Getting Back To Normal

Well, after a lot of clean-up, Koloa Landing is getting back to normal. Conditions there have been getting better each day. I have heard a few people complain that because of the storms in December, that Koloa will never be the same. I couldn't disagree more. Koloa Landing is phenominal. Even on a bad day, it is better than most other dive sites in Kauai. Thankfully, its starting to show.

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Why am I an Instructor?

If you have seen any of my posts about Koloa Landing and the diving conditions lately, you may understand why I ask the question, "why am I an Instructor?" Well, today, I was reminded why. I went to teach the pool lesson at the Hyatt, where I had only one person show up. Well, that was a little dissapointing. However, I was even more dissapointed to learn that they would be leaving in the morning. To make it even worse, the other person that brought the first time diver to the pool lesson was a certified diver (Luigi, from Italy) that did a refresher with me a few days before. He scheduled a dive with another company before arriving in Kauai and did not dive with us. He told me that his dive had been cancelled because of ocean conditions. I am batting .1000 here in the dissapointment department. So Luigi introduces me to Simona. She says that she is excited to try SCUBA. Well, O.K. Here we go. So we go through the lesson and are getting ready to practice. As soon as she put the regulator in her mouth, she began to complain that she felt like she was going to faint. She then spit it out of her mouth and said, "I am going to faint. I cannot do this!" To make a long story short, after about an hour of one-on-one and a lot of encouragement, Simona was successful. Now I did not make any money from this...no one paid me for my time. But the reward came in the success of sharing something I love with someone. You cannot put a price tag on that.

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Snorkeling in Kauai with Hawaiian Monk Seals

Sometimes, it is the simple things that make us happy. I will be the first to tell you that I love diving and would much prefer diving to snorkeling. However, everything has its time and place. I have learned that snorklers are people, too! We have added a really awesome snorkel tour that is just as fun, safe and easy as everything else that we do. Lots of cool stuff to see here. 

While walking down to the beach, we stopped to say hello to a couple of the local Hawaiian Monk Seals (that can only be found in the islands).
The Hawaiian Monk Seal is a species that is considered endemic to the islands. The word endemic means that the species is unique to a region (i.e., is found no where else) and is believed to have evolved there. Many other species found in Hawaii are considered indigenous, which means that they arrived in the islands under natural conditions such as by wind or by water, but can also be found in a number of different regions. Examples of animals indigenous to Hawaii are the humpback whale, the green sea turtle, and the Laysan albatross. 

Many believe monk seals got their name from their monk-like preference for solitude; others think that the loose skin around the seals' neck resembles the hood of a monk's robe. Ancient Hawaiians apparently thought neither and named the seal Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, which means "dog that runs in rough waters," referring somewhat back to their ancestral history. Monk seals are also sometimes referred to as "living fossils" because as the oldest living members of the pinniped order they have remained virtually unchanged for 15 million years.

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Jordan Saves A Turtle

Opportunity often knocks, but do you listen. Not too long ago, Jordan had the opportunity to help one of our sea friends. One of our local turtle buddies was caught up in some fishing line. This poor guy was actually stuck on the bottom of the reef, unable to move because of the line wrapped around his neck. A couple of divers that were with Jordan snapped these photos as he cut the turtle free. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to make a special difference in the water. Thanks, Jordan.

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Koloa Landing 12/19/2008

Well, it still looks kinda rough at Koloa...but the forecast looks great for the next few days! We should be back in the water by Monday and we hope to see you there!

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SCUBABOARD

For those of you who have yet to visit scubaboard.com, here is your official invitation. Scubaboard.com is a fantastic way to learn about scuba and meet knowledgeable people (some of whom you will get to meet in person). We have all learned a lot from this fantastic resource and wish to share it with everyone. Here is a picture of DMJULIE (Dive Monster Julie) and AASCUBAGIRL with some members of scubaboard.  Please visit their site:

http://www.scubaboard.com

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More Rain...

Here we are again, cleaning up Koloa Landing. December has yet to be kind to divers :( Well, good news! Conditions are clearing up and getting much better. We look forward to the week of Christmas for conditions to get better. We have sunny days and no rain forcasted for the next several days (yeah!). Hope to see you underwater soon!

Aloha!

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