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Why I Am Getting Addicted To Scuba Diving In Hawaii
Today, we start a three-day series of Hawaii diving and snorkeling posts written by my friend Elisabeth Ostrander. Before I dive into telling you all about some of my recent diving adventures in Hawai’i, I need to make a a few confessions. First, I am not an expert diver by any means, as I have only 20 dives under my weight belt, but I do enjoy the activity itself and all the things there are to see when scuba diving. However, there’s a twist – I’m terrified of being underwater – unlike my husband, who I swear has hidden gills somewhere. Needless to say, I’m not your typical scuba fanatic, yet… but I am getting there slowly. If you are reading this and wondering why I scuba dive at all, wait for it … I particularly LOVE seeing sharks while scuba diving. I am dead serious when I say, they calm me down underwater, because they are so mesmerizing to watch; I forget about all my fears. I must also add, having gotten SSI certified back in 2007 (no small task, considering how uncomfortable I was with water) just prior to our honeymoon in Fiji , we’re admittedly spoiled having had that as our first dive trip. After an amazing week scuba diving in Fiji, the pesky thing called ‘life’ got in the way, and it was soon over two years until our next diving adventure in Hawaii. In the last two years, the story has changed dramatically – I’ve since visited Oahu twice (but have only snorkeled there), the Big Island, Kauai, and most recently – Maui. At this point, it’s fair to say a love affair with Hawaii is blossoming, and the amazing experiences I’ve had so far scuba diving in Hawaii is just one of the many reasons why. Hawaii is best known for its abundance of dive spots inhabited with sea turtles, manta rays and dolphins, as well as smaller endemic marine life species, living among the volcanic formations under its clear blue water. Now, let’s talk story about scuba diving across the islands of Hawai’i, Kauai, Maui and Lanai. Scuba Diving on the Big Island of Hawai’i Back in January 2010, we made our first ever voyage ever to Hawaii. From Salt Lake City, we first flew to Honolulu on Delta, spent 3 days on Oahu, checking out Wakikki, the north shore and Pearl Harbor. Next, it was off to the Big Island for a six night stay at Kona Village Resort* / Four Seasons Hualalai, where we’d planned to do several days of diving. In the excitement of planning our first trip to the islands and escaping winter on the mainland, we failed to research our timing. If we had, we may have realized it wasn’t the best time of year to visit for scuba diving, due to the possibility of large ocean swells – great for surfers, not so much for diving. Visiting in January did have its perks however. Because the resort was only about 60% full, we also had the luck of being the only two divers on the boat that first day, along with a couple spare crew members diving for fun. It practically gave us a private refresher course with our very own, patient dive leader. (A very good thing after it had been so long since our last trip. ) From the Kailua-Kona coastline, we could see whales breaching often in the distance, and getting on the dive boat that first day, we were hoping for a 2-for-1 whale watching tour and a 2-tank dive. We were not disappointed during our surface interval, when we saw more whales breaching within a closer range. While underwater, the ‘singing’ of the whales resonating at times created such a powerful ‘thumping’ in our chests and the resulting vibrations were so powerful and close, I felt as though I could pivot and be face to face with a giant whale at any time. Of course, reason and logic (plus conversation with the other divers) tells me, the whales were probably still miles away. Big Island Scuba Diving near Kailua Kona Our first dive was at a site in Kua Bay, not too far off the Kona Coast. I was immediately grateful for Shawna, one of my favorite dive leaders to date, who seemingly understood all of my crazy fears and was able to help me work through them. We took our time descending to the clean, white