Reprinted from:
Year 2001 Edition - The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook

Bubbles Below/Hanalei Bay Resort/Kiahuna Plantation, February 2000, Pamela and Powell Arms (divepam@home.com), Narberth, PA.
Vis. 50 to 75 Feet. Water: 72 to 74 F, choppy. Based on all the Undercurrent comments I expected a top notch organization and neither my husband nor I was disappointed in the least. Bubbles Below is a first class organization! I dove with Linda one day and she truly is one of the best guides, critter finders, and dive buddies. The rest of the divers finished their dives and we poked around and found some grest little gems. I had the same experience with Peter, who often serves as the boat captain. There was no rush to get back on the boat, back to the harbor or anywhere! My husband dove with Ken and seriously enjoyed the diving, they both are very laid back, and it was a perfect mix. I thought they did an excellent job feeling out everyone's comfort level and expereience level before departing the harbor, and on one of my days diving they hung around long enough for somebody who hadn't seen water since they got certified 5 years ago to decide (on his own) to head back to the car. The Hanalei Bay is very pleasant on the North Shore (if you've got the extra cash go for Princeville). We enjoyed Kiahuna Plantation, though our unit was very far from the beach, very close to the road and thus loud! It was a beautiful unit, but the resort's pool (not much to look at) is across the busy main road- pretty far with a 21 month old. A must visit is Gillen's Beach- find it, explore it- Nirvana!(808-332-7333)

Bubbles Below, March 2000, Betsy Robinson, Oakland, CA
Vis: 50-70 ft. Water: 72-73 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced: Come back to boat with 500 psi. "I'm a comparatively new diver in my 60's, with 125 dives since I was certified two years ago. I was diving for the first time without my husband (who had been diving for 35 years) who was laid up with a bad back. Somewhat nervously, I emailed Linda Bail at Bubbles Below, asking whan she was scheduled to be on the boat and got dates nailed down. It turned out that between reservations and diving, schedules got changed and she wasn't supposed to be out that day. That morning, Linda looked at the booking, did a double-take, and showed up anyway to be my personal guide! The excitment of seeing unfamiliar creatures (Hawaiian Turkey fish, Zebra moray, ugly frog fish, endemic whiskered boarfish, Hawaiian morwong, Titan scorpion fish, archeye hawkfish, etc.). The superb, ecologically-oriented guiding provided by Bubbles Below marine biologists. The singing and breaching of the whales. The schools of dolphins following the dive boat as we moved from one site to another. And the beloved turtles- on occasion, masses of turtles- communing with them is akin to a religious experience, especially when one came slowly into my face mask on its way to the surface. As I hung motionless, holding all hoses, etc. close in, he looked into my mask then seemed to say "all is well with her" and went on his way. It was awesome! Linda and I were on a 15' safety stop, bouncing in what seemed like 10' waves. Suddenly I was super buoyant and thinking what an interesting fish below- that long, pink thing with black stripes- egad, that's my weight belt going down! With hand signals indicating "Don't worry," Linda dove down to the 40' bottom, retrieved my belt, and, at the end of the stop, shepherded me back on board. Bubbles Below carry 8 divers in a fast boat. After comprehensive briefings, sites are selected to fit individual divers' interests and what's good today based on weather conditions. Computers are provided free. You are free to do your own thing (as long as you remain in visual contact) or go with dive guides. Bottom time is dependent on your breathing capabilities- on one 60' dive I was down over an hour.

