TALKBACK to JACK'S

Please tell us what you think. Below is a sampling of what some of our customers have to say about us. If you dove with us here at Jack's, please take a moment and let us know how we did - good or bad. After all, you don't get to be one of the top 10 dive operators in the world by putting your head in the sand.

Talkback to Jack's here

Monday - January  7, 2008
We have been diving with JDL since Terry had it at the old Kona Inn site. We won't dive with anyone else. Jeff is a great videographer and have viewed the two videos many times. They have encouraged others in our travel group to get certified. They too dive through Jack's. Not enough time or space to talk them up. Can't possibly go wrong.
Mike and Pam Dale

Friday - October 26, 2007
I sit here still cataloging the numerous images I shot during our three days of diving with all you at Jack's and I just can't get the smile off my face! You folks have a professional, knowledgeable, courteous and above all safe operation.  We have already recommended Jack's to a number of our diving friends on the east and west coasts of the mainland.  The Manta Ray dive was awe inspiring!
We want to send a special thanks to our divemasters: Shep, Jim G. & Roger...thanks for the great bottom time! Thanks again to all, we have plenty of memories to keep us warm through the long Maine winter ahead. We want to say a special thanks
Rich & Karen Schwartz

Tuesday - October 23, 2007
OMG!! What a truly surreal and wonderful experience! The 2-tank Manta Ray night dive was SO exciting. And Jack's team: Cpt. Roger, Steve, Jim and Judd were SUPER nice, patient, and informative. I'd recommend Jack's to everybody who needs a little patience and prefers to dive with masters without the attitude and with the knowledge.  Thanks so much for making our evening the most memorable in all of our 8 days on Hawaii.  WOW!!!
Ron and Linda Faircloth

Tuesday - October 9, 2007
Many thanks for the great dive staff and boat captains. our diving was good but skunked on the manta dive. special thanks to roger our boat captain on several dives, and to all our dive leaders. we were fortunate to see the pigmy whales, that was great. good luck to everyone, you have a first class operation.
Rose and Roger McKee

May 2007
The family Crusafon would like to thank all the staff from Jack's for the great time we have learning how to dive. Also thank Kawika for taking us to see the dolphins, it was more than fantastic to swim near by. And why not to Feliu for his great humor and his patients on teaching us. Thank you all and hope to see you soon.
Family Crusafon

Monday - February 12, 2007
I would like to say thank you for the great experience that I had while learning to dive in kona.
Especially Zack, he really did a great job teaching me the necessary things. By the way, the sea urchin bites still hurts a little bit ;-)
Cheers Thomas

Thursday - September 14, 2006
Comments: Hi we would just like to say what an amazing trip you guys organized for us, the dive team were absolutely fab. We had a great time, with 5 Mantas turning up what else could you ask for. You helped make our honeymoon memorable. Thank you. Have a Great Christmas and a wonderful New year
Simon & Samantha Cowell

Monday - July 31, 2006
You guys are simply the best.  From my initial contact through the web, to my first store visit, to our actual dive - Jack's is nothing but a first class operation.  This was mine and my daughter's first ocean dive and we subsequently made 10 more dives on the other islands.  NONE came close to delivering the level of professionalism, experience, or just flat-out fun that we enjoyed.  The folks in the main store made us feel at home when we checked in.  The dive masters - Roger and Keller - put us completely at ease and delivered first-class service.  To be truthful, I wished we would have dove with them last as they set such a high bar, I was somewhat disappointed with the other DM's.   And yes - the others were very good, but when you've experienced the best, nothing else will do.

Let's put it this way, when you get a 16-year old girl that highlights this dive, but more importantly, the treatment she received aboard the boat as THE highlight to her entire Hawaii trip - well, that's just special.

