Scuba Dream Time

We have had a bout with unusually bad weather on Kauai which has resulted in some poor ocean conditions. After two whole weeks out of the water we decided to take the boat out and survey water conditions ourselves. I was hoping for the best but was devestated by what I witnessed. We headed our from Kukui'ula Small Boat Harbor, which is absolutely brown. There is negative visibility in the harbor. Some attribute the poor conditions to the huge housing development near by that has come to a stand still. I don't know whose to blame but I can;t imagine most marine life can live with so much silt in the water. It's a tragedy. We decided to head east toward the Caverns. Stopped and the Caverns and jumped in. Viz was about 20 feet which is poor and that was the best we were to find. So we head further east towards Kipu. We were astonished to find green water and abundant debris in the water. Huge logs and grasses starting to form there own little islands abounded. We d...

On yesterday afternoon's boat dive we spotted our first humpback of the season off Kauai's south shore. It was such a welcomed sight. I can't wait to hear their songs while I dive. If you have never witnessed humpback whales, now is the time to come to Kauai. It's an awe inspiring sight. Underwater their songs are eerie and yet enthralling. Last year I was able to snorkel with a few humpback, this year I hope to see at least one while diving. My sincerest thanks go out to Bob for initially spotting the whale.

This past Friday, Shannon Brichele, aka Shanichel, came to dive the South Shore of Kauai all the way from UT. Despite being the youngest diver on the boat Shanichel was well prepared. She was the only diver with all her own gear. As we got to our dive site she did her giant stride without a moment of hesitation. She had a safe slow descent using the down line and then proceeded to explore the dive site known as Stonehouse with her dive buddy and dad, Mike. We saw some really colorful fish along the way including a really big Commerson's Frogfish, various butterfly and angelfish. She did equally well on her second dive of the day to a dive site known as the Caverns. Caverns is kauai signature South Shore dive. Even Jacques Cousteau visited and wrote about this site in the 1970s. There we saw a large numbers of the Green Hawaiian Sea Turtles that call the spot home. Shanichel, congratulations on your first ocean dives and remember to keep diving!!

We took a much needed reprieve from work and headed to the Big Island of Hawaii for some relaxation and fun diving. We love the fact that we can take very short flights and explore the other islands. This trip was a little longer that the one to neighbouring Oahu but sill about 1 hour of total flight time with a short stop in Honolulu airport. We scheduled two dive trips with Jack's Diving Locker on the Kona Coast. They came highly recommended and lived up to every expectation. Highly professional crew, comfortable and clean boats, and vast collective experience of the Kona coast and it's resident creatures. Our first trip was the much talked about night manta dive. We arrived to the dive site late in the afternoon and immediately spotted mantas and dolphins in the area. Everyone diver on board was very excited. And we were not going to be disappointed. For the first dive in the late afternoon we followed our guide, Bruce, around for the first half of the dive. We ins...

Yesterday we had an amazing day for our trip to Ni'ihau. Ocean conditions were perfect for the channel crossing. It was a smooth trip out to Ni'ihau and a unusually smooth ride back from Ni'ihau. Our first dive of the day was at Keyhole. The site gets its name from the shape of the rocks where divers get dropped off. The boat backs into the Keyhole area and drops off divers for a drift dive. Normally the currents are strong and the conditions surging causing the boat to have to make several drops. Yesterday's conditions were so calm that the boat was able to maintain is position long enough to allow all 14 divers to jump off in one pass. We hung on the surface for a minute enjoying the view and allowing divers to regroup. We then descended as one large group to about 40 - 50 feet and head out of the Keyhole cavern. Once we rounded the corner we were present with a very swift current. The current was causing our air bubbles to travel horizontally through the wa...

There another south swell again. It's another big one about 10-12 ft surge. As of yesterday all of our trips were canceled for safety reasons. The swell should subside by Sunday. Maybe by Monday we can get back to the business of diving. I worked a double before the swell hit and was able to do some incredible dives. Before the swell the visibility was pretty good. The best part of the day were the spinner dolphins. During our surface interval, they approached the boat like they do most times. You never tire of looking at the dolphins. They played in our wake and then moved on. By the time we arrived at our second dive site of the morning they came back to greet us. I was the first in the water when I heard one of the divers from the boat call out that we had dolphins off the stern. Luckily I had my video camera so I dropped down a few feet and headed to the. I was lucky to get a few seconds of footage.