Bubbles Below, March 2000, John Barrett (jbarret@pop3.utoledo.edu), Toledo, OH.
Vis. 60-100 feet. Water: 70 to74 Fahrenheit, surge. Dive your own profile. Dive restrictions: Area itself tended to limit depth, otherwise computer limit to avoid decompression. Lots of spinner dolphins and humpbacks in the area at the time. Tons of large green sea turtles (seen every dive, often ten or more). Nice mixture of crustaceans (decent number of full size crabs and slipper and spiny lobsters) and macro stuff (cool worms and nudibranchs, lots of small crabs and shrimp). Decent size octopus. Good variety of fish (including several frogfish and lots of scorpionfish and lionfish) but numbers were only ok at most sites. Plenty of white tip reef sharks (several on most dives). Weak on coral but lava formations are interesting. Bubbles Below is best dive operator I have ever been with. Incredible knowledge and they really enjoy what they are doing. Very safety and environmentally conscious, but they aren't there to micro manage you. Definitely worth the slight extra they charge. Great at finding stuff. The only downside is the lack of a dive shop to store gear means you have to carry your stuff with you every day.

Bubbles Below/Poipu Sands Condos, April 2000, Cheri, Olympia, WA.
Vis: 0 to 60 feet. Water: 70 to 73 F, choppy. Dive your own profile: yes. Dive restrictions: None really, just time and depth that were not monitored unless you asked for help. Dive computers were provided at no charge. I wish I had a better idea of boat comfort. There was no really good place to sit. You had to hold on to a handle or brace your self carefully not to get bounced around. The staff (Linda in particular) was very nice, we had both of our boys with us (11 and 14). She was wonderful, patient, and tolerant of my behaved (and thouroughly talked to about "no goofing off" by Mom and Dad) kids, even when my share of a teenager was on his second/third? Candy bar. There was no kid predjudice that you have a tendency to run into these days. Linda was very supportive of my snorkeling sons and gave them help, extra gear information, and encouragment. No coral, big fish etc. Linda was an expert at finding lots of critters though. "House of Turtles" was the best spot of all four dives. We dove there twice, once because of weather. Lots of turtles, a reef shark, lobsters, frogfish and lionfish. My only real objection: the cost, $100 per diver and $50 per snorkler. ($300 for 4 of us per day)! Same price of our airline tickets. Also they prefer to go early in the morning. It makes for a long day and pulling grouchy kids (and sometimes me) outta bed at 6am to gulp down food (yuch). Just doesn't make it very fun when you're supposed to R and R in vacation! We have dove the Big Island, Maui and Kauai.

Bubbles Below, June 2000, Debie Finch, Kissimmee, FL.
Vis:35-40 ft. Water:78 degrees. Requested 5 minute safety stop. Bubbles Below worked hard to find a good dive site on a day with less than ideal conditions -- kudos to Linda and Gary. Linda's briefings very detailed. Because of south swells, vis less than usual too. Lots of turtles on both sites. Also liked the small group; not a cattle boat operation!

Bubbles Below, Kiahuna Plantation Condos, June 2000, George Glasscock, Wausau, WI.
Vis: 60 to 80 ft. Water: 77 to 79 degrees, choppy. Dive your own profile: yes. Dive restrictions: no decompression allowed otherwise very accommodating to divers' preferences. 5-star operation. Bubbles Below is an excellent dive operation. Divemasters Linda snd Debbie are experts on all facets of local marine biology and ecology. Thorough pre-dive briefing and guided dives allow visiting divers to see much more marine life than most operations. Special attention is given to endemic Hawaiian species. Small group size 6-8 divers and very accomodating crew allows divers to individualize their dives as much as wanted. Kiahuna Plantation condos are beautiful and on the best beach on the south shore; 20 minute drive to dive boat; excellent accommodations for the money.

Bubbles Below, Waikomo Stream Villas, July 2000, Steve Luethje (tradersl@hotmail.com) Santa Clara, CA.
Vis: 80 to 120 feet. Water: 78 to 79 F, choppy. Dive your own profile. Dive restrictions: 130 ft max. Recommend 5 minute safety stop- you're a long way from the chamber. We took Bubbles Below on a 3-tank trip to Niihau. Ken was our divemaster and the operation lived up to its Kudos for professionalism. The boat facilities are at best adequate. No good places to sit for the extremely rough crossings. They could use some pads since everyone was bruised after the return trip through 10-12 foot seas. There were no beginner divers on the boat and I don't recommend that they go, but definitely worth it for the experienced. Incredible underwater topography and good large marine life. We had 3 Hawaiian Monk seals come play with us underwater, saw a school of baby Galapagos sharks and a school of spinner dolphins. Eat at Roy's in Poipu- you won't regret it!

