Red Sea Ocean Adventures

1.30.12

2012-01-30T20:36:00.001-08:00

Afternoon surf at maile pt. had to pick the right one! Swell peaked, so more spots will be rideable tomorrow.

West side session

2012-01-30T19:41:00.001-08:00

This is maile beach

Pipe pro off

2012-01-27T13:01:00.001-08:00

I pulled up to pipe but after watching 20 surfers scratch for waves decided to check a hollow right spot. Scored with 10 guys out all mellow surfers. Have a great weekend everyone! Next week should have some big waves again:)

Big eye lunch

2012-01-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

So I am standing in line and start ordering 4 of this, 6 of that, 5 of this, 2 of that... My lunch has now become our dinner, as the bill totals $70.71! What no can return? Looks likes my eyes were to big today.

Taniokas lunch starts now!

2012-01-25T14:54:00.001-08:00

What should I eat? Kind of hungry.

This is paradise

2012-01-25T13:28:00.001-08:00

North shore now!

Endless summer

2012-01-24T20:20:00.001-08:00

South swell in January? Yes, past few days have been fun with head high surf gracing the south shores of Hawaii. Today I pulled up to diamond head and it was going off! So good that even world champion Carissa Moore paddled out with her dad and sister. Tomorrow north shore will be the call.

North shore now!

2012-01-22T19:42:00.001-08:00

Kaena point

Windy day

2012-01-20T17:30:00.001-08:00

Windy + small waves = work day

Hawaii Reef Action

2012-01-19T23:46:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day in paradise. Did some work in the morning knowing the ocean conditions were primo so made a few calls and my friend Travis Masutani just so happen to get off work early so we boarded the Red Sea Yak and went for a afternoon swim. Our target was reef fish so we focused on anything red in color.

I saw a school of nice 10 lb omilus but they happened to see me first and swam away. After a couple of hours we had enough fish for the week and called it a day. Thanks Trav for a fun day on the water. Can't wait for tomorrows dinner!

Dive now!

2012-01-19T15:53:00.000-08:00

South/Secret/Saimin

2012-01-16T21:10:00.000-08:00

SOUTH "Kona" winds continue to blow throughout the Hawaiian Islands and swell is still pumping up north so schedule was to get some waves, eat, and edit the rest of the day. We pulled up to one of our favorite spots and since it was a holiday, the rest of oahu had the same plan. By the time we put on our swim shorts the line up had 40 guys out with no waves going unridden. So my surf partner James aka "McGuyver" pointed us to his SECRET spot and we scored with just 10 of us out.

My other buddies, Kekoa Mau (left) and Matt Wakabayashi (right) joined us as we took turns on some good waves. We are gearing up for a surf trip soon so it was a good time to discuss our plans and test out our quiver.

Kekoa turned me on to another SECRET spot with some good grinds. I waited to see what he ordered then ordered the same thing (teri-cheeseburger) and SAIMIN! This hit the spot! We talked more about the trip then headed home to do some editing for the next the HSDTV show. Thanks guys for a fun day and sharing your secret spots!

Time to get dirty!

2012-01-14T21:32:00.001-08:00

Weekend warriors!

2012-01-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

Northwest winds junking out the conditions on most shores except the Southeast shores so if you know where to go you can score! Kona winds expected for next 4 days so for all you weekend warriors, here's a little Red Sea Jingle from some of past travelers to brighten up your day! Enjoy

Click here to watch!

Good to be the king?

2012-01-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

Last night we got to celebrate Brent Chings birthday at his favorite restaurant, Burger King. I think he wanted to be the "King" for the day so we honored his holiness. Brent has finally got his new dive hood so no more limu growing off his head from his ripped up hood.

Rumors are true? GW on westside! The King of the ocean makes a unique appearance to a couple of local fisherman. I wish I had my camera to get some underwater video but this raw and uncut video (local style) is just as good. Click here

Jockos take 2

2012-01-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day in Hawaii! Blue skies, coconut trees, and lots of surf on the north shore! Finished up the work and headed up to the country to see what was happening.

When I first pulled up to Jockos saw some nice overhead lefts with only 4 other guys out. What only 4 guys out, how come? Shark, current, work? So I waxed up and went out.

Couple bystanders also checking the surf and debating what to do also.

Then the double overhead sets started rolling in and current started pulling hard. Non-stop paddling all the way with a couple close out sets made the day complete. Got a few good ones, got caught inside, and decided to head in before I got swept out to sea.

