Kona Honu Divers
Kona Honu Divers is a private, family-run PADI Five Star dive center founded in 2002 in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, offering guided scuba tours, PADI certification courses, snorkeling excursions, freediving classes, and gear retail primarily to visiting tourists and aspiring divers on the Big Island.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersKailua Kona, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Kona Honu Divers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kona Honu Divers
- Legal name
- Kona Honu Divers
- Website
- https://konahonudivers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kona Honu Divers is a private, family-run PADI Five Star dive center founded in 2002 in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, offering guided scuba tours, PADI certification courses, snorkeling excursions, freediving classes, and gear retail primarily to visiting tourists and aspiring divers on the Big Island.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kona Honu Divers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Tour Services
- NAICS
- Marinas (713930), Marinas (71393)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scuba Diving & Freediving Centers (Training, Guided Dives) (THAAAKAD), Diving Experiences (Scuba Dives, Dive Trips, PADI/SSI Courses) (THAJAJAD), Dive & Snorkel Guides / Dive Masters (Boat-Based & Shore-Based) (THAAALAC), Dive & Snorkel Equipment Rental, Retail & Boat Services (compressors, gear hire) (THAAAIAL), Fishing & Spearfishing Charters (recreational/eco-managed) (THAAAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Kona Honu Divers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kailua Kona
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kona Honu Divers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Dive Tours: Revenue from guided scuba diving tours including manta ray night dives, morning 2-tank dives, premium advanced trips, and blackwater dives. Prices range from $239-$299 per charter. Includes free nitrox for certified divers.
- Scuba Certification Courses: PADI certification courses including Open Water ($995), Advanced Open Water ($1,099), Rescue Diver ($899), and specialty courses. Also offer referral courses and refreshers.
- Private Boat Charters: Private charter services on three vessels (Honu One, Honu Lele, Orca) for custom dive/snorkel experiences. Pricing varies by vessel and duration.
- Equipment Rentals: Rental of scuba gear, freediving equipment, and spearfishing gear from their retail shop.
- Gear Sales: Retail sales of scuba diving gear, freediving equipment, spearfishing equipment, and company-branded apparel.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 2 Tank Manta Ray Dive - Kona's most popular dive |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 2 Tank Local Morning Dive |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Advanced 2 Tank Trip |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Blackwater Night Dive |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Morning Introductory Scuba (Try Scuba) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI Open Water Diver Certification |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI Advanced Open Water |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI Enriched Air/Nitrox Certification |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI Rescue Diver Certification |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI Deep Diver Specialty |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI Boat Diver Specialty |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PADI ReActivate Scuba Refresher |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Manta Ray Night Snorkel (sister company Kona Snorkel Trips) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kona Honu Divers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kona Honu Divers is a PADI Five Star dive center operating guided scuba diving charters (manta ray night dives, 2-tank morning dives, premium advanced trips, blackwater night dives), PADI scuba certification and specialty courses, snorkeling tours, freediving classes, private boat charters, equipment rentals, gear retail, and equipment repair services from Honokohau Harbor on the Big Island of Hawaii. The company runs its own fleet of custom dive vessels (Honu One 46ft Newton, Honu Lele 33.5ft World Cat, Orca RIB) and serves individual tourists and divers seeking premium, small-group ocean experiences.
Product overview
Kona Honu Divers is a full-service PADI 5 Star dive center offering a unified portfolio of scuba diving, snorkeling, and freediving experiences centered around Kona, Hawaii's world-class marine environment. The core product suite consists of guided diving charters (Manta Ray Night Dive, 2 Tank Local Morning Dive, Premium Advanced 2 Tank Trip, Blackwater Night Dive) and introductory Discover Scuba experiences for non-certified divers. Adjacent offerings include PADI certification courses (Open Water through Rescue Diver with specialty options), private boat charters on three vessels (Honu One, Honu Lele, Orca), and snorkeling tours (Captain Cook Monument, Manta Ray Night Snorkel, Whale Watching, Sunset Dinner Cruise). Supporting services include a gear shop, equipment rental (Atomic regulators, BCDs, wetsuits, tanks), and repair services. The company operates two custom dive boats and partners with Kona Freedivers for freediving courses. Dive packages offer tiered discounts (10-20%) for booking multiple charters with free nitrox included.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 2 Tank Manta Ray Night Dive A signature 2-tank guided dive charter combining an afternoon reef dive with the world-famous manta ray night dive at Garden Eel Cove for certified divers visiting the Big Island of Hawaii.
