Hawaii: Chapter 3 - Anybody Wana SCUBA?

Diving the Kona Coast was amazing. The coastline is mostly made up of volcanic cliffs dropping strait into the Pacific Ocean. Reaching depths of 30-60 feet within less than 100 meters of shore, after that, it can drop to depths of 2000 feet not more than a 1/4 mile from shore. This allows some awesome shallow dives minutes from the harbor. The coastline here is infamous for underwater volcanic rock formations. The supercooled lava has formed amazing arches some only large enough for one diver to swim through, others are large enough to drive a VW bus through. Also at various dive sites along the coast caves, caverns, and lava tubes can be dove. Gretchen's favorite site was called "Suck Em' Up". This was a large lava tube in 30 feet of water running parallel to the shore. With sun lights in the roof providing visibility inside the cavern and waves crashing through over your head.


Diving Kona was different from other sites Gretchen and I have dove in Jamaica and the Bahamas in that only Hard Coral grew on the volcanic rock, not the Soft Coral and Sponges we're used to seeing in the Caribbean Sea. This Hard Coral still provides home to some amazing underwater creatures. My favorite dive site was called "Pa' Wai' Bay". This was actually one of only two marine sanctuary's along the Kona Coast. Since it was an underwater sanctuary I thought you could see more fish here than any other site we dove.

Gretchen leaving the water after one of eight dives along the Kona Coast.Happy Divers

We used four underwater disposable camera's, unfortunately we went old school film which takes longer to develop than digital, so this post is a work in progress, I will throw up some underwater shots after the shots get back!