As I exited the water I saw another couple debating whether to go out or not. Be careful of the strong currents when you go surfing or diving!

Weekend dive

2012-01-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

Weather this weekend was looking good for a dive so got a invite to go for a quick dive. Finished up the work at 1:00 am and woke up at 6:00 am to meet the boys down at the pier. Capt. Dell, First mate Greg, Brent, Danny, and Nathan were also on board todays dive. The 8-12 ft northwest swell was wrapping around the east side so it made for some challenging diving but with a big 22 ft twin vee boat who cares.

The boys still managed to get some fish for the week. Mix bag of reef action was perfect for everyone. The top catch today was a huge..

Moana Kali (blue goat fish) which Nathan speared. It probably was close 3 1/2 pounds and I'm sure he will be enjoying it this week. Great job Nathan!

We couldn't eat on the boat because it was rocking and rather than throwing up on board we came in for lunch and the musubi's brent brought was ono. It's so neat to meet others who share the same passion for diving and I look forward to more dives together with these guys. Hopefully they can join us on a future Red Sea Trip! Thanks again Brent for inviting me!

Strong Currents

2012-01-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Past few ocean experiences have had a lot of current lately. Last week went kayak diving and almost go sucked out to sea, and today I pulled up to the beach at Jockos to get wet and it was deja vu. There were lots of onlookers soaking up the sun and watching the new north shore swell building. Crowd doesn't look to bad so go I grab my 7'2" board and wax up.

Head down to the shore line and see this sign "Strong Current". I've seen it all the time the waves are big and so I walk right passed it, jump in, and paddle out. Water feels good, clean, cool, and as I get out I see everyone stroking for the channel, how come? I see one guy broken board paddling in.

The see another guy outside stroking inward toward shore. Then, I look up at my line ups and see the current is on! All the surfers stroking for the channel...Constant non-stop paddle required for todays session. I see a wave come in, and decide to take it so I don't get sucked out to sea.

Should I go back out? Yes! one more time around the merry go round and out to sea, paddle, paddle, paddle then get another good one without falling. A big set comes in, closes the channel and I see another broken board and the guy struggling to get in. These are those days you just need a few good ones to make your day. Thank God for the adrenline rush!

HSDTV Coral Sea premier

2012-01-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

New Hawaii Skin Diver TV episode premiers tonight at 8:30 pm on OC16. Our host Merlinda Garma will take you on a journey down under to Australia's Coral Sea as Hawaii Skin Divers hook up with legendary Australian spearfishing champions Rob Torelli and Andy Ruddock.

Keaka Ching, Ken Oakes, and Mike Tripp climb on board the MV Phoenix and target a variety of fish but their focus was to land a nice dogtooth tuna. Lots of hungry sharks made their hunt very challenging! We had lot of fun on this trip and editing the show brought back some great memories. Tell your friends and family to watch and we hope you enjoy the show! Other show times can be seen on our website: http://redseaoceanadventures.com/hsdtv/

Big Surf coming this afternoon up north so gotta finish my work so I can catch a few waves! Have a nice day!

2012 New Year Grinds

2012-01-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! Last day of 2011 I went diving south shore and today I went surfing north shore so great way to start the year! Had some friends and family over for yesterdays celebration and this is how we do it. First slippahs are always kept outside the house and if you are lucky you may even leave with a new pair of slippers than when you arrive. This is local style.

Top of the list is FRESH FISH, and we had a lot! Poke, sashimi, cajun style was all there. The whiter colored fish is Hamachi and one of the best to eat. If you go to the market to buy this expect to pay $30/lb.

Kids were first in line and Kazu and Kai knew what to do.

Erick and Galen were in the house and great to have such awesome friends to start the new year off.

Of course the finally was with homemaid pies. We had Teds, Galens, Alans, and Matts specialty pies and cakes to top it off. I think I gained 10 lbs during lunch today. This is going to be a busy year for me and hopefully bigger and better things will be happening in 2012. But first, gotta go back to the beach to burn off some of these calories!

ServeCrow?

2011-12-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

Well have owning over 20 used cars in his lifetime, my dad picked up his first new truck! Mahalo to Jason Hijirida over at Servco who patiently answered all his questions. I think the company will have to change their name to "ServeCrow". If you want to buy the best brand of car from the best salesman in Hawaii, go see da "Hij". Congratulations on the new truck! I can borrow? Ha ha!