- 2 Tank Local Morning Dive
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% manta ray sighting rate on night dives
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kona Honu Divers
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kona Honu Divers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Kona Honu Divers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research TeamsminorKona Honu Divers has hosted research teams from the Monterey Bay Aquarium for blackwater diving expeditions to explore deep ocean marine life. The company's divemasters have conducted scientific expeditions collecting animals for scientific discovery and counting critters for research purposes.
- Ocean Defenders AllianceminorCompany donates quarterly to Ocean Defenders Alliance based on the number of divers on each charter. This national nonprofit runs underwater cleanup efforts using the company's boat, the Honu One.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kona Honu Divers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Big Island Divers: Direct competitor operating scuba diving tours and PADI certification courses from Honokohau Harbor in Kona, Hawaii. Comparable on product mix (guided dives, certifications, rentals), target customer (visitors to Big Island), and service area along the Kona coast.
- Jack's Diving Locker: Long-established Kona-based dive operator offering scuba diving tours, PADI certifications, and snorkel trips on the Big Island. Direct competitor with overlapping product offerings and customer base in the same Kona market.
- Pacific Rim Divers: Kona dive operator offering shore and boat dives along the Kona coast, including manta ray night dives. Directly comparable on product (scuba tours), geography (Kona), and target customer (visitors).
- Mauna Lani Sea Adventures: Big Island Hawaii operator offering snorkel tours, manta ray night snorkel, whale watching and scuba charters. Comparable on service offerings, Big Island geography, and visitor customer base.
- Fair Wind Cruises: Big Island operator running snorkel, dive, and manta ray cruises from Kona. Overlaps with Kona Honu Divers on guided reef/snorkel tours and manta ray experiences, plus broader tourism packaging.
- Sea Paradise Snorkel Tours: Big Island snorkel and dive tour operator based in Kona offering manta ray experiences and Captain Cook snorkel trips. Comparable on water tours and Big Island visitor market.
- Body Glove Cruises: Big Island operator running snorkel, sunset dinner cruise and water adventure tours in Kona. Directly comparable on catamaran-based ocean tours and Kona visitor market; Kona Honu Divers even partners with Body Glove for its sunset dinner cruise offering.
Broad incumbents
- Atlantis Adventures Hawaii: Established Hawaii marine tour operator offering submarine and boat-based underwater experiences across multiple islands. Comparable on underwater marine tourism but operates at a broader, multi-island scale as an incumbent.
Others
- PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors): Global certifying body whose curriculum and dive center ratings underpin Kona Honu Divers' education business. Not a direct competitor, but a key enabling/infrastructure organization that defines the company's certification offering and Five Star status.
Regional players
- Trilogy Excursions: Hawaii-based operator offering sailing, snorkel and dive excursions primarily in Maui and Oahu. Comparable on Hawaii marine tourism activities, but operates in a different geography from Kona Honu Divers' Big Island focus.
Market position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kona Honu Divers social profiles
Digital presenceKona Honu Divers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kona Honu Divers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Kona Honu Divers subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Kona Honu Divers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kona Honu Divers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kona Honu Divers
What does Kona Honu Divers do?
Kona Honu Divers is a PADI Five Star dive center operating guided scuba diving charters (manta ray night dives, 2-tank morning dives, premium advanced trips, blackwater night dives), PADI scuba certification and specialty courses, snorkeling tours, freediving classes, private boat charters, equipment rentals, gear retail, and equipment repair services from Honokohau Harbor on the Big Island of Hawaii. The company runs its own fleet of custom dive vessels (Honu One 46ft Newton, Honu Lele 33.5ft World Cat, Orca RIB) and serves individual tourists and divers seeking premium, small-group ocean experiences.
Is Kona Honu Divers a public or private company?
Kona Honu Divers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kona Honu Divers founded?
Kona Honu Divers was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kona Honu Divers based?
Kona Honu Divers is headquartered in Kailua Kona, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kona Honu Divers make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Dive Tours are the primary driver. The others are scuba Certification Courses, private Boat Charters, equipment Rentals and gear Sales.
Who are Kona Honu Divers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Big Island Divers, Jack's Diving Locker, Pacific Rim Divers, Mauna Lani Sea Adventures, Fair Wind Cruises, Sea Paradise Snorkel Tours and Body Glove Cruises. Atlantis Adventures Hawaii is listed as a broad incumbent. PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is listed as an others. Trilogy Excursions is listed as a regional player.
Does Kona Honu Divers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kona Honu Divers.
What industry is Kona Honu Divers in?
Kona Honu Divers's product category is Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Tour Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAA, Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications), with a secondary code of THAAAKAD, Scuba Diving & Freediving Centers (Training, Guided Dives). Its NAICS code is 713930 and its SIC code is 4400.