From Kelp Crawling to Coral Cruising: Your First Hawaii Dive

If you learned to dive in Monterey in January, you didn’t just get certified—you survived. You earned your stripes in 50-degree water, fighting through kelp forests, surge, and visibility that sometimes feels like swimming through pea soup.

Now, you are headed to the Kohala Coast of the Big Island in mid-March. This isn't just a change of scenery; it is a completely different sport. Here is your primer on what to expect when you trade your drysuit (or thick neoprene) for board shorts and a 3mm.

The Environment: High Definition Blue

Visibility: In Monterey, a "good day" is 30 feet. In Kohala, 80 to 100 feet is standard. You might experience vertigo at first because you can see the bottom from the surface. The water is an electric, crystal-clear blue.

Temperature: Expect water temperatures around 76°F (24°C). You can likely leave the hood and gloves at home. Most divers wear a 3mm full suit or shorty. If you get cold easily, a 5mm is plenty. The freedom of movement compared to a 7mm farmer john is liberating.

Conditions: Monterey prepares you for surge (the back-and-forth rocking). Hawaii has less surge but can have surface chop. The Kohala Coast is generally protected from the trade winds in the morning, which is why your charter leaves early.

The Gear Shift: The Aluminum 80 Factor

This is the most critical technical difference for a new diver. In California, you likely dove with Steel tanks (which stay negatively buoyant) and a thick wetsuit (very buoyant). This required a heavy weight belt.

In Hawaii, the standard rental tank is an Aluminum 80.

• The Physics: Aluminum tanks start negatively buoyant (heavy) when full, but as you breathe the air down, the tank becomes positively buoyant (it wants to float).
• The Swing: By the end of the dive (at safety stop level with 500 PSI), an Aluminum 80 is about 4 pounds more buoyant than when you started.
• The Adjustment: You will need significantly less weight overall because your wetsuit is thinner, BUT you must ensure you have enough lead to keep that "floaty" tank down during your safety stop. Listen to your Divemaster when they suggest a weight check—do not guess based on your Monterey logbook.

The Operator: Kohala Divers

You are diving with a top-tier outfit. Kohala Divers typically runs their charters on the Namaka, a custom 46-foot Newton dive boat.

• Valet Diving: Unlike the "carry your own gear" culture of shore diving, this is often valet service. The crew will likely swap your tank between dives. However, as a newly certified diver, always check your air and connections yourself. Trust, but verify.
• Entry/Exit: You will likely perform a giant stride entry off the back platform. Getting back on is easy—their ladders are designed for divers with fins on (though the crew may ask you to hand up your fins first depending on the swell).
• Amenities: The boat has a marine head (toilet) and—luxury alert—heated freshwater showers to rinse off the salt after the dive.

The Dive Profile: Two-Tank Morning

• Dive 1: Usually the deeper of the two (max ~80ft), exploring lava fingers or pinnacles.
• Surface Interval: Relax on the boat, hydrate, and eat snacks while the captain moves to the second site.
• Dive 2: Shallower (max ~60ft), focused on reef life and longer bottom time.

Marine Life: The Soundtrack of March

Mid-March is the tail end of Humpback Whale season. While you must stay 100 yards away from them, sound travels efficiently underwater.

• Listen: When you descend, stop breathing for a second and listen. You will likely hear the squeaks, groans, and songs of male humpbacks singing in the channel. It can be so loud it vibrates your chest.
• Look: Keep an eye out for Green Sea Turtles (Honu) resting on the coral. You will see endemic fish like the Milletseed Butterflyfish and the humuhumunukunukuapua'a (Hawaii's state fish).
• No Kelp: Instead of navigating through stalks of kelp, you will be hovering over hard coral reefs (cauliflower and finger corals) growing on ancient lava flows.

Summary of Tips

1. Equalize Early: The clear water makes it easy to descend faster than you realize. Watch your depth.
2. Watch Your Air: You might be so excited by the visibility that you breathe faster. Check your gauge often.
3. Don't Touch: In Monterey, you grab rocks to stabilize against surge. In Hawaii, the reef is living and fragile coral. Do not touch anything.
4. Tip the Crew: It is standard industry practice to tip $10-$20 per tank (so $20-$40 total) if the service is good.

You did the hard work in Monterey. Now, go enjoy the reward.