sandy floor at a depth of about 40’, where she had us work on a couple of skills before continuing our dive. Just a few minutes into this process, our attention was captured by this sight: 10-12' Wide Manta Ray near Kua Bay, Big Island of Hawai'i Luckily, the other dive crew members had brought along a camera and underwater scooters, and managed to catch us in the picture with this 10-12’ wide Manta Ray gliding past us. (I am on the far left – I have since improved out my buoyancy skills:) All my other thoughts and irrational fear slipped aside, as I soaked up the fleeting moment – as quickly as it came, it was gone. We spent the remainder of the dive tooling around spotting just a few things – eels and a “crown of thorns” starfish moving along the ocean floor. Dive #2 brought the boat to Black Coral Arch, a dive site reaching 60’ depths, with a short swim-through lava tube and a more open arch formation, which plenty of light filtered through. Doing a pre-dive briefing on the boat, Shawna assured me I’d be OK and more comfortable swimming up through the larger arch. We plotted, however, to position me on one end of the lava tube, and she would lead my husband through it, in order to ‘flush out’ 4 smaller, white tip reef sharks (each no more than 4-6’ in size) resting there, so I could get a good look at them. A fifth shark swam by before my fellow divers were out of the tube. Dive heaven for me! A bonus was the surprised look on my husband’s face upon seeing the sharks, as he doesn’t share my love of sharks, and he had been chatting on the other side of the boat when we made this plan. Sadly, this was our first and only day of scuba diving off the Kona Coast. Due to growing swells, the resort grounded all water activities, so we beached ourselves by the pool (and the pool bar) the rest of the week. Seeing that amazing manta ray ‘flying’ gracefully towards us through the water made it worth the trip alone. I might have been happy if that was my last dive ever. About the Author: Elisabeth Ostrander is an experienced travel journalist, although a past life saw her writing mainly about snow based activities such as skiing and snowboarding, she has slowly started to succumb to the allure of surf, sand & scuba … in between ski seasons, that is. Watch for two more posts this week from Elisabeth about scuba diving In Poipu. Kauai and scuba diving in Maui & Lanai. * Note: In March 2011, both Kona Village Resort property & the Four Seasons Hualalai were heavily damaged from an earthquake-generated tsunami . The Four Seasons underwent several months of renovations and re-opened for guests; Kona Village Resort, which had been in operation since 1965, has yet to reopen, much to the dismay of its loyal guests. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Maui ignited the spark. I fanned the flames.
Monday, August 15, 2011
My feet first touched Hawaiian soil in April 2003. That’s when I was first infected by Hawaii. I was on a nine-night, “once in a lifetime” vacation to the state of Hawaii. At least that was what I thought before touching ground on Maui. I vividly remember so many details about that trip. As I reflect back on those memories now, I can almost smell the air, hear the birds and feel the gentle, cooling touch of the tradewinds. Memories and images like these come to mind: - Being amazed at the glorious sun coming into view just above the clouds from the peak of a volcanic crater. (See my post: See An Unforgettable Sunrise at Haleakala National Park .) - Standing in Iao Valley Park with eyes wide open in admiration of the green spire – that is the Iao Needle. (See my post: Making a Point to Visit Maui’s Iao Needle .) - Observing in the vibrant colors and pageantry of Polynesian dances at the Old Lahaina Luau. - Savoring the many waterfalls and coastal views through the rainforest on a journey to Hana and beyond . - Observing pink, purple, and orange sunset skies. Ah, sweet memories! So, that’s where, when and how my love of Hawaii began. What’s your story of how Hawaii first captured you? © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...How Far Do You Travel To Get To Hawaii?
