Kenny's Kona Khristmas Kwestions

[Mo2vation]

Heading off to the Aggressor for Christmas / New Years - I can't believe its like 4 weeks away....

I need some assistance from the locals, please:

1) Reference books - for fishies and nudis and coral and stuff. What books to you locals have in your bags? Which are your favorites? I need to pick some up, but I don't want to get books I won't use. I know which books work well for SoCal - what works for you?

2) Exposure - yeah yeah... I know. Depends. But here's the deal - I've never dived in water in the 70's. SoCal is mid 50's to mid 60's, and its drysuit or 7mm wet for me. East Cape was low to mid 80's and was 3mm for an hour+. Belize was high 80's and was lycra skin suits for an hour+. Will my 3mm be OK with maybe a 3mm or 5mm hooded vest, or should I bring the 7mm (9-7-5-really... seems like overkill.) I have no reference for water that is supposed to be "in the 70's..." My concern is for my wife. It takes a lot for me to get cold. She's pretty hearty, but not as hearty as I am... what do YOU locals dive at this time of year (End of December)?

3) Aggressor Vets - I've been speaking with the Aggressor team, and they seem like swell people. You Aggressor vets, anything I should know? You know, inside stuff... when you got off the boat, you were thinking "if I go again, I'm bringing XXXXXXXX..." This is my first "live aboard" and I want to be sure I don't muff it and forget something that would make life a whole lot better, you know? Any inside scoop will be appreciated.


Thanks, all.

---
Ken - the Kona kid

 

[Wildcard]

3-5 is ideal for a suit. Per a LDS owner, three dives a day is enough, cuts into his beer drinking time....Not many nudis on the Kona side and Im trying to rember the ID book...Whatever, you will have fun! Aloha

 

[cuddlefish]

Hawaii's Sea Creatures: A Guide to Hawaii's Marine Invertebrates by John P. Hoover.

Hawaii's Fishes: A Guide for Snorkelers, Divers, and Aquarists by John P. Hoover.

Shore Fishes of Hawaii by John E. Randall.

The first book, "Hawaii's Sea Creatures" is a must! Take your pick from the second two as they are both excellent references. I have all three, of course!

I would go for the 5mm suit, by the way.

 

[cuddlefish]

3-5 is ideal for a suit. Per a LDS owner, three dives a day is enough, cuts into his beer drinking time....Not many nudis on the Kona side and Im trying to rember the ID book...Whatever, you will have fun! Aloha

Not too many nudi's (?!)....holy moly, you need to go diving with my husband or any of the other "nudi-crazy" dive guides I know in Kona. They see tons of nudibranchs all the time (and not just the "regular" 4 or 5 species that we all see all the time. I'm talking like 30 different kinds...some as tiny as a speck. Of course you have to do a LOT of diving...but it's worth it (to see a Jolly Green Giant, for example). I don't have enough skill or a good enough eye for finding them, but they are out there (laughing at us as we swim unknowingly right over them).

 

[Mo2vation]

Hawaii's Sea Creatures: A Guide to Hawaii's Marine Invertebrates by John P. Hoover.

Hawaii's Fishes: A Guide for Snorkelers, Divers, and Aquarists by John P. Hoover.

Shore Fishes of Hawaii by John E. Randall.

The first book, "Hawaii's Sea Creatures" is a must! Take your pick from the second two as they are both excellent references. I have all three, of course!

I would go for the 5mm suit, by the way.

Checked them out. These look like the kind of books I'm looking for.

See, the thing with a 5mm is I'll never wear it again. I mean, where else do I go where its in the 70's? Seriously - like noplace. Ever. This is why I'm thinking of adding a 3mm hooded vest to the 3mm suit. I dunno. I should just hit eBay and get a couple of fivers for this trip and stop being such a weenie.

Thanks for the books.

Ken

 

[justleesa]

I can also highly recommend both of John Hoovers books and John Randals book. John H. also has a website in which things are posted that weren't known or pictures weren't available at the time of printing.
Just went ID diving with him a couple of weeks ago...very, very knowledgeable.

Will my 3mm be OK with maybe a 3mm or 5mm hooded vest

That should do the trick

 

[TSandM]

I dove in water in the low to mid 70's in Australia in a 5mm wetsuit with a l mm vest/hood. I really didn't need the hood, which I learned when I had one I couldn't keep up. I'm not sure I needed the 5 mil suit, but I was certainly plenty warm in it as long as it stayed zipped. When it unzipped all the way, I got a little chilly. I am the absolute queen of cold, wearing long underwear to work in a heated ER, so I always figure if I'm warm enough, almost anybody would be.

 

[Mo2vation]

I dove in water in the low to mid 70's in Australia in a 5mm wetsuit with a l mm vest/hood. I really didn't need the hood, which I learned when I had one I couldn't keep up. I'm not sure I needed the 5 mil suit, but I was certainly plenty warm in it as long as it stayed zipped. When it unzipped all the way, I got a little chilly. I am the absolute queen of cold, wearing long underwear to work in a heated ER, so I always figure if I'm warm enough, almost anybody would be.

With our 3mm we'll probably be fine.

Say - isn't your DIR/F coming up soon? The SoCal crew has been through their classroom stuff and is doing their in-water next weekend.

---
Ken

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I ain't skinny and I use a 5 over there this time of year.

 

[kidspot]

I'd second the Hoover books - they are very nicely done.

as to exposure... if you have a 3 but not a 5 maybe add a 3mil hooded vest or bring your 7mil. Lots of locals dive in a 7, but most visitors are fine in 3 till they start doing multi dive days in a row (listen to Al above) ... or just bring your drysuit lol

Too bad you won't be making it over to Maui but have fun anyway

Aloha, Tim