A Christmas Message

2011-12-25T23:25:00.000-08:00

There was once a little boy who wished for a star. He couldn't fathom how far away it was but knew in his heart if he tried really hard that his dream would come true. He worked hard, saved his money, went to school, and one day...

He was able to buy lots of presents for his family and friends. He wasn't rich, nor was he poor but having a family with lots of friends who believed in him made him feel adored. He realized that the star that shined from above even if it couldn't be seen at times, still was there burning bright as before.

The young boy then grew to a wise old man and realized it's not about the money or fame or amount of toys we have, but about having a loving family, good health, and time to enjoy them. We have lots to be thankful for this Christmas! Tink about it! (Message by Pastor Crow)

Red Sea Salt

2011-12-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

Today we planned to spend the day making "Red Sea Salt". This is the secret ingredient for any Iron chef who wants to make their fish, meat, chicken, taste awesome. Lots of chopping, special herbs, spices, and tender loving required to make a batch. You cannot burn the salt so decided to bust out the blender to speed things up. The fumes make your eyes water so I put on my mask and it worked perfectly.

After hours of work the Red Sea Salt is ready for food. We don't sell it anywhere "yet" but if you join us on any Red Sea trip you will be able to sample this secret ingredient. For those of you who travel with us you know what I mean. Have a great weekend everyone!

Pipeline maxing now

2011-12-16T14:50:00.000-08:00

North swell arrived on schedule and this morning 4-6 ft pipe doubled to 8-12 ft now. This is maximum pipe and guys are getting barreled out of their minds. When it gets this big, the 2nd reef starts to break and the men are separated from the boys. You gotta want to catch a good one here if you want to survive and live to tell another day. Swell will peak tonight and begin to drop off slowly so hurry up and finish your shopping so you can go surf!

North shore coming up!

2011-12-15T21:20:00.000-08:00

Got my feet wet at jockos today! Oh no 10 days before Christmas, I better start shopping soon.

The Perfect Wave

2011-12-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

Red Sea Group just returned from a surf trip to Micronesia and stoked out of their mind! Commander Damon Schmidt, Lieutenant Barry Niau, and special forces Terbo and Teddy went undercover to the remote island in Micronesia to find the perfect wave. Their hum-v was out of commission so they drove their tank to the harbor to meet up with our guides.

This place is known for it's 200 ft visibility, tons of fish, and lots to do, oh and did I mention the good food? Here the boys went for a day of fishing.

But they were there to surf and surf is what they got! This place is uncrowded, perfect, hollow, and I can't wait to go there in a few months. Here Barry is setting up for the barrel of his life!

While Damon was right behind him on the next wave getting stand up barrels. You can catch 4 great waves here at Backdoor with 40 guys in the water or you can get 40 awesome waves here with only 4 guys out. You choose...This place is Palau! Welcome home boys and thanks for sharing your pictures!

Kieren perrow wins!

2011-12-10T14:10:00.001-08:00

Congratulations Kieren, you deserve to win!

Pipe finals today: heat of the day!

2011-12-10T11:04:00.001-08:00

Kelly slater at work

More surf coming...

2011-12-09T23:55:00.001-08:00

a perfect present

2011-12-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Lot of people don't know what goes on behind the scenes of Hawaii Skin Diver and effort involved in making it all happen. Sonny Tanabe (center) was kind enough to invite us all together in celebration of his new book coming out. Marc Inouye, Clifford Cheng, Sterling Kaya and his son Brayden, and myself were there for this kodak moment. It is such an honor to be a part of this team of hard working and humble guys. Thanks Guys!

Even the girls Cathy, Karen, Vicky, Tracy, Kayla, Danelle, and Julie (left to right) were there to support Sonny and we all had a great time together! Of course these women are the backbone who unselfishly support us though it all. Thank you ladies!

December 17th at Hanapa'a Pearlridge Sonny will be there signing autographs of his latest book on the Evolution of Freediving. This will be the perfect gift for any diver and make sure you get one before they sell out!

New Plan + Palau catch

2011-12-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend flew by so fast...where did it go? Surf subsided on the northshore but should be coming up again this week. South shore looking small. My phone plan was due to expire so decided to join the club and got me a iphone. Hope to be able to share more live updates on location with this new gadget.

Damon Schmidt along with Barry Niau and his their friends are having a good time in Palau. Check out this huge coral trout they caught and having for dinner. Surf is looking promising also with new swell marching their way.