Bubbles Below, Marriott, July 2000, Pete Hammer (Pandgham@aol.com), River Edge, NJ.
Vis: 50-80 feet. Water 74 to 78 F, calm, choppy. Dive your own profile: yes. Dive restrictions: 500 PSI back to boat for deco stop. Booked dives with Bubbles Below after reading the ratings in the Chapbook. I could not have been more pleased. Linda, Debbie, Tara, Gary and Peter are the best. Upbeat, accommodating, friendly, and concerned with every diver's well being. Small boat but maximum eight divers. They make you feel like you are diving with family. Huge turtles, lots of white-tipped reef sharks, dragon fish, lion fish, and they bring you right to harlequin shrimp and tons of macro opportunities endemic to Hawaii.

Year 2000 Edition - The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook

Bubbles Below, November 1998, Amy Smith, Alexandria, VA.
Vis: 40-60 ft., Water 75 degrees. Restrictions: 100 ft. Follow divemaster or do your own thing. Respectful of experience. When my fiance finished his open water certification, we did a sunset then a night dive, Linda Bail. Excellent! Swarming with turtles, curious, playful. Spanish dancers mating, lobsters, crab, shrimp. Most of my diving is Caribbean, seeing fish in Hawaii very exciting. Corals not as nice as Caribbean, but fish life wonderful. Excellent operation, nice, polite, helpful and flexible. Rained alot and cloudy.

Bubbles Below, June 1999, Marilyn Koukol, FPO AP
Vis: 30-50 ft. Water 80 degrees. Restrictions: no deco. Diving with Ken, Linda and Debbie was wonderful! Very knowledgeable about creatures. I could make 90 min. dives as long as I stayed out of deco. Green sea turtles plentiful; found octopus, frogfish, and a Whitley boxfish. Dived with monk seals at Niihau. Though crossing to this isolated island was rough, monk seal encounters made it worthwhile! One came face to face with me and blew bubbles. They make lots of noise in the water. Many arches, caves, and caverns. Clams were spawning; quite interesting.

Bubbles Below, August 1999, Zygmunt F. Dembek, PH.D., Suffield, CT.
Vis: 50-80+. Water: upper 70's Made boat dives along the West Coast of Kauai and off Niihau and Lehua Rock. Mostly sunny days. Usually up to 8 divers in the boat. The 3-tank dives include plenty of food and non-alcoholic drinks between dives. Bubbles Below works well with all levels of skills, and does not punish advanced divers. You pay for the dive without a 24-hour advance cancellation. Most of my dives were with Linda Bail as divemaster and Peter Ricciardi as boat captain. Once you demonstrate your abilities, you're pretty much permitted to dive your own plan (however, no deco diving allowed and 5 minutes off-gassing at 600 psi required). As a camera-toting diver without a dive buddy, benefited me to shadow Linda she knows where the critters (frogfish, octopi, conger eels, reef sharks, monk seals) are. Detailed lectures on Hawaiian marine life before and after each dive. According to The Ultimate Guide to Kauai by Doughty and Freidman (Wizard Publications, 3rd Edition, 1999), "Coral growth is not as good as around the Big Island- at 22 0 latitude, Kauai is on the fringe of the coral belt." Nonsense! (At 32 0 latitude, Bermuda has the furthest northern reef building corals in the world). Some of our dives off the Na Pali coast demonstrated considerably more coral growth than what I had seen off the Big Island (the furthest southern Hawaiian Island). Turtles abundant, many nestled in lava cracks and caves during our dives. Outstanding dives at Niihau island and Lehua rock. 2 hour boat ride Wednesday and Saturday during summer. Visibility was 50-65 feet on the first trip 80+ feet on second. World class walls, arches and cave formations here are a blast! We dove with tremendous schools of longfin bannerfish, Moorish idols and rainbow runners; found octopi, morays, white tipped reef sharks, triton's trumpets, cowries and rare species such as rock movers; swam with grey reef sharks, spinner dolphins, manta and eagle rays, and were buzzed by monk seals during our dives. Lastly, those ultimate thrill seekers may have a chance encounter with a great white shark off Niihau. Apparently an 18-23 foot great white (size dependent on who you talk to!) has been seen in the waters off Niihau by Linda Bail and others (see the article in the Honolulu Advertiser, August 15, 1999). This particular shark has appeared in this location every other year (1995, 1997, and 1999) in about the April-to-June time frame. The evidence of its visit was noticeable, according to Linda. There were fewer grey reef sharks evident, an absence of blacktip sharks, and the monk seal that just about succeeded in giving me a backrub while I was looking the other way was missing his right flipper.

