Reccomendation on rental equip.? (Big Island)

[Dash]

Dash,

I am jealous...all I can play are CD's!

joewr

Go on Joe, pick one up, its easy (or else I couldnt do it!)

You can wow the wife, girlfriend, or mistress with a stirring rendition of Wahine Ilikea!

 

[friscuba]

Just noticed on your profile it says 0-24 dives and less than one year. If that's current, I'd recommend starting at the Place of Refuge 'til you get your bearings. It's a bit easier to navigate. You want to be sure you're decent with a compass and recognizing landmarks on the other dives as you could be in for a swim to find an exit if you don't hit it from underwater.

 

[Dash]

Steve, I see exactly where you are talking about, thanks very much for your help.

Also, no worries on the ugly mainlander syndrome. Im very empathetic of locals and their privacy.

Just so you know, you were #1 on my list for a dive charter this trip. Since my wife is not only a beginner and gets seasick occasionally, she balked at the small boat so we compromised that this time we'd go a little bigger boat (Kona Honu) and if no problems then we'd go with your operation next time.

So dont go out of business any time soon!

Thanks again

 

[Dash]

Actually my wife and I are diving with another family member who has far more experience than we. I appreciate your concern and advice and will start at Place of Refuge regardless.

 

[friscuba]

Steve, I see exactly where you are talking about, thanks very much for your help.

Also, no worries on the ugly mainlander syndrome. Im very empathetic of locals and their privacy.

Just so you know, you were #1 on my list for a dive charter this trip. Since my wife is not only a beginner and gets seasick occasionally, she balked at the small boat so we compromised that this time we'd go a little bigger boat (Kona Honu) and if no problems then we'd go with your operation next time.

So dont go out of business any time soon!

Thanks again

Thanks for the thought, I plan on being around for quite a while. I'm putting money into replacing the fuel tanks on my boat this next week, it's not as minor of a job as it sounds... gotta recover my investment.

Have fun,

 

[joewr]

Thanks. Both Keei and the Refuge are great dives. I'd love to have a good scooter and a few days off to explore the less dove spots. Tinker's don't need so much depth that it (the depth) can't be found in most locations. They do seem to have a thing for a certain type of topography though in my limited experience of finding them, the divesites I know of that we take divers off the boat to see them have a certain similarity. It wouldn't surprise me if there aren't a spot or two away from the heavily dove area that would be good candidates.

Jack's and Sandwich Island are also both good options for rentals, not sure if they have the weekly rental deal on tanks that Big Island used to (not sure if it's still something they offer) have. For the most part, the scuba shops here are pretty friendly and free with the info, shoredivers are a part of their business too.

Aloha,

Hi,

Just out of curiousity are those racoons in your photo the ones at Two-Step? We found a nice school like that over to the south.


And it was great that you checked Dash' experience...Keei could be a little difficult if he does not have some "guides" with him. But it sounds like he has it covered.

I will bet that I dream of Keei tonight...we just love that dive!

joewr

 

[friscuba]

The raccoons are off a boat diving site called "eel cove" south of Honokohau. There's a couple of large groups of raccoons between there and old airport that have figured out that divers scare sergeant majors. When sergeant majors are on eggs we'll sometimes have large groups of the raccoons shadowing divers, litterally only a foot or two away, waiting for the males guarding the eggs to swim off, then they'll swoop in to the rock and eat away. At times you can literally have a hundred or more raccons swim right up to you hoping to shadow you. There are groups at Honaunau and off either side of Honokohau harbor that people run into, but they don't display the same behavior as far as I've seen.

 

[joewr]

The raccoons are off a boat diving site called "eel cove" south of Honokohau. There's a couple of large groups of raccoons between there and old airport that have figured out that divers scare sergeant majors. When sergeant majors are on eggs we'll sometimes have large groups of the raccoons shadowing divers, litterally only a foot or two away, waiting for the males guarding the eggs to swim off, then they'll swoop in to the rock and eat away. At times you can literally have a hundred or more raccons swim right up to you hoping to shadow you. There are groups at Honaunau and off either side of Honokohau harbor that people run into, but they don't display the same behavior as far as I've seen.

Hi,

We have done that dive and have seen attacks on Sgt Major nests...I have rarely seen one of the purple masses go unmolested. We have seen other schools of racoons south of the refuge and up north at House 38. I love to see them all massed together. Neither displays the behavior you describe. I wonder if someone has been feeding them at the Honokohau site?

joewr