Wednesday, September 24, 2014

SCUBA Diving Oahu Hawaii With Kaimana Divers

Diving in Oahu

SCUBA Diving in Oahu with Kaimana Divers Honolulu, Hawaii (Me with the yellow flippers)

My dive buddies and I called a few days in advance to book our 3 spots on the boat Nacho! We chose the morning departure as it was geared towards more advanced diving and we believed it would be less windy and calmer waters. The boat leaves twice a day for a 2 tank dive trip. We were picked up at our hotel in Waikiki and dropped at the boat in Kewalo Boat Basin Oahu. Tanks and weights are provided in the cost, other gear can be rented.

Diving in Oahu

A short 10 minute boat ride out to our first location, The Seatiger. She is a 168ft Chinese merchant ship that was sunk in 1999 by a local company as an artificial reef. Here we are getting debriefed on the dive, depth and what marine life we might encounter on our adventure.





Diving in Oahu

Gear-up, wetsuit on, and jump in the water. The water temp in summer is around 79 degrees fahrenheit.

Diving in Oahu

The visibility is not great today due to Hurricane Julio (2014) passing the islands about 2 days ago. We had about 60 feet of visibility in areas.

seatiger

We follow the mooring line down 100 feet to the bow of the boat. The boat bottom rest at 120 feet.

Diving in Oahu

As I got closer to the bow of the Seatiger on my descent, I saw two massive Green sea turtles resting next to each other.

Diving in Oahu

One of the turtles wasn't impressed with our bubbles and he jumped ship for the surface. I believe he was a Green sea turtle. Hawaiian name: Honu

Diving in Oahu

Everything down there must be treated with kindness and respect. As divers, we must do our best to always be aware of our surroundings at all times, and try to not touch anything while we're underwater.  Do not touch marine life, turtles, or coral.  Coral is quite fragile, yet often very brittle and abrasive. However, if you touch it and break through its protective mucous-like barrier, bacteria and other foreign material can break through and actually kill the coral.


Diving in Oahu

It's taken many years of SCUBA diving to achieve perfect buoyancy. Keeping neutral buoyancy while scuba diving is key to less Co2 consumption, safety of reef and others. Fine-tuning your weights and controlling your breathing are important factors to maintaining neutral buoyancy or less buoyancy shift with depth.

Diving in Oahu

Dropping down into a 'cavern' (penetration inside the target venue) on the shipwreck with no lead line. No line was needed since we were only going one layer deep. If multi layer penetration, always use a line so you do not get lost in the venue.

Diving in Oahu

Please note: Do not enter a shipwreck unless you have been properly trained in technical, full-penetration wreck diving.





Diving in Oahu

My dive buddy taking amazing photos of our adventure. I jumped out the window to see some fish!

Diving in Oahu

Two eels hanging out next to each other. The highlight of the dive! I've never seen two eels in the same hole.

Diving in Oahu

Too many divers. We upset the marine life.

Diving in Oahu

I love this photo of two turtles on the Seatiger shipwreck. Once we returned to land, we all head back to the dive shop to talk story about the fish we saw, have a few beers, and update our dive log book.

Our second dive was at MarioLand. The GoPro died. Ops! Need to charge the battery for tomorrows diving with Lisa!

DAY TWO - SCUBA Diving with Lisa - Afternoon diving

Diving Hawaii with Lisa

Afternoon diving is less advance, shallow diving. I really like the dive masters at Kaimana Divers and their equipment is new! Lisa, who use to live in Oahu, got us a KamaŹ»aina rate.

Diving Hawaii with Lisa

Drop down to 50 feet to a reef, Lisa and I are enjoying the small reef life.

Diving Hawaii with Lisa

Green Turtle at a cleaning station. Cleaner fish are fish that provide a service to other fish species by removing dead skin and ectoparasites. It's like a spa for fish!





Diving Hawaii with Lisa

Four dives total in two days. I would have liked to see more and get in more diving, but the conditions were not great due to the passing hurricane.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Lahaina Return Race 2014

71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Hawaii Yacht Club 71st Annual race from Lahaina, Maui to Honolulu, Oahu


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race - Gerontius Farr 42

Regatta results for Gerontius


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Racing on the beautiful Gerontius, a Bruce Farr 42 built in New Zealand


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Set sail on Friday night around 23:00 after a crew meeting and dinner at the ala moana shopping mall - food was horrible.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Mostly motored the whole night from Waikiki and arrived at Larry Ellison's island at dawn, the Hawaiian island of Lanai.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Once we got to Larry's Island (Lanai - located just 9 miles off the coast of Maui), we made breakfast and went for a swim. I lost all video of us swimming with spinner dolphins and our visit to the Manele Bay. Shoots!