Bubbles Below, September 1998, Steve Williams, Highlands Ranch, CO.
Water 77-82. vis 75 feet...Twilight and night dive during full moon with Ken and Debbie of Bubbles Below at Ambers Arches and Hale O Honu. White-tip reef shark, green sea turtles, lionfish, eels, filefish, Spanish dancer, fried-egg nudibranchs, exquisite marbled shrimp, sponge crabs, giant slipper lobster, ghost shrimp, Hawaiian and spiny lobsters, large schools of fish...

1999 Edition - The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook

Bubbles Below, November 1997, David R. Lamb, Salt Lake City, UT.
Bubbles Below has received many positive reports in this publication. I agree with them all. Major pluses include the knowledge and enthusiasm of the guides and their genuine concern for safety. A hot water shower on the boat; boat is a little crowded with a full complement of eight divers because of the large engine box in the center. Standard entry is the backroll. Lights and computers are provided gratis (no dive shop or gear storage available). The boat operates out of Port Allen and morning commute traffic being what it is, you're better off staying somewhere south of Lihue. Water 79 degree and visibility from 30-70 ft. A two tank dive is $100... expensive. But 10% and 15% discounts with multiple dives and the seventh dive is free. (Ph: 808-332-7333, e-mail Kaimanu@aloha.net)

Bubbles Below, June 1998, Peter Rivas, New York, NY.
One of the best outfits I have ever been diving with. Ken and Linda Bail do a great job of showing you hard-to-find critters. Vis: 50-80 ft. Water 72-76 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced were no deco dives, back at anchor line with 600 psi. They give a great dive briefing and are safe and fun to dive with. They also do a day trip to Niihau that is outstanding diving.

Bubbles Below/Poipu Shores Condos, Kauai, August 1998, Tom & Roxanne Boysen, Iowa City. IA.
Diving with Linda wonderful. She knows about the sea life and is enthusiastic. Charter to Niihau was special. Many sharks and monk seals. Current at times was strong. Vis:30-80 ft., water:75-79 degrees. Boat ride back to Kauai (2+ hrs) was bumpy. Another charter several days later was cancelled because of the difficult crossing. Dives are expensive, but worth every cent. Poipu Shores condos were great. Got a free up grade to a 2 bedroom townhouse on the ocean. Sea turtles (20-30) swam in the small bay by our private patio. Restaurants in the area were good. Keoki's Paradise was our favorite. Hiking in Waimea Canyon was spectacular and should not be missed.