HSD47 NOW on NEWSTANDS

2011-11-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

HSD47 mag finally hit the newstands! Cover shot by Kirby Fukunaga and many other sick photos of our Red Sea group in action. Here Brent (left) was helping Junior (middle) with this big grouper Kb (right) speared a 100 ft below.

Brent Ching had his dreams come true diving to his personal best depths and spearing his first pelagic fish in addition to many other unique types of species not found in Hawaii. Congratulations Brent on a job well done! We got two more groups already packed up and ready to go back to paradise called Palau. Crystal clear waters, Epic surf, Big fish, and Good Friends is a recipe for success! Get your passport and see you there!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Winter is finally here! North shore swells are about to kick in and everyone wants to surf! It seems there are not many spots so secret anymore where you can pull in without others in your way. I remember this wave at one of my favorite rights with all kinds of people right in my way. Luckily I didn't run anyone over and thankful to be alive.

I am thankful for those glassy days when the ocean is flat as a lake. When we can go out for a day with friends and catch some fish for dinner. The ocean is full of surprises and you never know what you will receive. Whether its the best wave or your life, a prized catch, or just surrounded by water as it refreshes your soul and allows you to dream.

As we look to the future we want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for all your support with Red Sea Ocean Adventures! We got a lot of great trips and HSDTV shows coming up in 2012 and look forward to having you join us. Enjoy your day off with your family and friends and see you in or on the water!

Love my job

2011-11-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

Windy weather, who cares...no waves no problem...go dive today! Go-Naminori CEO, Kirby Fukunaga sent the text message to attend the business meeting. We put on our uniforms (Dove Wetsuits) and game on! Highlight of our meeting was finding another ulua house where a couple omilus were at home. I saw the couple pacing back and forth inside their cave so slowly peaked inside their front door and waited. This one came around again and I was able to stone it with my 90 cm. riffe euro. I noticed there was two so I left it in the hole to keep the second one around.

Kirby went down immediately after and plugged the 2nd one right in the gill plate. He had a good holding shot and luckily both came up and got in the boat. These were perfect size for our upcoming thanksgiving parties, but may not last till thurs. if we start eating them tonight.

Captain James Oshiro was there to put on the spot, pick us up, and kept an eye on us the whole time. Thanks James, u da man! We pulled up to a private beach, cleaned fish, and called it a day! Thanks Kirby for a great day and for the pictures. I love my job!

Gaji Lures = Catch Fish

2011-11-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

People ask us what lures do we recommend for fishing? Answer: Gaji Lures! Allan Sato has been making these fabulous lures that works every time. We put the lines in for 2 minutes and bam! The port rigger goes off and Ron reels in another great catch. Mahalo to my friends Allan Sato and Dean Imanaka for hooking us up again and again!

Punta Mita Reflections

2011-11-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

The other day, Jonathan and I (aka Fred and Barney) got in the flinstone mobile and went for a ride around the town. We didn't get very far, in fact we never moved location except to take this picture.

Our Red Sea Ocean Adventure trip to Punta Mita, Mexico has come to and end and another great experience goes down in the books. As I was enjoying my chocolate ice cream bar reflecting on what we've seen it doesn't get much better than this for blue water hunting.

We got a nice fish on film for another exciting episode of Hawaii Skin Diver Television and great pics for the magazine. We met lots of cool people and got to hang out with old friends. Thank you to our hosts from Punta Mita Expeditions (Sebastian, Ymell, and Bella), our group Jonathan, Corrine, Ron, Jason, and Cathy, all our crew Chilo, Nacho, Rauel, Emmanuel, Chuey, Daniel on board for keeping us safe!

More tuna sightings

2011-11-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day in Mexico! Been burning the midnight oil on both ends diving hard, filming hard, working hard. We have lots of gear but brought the main essentials for targeting certain fish. Water temp in the 80's so 1.5 mil wetsuit is perfect.

Every morning we head down to the harbor on our golf carts and wait for our boat to arrive and we stay out all day. I wake up at 6:30 am, eat a light breakfast, dive till 4 pm, eat lunch, then dive another 1 hour until the captain says it's time to go. Yesterday I made a drop on a heard of tuna "Cows" which took me by surprise. I saw a shadow that seem to be a big fish, dove down and saw this big boy in the distance. Then he swam toward the rest of the pack and I was in awe. I passed on shooting any fish below 100 lbs because I saw the larger ones beyond. They were not feeding and I just so happened to be right there but not close enough to pull my trigger. What a sight to see! I also saw a manta ray with a wingspan about 16-20 ft. Huge! I thought it was the reef but it moved so I dove on it and realized it was a manta ray. What a awesome day of diving!