I don't remember the exact reason why, but we could not sail into the Manele Small Boat Harbor. Instead we found a mooring outside the marina and anchored up for the night.


Lahaina to Honolulu Race

French press, fair trade, organic coffee. I can do without a head, but coffee I can not skimp on! That's a damn good cup of java!


Lahaina Return on Gerontius Farr 42 out of Waikiki Yacht Club

There was no head on our boat, so several of us swam about 200 meters to shore and hiked to the Four Seasons located in Manele Bay. The hotels is your quintessential beach resort with epic views, over priced beers (10 bucks), and staff, clad in monkey suits, that kept an eye-out for freeloading cretins like us.


Lahaina Return on Gerontius Farr 42 out of Waikiki Yacht Club

Capt. Chris helps prep dinner. Here we have our antipasto or 'before the dinner' -- gorgonzola stuffed portobello mushrooms.



Lahaina to Honolulu Race

This beautiful lady did all of our shopping, food prep, marinating, coffee production, cleaning, and she's a bad ass sailor! Currently, she's in South America opening up a vegan restaurant. Looking forward to running into her again!


Lahaina to Honolulu Race

Crew enjoying a happy hour on the boat after a long night sailing and fun day on Lanai.


Lahaina to Honolulu Race

Happy Hour in Lanai on Saturday night


Lahaina to Honolulu Race

After antipasto, primi course was on the grill - marinated chicken!


Lahaina to Honolulu Race

Hotels on Lanai


Lahaina to Honolulu Race

Did I mention there was no where to sleep... NO berths on the boat. Some of the crew slept on deck. I ended up in the V-berth, extreme forward end of the hull, on a spinnaker sail. Rocky night, little sleep.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race - Gerontius Farr 42

Up with the sun on Sunday, off we sail to Maui


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race - Gerontius Farr 42

Sailing on Sunday, Aug. 31,2014


Lahaina Return on Gerontius Farr 42 out of Waikiki Yacht Club

Sailing past Lanai on Sunday


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

We are not in San Francisco anymore. Look at that blue water!


Lahaina Return on Gerontius Farr 42 out of Waikiki Yacht Club

Crew sailing away from Lanai to Maui


Lahaina Return on Gerontius Farr 42 out of Waikiki Yacht Club

Still sailing with just the main up


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club


Sunday around noon we finally made it to Lahaina, Maui. Short one hour stop to pick-up ice, more spirits, potty stop, and a bit of a walk on land.


Lahaina Return on Gerontius Farr 42 out of Waikiki Yacht Club

I think we got one dorado / mahi mahi.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Surf right outside of Lahaina Yacht Club


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

With only an hour on Maui, we stopped for a beer at Lahaina Pizza Company. Great views from their deck.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race - Gerontius Farr 42

After we left Lahaina, it was my turn to drive. Was at the ol' nautical steering wheel for about 2 hours.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race

Raft'ed up and ready for Happy Hour in Honolua Bay, Maui


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Back dive off the boat in my swimming dress


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Happy in Honolua Bay


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Swimming in Honolua Bay at sunset


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Boys Water ballet!


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Judging the water ballet!


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Do these goggles make me look fat!


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Things got all upside down! Jumping off boats


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Monday, Sept. 1, 2014 at 8:05AM - the start of the Lahaina Return! Lets go!!


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

It's all downwind from here... hours! Go Frenchy!


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

The banana on Gerontius


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

The crew made a decision to sail to the north of Molokai (the fifth largest Hawaiian Island) and enjoy the views of the highest sea cliffs in the world.

Facts:  "The south shore of MolokaŹ»i boasts the longest fringing reef in the U.S. and its holdings—nearly 25 miles (40 km) long" wrote geoscienceworld.org.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Sailing side by side, until...


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Molokai (the fifth largest Hawaiian Island).  Views of the highest sea cliffs in the world.


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club

Sailing pass the north side of Molokai on Gerontius (Farr 42)


If you'd like to see the photos from our long weekend of sailing, check out my Flickr account here!


71st Annual Lahaina to Honolulu Race : Hawaii Yacht Club
Still sailing by Molokai