a diver’s paradise

AS SEEN IN SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE shorts aredailyattire a culturewhereflip-fl ops, There’s alsosomethinginspiringabout that looklikeasunburntmoonscape fi e that flow hotandredintothesea off tothehorizon, steamingvolcanos canyons, silk-sandbeachesthatstretch stroll. There areimpenetrable red-rock kind ofplaceyoucouldtakeafamily but always seemsinviting—likethe and everythingthatexudesexotic-ness with greens, uniqueflora andfauna cascade down. The rainforests arelush the loveliestcliffsandhillsidesto Wat tion. And thenthereisthesea… vas nation ofislandperfectionisHa comes totheworld’s collective imagi- paradise comesup afternoon sun. Island tonapand soakupthelate on theblack sandbeaches oftheBig On thecover: h even themost well-trav has taken boldstepsto enthrall and surpr It’s aplace whe dreams. of ourculture... butmostlyit’s inour blueFir hawaiiHanalei, lds offreshly-hardened, blackla t realmofdiscoveryandexplora- edancer, Kona erfalls hereseemtoseekoutonly clothing design, ontelevision, part awa Wh ii iseverywhere en theideaofatropical Sea turtlescomeashore , t he fi rstplacethat . H awa . I T- t’s inour ii offersa shirts and re re wai the chaos ofevolution

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Oahu blower. even themostwell-traveled bubble- en boldstepstoenthrall and surprise where thechaosofevolutionha colorfully andinterestinglydesigned to have beentobecomethemost one imperative whileevolvingseems rockmovers andendemicfishwhose whales sharespacewithtigermorays, turtles, mantarays schools ofspinnerdolphins visitors The oceandefinesHa ele , e A A specially divers d bubble-blower place wheremassive Naked Lady, Kona , r eef sharksand wai . I t’s aplace , g i formost ise reen sea

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species inthesea. for more. that willalw rar Pac in thecenterofvast field of sprinkle ofvolcanictreasuresmack the middleofnowhere Haw are morethan1,000milesfrom islands onearth. Itsclosestneighb ness part ofourtropicalislandconscious- that althoughit’s suchan integr more remarkableaboutHa deep-blue adventures. tures onasingledive to seemostofthesedistinctivec The islandsofHa Off theseshoresarealifetimeof e realmofPolynesian perfecti ific Ocean. , i aii’s idyllics t’s themostremotechain ays lea hores. It’s liter And it’s common ve youyearnin wai . Wh , a i existinthat n accidental at’s even wai i is ally in

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butterfl yfi sh that pour over the wreck. It should not be missed while in Oahu. Wrecks aren’t the only undersea attraction off Oahu. If you’re interested in seeing ’s singular variety of endemic species (almost 30 percent of everything you see is unique to Hawaii!) there’s only one place to go: Hanauma Bay. It is perhaps the world’s most famous beach. This lovely caldera is strikingly beautiful and literally packed International Market, Waikiki Green Sea Turtle with marine life (the result of food pellets offered by the tourists). There’s also a wreck, and pennant butterfl yfi sh fl it and spectacular collection of volcanic caverns, gathering place fl o w among the shadows. There’s a home to stonefi sh, sharks and turtles. For scarcely a person alive cannot conjure resident moray that lives in the cable a funky addition to your logbook, head an image of Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, spooling mechanism at the bow. And all off to the sharky site called the Electric hula or the famous waves of the North kinds of passing pelagics visit the wreck, Plant. For something that will cause your Shore. Oahu has made a deep impression including tiger sharks and green sea thrill vein to tingle, head to the surfer’s on the world. It has a little bit of turtles. Closer to the cosmopolitan shores enclave of Haleiwa on the North Shore. everything. For divers, though, Oahu of Waikiki, you’ll fi n d two intriguing Here, you’ll head out into open water, means wrecks. The most famous of these wrecks, the YO-257 and a WWII Corsair. jump in a cage and be surrounded by is the legendary Mahi, which resides at The transformation of the YO-257 from dozens of sharks – Galapagos, bull, 95 feet on a sandy seafl oor off the machine of war to has been startling. oceanic whitetip and dusky, all vying for Waianae coast. This one-time cable-layer It has become inundated with soft corals your attention. At the end of the day, has become the gathering place for the and marine life. The Corsair, a result of head down to Waikiki for a beachside Mai area’s marine life. Spotted eagle rays pilot error (he ran out of gas on the way Tai. The tiki torches light up the busy school around the mast, large aggrega- back to the airstrip), makes a unique waterfront and the sound of the waves, tions of blue-striped snapper come so experience for the logbook. It still makes whose lives began thousands of miles thick they literally block the view of the for a great photo op, with the hordes of away, will lull you into a dream state.