Heres a shot of some of the local long lining fisherman at the harbor. They tireless work and fish all day to provide for their family. Here you have the very rich and very poor. Not much in the middle class.

We eat out a few times but with this fabulous villa we eat in often. Fresh sashimi, spicy tuna, garlic ahi, rice, nori, and saimin is all we need to make this family happy! Here Jason and Ron was first in line.

First Time Fish

2011-11-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

Another awesome day in Punta Mita, Mexico. After gearing up and getting our feet wet the boys were excited to jump in again. Jason Matsumura (left) is super fun guy to hang out with. He's a newbie when it comes to blue water diving, in fact he's never done it before and never shot a pelagic fish...until this trip!

How's this for a first time blue water dive and first time pulling a trigger. Beautiful mahi mahi swam up to him and he nailed it! He landed it all by himself and we got it all on film. He was so excited! I was so happy for him.

We take turns diving and fishing and here Corrine is hooked up. We try all sorts of fishing from bottom fishing, jigging, whipping, live bait, and trolling. On this drop she bottom fished and she hooked up to a nice fish.

They call this Kagami in Hawaii and its already in our freezer. They will be bringing these two babies home for Crow to Gyotaku! Get ready to work!

Punta Mita Tuna Cowboy

2011-11-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hola Amigos! sorry been so busy diving I haven't been able to update our blog. It's been a fun trip here in Punta Mita, Mexico. Hanging out with Jason, Corrine, and Ron (left to right) here in luxury. As I said before this is 5-star diving. Trust me it doesn't get much better than this...

Jonathan Muratsuka also joined us and here he is enjoying his 3rd mojito cocktail upon arriving at our pad. We started the dive the following day and straight away we got 2 nice fish in the boat. Jason landed his first ever pelagic fish (mahi) and Jonathan got his first yellowfin. Both were their personal best fish and they were elated and their dreams came true on the first day.

Here's a shot of Jonathan's big tuna clocking in over 200 lbs. This fish was amazingly powerful and took him over 40 minutes to land it. Inch by inch he pulled it up and by the end of the fight he was exhausted. We got some awesome images but too tired to download everything yet so stay tuned for more. Gotta wake up early tomorrow so good night..zzz

5-Star Diving

2011-11-05T03:01:00.000-07:00

As the waves wind down, winds pick up, its time to put away the board and pull out the dive gear. I've been to some really remote places in this world, where there are no airport runways, no clean water, with almost guarantee getting sick. However there is one place that is totally opposite. This place has three 5-star hotels, gated community, good food, and awesome weather.

Last time we dove this rock and it was happening! A perfect pinnacle with loads of fish. You can find reef fish or pelagics. You can dive in the shallow or go deep.

Our guide Sebastian Melani took us to his favorite grounds and got this nice pargo on our last trip.

We visited Sayulita and got to eat the best burritos ever! Great place for family, fun, surf, and dive. This place is Punta Mita, Mexico! Stay tuned for the next Red Sea Ocean Adventure that begins tomorrow!

Calling Doctor Mike

2011-10-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest things about my job is meeting new friends. Some people take their friends to the green to go golf, or the bar to drink, I take my friends to the beach to go dive or surf. I had the pleasure to go for a dive with Dr. Michael Tripp. He's been traveling with us on a number of Red Sea dive trips and when he told me he was coming to Hawaii I had to show him around my neck of the woods.

Mike recently went to Mexico and got a load of groupers. He is a great diver and if he's not working he is in the water. We got to see Ono, Rainbow runner, Dolphins, and huge Tiger Shark all in one dive. Thanks Mike for a great day! Next time stay longer!

Another Doctor Michael Wall, went with us on a trip to Mentawais this year and he and I shared some of the best waves of the trip. He had his go pro camera rolling as we surfed on of the best rights in the world. He got caught inside while I took of in front of him. This spot is finicky and doesn't break often. In fact in all my 10 years of traveling here, this is my second time surfing it. A 300 yard plus wave that barrels and is twice the length of Laniakea on a good day. Thanks Mike for sharing this pic with me. Can't wait to go back next year!

Meet Merlinda!