Ocean Quest/Bubbles Below/Kuhio Shores Condominiums, September 1998, Steve Williams, Highlands Ranch, CO.
Water 77-82. George and Jeanette Thompson of Ocean Quest are intimately familiar with shore diving Tunnels Reef on the north shore of Kauai. Rainy; visibility was 20 feet, but diving was fun. Exploring the lava tubes and caverns reveals lots of critters. Petted a white-tip reef shark and got my teeth cleaned by cleaner shrimp. Green sea turtles, lionfish, eels, Hawaiian and spiny lobsters, lots of tropicals. Night dive during full moon with Jeanette Thompson at Koloa Landing/Whaler's Cove. White-tip reef shark, green sea turtles, lionfish, eels, filefish, sleeping encased parrotfish, crabs, Hawaiian and spiny lobsters, lots of tropicals. Bubbles Below: Twilight and night dive during full moon with Ken and Debbie at Ambers Arches. White-tip reef shark, green sea turtles, lionfish, eels, filefish, Spanish dancer and fried-egg nudibranchs, exquisite marbled shrimp, sponge crabs, giant slipper lobster, ghost shrimp, Hawaiian and spiny lobsters, large schools of fish. All-day trip to Niihau probably the best (and most expensive) diving in Hawaii; 2 hours one way can be very difficult, so be prepared. Dove Keyhole, Arches and Pu'u Mu'u. Many large schools of fish, spinner dolphins, Hawaiian monk seals, critters galore. Vis 75-100 feet.

1998 Edition - The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook

Bubbles Below, February 1997, John and Betsy Robinson, New Vernon,NJ.
"Linda Bail, co-owner of Bubbles Below, combines an encyclopedic knowledge of marine life, superb group-management skills and, a downright fun attitude. Niki also believes in service with a capital "S". After comprehensive briefing, boat leaves before 8:00 A.M. Bottom times on both dives are as long as your air or no-decompression time lasts, with 60 minutes surface interval. All dives are loosely guided, with DM's finding lots of critters. vis: 30-50 ft. water: 70 degrees. Huge turtles abundant, 20 on one dive. White-tipped reef sharks often seen, and fish a pleasure. Computers provided free."

Bubbles Below, April 1997,Greg Dyer, Mill Valley, CA.
"I dove three trips with Linda and Ken Bail. (also dove with them in April 1996). Fast boat, well run operation. Both are knowledgable and enthusiastic. They know the area and they know the marine life. They give a critter briefing with photos from books both before and after the dive. Both years I found the twilight dive the most interesting. Saw turtles on all six dives. Lots of morays (including free swimming). Lots of lobsters. Great operation for serious divers. Expensive, but worth it. Saw humpback whales and dolphins during surface interval. They will lend you a computer. vis. 30-50 ft. water: 72-75 degrees. Sometimes had current. Cloudy, most of the time clear at night. Air temp. 70-75 degrees."

Bubbles Below, May 1997, Dr. Terrence W. Dunlop, Annapolis, MD.
"Typical Hawaii diving. Rocky bottom, few corals, no sponges, cool water, modest vis and lots of fish life. Bubbles Below is a super operation geared for divers with a naturalist bent. They only take small groups and accomodate group desires. Did long, shallow dives. Linda is the most enthusiastic divemaster I've ever encountered. Taught me more about marine life than others from 100 previous dives. Showed us boarfish, Hawaiian morwong, dwarf moray eel, leaf scorpionfish, Titan scorpionfish, hairy yellow hermit crab and much more. Good green turtle action and snorkeled with pod of spinner dolphin. vis. 30-50 ft. water: 74-78 degrees. Head, radio, first aid and oxygen on board. Fills to 3000+. Had 100 cu tanks for air hogs. Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Plenty to do for families and non-divers."

