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Pacific Rim Divers Limited

@pacificrimdivers

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Serving Kailua-Kona, HI for over 25 years. Book daily Scuba/snorkel/Manta charters via our website! Learn along with us about Hawaii marine life!

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🌊 She signed up for a scuba course in 1994…
She ended up marrying the instructor.

Today, Kai and Kerby Kuykendall run one of the most unique dive operations in Hawaii. 🤿

Kerby has been a scuba instructor since 1990, and the two first met when he certified Kai as an Open Water diver in California. What started as a dive class turned into a lifelong partnership built around the ocean.

After getting married, they moved to Hawaii, later spending time in Seattle where Kerby taught diving in the cold waters of Puget Sound.

Two years ago they returned to Hawaii full-time and purchased Pacific Rim Divers, turning decades of dive experience into a thriving charter operation on the Big Island in Kona.

Today they run dive charters seven days a week, including the world-famous night manta ray dives, aboard their custom Munson aluminum dive boat, Boundless.

Their operation focuses on small groups and personal attention, with expert captains and instructors and often a nearly 100% female crew leading the dives.

Divers exploring Kona with Pacific Rim Divers encounter incredible marine life — from tiger sharks and manta rays to tiny reef critters like nudibranchs and blennies.

One unforgettable dive happened at Catalina Island, California. Years ago when Kerby taught in Los Angeles, giant black sea bass were nearly extinct.

On one magical dive they encountered 15 massive black sea bass, each nearly 500 pounds (about 227 kg), suspended silently in the kelp forest off Casino Point.

Moments like that are what keep divers chasing the next adventure.

And when it comes to Canada, one place sits high on their bucket list: God’s Pocket, British Columbia. They’ve seen incredible photos from friends diving there — though they admit they’ll definitely be bringing their dry suits for that trip. ❄️

Back home in Hawaii, they’re happy diving in 3–7mm wetsuits in warm Pacific waters.

If you're heading to Kona on the Big Island, Kai and Kerby invite you to join them in the water.

🌴 Learn more:
@pacificrimdivers
pacificrimdivers.com

👇 Divers — what’s the most unforgettable dive you've ever done? Scuba divers sitting on a dive charter boat with colorful fins lined up on the deck before entering the ocean in Hawaii.

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Apparently just vacation doesn’t exist anymore. Everywhere I go, one thing leads to an other and I end up initiating others into the bliss of being, and feeling magnetized. Mahalo for the awesome day @pacificrimdivers

#magnetsforwellness #biomagnetism #magnetized #scuba #naughtyornice #hawaii

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Golden Dwarf Moray Eel (Gymnothorax melatremus)

#marinelife
#underwaterphotography
#ikelite
#canonr6

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You know it's a good suit when the dive shop owner rocks it!

@pacificrimdivers owner looking kriller in her Tiger Shark Full-Body Sun Suit 😍🦈

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A big sun suit restock has dropped!! 🎉

The long-awaited Whale Shark and Tiger Shark Sun Suits and Full-Body Sun Suits are back on the shelves, along with some other prints.

If the one you've had your eye on is still out of stock, don't fear! We have another batch estimated to arrive later in October. As always, you can sign up on the product page of any out-of-stock items to be notified when they are back.

If you have any questions on restock timelines for our gear, don't hesitate to reach out to us through DMs or our email at hello@waterlust.com. We are here to help! 💙

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Experience the magic of a manta night dive ! Manta rays are gentle giants of the ocean, often seen feeding on plankton at night in Hawaii’s waters. These majestic creatures use #mantaray Manta rays are known for their grace & curiosity around divers , making night dives unforgettable! Conservation of manta habitats ensures these encounters continue .

