Micronesia/Hawaii 2005
#46
Posted 18 March 2005 - 01:32 AM
Just got back yesterday. Man that flight is Hell!
You must be getting the rain I had in Palau for a day. On my no dive day (day before yesterday) the wind were kicking up and there was a storm north of Palau.
Sounds like you had a good time. Hope to have my report posted tomorrow. Everytime i go to Palau, I never think it can get any better. I am always proved wrong! WOW.... this was the best trip ever.
I read your note that you found the reason for reef hooks. I have made an apparatus that centers the hook on my BC. Made up of plastic clips and steel rings. Well I encountered such strong currents at Blue Corner and Peleliu (3 to 5 knots) they snaped! With a full BC.....That was fun burning air grabbing that hook.
Walter if you read this I now KNOW what SNAP BOLTS ARE!!! LOL.
Also Kamala if you read this, I talked to Sam and he will see you at the show about a SD trip next year!
#47
Posted 19 March 2005 - 08:22 PM
#48
Posted 19 March 2005 - 10:10 PM
#49
Posted 19 March 2005 - 11:43 PM
WOW what great reports! And to think i thought i did great the last 10 days by getting around 22 hours of bottom time!! You definitely out did me
But we must compare notes on Palau and Kona when you get back.
If you get this e-mail before you get on the Aggressor in Kona....a couple of great dive spots i have found were Spaceship and the Arches.
Keep up the great diving.
Scott
#50
Posted 24 March 2005 - 04:06 PM
#51
Posted 24 March 2005 - 04:39 PM
I know how you feel about being bummed out. Been home for a week and already planning my 6th trip for next year. When i was on the dive boats in Palau people would ask me how many days i was there for....I would only answer 8 days, 7 days.....left. I really got depressed when it was only 3,2 and then Only 1 day! Next year i am planning 12 days!
I think you will probably have closer encounters with the Mantas in Kona than you had in Yap. I am interested in hearing your opinion between Yap and Kona!
Safe Diving!
Edited by Travelnsj, 24 March 2005 - 04:41 PM.
#52
Posted 24 March 2005 - 04:51 PM
Formerly known as gis_gal and name tattoo'd for a small bribe!
#53
Posted 04 April 2005 - 12:28 PM
My last stop was the Kona Coast in Hawaii for a week aboard the Kona Aggressor. I've never had a bad time on an Aggressor and this one was one of the best. The food was the best I've ever had on any liveaboard which didn't help my growing waistline. A waist is a terrible thing to mind. The diving is very different then Micronesia but that doesn't mean it's not good. The waters off the Kona Coast contain a lot of interesting fish and creatures. The water temp was a bit of a shock after having dived in 84 degree water in Kosrae to come here where it was between 75-77 with most dives at 77. In Kona I wore it all. I first put on my 3 mil hooded vest followed by my 1 mil microprene and then my 3 mil Henderson Gold Core. I felt a bit like the Michelene Man with all that protection on. But it kept me warm and I only needed 12 lbs to get down. Over the week I got in 27 dives and saw lots of interesting things. I continued my never ending quest for nudibranchs and was rewarded with some real nice ones. I think I even amazed the divemasters with my ability to find them. Unlike most of the places I've dived at they actually have cool names for thier nudibranchs in Hawaii. I found many fried eggs and strawberry nudis as well as many divided flatworms and a few fuschia flatworms but the ones I like the best were the ones I only found one of. Those would be the gold lace nudi, the lumpy nudi and the white margin nudi. But I shouldn't forget the 3 spanish dancers I saw on a night dive as well. One of which I found(the divemaster found the other 2). I had never seen a spanish dancer before and it is one huge nudibranch. The 3 we saw were between 8-12 inches. Way cool. But the coolest thing was the Manta Night Dive. I'd heard about this and I've dived with Mantas before but this was special. We had 6 Mantas that night and I got continually dived bombed for 54 mins as I sat on the bottom holding up my light over my head. I have a light cannon which is damn bright and the Mantas really were attracted to it. I had Mantas collide over me, into me, side swiped by wings and tail whipped. It is trully an amazing sight to have a huge Manta sweep down on you with it's mouth wide open. They are very graceful even when two of them run into each other. If you ever go dive off the Kona coast do not I repeat do not miss this dive. I also had an experience in lava tube which I'm happy to say I survived. There was quite a bit of surge and me and my buddy got quite the ride. I know now what it is like to be in a washing machine. The crew on board was the youngest of any liveaboard I've ever been on but they were still very professional and very fun. Did I say how good the food was? Another great thing about this was the boat only has room for 14 and I had booked into the quad room. Well there was only 9 of us so I got upgraded to double for free which considering I was getting $200 off the quad price was a great deal. After a great week on board I flew from Kona to Honolulu and called Alikat. She came and got me at the airport and showed me around the island. She was a very good host and I had a great day with her before flying back to the mainland. While I was gone American Airlines rescheduled my flight back to Denver and moved it from 11am to 12:56pm. Then it was two hours late on top of that. I hate LAX! I always seem to have a problem there luckily it's always been on the way home. But since that was the worst thing that happened on the trip I'd have to say it was one great trip. And it really was a great trip. It really was!!!
Final stats:
116 dives -- 115 hours(exactly) of bottom time. I knew I had to stay down 67 mins on my last dive to get to 115. Everybody was on the boat but me. The crew was wondering if I was ever gonna come up. Everybody else did a short last dive.
10.5 lbs weight gained. Didn't exercise for 8 weeks unless you count putting on and taking off a wetsuit. Drank to many beers as well, but I was on holiday!
#54
Posted 04 April 2005 - 01:22 PM
Regarding the Lava tube dives were they the Spaceship or the Arches? Those are my favorites!
Every year I go to Kona in July..... when the water is 82 just for those dives. So Chuck what are you doing this July? I need a Buddy!
Can't wait to read your full report. I posted mine from Palau......seems like a year ago!
Edited by Travelnsj, 04 April 2005 - 05:45 PM.
#55
Posted 04 April 2005 - 04:32 PM
you have to get on another boat in less than 2 weeks.
#56
Posted 14 April 2005 - 04:24 PM
Welcome back, my friend!
"Love is blind but lust likes lacy panties" -- SanDiegoCarol
"If you're gonna be dumb, you'd better be tough." -- Phillip Manor
"If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't I'll just respond cleverly." -- Donald Rumsfeld
#57
Posted 14 April 2005 - 05:23 PM
Katrina says hi. Got to know her better then Bruce. Bruce was only there a few days while I was there. He had been in the US for 6 weeks and got back near the end of my stay. Yeah the hard coral in Kosrae is incredible and depending which part of the island you dive off it's totally different. I to thought about staying there. I kept telling the divemaster I was gonna take his job.
- Chuck
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