And out of the section for Equadorian live aboards comes a review on our 1997 trip to the Galapagos:

Galapagos Aggressor, March 1997, Brant Shenkarow, San Anselmo, CA.
"Trip of my dive lifetime (10 yrs., about 900 dives). The ship, crew, weather, 90 degrees, water temp. low 80's (thermoclines were 73 degrees), vis 20-100 ft., big and small critters, all other divers, land excursions, food, cabins, everything very high quality. The trip was put together by Bubbles Below from Kauai. Ken and Linda Bail (Bubbles Below) honored the captain and dive leadership responsibilities to the Aggressor's crew. We divers quickly gelled as a group for one reason, that we'd all been chosen by Bubbles Below, because we've all dived with them on at least one occasion and figured "these are divers and people who will get along and not get into trouble in the water." They were right. The first twelve divers they asked said "yes"! and no one dropped out in the one-and-half year commitment! Everything wonderful you've heard about Bubbles Below in Kauai is true and then some. They really make Kauai diving a repeat destination."

1997 Edition - The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook

Bubbles Below, May 1995, Rose & Dale Holdren.
"'Enthusiastic Critter Magnet' best describes Linda. She and hubby Ken ran a safe, fun, animal-filled dive operation that has kept us returning to this lovely island. Usually small groups (4-8 people) with guided tour. Monk seal, Harlequin shrimp, octopi, eels, lionfish, leaf scorpion, Spanish dancer, turtles."

Bubbles Below, July 1995, Gary Wenzel, Manchester, NH.
"20+ mile ride to Niihau and Lehua Rock during the summer when the Tradewinds are down. 'Vertical Awareness' is awesome! Begin descent by huge lava blocks, swim through crack in the wall to a great wall dive with many frogfish, scorpion fish, and others. Then head in the blue at 60 feet. Wide plateau at 30 feet covered with cauliflower coral heads; endangered monk seals. In a cavern off Niihau light filtered through a hole in the ceiling onto a huge white tip shark in the sand; it charged us, then stopped, showed his teeth and left through a hole in the wall. Linda and I froze; The sharks behavior was a first for both of us. 'Bubbles Below' has a genuine, friendly attittude and make diving exciting and educational."

Bubbles Below, July 1995, Les Alan Levinowitz, Brooklyn, NY.
"Dived the Southern coast, out of Port Allen, in constant 2-3' seas. Owners Ken and Linda and divemaster Kimo were caring, accomodating, and highly professional. Distance and time no factors when it came to selecting the best sites. Set up own gear or have them do it. Gear storage not provided; take with you after the day's diving. All dives guided. A comfortable, head and fresh water shower never crowded, fast customized 30' boat. Orca computers and dive lights were loaned free. Surface interval snacks included candy and health bars, juices and water. First aid and oxygen on-board. Educational and detailed briefings before each dive. Big turtles, white tipped reef sharks, octopi, a 14" Spanish dancer, scorpionfish, bandit angelfish, Moorish idols, lionfish, frogfish, ghost shrimps, trumpetfish, triggerfish, swimming morays. Superior operation. $80 for a two tank dive - worth it"

Bubbles Below, January 1996, M. Rothman, Chicago, IL.
"Only made two dives because of weather. Guides enthusiasm and ability to find rare animals in 20-30ft vis worth the effort. Leaf fish, boar fish, Hawaiian turkeyfish, large turtles and a pair of harlequin shrimp made for great photos. Water:78 degrees."

Bubbles Below, January 1996, Roger Patton, San Rafael, CA.
"Owner Linda's knowledge and enthusiasm for the ocean and its critters is infectious. Enjoyed each dive: octopus, turtles, sharks, and critters during the break excitedly explains their sex life, food chain and life cycle. vis:40-50ft."

