Water Diver Course, including the world-famous Manta Night Dive. Elevate your scuba skills amid Hawaii’s vibrant marine life.
Book with Kona Honu Divers
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Kona Honu Divers · Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Kailua-Kona, perched on Hawaii’s Big Island’s sun-drenched west coast, offers one of the most exhilarating settings to advance your scuba diving skills. The Advanced Open Water Diver Course run by Kona Honu Divers promises an immersive three-day dive experience that combines education, adrenaline, and the unmatched beauty of the Pacific Ocean. This course is designed for certified divers eager to deepen their knowledge and explore new marine environments under expert guidance.
Over three consecutive days, participants complete six dives that focus on key adventurous specialties including Deep Diver, Underwater Navigation, and the iconic Manta Night Dive. Each dive presents its own set of challenges and spectacular underwater vistas. From the bright coral reefs teeming with tropical fish to the mysterious nocturnal ballet of manta rays illuminated by dive lights, this adventure immerses divers in some of Hawaii’s most celebrated marine ecosystems.
Day one kicks off with local morning two-tank dives emphasizing buoyancy and Peak Performance Buoyancy skills—crucial for efficient, safe diving. These tropical waters, clear and warm year-round, offer excellent visibility and diverse marine life shaped by the volcanic coastline and rich reef structures.
The second day deepens exploration with dives focused on mastering depth and navigation techniques. Knowing how to maneuver through undersea landscapes with precision is key to enjoying dives safely while discovering lesser-seen inhabitants of the reef.
The final day includes either a Naturalist or Fish Identification Adventure Dive, refining awareness of Hawaii's underwater species, followed by the highlight: the Manta Night Dive. This rare experience lets divers witness giant manta rays feeding in near-total darkness—a humbling, unforgettable spectacle.
Kona Honu Divers stands out for its small minimum group size, ensuring personalized instruction from seasoned Master Scuba Diving Instructors and all necessary-course gear provided. While transportation isn’t included, the meeting point at The Honu One in Kailua-Kona is easily accessible.
This course not only boosts your diving qualifications but also deepens your appreciation for Hawaii’s vibrant underwater ecosystems, where conservation awareness is key. By choosing this certification in Kona, divers engage with marine stewardship in one of the world’s premier dive destinations.
For those ready to advance their underwater adventures, this course offers a perfect blend of technical skill-building and spectacular local wildlife encounters, backed by expert instruction in one of the most iconic island settings on the planet.
challenging.
3 days.
Participants should be in good physical health with moderate fitness to handle multiple dives and swimming.
Yes, PADI eLearning must be completed before the course begins to cover the academic portion in advance.
No, transportation is not included, so participants need to arrange their own travel to the meeting point.
You must be at least 18 years old to enroll in this course.
Yes, participants must have an Open Water Diver certification prior to taking this advanced course.
Expect to see colorful reef fish, Hawaiian reef sharks, and during the night dive, majestic manta rays.
All necessary SCUBA gear for the course is included, so no need to bring your own unless preferred.
Kona’s waters have long been central to Hawaiian culture and navigation, with the area now protected in part by marine conservation zones.
Kona Honu Divers promotes reef-safe practices and adherence to local marine protected area guidelines to minimize diver impact.
Kona Honu Divers is a scuba diving operator based in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. The company offers a range of guided charters, PADI certification courses, specialty classes, and private charters tailored to recreational and advanced divers. Trips include the Honu One Private Charter, Discover Scuba Diving Experience led by a Master Scuba Diving Trainer, Private Charter Black Water night dives suspended 60 feet above 4000 feet of ocean, spearfishing instruction via the FII Spearfishing Course, and multiple PADI specialties such as Rescue Diver, Fish ID, Dive Against Debris, and Peak Performance Buoyancy. Kona Honu Divers runs premium advanced two-tank long range charters on a 33' World Cat and private Honu Lele charters aboard a fast 33ft vessel configured for up to six passengers. Activities combine boat-based two-tank dives, shore diving for rescue training, and customizable private trips that include boxed lunches and beverages on selected charters. The operation emphasizes safety, personalized attention — for example a 2:1 student-to-instructor ratio on the Discover Scuba program — and education through certified PADI and specialty courses. Kona Honu Divers provides hands-on, locally focused experiences in South Kona waters, lava tube and reef environments, and pelagic night diving ecosystems. The FII Spearfishing Course is crafted by Cameron Kirkconnell, John Dornellas, and Martin Stepanek and focuses on safety and sustainability, while private Honu Lele charters are customizable with snorkeling or scuba, boxed lunches, and drinks.
Book with Kona Honu Divers