Sweet sweet irony

[Sockmonkey]

Well I've been in Hawaii a month nearly to the day and this morning I finally got in the water with a tank on. I've done a bunch of snorkeling and freediving at work but have had trouble finding someone to scuba with. My DM friend who lives here works weekends so coordinating with him has been tough. People at work scuba dive too but mostly they're interested in freediving and spearfishing.

So what does any self respecting scuba bulletin board addict do? He casts his net across the usual haunts. TDS, SB and DMX. There are a few divers on scubaboard that live down in Kona (an hour south) but I was feeling picky. I was hoping for a personal referral. I contacted a team diver on Maui (Kidspot/Tim) and he mentioned that there was a guy visiting the Big Island this week who might want to dive.

It turns out that he's visiting from Spokane of all places. He's a diver named Rick Inman. You might recognize his name from Scubaboard and a few other boards. He knows and has gone diving with a who's who of pacnorwest divers. Bob Bailey, Matt DH, Kirk, and even took the fundies with Lynne. Rick dives in doubles and a drysuit when he is here in Hawaii. Since my AL80's haven't made it back from being hydro'd (takes nearly a month here) I still have my double HP100's. Which means I had to wear my drysuit too.

Where does the irony come in to play? I moved to one of the most remote land masses in the world only to do my first dive with a WA diver, in my drysuit, in doubles.

Rick: "I'm glad you're from Seattle so you won't laugh at my drysuit."
Me: "That's cool. Just don't laugh at mine and my thick hood."
Rick: "And I also wear gloves here in Hawaii."
Me: "I'm not wearing any gloves because I can."

I pulled up at Puako Church at 0630 this morning to find Rick waiting for me in his Fusion with his wife sitting in a beach chair by the shore. We could have stood around and chatted all morning but I had to be at work by 0900 so we suited up and got in.

The entry over lava was a little slippery and there was a little bit of surf that obscured the ankle to knee deep water enough to make the waddle a little wobbly. The site is a couple feet deep for 100 yards until it gets to be about 6 feet for another long while. We tried to swim just under the water and then decided to just surface swim. We dropped down to the base of the reef and swam across the sand line around 80 feet for 6 minutes before we headed back up to where the fishies were. Slow and steady we saw all the usual Hawaii suspects. Turtles, spotted morays, parrot fish by the school, wrasses, angels, etc etc... There weren't as many lava tubes and caves as other sites I've been to on the island but we did find at least one swim through. On the Hawaii scale of vis it wasn't so great. I'm not good judge of such things so I'd guess 60 feet or so. I hear tell that it gets better in the summer when it is less windy. Rick asked about my H mask and I told him it was my backup that doesn't fit and when I smile underwater it floods. At some point he picked up some coral or something and stuck it up to his mouth like an orange peel. I laughed...it flooded.. he did it on purpose.

Much has been said about meeting other team divers but I really saw it action today. I talked to a dude for 10 minutes before we got in the water totally comfortable with each other. On the way back we ended up doing a free ascent from 30 feet because we weren't sure which way the reef went. Before we dove we just looked at each other agree on "standard deco" and that was it. At depth we knew exactly how to ascend. I was diving without my undergarments (shorts and a t-shirt) and was totally trimmed wrong so I was a little tippy which meant that I was finning a bit more than I should... but Rick just back kicked and we stayed face to face all the way up.

I had one big dummy moment when Rick pointed to his palm and I spaced out and could have sworn it was the "How much gas do you have signal" I thought "Wow did he just give me a PADI hand signal?" but of course it was the "drill" signal (total flashback to when Kate gave me the same signal and I didn't know it) I looked at my spg and shrugged at him... that's when he spit his reg out of his mouth. I was within arms length so I just gave him my reg without much thinking. (I did get some of the steps wrong bdub.. in case you were wondering)

I couldn't have asked for a better first dive as a resident. I'm bummed I couldn't locate my camera housing last night. It's in some cardboard box somewhere. Rick took some photos so hopefully he'll post them soon. Eventually I'll have some lighter tanks finally feel like I'm dressed appropriately underwater. I had many camera worthy moments and was sad I couldn't share them with everyone.

Dive site: Puako Church
Bottom time: 70 mins
Avg depth: 40 ft
Max depth: 88 ft

I'll wait until I have a more interesting dive with photos to post another report... but I figured my first one... with a WA diver seemed worthy of mention here.

-Eric

[BDub]

Awesome report, Eric. However, I can't believe you've been there a month and are just now getting in the water...priorities man!

However,

I was within arms length so I just gave him my reg without much thinking. (I did get some of the steps wrong bdub.. in case you were wondering)

Its a miracle you're still alive! :shootself:

[Sockmonkey]

Awesome report, Eric. However, I can't believe you've been there a month and are just now getting in the water...priorities man!

I know I know. But it wasn't for lack of trying. Plus there were marital considerations that played a factor as well. And trade winds... yeah the wind.

Its a miracle you're still alive! :shootself:

Speaking of "if you do X, you're going to die"... that little ball is still on my rear dump valve.

-Eric

[BDub]

Speaking of "if you do X, you're going to die"... that little ball is still on my rear dump valve.

Its a miracle you're still alive! :shootself:













Damn warm water "divers"

[H20doctor]

Wish I could see Turtles.. !! Ok so now you have to lean fish I'd for there Sockmonkey.. How many Yellow Tangs did you see, and how diffent types of triggers are there ?