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AS SEEN IN SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE adventure an enchantingsoundtrack toeverydive off theseshores of humpbackwhalescometogivebirth of underwater experiences ibly clearwater harborsawildvariety for goodreason. Just offshore, incred- shore, iscrowdedwithdiveflags –and Kailua-Kona, ontheisland’s western round itsshores has seepedintothewaters thatsur- of thisislandisunique. its boundaries of theworld’s 16climatezoneswithin Big Islandteemswithlife t seen, oftenfollowedbyoceanicwhitetip sight ofshore, pilotwhales arefrequently hawaiithe bigisland Fro Hawaiian goddessofvolcanoes he ancestral homeofPele • Ne • Safe • Profes • DailyAM&MantaNightDive • Hot • Long-Range Air-Condit • PADI Course • Smal • T • NewCust • Nit m January throughMarch, pods ransportation to &fromBoatHarborProvided ransportation wer rox , Fres . I Instructor:Diver/StudentRatios ler Div n theopenwater within sional, Experie , St , s hwater Showers&7 om-Built 34’PowerCatamaran ate-of-the-A , t ioned Clas . A o everycornerandturn e Groups-No , Sout heir songsproviding InstructioninQuiet, virtualdivetown, h KonaDiv Th nced Inst srooms rt . I is diversity . Rental Gear t alsohas12 MoreThan12Divers , t he e Sit 0% Shade ructors s , t es byRequest

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Decks Call forMoreInformation haw sharks. Huge aggregations of dolphins fi ll the waters, making surface intervals spec- tacular with their aerial acrobatics. Close to shore, the dive sites that dot the area have become world-famous. At Garden Eel Cove, massive manta rays come in at night to feed on tiny krill and other organisms attracted to lights set on the sea fl oor. It’s a world-class site, with an experience straight from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

City of Refuge and Turtle Pinnacle aii attract green sea turtles by the dozens to their cleaning stations, and after a Manta Night Dive good cleaning these turtles will often pull themselves ashore for a nap. The lava substrate has riddled the shoreline with underwater caverns Kona Honu Divers and arches in which you’ll fi nd nurse #1 IN KONA sharks, legions of squirrelfi sh and every kind of ray of light imaginable. Seques- tered in the nooks and crannies of the dive sites, you’ll fi nd brightly colored frogfi sh, dragon, zebra, whitemouth and yellowmargin morays, and fl uttering extravagances of endemic milletseed butterfl yfi sh. There’s even an extremely photogenic wreck, the Naked Lady, right in the Kona harbor. For a thrilling treat, head out at night for an open water drift dive. You’ll hook onto a fl oating and encounter some of the most otherworldly inhabit- ants of the sea. Larval marine creatures Pristine dive locations, unsurpassed service and a spacious 46' along with deep- water denizens come custom dive boat. 2 tank morning charters, MANTA RAY night dives, up to the surface at night to feed and long range charters, , certification classes & get eaten. Almost every speck you’ll see specialty courses all offered in SMALL personalized groups. Dive is alive and, upon close inspection, more packages available. Visit us at our NEW full-service Scuba center. alien-like than anything else you’re ever likely to see in the sea. Spectacular diving also can be had along the mostly uninhabited Kohala Coast, just northwest of Kona, famous for its pristine hard coral gardens and lava formations, massive turtles and 808 324-4668(HONU) 888 333-4668(HONU) abundance of whitetip reef sharks, as www.konahonudivers.com well as its blissful lack of crowds.

ed Vot t on, ati Bes *ACK´S$IVING,OCKER e Operand Retail /UR&RIENDLY0EOPLE-AKETHE$IFFERENCE Div w, Cre =fik_\lck`dXk\k_i`cc B e come a Instructor in A mile off shore, the warm waters of Hawaii! Diving in 7,000 ft of Black Water, Jack’s Diving Locker is offering IDC training 10 o’clock at night, off Hawaii’s Kona Coast. Dec. 2nd - Dec. 14th, 2006. Enroll in our 10-day IDC course now. • Manta Night Dives • Turtles, Dolphins, Colorful Reefs • Beginners thru Advanced Divers Welcome • A PADI Instructor Development & National Geographic Dive Center • Retail, Rental, Repair, Pool Call: 808-329-6068 800-488-6068 Call Elaine at (800) 345-4807 www.BigIslandDivers.com [email protected] • www.jacksdivinglocker.com

