Dives 5 through
9, Oahu style
I wanted to make the most of my first trip to Hawaii, so my wife encouraged me to
complete my open water certification beforehand, which I did (in San Carlos, MX.) When we arrived in Honolulu airport I was ready, temporary
certification card in hand, to go on the various dives I had arranged in
preparation for the journey. I expected to dive on the West shore first,
then the East, then the North.
I chose them in that order because it was my
understanding that the West was easiest and the North was most difficult,
especially this time of year. Unfortunately, the dive company I was diving
with failed to anticipate a regional fishing tournament being held at the
port of call used for the West shore dives. When the dive shop van arrived
at my hotel to pick me up, I was informed that we were going to dive the
North shore that morning instead of the West. We arrived at Waimea harbor
and boarded a dive boat of approximately twenty-five feet in length. As we
proceeded out to our first dive site, Waimea point, the dive boat following
in our wake soon turned back, presumably because of high seas. Oh well, I
thought to myself, at least I have a dive master who will stay with me and
they are letting me use a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV.)
After gearing up and diving into my fifth open water dive
(first in Hawaii) I gave the OK sign to my
instructor and we began our decent. After equalizing through the depth of
fifteen feet, panic struck me. I knew, consciously, that I was going to be
ok and that I was prepared and that I was safe and that I was with an
experienced dive master, but my unconscious was overwhelmed with panic,
which manifested primary as rapid, shallow breathing. Being in rough seas
was tossing me around more that I would have liked and is probably what
triggered my response. Was I going to hit the button? Was I going to
inflate and abort this dive? I had a scooter, surely that would bring me to
place where I’d be ok. If I surfaced I’d be in even rougher currents.
Rationally, the choice between ascent and descent was clear; there is no
reason to surface. Emotionally, fear was trying to take charge. Breathing
is the key. Slow it down. Deep breathing. Less fear. Descend. Equalize.
Success! Now I’m ok! The panic is gone as quick as it came. This is what I
came here for. Down, with my scooter, with the dive master, down to the
bottom to see what is there. Depth? 70 feet, a little more, maybe 72.
Equalizing the whole time, following the dive master. He continually asks
if I’m ok and I respond affirmatively. The scooter isn’t right though. Does
it have some sort of time delay? It doesn’t want to shut off when I let go
of the switch. The switch is something someone rigged up in the shop.
Apparently the factory switch stopped working, maybe years ago, and was
replaced by something handy. The switch, when subjected to depth pressures
not found in a pool, has now shorted out and is engaged all the time. This
scooter is fast and it won’t shut off. I steer it into the bottom to slow
down a little, my instructor sees this and wonders why. Later he says that
at the time he thought I lost control of it. As we progress along the dive
site, we see various fish, but nothing noteworthy. When air gets down to
1000 pounds we begin to ascend to our first safety stop. Then the
instructor comes to me to take the scooter because he sees I am not
stopping. We progress back to the boat at the correct depth for our safety
stop, but with the scooter towing both of us so that we don’t go as fast.
Even with both of us though, the scooter still moves along at a brisk pace.
After a minute at that safety stop, we move to three minutes at fifteen
feet. The scooter is still moving along the whole time, with both of us.
Eventually, we get back in the boat with no problem. I’m happy about making
my fifth dive, let alone having such an adventure. While there was nothing
spectacular as far as scenery or wildlife, it was a great dive for me and I
was lucky to have such a great dive master as my buddy. On the surface the
weather got worse. Rain and high seas have kept my wife and son from their
planned snorkeling; it had gotten pretty stormy while we were at depth.
We head back to shore and then to the hotel. I try to
accommodate them with warm tea & soup so as to provide some sort of
comfort to them while I gloat over such a meaningful fifth dive. The
eastern shore is tomorrow for me, the western shore for them as they plan
to snorkel with dolphins. We awake the next day ready to each go on our
respective adventures.