Bubbles Below, February 1996, John McVickar Robinson, New Vernon NJ.
"Linda's grasp of marine life is awesome; warmly acknowledged in Hoover's Hawaiian Fishes for showing Hoover some of Kauai's rarest fish. The Bails' ability shines through by the way the dive is organized, briefed, loosely guided below.... Linda madly pulled me from the anchor line when I was below 600psi to see a 8ft. manta gliding over the next ridge (this was after seeing a dozen 2-300lb. turtle, 4 white tipped reef sharks and scratching an octopus between the eyes as it was coiled around my arm); between dives Linda had to be physically restrained from diving over the side; "Turtles having sex!"... Boat leaves at 7:45, returning before 1:00. Computers provided (everybody has the option of tables). Bottom time 50-55 minutes on the first 45-85'dive, an hour on the second 30-65' dive. 30% of the fish are endemic to Hawaii which keeps the fascination level high; uncommon fish I saw: dragon wrasse,whiskered boarfish, longnose hawkfish and the Hawaiian Morwong. Good selection of turtles, shark and rays, numerous bottle-nosed dolphins, occasional whale. No colorful soft coral. Weather can be rough: In five trips in February, usually one or more days when diving wasn't possible. Water 72 degrees (lowest is 69 degrees) and vis generally 50-75 ft."

Bubbles Below, May 1996, Greg Gearing, Arlington, TX.
"Super operation, small groups only. vis:20-150ft. water:78-81 degrees. Very interested in making your dive exciting and interesting. Provided computers to anyone who wanted one. Good explanation on use of computer. They went to sites no other operators went to."

Bubbles Below, July 1996, Rick Glider, Tucson, AZ.
"Hoped to dive north coast, but trade winds prevented it. Literature gives descriptions of critters you could see and, as if on cue, they were there. Took 6-8 people; 35ft. boat is fast tnd roomy. Thorough briefings, including pictures of what you could find. Towards the end of the dive you could go on your own. Outstanding job of finding little creatures; gold lace nudibranch, sponge crabs, turtles and lobsters, a reef shark, a school of barracuda "hovering" in the water, Hawaiian Morwong, ghost shrimp, lionfish, slipper lobsters, a crab and a Spanish dancer nudibranch sharing a crevice, and titan scorpionfish."

Bubbles Below/Aston Kauai Villas, July 1996, Jane Woodward, Boca Raton, FL.
"2 tank trips; very professional, safety-conscious, knowledgeable about sea life, good boat. Saw lots of lobsters, eels, turtles, Diving from south shore-Port Allen. Viz:70-80'. Aston Kauai Villas condominiums very nice but a long way from diving sites and port."

1996 Edition - The Travelin' Diver's Chapbook

Bubbles Below, July 1994, Anon.
"My main objectives were to become Nitrox certified and to try Nitrox in open water. Because of a joint venture between the Bubbles Below and the Nitrox instructor, I ended up going on the Nitrox dive with Bubbles Below. The owner/divemaster was personable and knowledgeable. The two dives consisted of diving in large reef and rock structures with many overhangs and holes, with curved and straight runs and extended about 10-30 feet off the bottom. A large population of diverse and unusual fish, crustaceans, and critters live in and about these structures...The boat was comfortable; cellular telephone onboard. The diving was good to excellent. What one sees when diving Hawaii is different because of the indigenous and endemic species. The personnel strive to educate one about the area and they point out many items below the would be missed. Dives limited to six persons per trip. Bring a wet suit, water temperature is cool. Everything else was very good. No complaints. Safety consciousness practiced to a high degree. Stay away from the big operators that promise you the moon, but only deliver a small piece of cheese (too many want to sell you a poor quality video tape of your dive in an anxious way). Hawaii diving(and everything else in Hawaii) is rather expensive compared to Caribbean/Mexico operations"

Bubbles Below, July 1995, Les Alan Levinowitz, Brooklyn, NY.
"Great boat-free computers and lights, good snacks, good briefings, good sites. 79 degrees water, all dives guided, vis 60-80."