Thursday, August 11, 2011
As you probably know, I live in North Carolina . For fun I thought I’d check Google Maps to see how far I travel to get to Honolulu, Hawaii from NC. My result was 5,647 miles. Google Maps produced directions from North Carolina to Hawaii by assuming I’d be traveling on land and sea. The directions instruct me to drive from North Carolina to Seattle, Washington and then kayak 2,756 miles across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. See direction # 38 in my directions page . I enjoy sea kayaking, but not that much. Luckily, I usually fly straight to Honolulu with only one connection in either Chicago or Dallas on American Airlines. I believe the flight to Hawaii from North Carolina usually earns me about 4,500 frequent flier miles one way and about 9,000 round-trip. How about you? I’d love to hear where you call home? Do you know how many miles you travel to get to Hawaii from your home? As Kamila pointed out on facebook, you can use TravelMath to help you determine the flight distance. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Hawaii Vacation Deals & News: August 10, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Here’s what’s blooming in today’s Hawaii vacation news garden. * Hawaii Five-0 fans can enter to win a trip to the new season premiere on Oahu and visit the set. See this link for more prize and entry details. *
Continue reading...Maui Wowies These First-Time Hawaii Visitors
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Matt & Cari prepare for a Maui helicopter tour. First-time Hawaii visitors Matt and Cari from Tri-Cities, Washington thoroughly researched their May trip through their Hawaii vacation planning resources . While they were well prepared for their Maui vacation, they were still surprised by several aspects of Hawaii. I always like to read and hear what first time Hawaii visitors think of their trip to the Aloha State. So when Matt and Cari offered to write this guest post to describe what they found surprising about Hawaii, I was all for it! I think you will enjoy reading Matt and Cari’s Hawaii surprises. Matt’s Surprises 1. The Weather I knew it would be hot, but for some reason I never thought about how humid it would be. It hits you like a brick wall when you get off the airplane. Of course, it’s a tropical island so, in hindsight it makes perfect sense. I just never thought about it in advance. And not just humidity, but it also rained a lot during our visit — much more than I expected. I think I had this Chamber of Commerce vision of perfectly clear, blue skies that stretch on and on. This isn’t a complaint; the weather didn’t stop us from a wonderful visit. It just wasn’t what I expected. 2. Prices We read plenty of articles that mentioned things are more expensive in Hawaii, but there’s still a sense of sticker-shock when you pull into the gas station and fill up at $5.15 per gallon. Or when you go to Kmart for some snacks and basics, put about 10-12 items in your cart and the cashier says, “That’ll be $99.90.” It may have been something I tried to not believe, but there was no avoiding it on the island. 3. Snorkeling/Snuba I had no idea how much I would LOVE snorkeling and snuba. We took the Four Winds II boat out to Molokini on our first day there and I didn’t want to get out of the water! I even told Cari that I’d be happy to cancel all of our other plans for the rest of the week and come back and do the same boat ride each day. After a couple minutes of struggling with the snuba gear, it was a thrill to go down 10-15 feet below the surface and get up close to all kinds of fish, plus to see the amazing coral on the ocean floor. Man, I’m ready to go back now and do it again! 4. The Beauty No matter how many pictures you look at, you won’t be prepared for the Maui’s stunning beauty. The ocean? I had no idea there were so many shades of blue! The land? You’ll see every shade of green possible along the road to Hana. And when the two come together, like at the Ke’anea peninsula or the end of Nahiku Road – there are no words. Black sand beaches? Red sand beaches? Sigh. It’s more beautiful than I could’ve expected. Cari’s Surprises 1. The Language I’m a reader. I have a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. I have read through countless books, articles, essays and cereal box backs. I thought I knew how to use language to share my feelings, and how others use words to express themselves. But that was before I visited Hawaii! In Hawaii, one simple word connotes welcome and consideration and hospitality – and that word is ‘aloha’. Yes, I know it’s not an English word, so I suppose I couldn’t be expected to truly understand the many layers of meaning another language infuses into its words. However, it was still a surprise to me since I thought I knew what it meant – “hello”, or “goodbye”. However, it was the way the word was spoken on Maui that helped me see that there was a