[WylerBear]

Great report. I dove Pukao Church when I was visiting the Big Island last March. Wow, has it been a year? My buddy Edward lives in Hilo and I was visiting him. We did 2 dives in Hilo, then we drove over to the Kona side, did 2 incredible dives at Place of Refuge, did the manta ray dives with Kona Honu, then the next day did Pukao Church and Pukao Village End. So in the short time I was there got to see several different sites. It was great!
Anyway, if you are looking for a dive buddy, he's the greatest! He does live on the Hilo side but he has had a hard time finding dive buddies too so he'd probably be interested in contacting you. Shall I ask him? I know it's a bit of a drive but he used to drive from Portland to Seattle to go diving. And you should definitely check out the Hilo dive site he took me to-we saw a Hawai'ian Monk seal while diving-it was so cool!
Let me know if you'd like me to "introduce" you.

[Scuba Scott]

Wow,

I love Puako Bay. We have a time share at Paniolo Greens. Other than the chalange of the entry points at the Chirch or other entry points, I always try to dive there. I will be sure to give you a call when I'm over on the Big Island. My wife and I were going to come over in May. I got some pictures of a White Tip Shark there in 2006 along the north end by Pole 115. My wife does not dive, so I'm always looking for a diver.

[cardiver]

Wow,

I love Puako Bay. We have a time share at Paniolo Greens. Other than the chalange of the entry points at the Chirch or other entry points, I always try to dive there. I will be sure to give you a call when I'm over on the Big Island. My wife and I were going to come over in May. I got some pictures of a White Tip Shark there in 2006 along the north end by Pole 115. My wife does not dive, so I'm always looking for a diver.

Bring me instead of your wife, Scott!

[Sockmonkey]

Wish I could see Turtles.. !! Ok so now you have to lean fish I'd for there Sockmonkey.. How many Yellow Tangs did you see, and how diffent types of triggers are there ?

Dude... I saw hundreds of pretty fish... what's the latin name for them? I didn't see one ratfish... bummer.

I forgot to mention about my experience getting my doubles filled. I knew the local shop didn't do high pressure fills and there was no way they could fill DIN... so I screwed in one yoke fitting thingy into my valve so they could fill with their whips. Of course their tank bath setup can't hold doubles... first she asked if I could take them apart so she could fill them. "Ahem. No" So they offered to put them up on the ledge around their fill station sorta teetering there.

When I picked them up the next day she said: "Oh I found another adapter so I could fill both tanks at once"
"Uh you just needed to fill one and it'll make it into the other tanks"
"Oh" was the unconvinced reply from a sideways glance.

I put them in my car and noticed that they had two nitrox fill stickers... one for each tank... both filled out with the same mix, date and initials.

How cute.

-Eric

[Scuba Scott]

Ron,

That might be a problem this year. We are going over for our 25th in May. Maby next year. How about a boat dive soon.

[LCF]

Eric, to add to the irony . . . I did Fundies with Rick. I even fed him oysters. In three and a half years, I have never, ever managed to dive with him again. (In fact, we never dove together in Fundies, either, because he was in the "competent class", and I was in the "these guys are hopeless but I have to teach them anyway" class.) So you got your first dive in Hawaii with one of my Fundies classmates that I haven't seen in over three years.

[Kalatin]

Fun report Eric. Glad to hear that you got to say hello to the turtles.

Speaking of "if you do X, you're going to die"... that little ball is still on my rear dump valve.

-Eric

Eric,
Casey and I were discussing this not more than three hours ago at Cove 2. We were taking odds on whether you had ever removed the little thingy on your wing. I voted no. Brian, just to show that I am a superior student, I circumcised the little ball thingy on my new wing before it ever got in the water.

[Sounder]

Brian, just to show that I am a superior student, I circumcised the little ball thingy on my new wing before it ever got in the water.

Anyone need a sig line quote?

I was within arms length so I just gave him my reg without much thinking. (I did get some of the steps wrong bdub.. in case you were wondering)

Aloha, stroke.


I'm so over you. Warm clear water, turtles, random team-diving buddy, long dive, other awesome critters, warm clear water, drills... whatever. When I said "it's not you, it's me" it was really you. I hate you and your stroke-ball-thingy.

[BDub]

Brian, just to show that I am a superior student, I circumcised the little ball thingy on my new wing before it ever got in the water.

I refuse to participate in any conversation containing "ball", "thingy" and "circumcised" in the same sentence, but I'm glad you were thinking of me

[spatman]

Brian, just to show that I am a superior student, I circumcised the little ball thingy on my new wing before it ever got in the water.

I refuse to participate in any conversation containing "ball", "thingy" and "circumcised" in the same sentence, but I'm glad you were thinking of me

it's hard to circumcise little ball thingies without thinking of you, B!



great report, eric. glad you're finally getting in the water. and don't worry, i'm sure you'll find good buddies soon. probably calling you from the PNW to tell you they're going to be crashing on your couch soon.

[cardiver]

Ron,

That might be a problem this year. We are going over for our 25th in May. Maby next year. How about a boat dive soon.

ANy time, Scott! We've missed you the last couple of Thursdays.

[Pez7378]

I had one big dummy moment...

Just one?