Bubbles Below, August 1995, Steve Neal, Fairfield,TX.
"Went to island of Niihau; three tanks $200. 100 foot guided dives, computer used, long bottom times. Snorkeled and dived with three monk seals, white tip reef sharks. Snorkeled (but not close) with pod of 20-30 spinner dolphins. Night dive saw huge Spanish Dancer nudibranchs, lion fish, turkey fish, slipper lobster. Two tank dive on S.W. area; eight turtles, octopus, harlequin shrimp. Linda is most knowledgeable even on species identification. Saw rare morwong. Several leaf scorpionfish - hard to find. Saw no lobsters."

1994 Edition - Divers Speak Out

Bubbles Below, Feb 1993, John Mcv. Robinson, New Vernon, NJ.
"If you want to have a blast, team up with Linda and Ken Bail. Linda, an enthusiastic divemistress, is a marine biologist with an encyclopedic knowledge of the indigenous marine life. After a thorough briefing, she leads the group, providing computers to all. She is able to simultaneously take care of novices and provide loose guidance to advanced divers, while ferreting out underwater critters. In four days we saw at least 50 turtles, including some 600-pound monsters, plus white-tipped reef sharks, scads of lobster, shrimp and several octopi. One dive, whales sang throughout, and circled at the edge of visibility during the safety stop. The 28 foot boat, outfitted for Hawaiian diving, carries a maximum of six divers. All gear is set up; rinse tanks at the dock. Diving conditions OK but not terrific. In winter, diving is restricted to the south side where there is only hard coral (most of the bottom is fairly barren) with 65-degree water and 40-60 foot visibility (I'm told that summer diving is better, with walls, warmer temperatures). Many tunnels and caves where creatures hang out which, combined with Linda's gusto and professionalism, make this a fun diving experience."

Bubbles Below, June 1993, Bob Flatt, Portland, OR.
"Linda and Ken work hard to show and explain the life. No more than six divers on the boat -- first-class trip."

Hyatt Regency/Bubbles Below, May 1993, Dee Wescott, Palm Springs, CA.
"Unbelievable. Fish life plentiful; many unusual species, sharks, octocorals, morwongs. Began with wall dive with maximum depth of 130 feet, working into a drift dive to octocoral garden. Second and third dives to caverns and arches. Linda Bail knowledgeable about flora and fauna. On return trip to Kauai, we came upon 15-foot whale shark and had opportunity to get into the water with it! Niihau is a don't-miss experience, especially for advanced, 'seen it all' divers."

Hyatt Regency/Bubbles Below, July 1993, Joel P. Boylan, Greenville, SC.
"Diving not as spectacular as Kona, But we were happy with dive operator. Orca Marathon dive computers used on all dives, provided at no additional cost. Good briefings including identification of all interesting critters seen."

1992 Edition - Divers Speak Out

Bubbles Below, Sept 1990, Marion and Marlene Forbes, Fresno, CA.
"Owners Ken and Linda are friendly, knowledgeable, competent, and go the extra mile to make the diving special. Made sure photo opportunities of special critters. Excellent pre/post-dive briefings. Hawaiian morwongs, six 300-pound turtles, triggers, unicorns, many butterfly types, octopus, eels, blennies, crabs who live in strange places, black coral, nudibranchs. Dive computers provided to each diver. Have never been treated better. From their first letter to the last wave good-bye."

1991 Edition - Divers Speak Out

Bubbles Below, Jan 1990, William W. Krossa, Houston, TX.
"Ken and Linda Bail run the most enjoyable, entertaining dives I have yet to encounter. Never more than 6 divers on board. They tailor dives to everyone's satisfaction. Both have an excellent knowledge of the area, and marine life. At times I think they plant the rare tropical fish and invertebrates they find on each dive. Each diver is supplied with an Orca Skinny Dipper."

Bubbles Below, July 1990, Ron Moss, Huntington Beach, CA.
"Linda Bail, divemaster, did the best job I've expereienced at briefing us about the dive site. Types of fish -- what to look for -- where to see them -- cheerful and full of enthusiasm. Linda made the dives a sheer delight. Hawaii diving has always been a bore. But I would return to dive with Bubbles Below."