Time for a revival and a trip report!
First of all, I'll apologize in advance as there is no way that I can thank Rob, Alex, Lindsey, Will, and Gabe in this report for the wonderful time I had. AWESOME CREW!
I did 4 dives with Kaimana Divers on 28 Mar 15.
www.waikikiscuba.com
The day started with Rob picking me up at the airport. He already had I the gear that I needed to rent (BCD and Wetsuit) on the truck which sped getting in the water immensely. It also save me an expensive cab ride or a long long walk (thank Rob! And Gabe for sorting it out).
Once we arrived at the boat, we loaded the gear and Lindsey (tha Capt) gave us a brief. The brief was long and detailed enough for you to know exactly what are the Dos and Donts of this vessel; but short enough that we wouldnt miss out of dive time! I knew exactly what to expect and how this day would work. Thanx Lindsey! Gabe sorted out a 4 dives day for me which was truly appreciated since I could only dive for 1 day (thanx Gabe). Each DM had no more than 3 divers with them.
Communication: Throughout this whole experience the communication with the members of Kaimana Divers has been nothing but outstanding. Pre trip with Gabe saw a flurry of back and forward emails and texts. We linked up the night before to confirm that everything was GTG. Comms on the boat with the Capt or the DMs were just outstanding. The DMs took the time to explain the dive sites, do a proper pre-dive speech. I certainly knew what was going on at all times. Ive never had such good comms on a dive trip Thanx again.
The Boat: Kaimana Divers has a medium size boat. We were 7 divers max during the day. There is lots of space on the boat and they could probably fit a lot more divers on it but they focus on making the experience pleasant for you and not just doing an assembly line. Here are some of the features of their boat: rinse bucket for mask (with a baby shampoo/water spray bottle), a rinse bucket for cameras and computers, a dry space for your bag, snacks, cold water, a shower for after, and some music. Getting out of the water to the stereo blasting some tunes was great! The water entry is at the back. You will step on the platform and do a giant stride. On reentry, the crew will pick up your fins and even your BCD if you cant climb that ladder. Not something seen everywhere. Kudos to them! Between dives, the DMs will change your tank if you so desire. Being a bit A type, I took care of my own stuff but it was nice to know that they would do it if you wanted to. At the end of the day, they also took care of all the gear. So if you want a relax experience where you just dive and not lift a finger, you can get that here. Im more of a hand on guy so I helped them out. I was certainly happy to do so.
The Gear: I rented a BCD and a wetsuit from them as I just didnt have the room to bring my one. Plus I would have died of heat in a 7mm! The gear was in great shape and was definitely well maintained. Since I was doing 4 dives, I was expecting to stay in my wet wetsuit for the duration. The crew was so awesome that they had a 2
nd wetsuit for me for the afternoon dives. I didnt end up using it as Im a cold water Canuck so 75F was plenty warm for me. Again not something you see every day and definitely a major plus in my books, THANX! They also had tons of weights on the boat. After my 1
st dive I did a quick weight check and adjusted my stuff. I could have done it initially but I was just too excited to get down. Gabe and Cie also had some spare gear on the boat for those save a dive moments One of the diver took his wifes fins from home but Lindsey and Will saved his day and gave him a pair from the boat. Classy stuff!
The Dives (morning): My first two were with Rob as the DM. The morning dives were a bit more advance (deep and wreck). Gabe was aware that I never dove in Hawaii and changed the dive site that morning so that I could dive the big wreck. That was an awesome suggestion and a good call! Thanx Gabe. We dove the YO 527/San Petro and the Macks Crack. Rob was a great DM on and underwater. His pre dive brief was spot on. He was constantly aware of our positioning but gave us the breathing room that I required. He monitored out O2 during the dive and ensured that we dove the plan. Rob is definitely a stand up guy, max relax that just loves to be in the water. You can feel his passion for the sport when he talks. I would dive with him again anyway! Thanx Rob! Did I mention that we saw Whales and Turtles?
The Dives (afternoon): For my afternoon dives we did the Mario World and the LCM. Those dives were shallower but had some current. I would consider them as drift ish. Alex was the DM for that dive. We dove with 2 less experience divers. Alex gave a very detailed pre-dive brief each time and was definitely taking good care of the other divers. She monitored them constantly which ensured that they had a good time. If you want supervision or just an awesome dive buddy, she is who you want to dive with. Alex is definitely versatile and loves this sport. She also gave me a ride back to my hotel after the dive which was truly awesome. Thanx Alex!!
Im now counting the days before I get back in the water with them. Hopefully I dont have to count too much.
Overall score: I give Kaimana divers a 12/10. They are the real deal and will do whatever it takes for you to enjoy your experience.
Thank you all so much again!!!!
If you are all on SB, look me up!
Gabe: I still want a shirt. Lets talk.
Jon