Big kudos and thank you to Roger and Keller - but the entire Jack's crew for making us feel at home.  We'll be coming back that's for sure.
David & Katie Gantt

Friday - June 23, 2006
I can only hope that somewhere some how there is a dive shop that can give you guys a run for your money.  I thought the service was top notch, extremely pleasant crew (very humorous staff), and you made diving easy.  Even your retail items were competitively priced.  I live on Oahu and every single dive shop here could learn ALOT from your organization.  I have not dove everywhere in Hawaii, but I'd be hard pressed to find another dive shop as great as yours.  Keep up the fine work and every time I'm back in Kona, you'll be seeing me!  If you open up a hotel with the dive shop, know that I'll stay there too!  Any plans to start a Jack's Diving Locker live aboard?  With your reputation you could make a killing!
Eric Williamson

Tuesday - Friday: April 18, 19, 21, 2006
This is my second time back with Jack's.  The 1st was in '96.  They are the Rolls Royce of dive operations.  It does not get any better.  I got advanced certified.  My girlfriend (who was already ad certified) joined us on our dives.  That's accommodating!  The Manta Nite Dive was a life changing experience....around 20+-?  We dove with 3 operations in Maui after Jack's, & they weren't half as good: we were #'s not names, assigned seating, inferior lunch, young & inexperienced guides .. I could go on!  Jacks is truly one of the best in the world .... Thank You!
Jim Burns

Monday - April 10, 2006
First time diving Kona and am glad I took the recommendation of Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures in Maui. Three days of diving with three different crews yielded a consistently great time and digitally clear video memories a well. The Manta dive was a wonderfully unique and meaningful experience. The graceful swooping and "flying" of the manta ray is easily the highlight of my diving experiences. The night dive, with all its lights added an "X-Files" eeriness, while the gentle nature of the manta offset it and added a childlike joy of "Flipper". I could not stop laughing and smiling for the first ten minutes watching this amazing event.
Allen Hirashiki

Friday - January 13, 2005

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, here's the Morgan family's talkback submission!
Russ Morgan's family

Friday - November 20, 2005
Although I've only been diving for 3+ years now, I found Jack's Diving Locker to be the absolute best dive operator yet!  Keller, Eli and Dan (our captain) were professional, friendly, funny, enthusiastic, and truly motivated towards showing the divers a great time.  We did the Manta Night Dive/Snorkel and it was a magical experience.  I would highly recommend Jack's Diving Locker and wouldn't dive with any other company on the Big Island.  I feel spoiled with how great we were treated and will probably be let down when I'm relegated to dive with other dive outfitters outside of Hawaii.  Thanks so much for the best dive experience yet!
Antonia Marzulli

Saturday - November 7-8, 2005
We started with the night dives, followed the next day with another two tank.  Danny at the helm provided constant humor and attention to detail with everyone's equipment.  Keller and Roger both were outstanding divemasters:  attentive, laid back, professional, all with a good solid dose of easy going humor and friendliness.  The manta dive (13 rays) was truly outstanding and a highlight of our trip (and Kim claims it to be a top 5 life experience!).  Boat dives the following day, with a Danny redux (but different stories!), and Lance, Jessica and Doug as guides, were equally enjoyable even without the excitement of the rays.  Lance (who was our guide) couldn't have been a better divemaster, and Doug's air rings are seemingly unrivaled.  I've been diving for a dozen years with many outfits and this one stands head and shoulders above the rest.  We can't wait for our return trip!
Brian and Kim

October: 19, 20, 22, 23, 25 2005
Benny and I chose Jack's to finish our Open Water Diver Certification and what a perfect choice it turned out to be.  Everyone we had class with (Keller, Roger, Jessica) and all the others we had contact with (Jon, Eli, Doug, Capt. Dan and everyone else I forgot!!) were absolutely incredible!  They made our diving experience one we will never forget!  We were both excited, but also a little nervous, and the crew at Jack's instantly made us feel comfortable and like one of the "family" so that we were truly able to enjoy even class time!!  The relaxed atmosphere at Jack's makes diving with them a fun and memorable experience. We also appreciated being able to leave all of our equipment at the shop and know that it would be on the boat in good condition when we got there for our next dive. We probably would have to say the the Manta Dive was our most exciting!!  We were lucky enough to dive with Keller Laros (the Manta Man!!) and learned so much about these beautiful creatures! We dove that night with 13 Manta Rays!! I can honestly say that the only thing more exciting was being at the birth of our grandson!! I would recommend to anyone who dives with Keller to buy his DVD of any dive you are on with him!  You will see and learn so much more than what happened on your own dive!  I have a feeling that we have been spoiled for any other dive shop we will use in the other places we will be diving.  There is no doubt that whenever we dive on the Big Island, which we will do often, we will be using Jack's Diving Locker!!  Thanks so much to everyone at Jack's for making our first dives so incredible!!!
Kris & Benny Leighton