Upon entering the dive shop van in front of my hotel I
ask if we are still on schedule to dive the eastern shore. He responds
affirmatively but not with any specific information about where exactly we
will go because, I’m told, it depends on conditions. We board a large dive
boat in Waianae Harbor. Dive #6 is Baby Barge, 60 feet
and swift current. With no scooter the current takes me. The dive master
takes me back and I remain at depth, holding the mooring line until I get
down to 1000 pounds of air. Visibility is good and there are more fish here
than where we were yesterday but examining every facet of the barge around
the mooring line isn’t very exciting. At least I’m fine-tuning the
communication skills between my instructor and I. It was another good
experience with respect to making good judgment calls regarding safety.
Back in the boat for a one hour surface interval as we go
to our next dive site. The Captain says Fantasy Reef will be the site for
my seventh overall dive. Finally to a place I’ve heard about before! This
should be good. Only 50 feet but a fair assortment of fish. Dive number
seven whet my appetite for seeing more underwater sights and built my
confidence in breathing and buoyancy control.
Two days later we went to the Western shore for dives 8
and 9. This proved to be the best diving on Oahu. Mild current was the most we
had to fight but usually there was almost no current. “It is almost always
flat as a pancake out here,” says the Captain. Black Rock is at 90 feet and
the best dive sight yet; it is almost a cave but more of an overhang- open
on three sides. Again I feel lucky to be with such an experienced, safe
dive master. A fair amount of fish and coral, certainly more than I’ve ever
seen before. Papio Pass was next. 37 feet and tons of
fish and coral, it made me feel like I was in an aquarium (especially after
having just seen the Waikiki Aquarium the day before.)
To conclude, I now know that the next time I plan to dive
in Hawaii, I need to plan it as far away from the new moon as
possible so as to minimize the currents I will face. It is important to me
that I be at my dive site during high tide, meaning early morning, so that
I will have plenty of room to maneuver without bumping into the coral reef
every few feet. This is especially true when snorkeling in Hanauma Bay; if
I had been there at high tide I could have swam though the channel
connecting the outer reef to the inner reef and seen them both. Also a
benefit of being on site early in the morning is that no one else is there
yet, so the visibility is best.
Mahola!
-Pete
Dives 24
through 27, Oahu style
Scuba diving is an especially rewarding way for me to
recreate not just because I am a paraplegic and full-time wheelchair user
but also because it refreshes my soul in ways that I never imagined
possible. To dive into the ocean is to travel into another realm, both an
escape from limitations that otherwise restrict my physical movement and a
journey to aspects of consciousness that are as unblemished as the
seemingly undisturbed seafloor. The mental baggage that accumulates during
the course of my busy days can be exhaled as soon as I begin my decent.
While submerged, each breath releases tension that had relentlessly
fastened itself to my being. As a car goes through a car wash, so too do I
feel cleansed by seawater; especially when I am surrounded by hundreds of
tropical fish in vivid colors of unimaginable rainbows. I dive to continue
feeling good about myself, my world and our society. The positive
energy gained from an undersea perspective is truly a healing remedy for
all the trauma with which life burdens us. I am not alone in my
appreciation of this activity. Nearly all the divers I have had the
pleasure to dive with agree that after a day of diving, life just can't get
much better.
Above, I was very happy to tell you of my June 2004 scuba diving adventure
in Hawaii. Those were my first dives after completing nearly a
year of pool training as well as the four open water dives required for
scuba certification. That expedition was both exhilarating and inspiring.
One of the main lessons I learned on those dives was to schedule my future
dives between the full moon and the new moon so as to avoid large tidal
surges; but that is only part of how I planned the August 2005 dives.
Since returning from last year's Oahu dives I completed additional training and practiced
what I had learned on several more dive trips. The Oahu dives in 2004 were so much fun
that I was motivated to stay physically fit in preparation for more dives.
I kept true to my exercise routine at my local gym because I wanted to be
ready when the time came. I began to really feel good about my strength, my
endurance and my overall ability. When each of my dive trips came up, I was
ready because I had been working out in the gym. Soon came more diving:
three more trips to Mexico and one to Aruba. I normally do two dives per day
on such trips. That is fourteen more dives. As I completed each one I began
to perceive them as relatively easy dives.
