Looking for Kayak divers on Oahu

[SexSea!]

Wow nice....lets see...maybe good to mention that I have never yak'd in the open ocean. Rivers/lakes/streams but never the ocean. And for sure have never hauled my gear out on a yak to go dive...so everything about it would be new to me.

-So how many go down at a time? If there are 2 on the kayak do you moor it and then both go down? Does someone need to always stay?

-How do you find the sites?

-What are the safety precautions that you should always follow (besides common sense) or what are the top do's and don'ts?

-Is the row back to shore more difficult than rowing out? What kind of shape should you be in cardio wise? I'm sure the conditions can be a big difference between easy/harder rowing so do you guys always go even when there is larger swells?

Man thats a good amount of questions! Thanks so much for answering...maybe there is a website or something I can read about it...? I have always wanted to do this as I tire of paying 40$ charter fees and constantly desire a more personal experience outside of a group. It really sounds right up my alley, just want to be sure I am in shape enough for it and have a good idea what to expect....that way i make it easier on my partners(s).

Thanks bro!

 

[Cacia]

(I can tell you that he knows how to get in and out of his gear, like a ballerina)

Jay, you should ask for an EPIRB from Santa Claus. (or you could get your wife one!)

 

[rockjock3]

(I can tell you that he knows how to get in and out of his gear, like a ballerina)

Jay, you should ask for an EPIRB from Santa Claus. (or you could get your wife one!)

I bought her a D50 w/2 lens package as well as a speed flash, some filters, a case and a home studio backdrop stand. I don't think I could justify (in her eyes) getting her an EPIRB. If you're offering though I won't turn it away. :lol:

 

[rockjock3]

Wow nice....lets see...maybe good to mention that I have never yak'd in the open ocean. Rivers/lakes/streams but never the ocean. And for sure have never hauled my gear out on a yak to go dive...so everything about it would be new to me.

-So how many go down at a time? If there are 2 on the kayak do you moor it and then both go down? Does someone need to always stay?

We both (haven't gone out with more than my buddy and myself at once yet) go on the dive. I have 270feet of 3/8 nylon braided line on my yak and he has 100 foot on his. We both have bow and stern tag lines also. Whichever one of us is going to dive for the bouy clips their yak off to the stern of the lead yak. The bouy diver then gets in and takes the rope from the lead. He dives down and hooks (or loops through) the bouy and then comes back up and ties off to the lead yak. We both then dive and when we return, remount the yaks, doff our gear and get ready to go we release the mooring and each other paddle off.

We also have 3lb kayak anchor that we carry if we choose to use that or dive a site that has no mooring.

-How do you find the sites?

I have a Garmin GPS Map60c that I put in a small waterproof pouch (it is already waterproof, but I want to keep the salt off it) and find the sites the same way the big boys do.

-What are the safety precautions that you should always follow (besides common sense) or what are the top do's and don'ts?

We don't go out when the wind is high or the swells are beyond our capabilities. I also use a full size dive flag raised on my yak to be seen. I also carry more safety gear also than many divers I know. Here is a list of my safety gear that I carry on yak dives (actually on all dives).

6 foot Halcyon super-big SMB
150foot of line on a finger spool
Strobe
2 dye markers
signal mirror
whistle
backup light

-Is the row back to shore more difficult than rowing out? What kind of shape should you be in cardio wise? I'm sure the conditions can be a big difference between easy/harder rowing so do you guys always go even when there is larger swells?

Man thats a good amount of questions! Thanks so much for answering...maybe there is a website or something I can read about it...? I have always wanted to do this as I tire of paying 40$ charter fees and constantly desire a more personal experience outside of a group. It really sounds right up my alley, just want to be sure I am in shape enough for it and have a good idea what to expect....that way i make it easier on my partners(s).

Thanks bro!

We watch the surf conditions and go only when they are within our abilities. We can yak in larger surf and swells, but we take into account having to remount the yaks and pull our gear back in when we go to dive. We have dove in about 2 - 3 foot swells with the yaks and for now that is about the most we want to conquer. It just isn't that much fun when you get beyond that. As far as conditioning. It is a good idea to have conditioning, but we also don't race it. We actually cruise along about 3.5 to 4 mph and can paddle out of Ali Wai Harbor to the YO or Sea Tiger in about 40-50 minutes at that nice lazy pace.

Unless conditions change drastically during the dive the paddle in is usually no harder than the paddle out.

As I always tell people. I am willing to go out with anybody to kayak dive and teach them what I know, as well as I am willing to go out and learn from others that have more yak diving under their belt than I do.

I have most of my stuff down now it is just working on my routine and becoming quicker in it by repetition.

Jay

 

[SexSea!]

Thanks for all that great info! I broke out the mountain bike and started biking again to help build up cardio. My gf and I are going to rent some yaks after christmas and go test out the feel in the ocean a few times. When im confident I can manage it i would love to get together with you and try this out.

Thanks so much for explaining all that to me. =)

 

[Sloth]

After shooting some PMs to Jay about Kayak diving I think I'm going to look into getting one too.

Maybe we can get a good group of yak divers going

PS I sent you a PM about mountain biking SS.
Mark

 

[SexSea!]

Hey got your PM. After I can get comfortable doing this I would love to do a group yak thing.

 

[sloyota]

Please keep me in the loop...I need to get my yak back in the water as it has been dry for nearly a year...plus, I am sure I will provide hours of entertainment...being 260 pounds and trying to change tanks out on a Scupper Pro in rolling seas...nuff sed...

 

[rockjock3]

Please keep me in the loop...I need to get my yak back in the water as it has been dry for nearly a year...plus, I am sure I will provide hours of entertainment...being 260 pounds and trying to change tanks out on a Scupper Pro in rolling seas...nuff sed...

I do the old paddle back to shore and change tanks thing. It gives me a good surface interval and also just isn't worth the chance of rolling with my regs open to the elements and/or just when the tank is loose just to watch it plummet to the bottom.

I solve the problem of changing though by usually just doing one really high quality dive instead of racing to try and get two. I like both ways though.

 

[rockjock3]

All members of the new Oahu Yak Divers Club. I am planning getting a yak dive together for next week. I won't know the day until this weekend (Monday at the latest). I am shooting for next Thur-Sat time frame. My goal is to either do Rabbit Isalnd and try to get some Tiger shark video footage, or to do a ride out to the Army rec area on the Leeward coast and do one tank on the LCU and the other to the Beechcraft airplane out there. The LCU is about 1.6 miles out and back so about 40-50 minute paddle each way and a nice 100 foot dive. The other dive is .9 miles almost straight out (about 20 minutes each way) and also a nice 100foot dive with a shark cave that I didn't know about last time I dove it.

For those that would like to dive it please let me know. I would also like to know who has Nitrox cert so that we could have two teams and some could stay a little longer. Just a thought.

Let me know if your interested and what day would be the best (conditions will do some of the dictating.)

Jay