Monday - Wednesday July 18 - 20, 2005
Jacks Diving Locker is the BEST on the planet! I have three sons who are newly certified, one of whom is in a wheelchair. We had a week on the island and did Helicopter tour, parasailing, Hummer Tour, Volcano Park Kayaking and Diving. We booked a two-tank morning dive and the Manta Ray night dive. The Diving was the MOST awesome, MOST memorable, MOST excellent part of our trip! The staff was super friendly both in the shop and on the boat. I want to thank Lance and his wife, David, Capt. Russ and the whole staff for the wonderful experience. Most of all David for the SPECTACULAR DVD of the Manta Ray might dive. To me it is worth 10x what I paid. I would recommend JDL to anyone. A customer for life!
Bill Scott

Friday - Monday May 27 - 30, 2005
I can't say enough great things about Jack's. ALL of the staff we interacted with at Jack's seems genuinely happy about diving and interested in making our dive experience the best it can be. One great benefit that wasn't proved any where on the website was that they give door to door service, which is nice for the people that don't rent cars. My boyfriend and I dove 4 days in a row with Jack's. The first day was a classic morning two tank boat dive. Boy what a shocker, we have never had a dive company treat us like royalty. They did everything, including providing us with plenty of food and drinks to changing out our tanks for next dive. They even rinsed our gear at the end of the day. The second and third day was even better; we went on the advanced three tank dive. The Divemaster got to know our likes and dislikes. We saw so many great things like Pelagic Jellyfish, frogfish, octopus lots of different eels, and also a white tip reef shark. Last day we went on the sunset / Night dive for Manta Ray. The Manta ray didn't show up which was a little disappointing but Eli still made it fun. Following around eels, actually seeing the eels eat. We can't thank Danny, Eli, Lance, Mary and Jon enough for making this trip so much fun. A big thank you goes out to the staff at Jack's Dive Locker for make our first trip the Big Island so memorable. You'll be sure to see us again!!!

Wednesday & Saturday May 18 and 21 2005
I have to say you guys are the greatest. 5/18/05 was our "first" deep, Night, and an ocean dive to boot. We were a beginner mess you treated us wonderful. Helped with our uncertainties. We saw Mantas and had a very positive experience. 5/21/05 was a 2 tank day dive. Again, much patience and education. Thank You so much for a great under water experience. We will be back and dive with Jack's

Friday April 7, 8 2005
This was my first trip to the island and my first boat dive(s). I was in 7th heaven the moment I hit the water. It will be hard for anything else to come close to this experience (except maybe the next time I come to Jacks!). The daytime viz was outstanding and the afternoon dive with Dolphins and a Manta was spectacular. I want to thank the crews (Day 1: Dolphin: Mary and Greg... Day 2: Na Pali Kai II: Keller, Eli, and Chuck) for a great time and I can't wait to come back!

Sunday March 27, 2005
We had a great time in Kona and our most memorable day was the day we went scuba diving with you guys. I'm a certified diver, but my girlfriend had never been diving before. We did a pool dive first because she was a little timid about trying out the sport. We had Lance as our instructor for the pool dive and he did an absolutely great job. She had so much fun in the pool that she wanted to sign up right away for a boat dive. I'd like to thank Lance for his positive attitude and for making Fernanda feel comfortable in the water. If it wasn't for him she probably wouldn't have wanted to try the boat dive. It made the trip that much better to have her scuba diving with me. I just wanted to send a thanks to Lance and everyone else there at the shop who helped us out with our trip. We can't wait to get down there again!!!
Brett & Fernanda
Anchorage, AK

