Travel essentials

Time to start packing for our next red sea ocean adventure! Surfboards, dive gear, gaji lures are a must! A few pairs of clothes and cameras and I'm all set to go!

Local Style

Have you ever noticed in the mainland how people just walk into their homes with their shoes still attached to their feet?  Here in Hawaii its our custom for local people to remove their shoes/slippers at the entry door.  It's a great way to keep the inside of the house clean and not having to vacuum and mop every time you have guests over.

This weekend I was busy working on my boat again and the paparrazzi found me at the entry door.  For me my boat is my home and I try to keep it clean and comfortable for all my family and friends to enjoy.  So if you are entering someone's home or boat in Hawaii, please be sure to remove your footwear before entering.  It's local style.

Storm Coming

The Storm of the Year is about to hit Taiwan, Phillipines, and Hong Kong.  Super typhoon Usagi is about to bring devastation to alot of communities in the next 12 hours.  To all our friends out there be safe and secure.

Hurley pro winner

Congrats Taj Burrow! 

Indo Boat Trip Countdown

Every year I look forward to surfing Indonesia as it offers perfect waves.  This will be our floating paradise very soon!  The boat is called Naga Laut "Sea Dragon".

Essentials to a good charter is having a good cook and captain.  Here is two of the six man crew.  Boy (left) is our cook and Yanto (right) is our Captain.  Boy has been cooking forever and has impressed us on every trip while Yanto is busy charting our course and advising on the best spots to surf.

By far HT's has been my favorite right hand wave to surf which barrels.  As long as you make the drop you have a good chance to get shacked!

Local residents come out and try and sell you carvings.

And of course nothing compares to surfing Macaronies left.  This spot has lived up to its name and is the most ripple left in the world.  Imagine doing 5 or 6 snaps, getting shacked, and finishing off with an aerial?  This is where it all happens.  Well our group of surfers are gearing up for a trip of a lifetime and the countdown has begun.

Learn to Give

Some people give to get while other people get to give.  In order to save your life you must be willing to lose your life.   Click here to watch.

Surfing 101

Every surfer remembers how they started surfing.  This was my nephews Maikas first time surfing and he is only 7 years old.  I think I started when I was in 7th grade.  We've been practicing the steps of paddling, standing up, bending your knees in my living room while watching the pros on TV so when he had the opportunity to paddle out with me he had no fear on jumping on the board and giving it a try.  

We put on our shisedo sunblock, waxed up the board and paddled out to the line up.  I told him about waiting for the right wave to come.  Once you see the wave you position yourself and start to paddle hard and fast.  Then you stand up, bend your knees, and balance.

Someday soon, this little guy will be on his own surfboard ripping it up with the rest of the groms (small surfer kids), playing ukulele after his surf session and sipping his sunny-d on the side.  Watch out guys you don't want to drop in on this boy because he has a mean right hook.

Time to Unwind

What a restful weekend!  Got a chance to take my nephews for their first surf session and play some music on a harp afterwards.  I tried to play chopsticks on my first attempt.

We got a surprise massage present from my Mom/Dad.  Thank you!  I rarely get massaged but good to unwind once in a while and loosen up for the next surf/dive/fish session.  Here Dustin took out my tight spots while I did the face plant.  

After an hour I felt like the energizer bunny ready to take on the world.  Tonight we got a Mentawai Bowling tournament event so look out guys I'm ready to rumble!

Making of a "Magic Board"

Behind every magic board is a great magician.  Meet Jason Kashiwai.  I've know Jason for a long time and we've been working together as a shaper and surfer in finding what works and what doesn't work.  What I like about Jason is his hard work he puts into every product.  After all these years of shaping he has dialed in to the positive feedback on certain shapes, rockers, rails that work well for surfers and discarded the things that don't work.  Today I went over to meet with him to order a couple more boards for our next surf trip.  I encourage all my fellow surfers to work with a shaper to find what boards work best for you in various waves.  There is no one perfect board but there are some boards that just work like magic.  Mahalo Jason for all your support and friendship all these years!

Sunny Days

The south swell continues with lots of happy people enjoying the sunny days and lighter winds.  Few scattered showers will pass in the next 24 hours then more nice weather will prevail through the weekend.

A Golden Day

Another picture perfect day in Hawaii.  South swell still providing fun waves for the townies and North shore about to wake up tomorrow for the country guys and gals.  We are truly blessed to be able to reside here in these islands we call home.  Sometimes we take it for granted to not have to deal with the cold, snow and hurricanes in the mainland.  The worst we get often is breezy trades or passing storms but nothing we should be complaining about.  The cost of living here is high but its all worth it when you get golden sunsets like this.  

Photo Shoot

One of my plans on this Red Sea trip was to catch some fish for a photo shoot for Hawaii Skin Diver TV.  Its not to often we get to catch prize fish like this.  So here I am modeling the latest Jams World apparel on the catwalk with a nice stringer of fish.  Feels like a "Kramers" pose coming?  Ha ha!

Niihau + Kaula Rock Trip

Well finally able to post some pictures and stories of the latest trip out to Niihau and Kaula Rock.  This is by far the best diving in Hawaii and we were fortunate to be blessed with perfect weather and a great bunch of divers from Hawaii.  There are only a few who get to go to Kaula Rock because usually the seas are to rough.  

Arnel Data was one of our guests who shot this nice knife jaw that got taxed by the local resident shark.  We had to offer a few to keep a few.  Arnel is a good diver and works at Westside Dive and Tackle and now sponsored by Salvimar.  

The action doesn't stop through the night as we hook fish with our bottom fishing gear.  We loaded up with Akule, Menpachi, and some toau.  Here James Oshiro and RJ Strickland teaming up till midnight.

We eat fresh fish as well.  Here Janson Fujinaga taking a break from filleting our pupus.  I had fun diving with Janson and he is a very good dive partner to have.  He is mindful of his partner and always is watching out for them.  His dream was always to be on Hawaii Skin Diver TV and his dream came true when he caught the biggest fish of his life and it's all on film!

There were some huge Ukus taken on this trip weighing close to 30 lbs.  Heres Kris Tyler is holding up one massive Uku.  Kris is the owner of Westside Dive and Tackle and been traveling with us every year.  If you need dive gear go visit him at his shop next to Times in Waipahu.

I had 45 minutes to spear since I was filming most of the time but really wanted one mu to take home for a photo shoot with Merlinda and got lucky with a couple Mus, and Omilu, and a Uku that got away.  

As you can see it was a pretty productive trip with a mix bag of everything at big sizes.  A lot of happy families will be fed for sure.  Mahalo to Captain Jerry and his crew for taking us out and all our divers for joining our Red Sea Ocean Adventure.  There were a lot of personal best fish taken, new friendships made and great memories had by all.  

Dive party

Starts now!