Pros: Great location! This Marina is very close to both the open ocean, and the end of the I-8 freeway, which makes access extremely easy. The marina is also very close to Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach, which is really nice if you are looking for a place to eat or drink. Because of the beautiful park like setting you could forget that you are actually in San Diego, even with planes taking off and landing at Lindbergh field. (San Diego Bay is noisier due to flight ops out of North Island.) Gerry, the dock master, is a standup guy. Well maintained concrete docks, and the slips have plenty of reliable 30 Amp power. The marina has a good combination of small to medium sized slips, and the slips rates are reasonable. Not much drama among the boaters in the marina. Cons: No live aboards allowed, though you would never know it by looking at the parking lot at nights. (Because there are supposedly no live aboards, there is no investment in amenities such as cable TV or high speed internet.) Also the signal for Verizons nationwide wireless internet is extremely weak in this area. The bathroom facilities could be better, though they are not disgusting. Also, the currents to get in and out of Mission Bay can be tricky even though the Army Corps of Engineers has worked on the breakwater over the years. Despite having security, my vehicle and several others were broken into when I had my boat there. I am sure that probably hasnt changed.
Pros: Pete, the dock master and John and Charlie, the assistant dock masters are top rate. My boat took on water the other day, and Charlie called me in an extremely timely manner to avoid a total loss. The docks at both the Kona Kai Marina and the Kona Marina were replaced around 2003-2004 and are in excellent condition. Boaters at both marinas enjoy fresh water, reliable power, cable TV and high speed Internet. The bathroom for boaters is also new and kept clean on a daily basis. (The shower heads are so opulent they should be illegal.) The marina itself is the closest to the open ocean in San Diego Bay, and the security seems to do a good job of preventing boats and cars from being broken into. (As far as I can tell, no one has had their property burglarized at the marina in years.) Cons: The parking lot is in terrible condition, but that has as much to do with the division of responsibility that occurred when the marina was split off from the hotels, and the hotels were themselves split off from each other. The rates the marina charges are among the highest in San Diego, but I guess that keeps out the riff-raff. (With the exception of the 2008-2010 period, rates increase by $1.00/foot/month each year.) Also getting on and off Shelter Island in the summer time can be a challenge. (Either dont go down to your boat on holiday weekends, or dont leave once you arrive.)