Monday January 31, 2005
JDL is awesome, by far the best dive shop I have ever been too. The staff is super friendly and helpful, the gear reliable, and the boat dives simply fun and exciting. Each boat trip is wonderfully set up and everyone is very well taken care of. The sandwiches are yummy, the decompression cookies a necessity, staff setting up the gear unbelievable, and the jokes and laughter never-ending. I am also an avid shore diver and rent my gear from JDL almost every other week (I know I should just buy my own). The free air refills, the quick rental procedure, along with the happy faces makes it easy to get going. In the past year I have never had a problem with gear or service and always look forward to another visit. Keep up the wonderful work! Big Mahalo to Andy, Eli, Erin, Kay, Lance, Doug, Gregory, and Jon ...you all are awesome!!!
Nadine Wolff
Charter: various

Friday January 28, 2005
My wife and I have been diving for several years, and have never received such wonderful service. Jack's is truly first class. We have a junior diver, all of the staff was wonderful in accommodating his needs. The DVD's are great, we have watched them several times. Thanks for making our trip to the Big Island very memorable. We look forward to returning.
Paul Siemen
Charter: January 5, 2005 - January 6, 2005

Tuesday January 4, 2005
I have been diving for seven years and have dived in 13 countries, and the service I received at your shop was the best I have ever had. Everyone we met and interacted with at the Locker were friendly and attentive, unlike some places where the Divemasters and boat crew are nice but the people in the shop act like they would rather be doing anything else with their time. I felt the entire time that your staff were really making an effort to make our diving experience enjoyable and memorable. My Mum who snorkels with me on many of my trips sometimes gets pushed aside by dive operators who focus on the divers, but she also felt very well looked after and attended to. I think another highlight that really set your dive shop apart was the willingness of the boat crew to locate and stay with the ocean mammals, completely apart from the dives themselves. It had always been a dream of mine to swim with whales and dolphins. When we found pilot whales on our dive on December 29 the boat captain and crew were in no hurry to rush through to the next dive and were happy to let us spend as much time in the water swimming around with them as we wanted. Then on January 1, even though the weather was not too great and we probably should have returned to shore as quickly as possible, Danny and the other crew members waited forever while I followed a pod of spinner dolphins all around Coral Garden. This meant so much to me because I have dreamed of swimming with wild dolphins in the open ocean my entire life. I got within about 100 feet of a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins in Mozambique two years ago, but the Spinner Dolphins in Hawaii were much more receptive and I had an absolute ball with them. This willingness to spend extra time out on the ocean was also reflected by the fact that the Jack's boat was the last one to leave the site of the Night Manta Ray dive we did on January 30, and then, back at the shop at 10pm, the staff screened the whole video shot during the dive in case anyone wanted to order it that night (I did!). At other dive operations I have been with, I think the people working there forget that most divers come from cold climates (like me - Canada) where diving is only a once or twice yearly experience and every minute spent in the water means so much. Jack's Diving Locker really seems to realize this and I would not hesitate a moment to dive with you again and recommend you to all my diving friends. Thanks so much for making our holiday the best diving holiday we have ever had!
Heather and Carol Watts
Charter: December 26, 2004 - January 1, 2005

Tuesday December 21, 2004
Dove 5 days in a row with Jack's. This is my 4th trip to Kona. Dove with one other outfit on my 1st trip. The difference in service and respect to the wildlife is dramatic. ALL of the staff I've interacted with at Jack's seem genuinely happy about diving and interested in making my dive experience the best it can be. With our needs in mind this last trip, they took us South to a totally different dive area day so we could have a different, great last dive. Did a drift dive, had a blast. Although the coral and abundance of fish life is not as colorful and plentiful as some places I've been, the randomness of spotting big animals is such a thrill! In one trip, I swam with white spotted dolphins, 2 pilot whales, a white-tipped oceanic shark and saw 2 Humpback whales! Mercy, that's a Mutual of Omaha experience. Anyway, I'd only dive at Jack's.
Judith King
Charter: December 12 - 16, 2004

Thursday November 11, 2004
Another great trip to the Big Island and JDL! I had a great time taking my rescue class and just got my cool new card in the mail. A special thanks to Doug, a great instructor and fun dive companion. I've managed to talk my wife into putting home improvement on hold so we can come back in March for more diving fun! We are also bringing a couple of friends to introduce to the world of diving. We rave about you so much, they are convinced to give diving a try. A big Alaskan Hello to Jeff, Teri, Bob, Elaine, David, Angela, and everyone else too numerous to mention. See you all soon! (Again!)
Trent McNelly