People always ask me if as an instructor I go diving when I am not working, and the answes is YES. Any day is good for diving. Just because my job involves diving, an activity most only persue on their holidays or days off, doesn't mean I don't enjoy diving on my days off. It's great to go out there and just enjoy the day. My friend Clint joined me on my day of just diving for fun. We had two amazing drift dives. For our first dive we jumped off near Palomas Buoy and head towards Turtle Bluffs. We sighted four white tip reef sharks at the large sand bottom cave and two others under the ledge as we headed away from the cave. We left the cave and headed towards the Bluff's turtle cleaning station. There were a few turtles surrounded by colorful tropicals performing their cleaning duties with their usual zeal. The most impressive sight for me today was the feeding frenzy. A school of black trigger fish were the largest group of diners at a feast of sergeant major ...

Another great day of diving on the South Shore of Kauai. Out on Turtle Bluffs we saw 4 white tip reef sharks and a turtle cleaning station. You can always count on the site from some great encounters. I tried to find the resident frog fish but had no luck today. Maybe another day. At our next site, the frequently referenced "Sheraton Caverns", we had another awesome dive. plenty of turtles as is expected on the site. Today we even got to see an octopus. But for me the highlight was the free swimming zebra moray. Also known as Gymnomuraena zebra. I have included a short video of the free swimming moray. I hope that Kara, Tom, and Jack all had as much fun as I did.

We've just recently returned from a much needed and earned short holiday to Waikiki Beach on Oahu. We went to Oahu just to get out of Kauai and experiencing another of the Hawaiian islands. Oahu was a very pleasant surprise. It was so nice to drive on an real multi-lane highway again. What a pleasure to be able to pass the slow driver and to have more than a single way to get to any destination. The crowds of people on Waikiki were also nice. There were many more Japanese tourist on Oahu than we ever see on Kauai. It made for a unique cultural experience. Of course the highlight of the trip was the nightlife. It was so comforting to see all types of bars (Irish, strip, hotel, beach, chain, etc). And get this, at one local Irish bar they actually allow people to smoke. Oh, it's still illegal but they figure that if you wish to risk the fine, you can go ahead and smoke. Personally I don't smoke, never have, but it is so refreshing to see a bar that bucks the cur...

We finally had a day off together and my first day off in almost two weeks (13 straight days of work). It was great to go out there and enjoy the beautiful scenery Kauai has to offer. The other bonus was being able to take Niles out on a long walk with me. He wasn't to thrilled by the time we got to the Pihea Vista. It was a straight upward climb in the mud and he was already tired from the relatively easy part of the trail. I forget that the pup is getting old. He's a getting gray. I guess that what happens to a ten year old black dog. He really hated the part were I jogged back to the start ing point. I need to take easy on the old dog. I don't feel much like writing so I am just going to post some pictures of the beautiful vistas from the trail.

Ni'ihau diving around Lehua Rock was spectacular. Ocean conditions were blessed by the gods. It was flat calm on the surface, visibility was easily 100ft, and the creatures greeted us. Thanks to having another bubble watcher on board, Julie, I was able to do two drift dives. Julie is working on becoming an instructor through KCC. Julie did the first dive of the day at Keyhole. I did the second dive which was at Ledges. The dive was a wall dive which really added to the sensation that we were flying. Deep blue waters surrounded us and from is vast and deep blueness emerged a very large white tip shark to check us out. He did a few rounds as he checked us out. He got fairly close but not as close as another encounter we were soon to have. As we proceeded along the wall we witnessed a number of magnificent spotted eagle rays just coast by. They came single file and seem to be riding the water's thermocline as they searched for feeding grounds. As one passed and the ph...

Ni'ihau , the Forbidden Island Trips to Ni'ihau I have learned consist of a very early start to a very long day. The reward is a great day of diving and memories to last. As crew our day officially starts at 5:30 am. Our customers are expected to check in by 6:00 am. By 6:45 am we are pulling away from the dock loaded up for a full day of diving (3 tanks each), breakfast and lunch for customers and crew, plus fishing gear. The trip out took almost 2.5 hours. Its a long way across the channel. Everyone settled in nicely for the long ride. As we finished our channel cross ing Capt Andrew got a bite on one of the fishing lines he had set out. We had managed to hook a huge marlin, estimated at around 500 pounds. He was a beauty there is some brief footage of the catch in the video below. Being aware of overfishing in our oceans, Ryan cut the fish loose but managed to save Capt Andrew's prized lure. After all t he excitement we decided on the best spot for the first ...