difference…subtle, yet distinct. The Hawaiians I met conveyed empathy and kindness and understated joy in those five letters, and I felt like shafts of sunlight were slanting from their mouth when they said it. 2. The Food When my husband and I went on our honeymoon, we went to San Diego, CA, and loved everything we ate there. Everything from Sea World’s hot dogs to McDonald’s milkshakes were elevated to sublime! In retrospect, it wasn’t because the food was so spectacular, it was because we were on our honeymoon! However, even though I was in Hawaii, again with my husband, nearly twenty years have passed (as has his capacity to turn fish and chips into lobster in my mind!). So I can say with certainty, the food really was excellent. Truly, anyone would agree – especially when it came to the pineapple and the shave ice . Oh my gosh – this ain’t your mother’s snowcone! 3. The Beauty Yes, I know, Matt already talked about it, but I have something to add. In Madeleine L’Engle’s The Moon by Night, the main character, Vicky, takes a camping trip across the U.S. with her family. When they arrive at the Grand Canyon, she reflects this way - “The only trouble with Grand Canyon was that we were already so saturated with beauty that we looked at it and said, “Oh. Pretty.” Which is hardly the word for the Grand Canyon. But it just didn’t mean to us what it would have meant if we’d come straight to it…without all the other things in between.” And that’s exactly how I felt about Hawaii. We saw so many gorgeous vistas all over Maui, that by our third day there, it was, “Oh. Pretty.” over and over again, because I’d become surfeit with gorgeous things! That being said, it was stunningly beautiful, and pictures help, but there is no substitute for seeing it in person. It is truly awe-inspiring. —- A big mahalo to Matt and Cari for sharing their Hawaii surprises!
Continue reading...Aloha Friday Photo: Haleakala Sunset Edition
Friday, June 10, 2011
Ah, isn’t it a nice way to say a parting aloha to the week with a sunset photo? This sunset photo is from the summit of Maui’s Haleakala. The sun appears to be sinking in to a fluffy bed of clouds for a good night’s rest. Watching sunrise or sunset on Haleakala is a spectacular event to include in your Maui vacation plans. Many have described watching sunrise or sunset as magical and spiritual . I’ll add another descriptor — unforgettable! Mahalo to Greg Slawson of GC Creative Studio in Cleveland, Ohio for sharing his photo! We’re on facebook! Please click here to join us. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Aloha Friday Photo: Haleakala Sunset Edition
Friday, June 10, 2011
Ah, isn’t it a nice way to say a parting aloha to the week with a sunset photo? This sunset photo is from the summit of Maui’s Haleakala. The sun appears to be sinking in to a fluffy bed of clouds for a good night’s rest. Watching sunrise or sunset on Haleakala is a spectacular event to include in your Maui vacation plans. Many have described watching sunrise or sunset as magical and spiritual . I’ll add another descriptor — unforgettable! Mahalo to Greg Slawson of GC Creative Studio in Cleveland, Ohio for sharing his photo! We’re on facebook! Please click here to join us. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...World’s Best Fireknife Dancers Compete in Oahu
Friday, May 13, 2011
A fiery competition is on this weekend at the Polynesian Cultural Center ! Check out this video compilation of the Fireknife Championship semi-finalists from last night’s competition. These guys are incredible! (Email subscribers: use this link to access the video .) © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Hurricane Season In Hawaii
Monday, May 9, 2011
On my article about the best time to visit Hawaii , Daniel asked if hurricane season should be avoided in Hawaii. I thought it was such a good question that deserved its own research and post. Hawaii’s hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. According to this chart , there have been no hurricanes recorded in the entire Central Pacific region in the month of June and very few in the months of October and November. August and September are
Continue reading...A Hui Hou Lana’i
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
We must leave Lana’i today. We don’t want to leave! I look forward to sharing the new Lana’i travel insights I’ve gained on this trip. I may have one other Lana’i post this week. Then I’ll start our normal rotation, covering all the islands. In the meantime, I wanted to share this 10-second video that Andy shot from his i-phone yesterday. It’s the view of the ocean and Hulopoe Beach that has mesmerized us for the last three days during our stay at Four Seasons Lanai at Manele Bay . I hope you’ll enjoy this short slice of paradise.
Continue reading...
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Monday, August 29, 2011
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