Then back to Oahu. When I arrived at the marina Saturday morning I was very happy to
be back on Oahu's west side. The weather was clear and the seas were calm. I knew
today would be a terrific day. Once the boat was loaded we cast off and
made a fifteen minute ride to our first dive site. The Mahi was a wreck
sitting in about 91 feet of water. My partner and I dove in and began to
descend. We surveyed the exterior decks from bow to stern. At one point a
half dozen Hawaiian Spotted Rays glided by us. Of course we were
occasionally visited by schools of neighboring tropical fish as they
pursued their quest for survival. Sometimes we were surrounded by bright
yellow tangs or butterfly fish or by angelfish or an occasional Trigger
fish or Parrot fish munching on the coral reef. This dive, like so many
others was relaxing, energizing and rejuvenating. The practice I had put in
since my last visit was really paying off because I was proficient in
utilizing the information provided by my underwater dive computer. Without
hesitation I was able to determine exactly what I needed to plan my safety
stops with only a glance at the palm sized display.
My partner and I began to make our ascent cautiously and purposefully,
being mindful of our position and time at each safety stop. Everything was
going perfectly. I climbed back into the boat and after a short wait for
the remaining divers to make their return, we were off to our next dive
site of the day. Whether it was another spectacular reef or merely a turtle
cleaning station thirty feet below the surface, the August 2005 Oahu dives were all that I'd hoped
for and more.
Dives 28 through 31, Oahu style
28th of April, 2006.
I arrived yesterday with plenty of time
to check into my hotel, get settled and still have a decent amount of rest;
I wanted to be completely ready to go the next morning. The hotel was
different this time, the Ohana West. While the location was better, more
central, it was the first time I’d been to that hotel. The reason I had to
switch was because the Ohana Surf East, my previous hotel, was sold to
another company and they were remodeling it. As soon as I got into the room
I knew I would be happy with this place. It was even bigger than the
previous one, the roll-in shower & bathroom was better and the price
was only about $10 more per night. The location really was much better
because it was right across the street from a supermarket and the
international market, two places I often went to anyway. This trip was much
shorter than the other ones so the less sidewalk time I spent going back
and forth the better.
I was alone this time, which was also a
huge plus. I didn’t have to worry about anyone but myself. I was able to
really clear my head and focus on what I was doing. I had a really great
time.
Seven thirty Friday morning
the dive shop picked up as usual. We were diving the south side of the
island today. I was looking forward to finally seeing the Corsair because
that is not a sight they show during the summer. As it turned out, one of
the other divers didn’t want to see it because he had already seen it that
week. Instead, we decided to see a wreck called the LST. That is the
acronym for Landing Ship Transport; it was an amphibious vehicle used to
put troops and equipment on the beach but was sunk to become part of the
coral reef. It was in the same depth of water as the Corsair and I had
never seen it before so for me there was no difference.
We boarded the boat. I had been on this
boat before. It was Honey Dew II and the Captain was Captain John. My
diving partner was an instructor from the shop, Jeff. He was here diving
with his wife, Melanie. Both are experienced Scuba Instructors. The weather
was great. It could have been a little sunnier I suppose but the cloud
cover was light and the waves were mild. I was really feeling great about
finally getting back into the ocean. I had all my equipment, including the
scooter I rented the first time I came here. I made sure that they repaired
and tested the scooter at depth before renting it to me this time, so I
knew I would be able to depend on it. Over the side we go and then follow
the mooring line down.
It took me a while to equalize because
my sinuses were still so congested. That’s ok though, I just took my time
on the line equalizing little by little. I was not about to create any
unnecessary anxiety. Down we go for dive number 28. I wasn’t the first one
down but it didn’t take me long to follow the other four divers. We went
right down to the bottom and saw a 7 foot white tip shark. I did not know
that white tips were afraid of people so I became somewhat concerned. I was
not as terrified as I expected I would be but I was definitely uneasy. The
shark was circling the whole wreck. As the other divers left, the shark
came under the LST and began making smaller circles not far from my partner
and I. I found out later that the shark merely wanted to go back to sleep.
White tips sleep directly on the bottom. Apparently we were intruding in
it’s bedroom. I didn’t know that at the time though so whenever it pointed
itself at me during the course of it’s circling, I was uneasy. Eventually I
decided to leave and the shark did not follow.
