The Ultimate Private Adventure

Simply Unbelievable!!!

20/10 — One of the Most Incredible Ocean Experiences We’ve Ever Had! I honestly don’t know how to give Scott, Kate, and Kona Ocean Adventures enough stars for the experience they gave us tonight. Five stars doesn’t even come close. This was a 20/10 experience from beginning to end. We booked their private sunset snorkeling trip, rustic dinner, and nighttime manta ray experience, and the entire evening was absolutely incredible. A little perspective: we’re from Florida, we’re scuba divers, and we spend a lot of time in and around the ocean—so it takes quite a bit to really blow us away. Scott and Kate absolutely did. The sunset snorkel alone would have made the trip worth it. We saw an unbelievable amount of marine life—puffer fish, purple tangs, yellow tangs, unicorn tangs, blue boxfish, angelfish, foxface, all kinds of wrasses, urchins and so much more. And then there was the monk seal. A HUGE monk seal came right up between the boats and literally used the line between them to brush her teeth! 😂 We just sat there watching her work the rope through her mouth like dental floss. It was one of those completely unexpected wildlife encounters you know you’ll be talking about for years. But somehow the night was just getting started. The nighttime manta ray experience was absolutely unreal. We had at least SIX different manta rays swimming with us, and when I say close, I mean INCHES FROM OUR FACES. They came straight toward us and did barrel roll after barrel roll directly underneath us. At times they were so close you could look straight into their mouths as they rolled beneath you. They actually made physical contact with us multiple times as they passed. We have video of it, and even watching the video doesn’t completely capture what it felt like to actually be there. There were moments when you’re floating on the surface, looking down at these enormous animals coming straight toward you, and your brain is telling you there’s no possible way they can get any closer—then they roll at the last second and pass just inches underneath you. Again. And again. And again. It was spectacular. What really made the evening, though, was Scott and Kate. A private charter is supposed to feel different from being shuffled through a big commercial tour, and this absolutely did. They made the entire evening personal, relaxed, fun and memorable. You never felt rushed or like you were just the next group being moved through an itinerary. The sunset, snorkeling, dinner, wildlife, manta rays and the personal attention from Scott and Kate all came together into one of those rare vacation experiences that completely exceeds what you thought you were booking. We’ve done a lot of ocean activities and diving over the years, and this is easily one of the coolest marine experiences we have ever had. If you’re coming to Kona and considering a manta ray trip, do yourself a favor and book the private experience with Kona Ocean Adventures. Especially if you want something more personal than a large-group excursion. Scott and Kate — thank you for an absolutely unforgettable evening. We came hoping to see some manta rays. We left having watched at least six of them barrel roll inches from our faces, had a monk seal stop by to floss her teeth, saw an incredible variety of Hawaiian marine life, and made a memory we’ll be talking about for the rest of our lives. Five stars isn’t enough. 20/10. Absolutely phenomenal. 🤙🌅🌊🤿

via Tripadvisor

Repeat customers for life

We dove with Kona adventures in January and then again this week in July and both experiences were top-notch. They were friendly professional and accommodating. Both dives we saw Tiger shark turtles eagle rays rock fish and all the other animals of the sea. This trip we got to jump into a pot of dolphins and swim with them for a little bit. The post refreshments have never been better. Highly recommend this group.

Response from the operator: Mahalo so much for your continued support! It means the world to us that you chose to dive with us not once, but twice this year. We're thrilled to hear both of your experiences were top-notch. Seeing tiger sharks, turtles, eagle rays, and all the incredible marine life Kona has to offer is always special, and getting the rare opportunity to swim alongside a pod of dolphins is one of those unforgettable moments that makes every trip unique and considering we take every measure to respect local laws surrounding our beloved mammals. We're also happy to hear you enjoyed the post-dive refreshments—we're always looking for little ways to make the experience even better. Thank you for your kind recommendation. We can't wait to welcome you back for your next Kona adventure. Until then, safe travels and happy diving!

via Tripadvisor

Did a modified private sunset cruise

We worked with the company to do a special booking of this, and did a 3 hour private sunset cruise. We didn't do a lot of the exciting stuff that others might do because my wife isn't a swimmer, so we sailed around, so some wild life from the boat, and caught an amazing sunset. They cut us a deal by making it a bit shorter than normal, picked us up at our resort, and served us food and wine on the boat. It was a gorgeous trip for our anniversary. Raj and Hanna were our captains and were both extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and did a great job at making the night special for us. We caught about the most gorgeous sunset I've ever seen, and saw some nice wildlife along the way.

Response from the operator: Aloha, Mahalo for taking the time to share such a wonderful review! We’re honored that you chose to celebrate your anniversary with us, and we're so happy we could help create a special evening tailored just for the two of you. One of our favorite things about private charters is the ability to customize the experience, and it sounds like the sunset cruise was the perfect fit. There's something truly magical about watching the Kona coastline glow at sunset while enjoying great food, wine, and a little wildlife along the way. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to Raj and Hana—they'll be thrilled to hear they helped make your anniversary so memorable. We know they'll appreciate the recognition! Mahalo again for celebrating with Kona Ocean Adventures. We hope to welcome you both back to the Big Island for another unforgettable adventure in the future!

via Tripadvisor

Best manta ray experience out there

The private Manta snorkel event was so much fun. My entire family went and it was fantastic. Captain Scott was super friendly and was very knowledgeable when my kids asked questions. He brought a book and showed us photos of all the creatures we were about to see. Our guide Kate made the snorkeling experience effortless. Anytime we lost a noodle she would swim over for us and retrieve it. She was able to identify all the creatures we saw which elevated the experience since we knew what we were looking at. Seeing the manta rays were breathtaking. At one point we had three of them all belly rolling around us. It was so much fun we will definitely do it again soon.

Response from the operator: We're thrilled to hear that your family had such a memorable time on your private manta ray snorkel adventure. Captain Scott and Kate are passionate about creating fun, educational, and stress-free experiences, and we're so glad their knowledge and attentiveness helped make the evening special for both you and your kids. There's truly nothing quite like watching manta rays glide and belly-roll beneath the lights, and having three mantas visit at once is an incredible experience! We're delighted that Kate was able to help everyone feel comfortable in the water while sharing insights about the marine life you encountered along the way. Thank you for choosing Kona Ocean Adventures to be part of your family's Hawaii memories. We can't wait to welcome you all back for another unforgettable evening with the mantas soon! Mahalo,

via Tripadvisor

Discovery Dive, an awesome experience

Went for a discovery scuba dive with them (very little experience before). My dive instructor (Kate) did a fantastic job. It was the right amount of making sure I was okay and safe but letting me do it on my own and experience sucba diving. Even got a ton of underwater pictures and videos from her to capture the dives. Would highly recommend them! Really felt like a family experience going out with them! They made sure I was very well taken care of out there. I felt very safe diving with them and would highly recommend. Bonus was we even go to see a bunch of dolphins that came right up to the boat! It was just a surreal experience. Really felt in touch with them there and seeing them in their natural habitat!

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for the kind words! We’re thrilled you chose to do your discovery dive with us—there’s nothing quite like that first underwater experience, and we’re so glad Kate helped make it such a positive and memorable one. She has a great way of balancing safety with giving guests the freedom to really enjoy the moment, so it means a lot to hear that came through. It’s awesome that you were able to capture the experience with photos and videos, and even better that you were treated to a dolphin encounter on top of it all—those moments are truly special. We really appreciate you highlighting the “family” feel of the trip—that’s exactly what we aim for. Thanks again for the recommendation, and we’d love to have you back out with us anytime!

via Tripadvisor