Wednesday the South Shore of Kauai started feeling the effects of the south swell that had arrived from the vastness of the Pacific. As a result and with safety in mind we canceled boat dives and shore dives. Safety should never be an afterthought. As a result we had time to go exploring the terrain on this side of the island. With our new jobs, we don't have as much free time as we did with our previous island employer. We decided on the Maha'ulepu Trail right off of Poipu Road on the South Shore. For Hollywood trivia buffs this is where parts of the movie 6 days/7 nights were filmed. The area has incredible sandstone cliffs. Cemented sand dunes were deposited here during the last age and with wind and water erosion have become elaborate sandstone caves. The area has some incredible vistas but so does much of Kauai. You get to see the land and sea meet in a dramatic fashion; no doubt that the south swell added to the drama. It was fun exploring the cliffs and hiking r...

I am thrilled to have started working at Seasport Divers. Back in January 2008 Brownie and I went diving with Seasport and we were hooked. They are one of the most professional dive operators on Kauai. Compared with our previous dive employer on Kauai, they are far superior. Seasport has some of the most comfortable dive boats with the greatest number of on board amenities. The staff is always professional and highly skilled. Everything is simply top of the line. It is no wonder they have been voted #1 on Kauai. I am thrilled to be part of Seasport. Come visit us and dive with Seasport Divers. Soon we will start trips to Ni'ihau of which I have heard only great things. I have attached a short video from our first dive in January 2008 with Seasport Divers.

Today was an outstanding day. I was able to swim with two humpback whales. What a magnificent site. No words I write or speak can express the magnitude of the experience. They are so massive in size and yet so graceful. I was about 20 feet away from the whales in about 175 feet of deep blue water. I thought one was about to breach right next to me. There was a certain amount of trepidation just being aware of their massive size but I was so drawn to them that I couldn't stop myself from getting as close as I could. I have a guaranteed smile on my face for the day. This is one of those experiences I will never forget. It should be a once in a lifetime moment but I certainly hope I have others. And as if whales were not enough, right after them there were spinner dolphins all around. A lifetime at Disney could not top today. I don't think that even winning the lottery can compare. As I have said repeatedly, I love what I do for a living, I love where I live, and I am i...

Last night we witnessed a magnificent moon rising. Before the moon started its ascent, the sky was filled with countless stars. It was impressive to see the moon start showing on the horizon. It illuminated the clouds and made the night sky glow. The moon was so incredibly bright that the abundance of stars was lost in the moons powerful glow. Besides mother nature's wonderful light show, it was nice to be around friends. Most of the country is in the grips of winter's frigid grasp, but here on Kauai, we live in paradise. It's February and we are laying on the beach at night by a nice bonfire just watching the moon. Silhouette of Brownie and Nick by the waters edge Captain Randy, myself, Nathan, and Nick. Brownie contemplating the moon

Today was one of those diving days that just plants a permanent smile on your face. It started just like any other. There was the perk of seeing a Hawaiian monk seal beached on Poipu Beach on the way to Kukuiula Harbor to meet the dive boat. Keep in mind that these are some of the world's most endangered species. There are believed to only be about 1200 to 1300 in the entire world, and only about 25-30 on Kauai. Volunteers go to great lengths to protect the seals when the come on to the beaches to rest. On we proceeded to Seasport Divers' very roomy and comfortable Newton dive boat. On our way to the first dive sight we saw a baby humpback whale just breaching and having a blast. It was remarkably smaller that the gentle giant it will soon grow to become. I am still hoping to see a whale while diving, but until then I am thrilled with seeing them from the surface. Our first dive was a drift dive on Brennecke's Ledge. Shortly after we descended we saw a lionfish (no...

This morning started out quite dreary and windy. On the drive to Port Allen I was wondering if we would even be able to go out. The day before was very windy, occasional heavy rains, high surf, and strong ocean currents. We checked around and decided to take out the scheduled two divers from Ontario, Aileen and Brenda. And what a day it was. We all had huge smiles attesting to the wonders of the day. As we headed out to Hale O' Honu East, we did encounter a pod of four whales. They put on a magnificent show breaching their way past us. That alone would have made the day quite exceptional but unbeknown to us, we had more wonders in store for us. As I moored the boat up I could see two huge green sea turtles just hanging out at the cleaning station 40 feet down. Visibility was on our side. Luckily they were still there as my divers descended down the line. We swam around and saw numerous Lionfish, Yellowmargin eels, and white mouth eels. Those were the standout creatures i...