I still had plenty of nitrox left in my
air tank but decided to start a gradual assent along the mooring line.
Visibility was still great and I spotted plenty of small reef fish. Back in
the boat and then to the next dive sight. Fantasy reef was dive number 29.
I was here in August but was glad to return to a spot I had been to because
I was hoping to be familiar with the layout of the terrain. Such was not
the case. There were so many beautiful fish and coral that it all looked
the same. I tried using my compass but was still very disoriented. The
scooter was still working strong but the current was almost as strong, so
the going was slow. At least I didn’t get washed away though, the scooter
was stronger than the current.
Back in the boat and back in the hotel
to wash everything off and get ready for tomorrow. It had been a truly
excellent day of diving. Everything went perfect and spotting a white tip
was a real bonus.
The weather on Saturday was even better
than Friday. We went to the West side this time and it was clear, sunny and
flat as a lake. Dive conditions were great too, no current to speak of.
Water temps almost as high as August; 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Dive number 30
was to be the wreck of the MAHI. I had also
been here before as well but the bonus was spotting a 12 foot Hammerhead. I
already knew they were skiddish of people, so I wasn’t worried. I just took
my scooter and enjoyed all the sights. Lots of fish: Black Triggerfish,
Yellow Tangs, Cornet Fish, Unicorn Fish, Cowfish, Squid, Eagle Rays,
Cleaner Wrasse and thankfully- no jellyfish.
Dive number 31 was Papio Pass. I had also
been here before but had no better luck feeling like I knew the place. It
was so beautiful with so many beautiful fish and coral that it was like new
to my eyes. My nitrox mixture was a little richer for this dive- 36%. That
is as it should be. I truly felt great. Even the scooter was behaving
itself and I was starting to get a feel for how to maintain proper
buoyancy. Buoyancy control is still something I’m working on though. While
I did manage to avoid the Sea Urchins, I was not successful in avoiding the
coral. I was really trying not to bump into anything but I’ll have to try harder
next time.
Dives
28 through 31 were great. Four dives that couldn’t be better. My first time
seeing sharks; very memorable. The whole trip, including food and cab fare
and tips was had for $1,600. When it comes to refreshing getaways, this
really fit the bill.
Dives 83 and 84, Oahu style
April
15th, 2008. I was coughing for the first part of this trip so
I didn't get to dive until the Robitussin started to kick in for the end of
the trip. One dive day is better than none :-)
Finally, after diving Oahu for a few
years, the timing was right for me to dive the Corsair and it really was
worth it. Some people may consider it old and desolate and not much to see-
not me though. I really like it because it is very clear, deep and the
tether line goes straight down. If you like deep wrecks, this is certainly
one to see because it is easy and one can practice some of the basic
technical dive skills necessary for more complicated wrecks. Being mindful
of air and depth and buoyancy are all good things to practice here in a
relatively safe setting. The current was somewhat mild on the day that we
were there but my understanding is that it sometimes can be rough.
An especially pleasant plus for this
dive was that Aaron's Dive Shop had a new scooter (Dive Propulsion Vehicle)
for me to try out. This scooter was a little bigger and much heavier
because of the bigger battery. Was it worth lugging around? If you want
power and silence, yes! While the handling and controls
are slightly different from what I'm used to, having that scooter at
depth is a real bonus. I would not be able to carry it at all by
myself while traveling, but I think I can get around that part when
the time comes.
After the Corsair we did a shallow dive
at Angler's Reef. This was a good dive to see lots of fish and relax.
Thanks again to Aaron's Dive shop, the best shop on Oahu for lots of
reasons.
DIVER
STRESS & RESCUE QUALS
May
2009
Aaron’s
Dive shop was up to the task of going the extra mile. Their Instructors
helped to complete my Diver Stress & Rescue dives in May 2009. Thanks
Kevin :-)
May
2010
Dives
#115 & 116 were a bit choppy. Roger (from Aaron’s) was there to get me
through it. The South shore of Oahu was a bit rough but we completed the
dives.
Mahola!
pete@HANDI-DIVERS.com