#MantaNightDive #MantaRays #HawaiiDiving #NightDive #MarineLife #Naturalist #OceanConservation #WildlifeHawaii

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#konahawaii #mantaraynightdive was absolutely #magical and #mesmerizing #scubadiver #scubalife #shouldhavebeenamermaid sharing this experience with my #divebuddy @atgriffith81 and our kids was the best ❤️ #lifeisbetterunderwater #scubafamily big thanks to @pacificrimdivers #hawaii

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Working at the aquarium, sometimes I feel spoiled because I get paid to learn and then educate folks about fish that we get to see in marine ecosystems. Fish as plentiful and sleek at these goatfish are some that I have the honor of getting to talk about when I am interpreting at the mangrove and coral reef habitats. And despite the fact that species are accurately represented in the spaces at the aquarium, it’s an entirely different experience being able to observe them out in the wild. Undisturbed, maneuvering through the water as one cohesive group, making me feel like a young kiddo who’s witnessing tropical fish in the wild for the first time.
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These dives have reinvigorated my love for this craft. Physically touching the warm water I was submersed in was something that I wasn’t expecting such a strong reaction to. I have missed that. Some people say they need to “touch grass” when in need of an act to make them feel grounded, my version of that is that i need to “touch water”. Boy, did I get my wish. All this to say, goatfish, as mundane as they may seem, can represent a whole lot more :)
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Yellowfin Goatfish (Mulloidichthys vanicolensis) spotted in Kona, HI.
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#goatfish #hawaii #scuba #tropicaldiving #tropicalisland #scubadiving #padi #paditv #schoolingfish #marinebiology #marinebio #aquarium #olympustg6 #olympusunderwater #kona #konadiving

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If you really know me, you know that I love itty bitty teeny tiny things - shells, spoons, you name it! And sea slugs (nudibranchs) are no exception. So, during our trip to the Big Island, you best believe I was hunting for nudibranchs on our dives. This species of sea slug were called “strawberries” by our divemaster, but after some research found the other common name is a little more grotesque. 🫣 The “Pustulose Wart Slug” gets that name from the pink pimple looking tubercles that are raised along their bodies. Personally, I think I’ll stick to calling them strawberries but … to each their own!
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Phyllidiella pustulosa nudibranch spotted in Kona, HI.
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#marinebiology #marinebio #seaslug #nudibranch #hawaii #scuba #scubadiving #uwmacro #tropical #tropicalisland #kona #bigislandhawaii #bigisland #scicom #padi #paditv #olympustg6

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Hearing the echos of the clicks and whistles was the first sign. Seeing shadowy figures off in the distance was the second. Moments later, a pod of around 40 dolphins were racing through the water. I was only able to film the last few seconds of their time above us, but I think that’s alright. Instead I got to marvel at their speed, agility, and playful swimming patterns for a couple seconds longer. Filming and photographing wildlife is a double edged sword. The process of getting the best shot can sometimes draw you away from the moment you’re experiencing. However, being able to share these moments with those who weren’t present is one of the main reasons I invest the energy and effort. So, that being said, here are a couple of seconds I captured when this community of dolphins was disappearing back into the blue. Hope these couple moments are worth it :)
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Spinner Dolphins (Stenella longirostris) spotted in Kona, HI.
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#dolphin #spinnerdolphins #diving #scuba #scubadiving #tropicaldiving #marinebiology #uwvideo #uwphotography #uwphoto #olympustg6 #tropical #hawaii #hawaiidiving

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Swimming around a pinnacle with hopes of sticking our heads into a cave to look for pipefish, we were pleasantly surprised to find a friend in her favorite resting spot (according to our divemaster). This turtle stayed still in her coral bed, observing us as we simultaneously took in her beauty, then elegantly swam up to the surface for a breath. Encounters like this always make me slow down to marvel at how peaceful and simple life can be. Hopefully in the hustle and bustle of everyday life I can strive to be a bit more like this lovely lady, taking life one fin stroke at a time.
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Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) spotted in Kona, HI.
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#turtle #scuba #scubadiving #hawaii #bigisland #hawaiiscubadiving #tropicaldiving #coralreef #marinebiology #padi #olympustg6 #uwphoto #uwphotographer

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