November 05: Hawaii

For the first time in a very long time, Kath and I didn't take the Divers Den North Thanksgiving trip. Solo and group trips have their own respective advantages, but we wanted to head back to the Aloha state for quite some time, and opportunity struck. We missed our friends in the Caribbean, but they were there with us in spirit. And as it turned out, there were up to 6 of our "group" with us, so we weren't lonely!

The Big Island is much as we remember it: A mix of all the conveniences of home with the beauty of Hawaii. Underwater highlights included a Hammerhead, a couple of Oceanic White Tip Sharks, pods of Dolphins and Pilot Whales, mantas, eagle rays, zebra morays, numerous nudibranchs and flatworms, and my favorite fish of all, the Flame Angel. Most days the seas were like glass, and the weather was beautiful.

DiveTek, our dive operator, was outstanding. Most days we had the boat to ourselves and was like having a private charter. But even when we didn't, the boat was large and comfortable with a very friendly crew. Keith, Chuck, Tim, and Colin were very professional, helpful, and fun. It was great being with a crew that didn't rush you out of the water or limit your max depth, and also enjoyed being in the water with you. John got a chance to do his longest non-decompression dive ever, 90 minutes.

We did dive with a couple of friends on a few days with very varied diving experience and DiveTek provided an additional dive master just to help out. DiveTek was terrific about providing some technical equipment for trying out Kath's new multi-gas computer. We used a 2nd dive operator a couple of times due to scheduling conflicts, and we missed being with DiveTek. This other operator didn't share our views of having a minimal impact on the sea life.

YOU WANT TO BE DIVING WITH DIVETEK!!! It might sound like a commercial for these guys, but they were great.

No camera problems this trip, so all the crappy pics are John's fault. Pics are located here.

No flight troubles coming or going; however, the United Airlines personnel could use a little refresher in customer service. The new airline weight limitations are low, but tolerable. However, when you are being asked to fork over $25 per bag when it's only over by 1.5lbs, it's a bit on the extreme side. Ask me about asking the customer service rep. about being banged. Some people have no sense of humor.

Chris and Kath "made a Thanksgiving dinner that could not be beat" sung with an Arlo Guthrie Alice's Restaurant harmony. The Kanaloa Outrigger was lovely; like a "mini-PPR" for those of you who have been to Palau. Dollar car rental was slow, but now I'm just getting picky. It might sound like we had a great trip, because we did. Enjoy the pictures and if you have a chance, get to Big Island!

March 05: Wakatobi

Kath and I are back from Wakatobi. I can say that we now have a new #1 reef diving destination. The reefs are pristine and lush. The critters are friendly. The only downside is no big stuff. No sharks during our trip, although 1 group saw a manta for a few seconds.

Bali isn't worth the 30+ hour plane ride (one way), but Wakatobi definitely is.

Pics are here, enjoy!