Our objective is to give our friends a little more of who we are at Jack's Diving Locker. We're really proud of our tag-line "our friendly people make the difference." We prove it everyday.
Let's have fun and get wet while we're at it.
Music
Anything to do with sun, sand, the sea and tropical places.
About me: Jack Clothier was one of the pioneers of sport diving in Hawaii. In the 70's he was a NAUI Course Director, and one of the original owners of BoJack's Dive Center on Oahu. He later moved to the Big Island with his wife, Tina, and they established Jack's Diving Locker in 1981.
Around the same time, Jeff Leicher, one of Jack's former students, was also planning a move from Oahu. Recently married, he and his wife Teri felt that the Big Island was the perfect place for scuba diving, and raising their young son Kawika.
Sadly, in March of 1982, Jack passed away after suffering an aneurysm while jogging. Hearing the news, Jeff & Teri asked Tina if she wanted help. She did, so they started running the diving end of the business with five sets of gear and a VW van.
As time went on, Jack's developed a reputation for having the friendliest dive crew around, and the business got busier and busier. Jack's also become known for its devotion to the local community and the environment.
In August of 1989, Tina decided to start a new career (she is now an executive with the American Cancer Society). She sold the rest of the business to Jeff & Teri and they moved into a new location at Coconut Grove Marketplace.
In the following years, Kona became one of the most popular places to dive in the islands, and by 1990, word of the incredible Manta Night Dive began to spread. Jack's 23' dive boat could no longer keep up with the demand, so it was time for a second boat (Na Pali Kai II).
In 1993, Jeff & Teri took on a new partnership with Russ & Gail Laros. The Laros family had been loyal customers since their first Intro Dive with Teri in 1983, and their son Keller was so impressed that he was now working as an Instructor for Jeff & Teri.
The new boat allowed even more people to enjoy diving with Jack's and it seems that everyone told their friends about scuba diving with 'the best crew on the Big Island'. It wasn't long before a third boat was needed (Na Pali Kai).
By 2001 the business had outgrown the second shop and our staff told us that it was time to upgrade. We all worked together, and with the help of our architect Terry Cisco (who happens to be married to Tina), we designed our dream dive facility. It was finally completed at the end of 2003.
On November 16, 2005 Jack's purchased Kona Coast Divers, founded in 1983 from Julie Cunningham. With the purchase of Kona Coast Divers Jack's acquired the Kona Coast location at the Honokohau Harbor Fuel Dock and an additional boat bringing our fleet of dive boats to 4.
And on Monday September 25, 2006 Jack's rejoiced at the arrival of the latest addition to our dive boat fleet. We took ownership of a brand new Newton Enforcer, a 31' fiberglass hulled boat that was built in Slidel Louisiana.
So that is where we have been, and only time will tell what the future holds. One of our most important goals has always been to provide the best and friendliest service available. As we continue to grow to keep up with demand, this is never far from our mind.
Who I'd like to meet: People who are passionate about scuba diving and snorkeling.We're just getting this site started so any comments or great videos and photos are welcome. Just send a note to the Dive-Master-Web-Meister and we'll see what we can do to get them up and rolling.
hopefully in the next couple weeks for a long weekend. I'm working with christian these days on his new show... so i've already let him know i need a couple days off.
