![]() ![]() Another thing that makes the Manta Ray night dive easier for newer divers is that it is conducted at fairly shallow depth averaging between 30 and 40 feet of water. On busy summer nights and holidays the dive can have 50 or more divers underneath the water all with dive lights which make the dive quite a bit more lit up than a regular night dive and the dive companies also put very bright lights in the middle of the campfire which actually attracts the Manta Rays while again making the dive a lot brighter than normal. That means once you are at the campfire there is no swimming around so as to not run into other divers and the Mantas. All the dive companies have their divers gather around the campfire area due to the fact that it is a sandy rocky area in which we can kneel and sit the divers down on the bottom and not hurt corals etc. In Kona Hawaii all Manta Ray Dives are escorted by dive guides who you will follow underneath the water to a designated area called the “Manta Ray Campfire”. The main reasons for this are that compared to regular reef night dive the dive is very controlled for not only diver’s safety but also for that of the environment and of course the Mantas! On a regular reef night dive, you may have very few divers possibly guiding themselves around the reef with only their few dive lights to illuminate the water. When I brief first time night divers on the dive, I tell them that as first night dives go the dive is generally a lot easier to do than a regular reef night dive. The fact is a vast majority of certified divers who go on a Manta Ray dive in Kona Hawaii have never done one before and do just fine. Of course, if you have not been diving recently you really should do at least a day dive and if it has been a year or so a refresher is always recommended! Again, if you’re comfortable with your diving ability and have been diving recently then you are probably good to go. ![]() I would strongly suggest booking your dives with a local operator such as Kona Honu Divers ahead of time especially if you plan on coming during the busy seasons such as the summer and over busy holidays like Christmas and New Years as the Manta Ray Night Dive has become one of the most popular dives in the world and can fill up! Whether you are a new or experienced diver you may be wondering if you need any specialized dive training, or need to have ever done a night dive before and the answer in general is you do not though I would say for you to be really comfortable in doing the Manta Ray Dive it would be advisable to have experienced a reef night dive first or possibly even do your Padi Night Diver Specialty. Obviously, you will need to make your way to Kona Hawaii which is on what is known as the Big Island of Hawaii and I would suggest staying closer to Kailua Kona where most of the dive and snorkel companies are close to. Now that you have decided to go let’s discuss what it’s like to go on a Manta ray dive in Kona Hawaii so you know what to expect which you should expect to be amazed! First let’s go over some of the logistics and considerations about going on the Manta Ray Dive! Since then not only did I eventually go on the dive but I also went on to become a Padi Instructor in Kona Hawaii and have had the pleasure of guiding hundreds of Manta Ray night dives over the years. As I have told so many before it was that night that made me want to finally become a certified diver so that I too could one day go on the Manta Ray Night Dive in Kona Hawaii. It was that incredible evening looking down at not only the magical manta rays of Kona but also observing the certified divers down with them as the mantas sometimes gracefully flew directly over their heads. You read about it, you heard about it from another diver and possibly you even became a certified diver just so you could one day go on the Manta Ray Dive in Kona Hawaii! If the later, maybe you were lucky like me to have been able to come to Kona and go out Night Snorkeling with Manta Rays.
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