AS SEEN IN SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE endangered monkseals divers frequentlyencounter Ni’ihau Arches Island,” Ni’ihau. At siteslike acing monikerthe “Forbidden ride away, comeswiththe men- Hawaii, abouta45-minuteboat types and, ofcourse bikers, producers, adventurous it’s ameccaforhikers memorable sceneryontheplanet, Wai the wettestspotonearth, Mount are aboutazillionwaterfalls and pyramid andmilletseed butterfly- from hugeschoolsofpennant, as abusymetropolisofmarinelife and blacktipreefsharks lar W Na Pali Coastandthespectacu- indescribable andawe-inspiring famous natural featuresarethe or movie. Perhaps itstwomost island hasappearedina TV show It seemseveryinchofthislush to Hollywood’s PreferredBacklot. kauaik the garden isle The holygrail ofdivingin www www #1 onKauai& #1 onKauai& aleale • • BestDiv 800-685-5889 Kauai shouldchangeitsname nown astheGardenIsle 800-685-5889 aimea Canyon. Inbetween • Best DiveBoatsinHawaii • /ScubaRental Snorkel/Scuba Rentals • .Seaspor • ExceptionalStaf .Seaspor • • DailyBoatDiv . W Exceptional Staf T Daily BoatDives T oll Fr oll Fr ith someofthemost e BoatsinHa and LehuaRock, tDivers.com tDivers.com , d ee ee , m Ni ivers. Ni , e , a es ountain agle rays ihau f ihau f s well waii

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and lavender farms, stunning scenery the magic isle and even a winery – but it’s not From the “House of the Sun,” Mount without its share of top eateries and Haleakala, through the remarkable luxury resorts. beauty of the Hana Road, and Maui is also considered to have the offshore to the one-of-a-kind diving greatest variety of diving in the off Molokini Crater, Maui features a . Abundant sea complete set of the elements that turtles and sharks, and huge numbers defi ne paradise. Still relatively of fi sh, defi ne the underwater unfettered by mass tourism, Maui landscape here. Humpback whales revels in its pastoral charms, espe- crowd the sea during their birthing cially in the Upcountry of East Maui, season, often causing roadblocks with where you’ll fi nd horse ranches, goat their nearshore leaps. Diving the

W W W.VISITMAUI.COM 800-525-MAUI

AS SEEN IN SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE maui bright yellowl butterfl of diving. unpredictable fl y the sheernumber of called Pyramids getsitsnamefrom this diver’s playground. creatures playouttheirlives around which agreatvariety ofmarine incredible diversityofdivesites sand radiant swords. light piercethecaverns likeathou- Second Cathedr world-famous la pleasure ofdivers which seemstoexistsolelyforthe divers isthenearby all thetime There arenewsitesbeingdiscovere will keepyourdivelighthumming a hostofothernocturnaldenizens slipper andbull’s-eye lobstersand night dives take off Spanish dancernudibr modestly des wind. And thenightdivinghereis into a island ofMolokaiislikedescending Almost asecondhomeforMaui fi s h thatflit around thetopof Wil yfi sh accompanydiverslike like magiccarpetsduring Duringmostdives d W , w . cribed asspectacular , s hile eels, cowries, est shootout–thri eaves ina eat-of-your-pants al, whereshafts of va va . H domes ofFirsta island ofLanai, Beyondthatisan ere you’llfi pyramid butter anchs often Th n autumn e site , l emon

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($/''$00/$;@M< nnn%CX_X`eX;`m\ij%Zfd Protea Flower pinnacle. At another site, Fish Rock, menpachi, pipefi sh, viper moray, large cowries and whitetips headline a Hawaiian who’s who list that will have you poring over ID books for hours after a day of diving – and that’s just on the reef. Look to the blue and you’ll have a good chance of seeing spotted eagle rays, manta rays and passing sharks, and from November to May, perhaps even humpback whales. For more information check out www.visitmaui.com or call 800-525-MAUI.

• Now we have 2 boats to serve our dive guests! A new special 6 pax custom-built North River Sea Hawk Offshore Dive boat, or a 12 pax high speed RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat). Both boats are Eco friendly, super quiet, Mercury 4-stroke Verado Engines. • Our RIB boat’s capacity is 22 people, but we limit to 12 divers for a fun, safe adventure. • Our dive equipment comes complete with dive computers • We dive the protected backside of with over 30 dive sites 808-661-7333 • Night Dives, Manta Dives, Boat Dives and Shore Dives To l l Free: 866-529-2544 • Specialty classes including NITROX and courses www.HawaiianRafting.com • Dives guided by Instructors [email protected]

AS SEEN IN SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE

AS SEEN IN SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE