Scuba Diving Course
Highway to Hana
The course was very intensive - every day we dived 2 times in the ocean and in addition to that there was a lot of reading, like PADI Open Water Diving Manual. Every day we did written tests after the diving sessions and after cleaning up the gear. We learned how to use the PADI tables to calculate the pressure groups and maximum allowed non decompression limits.
We had a small group - just four people. Wayne and Kathy were from Idaho and George was from Canada. During the first day we dived two times from a shallow beach at 14 mile marker at highway 30. After assembling and checking the equipment we went down to 21 feet and practised taking off the mask and putting it back and filling it with air.
We practised also clearing regulator while underwater by exhalation and purge-button methods, as well as buyoancy control by breathing and BCD. Equalizing ears and mask was not so easy. We also practised breathing using buddy's alternate air source (octopussy) while underwater and while ascending.
During the second day we practised the above skills couple more times. Taking off and putting on lead weights and BCD both under water and at the surface was relatively easy. We also practised controlled emergency ascent procedure which did some harm to my ears - I think I did not pay enough attention to equalizing them and therefore had some trouble with them later.
During the third day we went diving with Tony for two times. Maximum depth was 41 feet and we saw a lot of different fishes, sea turtles, sea urchins and a sea cucumber. The sea cucumber was about 40 cm in length and it felt like rubber.
Tony found also a knife from the bottom and I found one dime. This day was the definitely the most fun part of the whole course.Unfortunately on the way to surface Mauri did have trouble getting his ears equalized and he had to go to see a doctor the next day because his ears were so clogged.
Marja took the same course few days later. Ocean was quite rough on her first day and the visibility was close to zero underwater. She managed to do all the exercises despite the rough ocean conditions.
After finishing the course Marja did night dive around the Black Rock at Kaanapali Beach. She saw grabs, turtles, and different fishes. At one stage they shut down their flashlights and they saw plankton biofluorescence when they moved their hands. One big moray eel started to follow them but fortunately it didn't snap their fins.
After this great experience Marja got flu so the flight back home was not so pleasant.
"Hang Loose"
Tony teached us local scuba diving hand signs...this
one is common in Hawaii.
Mauri at 35 feet depth
Sea
Turtle
This turtle was
swimming at 41 feet depth staying near the corals. It let me come
within just two feet distance to take this picture.
Sea Cucumber
Black Rock at Kaanapali
Beach
Scuba diving around
the Black Rock is an experience - especially in the night
time.
Moray Eel
This kind of fellow was following Marja in her night
dive.
Mora