2011-10-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

We've been blessed to have such great support from all our community! From all our local divers who invite us on their exciting trips for us to get footage, talented musicians who contribute their latest songs, and sponsors who support the show. Lot of people don't realize the value of our sponsoring companies who advertise with us. Without them we wouldn't be here and because of them we have been on air for 8 seasons! So buy their products!

Merlinda Garma has been with us from the beginning and she has continued to be the spokes model/host/hsdtv queen who everyone wants to meet. She is smart, talented, energetic, and very down to earth girl who can memorize anything. Here she is in the latest line of Jams World apparel shooting for the next episode of Hawaii Skin Diver Television.

Watch HSDTV Maui Divers

2011-10-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesday November 1st, 8:30 pm. Channel 1016 or 16 premiers the new Hawaii Skin Diver Television episode featuring a Maui dive. Captain David Miyake, Lance and Raymond Otsubo take Wayde Hayashi, Kimi Apiki, Kimi Werner, and Lauren Bartlett on a fun weekend dive! It was a great day and good times we had filming with them all.

World Class paddler Lauren Bartlett (left) and National spearfishing champion Kimi Werner (right) were on the hunt for the prized Kumus. We tried to play around with the head camera so it gave a different angle to see from and test out Lance Ohara's new pole spear . You can also watch it online via www.oc16.tv. Just turn on your computer and watch it streaming live. We hope you enjoy the show!

What is a Ichthyologist?

2011-10-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

What is a Ichthyologist? It's not a insect, fruit, or medication. Basically someone who studies fish. Meet Richard Pyle (right) one of the premier fish scientist of our era. I was so humbled to meet this guy on my last trip and he loves his job as much as me. After meeting him I realized how much more I need to learn about the various fish out there. He has gone deeper underwater than most scuba divers and has even been to the twighlight zone and back. Check out this presentation he gave for TED Talk. http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_pyle_dives_the_twilight_zone.html

(from Greek: ἰχθύς, ikhthus, "fish"; and λόγος, logos, "study") is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish.

Well the North Swell came up as forecasted so decided to try and grab a few waves before the end of the day. The drive down the pineapple fields is always breath taking. Passed Lani's, Chuns, Waimea, then pulled into...

Pupukea beach where it looked fun. After watching the pros at portugal I felt like surfing a beach break with barrels. It wasn't super tubos but good enough. Swell is dropping and winds are still on the light side so time to go to the super market and see what's ons special for this weeks menu. Stay tuned...

Maui Divah

2011-10-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last year I was invited to go do some filming with one of Maui's finest divers, Lance Otsubo and his friends. We tested out some new equipment and was able to land a few nice kumus. These fish are one of the finest fish to steam "chinese style". Well if you wanna see Lance in action stay tuned for the next episode of Hawaii Skin Diver Television where we are featuring a Maui show.

Weather update: Winds has backed down quite a bit and small/moderate surf prevails around the island. Lots to do today so gotta run! Have a great day:)

Spiderman in Town

2011-10-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

Small windy surf this weekend so plan was to work, edit, and plan more trips! Went over to the carnival at magic island and guess who I saw? Yes! Spiderman was there so had to get a picture with one of my cartoon heros! I wish I could leap over tall buildings and fly through the air too! I would save so much time avoiding traffic and not have to worry about tsa lines or excess baggage when I travel. When I was growing up, after school I always looked forward to watching spiderman, kikaida, flinstones, gilligan island, and brady bunch. Now days I wonder what the kids like to watch? I see some junk cartoons and heros now on tv. Off the soap box now...Winds should be lightening up in the next few days so gotta gear up to get barreled and eat more fish!

3-C's of Diving

2011-10-14T01:06:00.000-07:00

Today the surf was small all over the island so plan was to go dive! Go-Naminori charter boat was gased up and gearing to go. Kirby has been working on his new toy for a while and wet paint and all we went out anyways. Our objective today was the 3-C's of diving. Water was a little dirty but we still managed to 1) CATCH a few fish for dinner.

Kumus, Jo's, Uhus, and Koles was on the stringer and it was nice to get in some diving again.

Check out this little diver guy, Maika with a nice catch! Strike da pose! I made him scale and gut the fish afterwards so he can learn how to 2) CLEAN fish. Next we got to work on how to 3) COOK his fish! Thanks Kirby/James for a fun day on the water!

HFSF Behind the Scenes!

2011-10-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Lot of people lined up for this years Hawaii Fishing Seafood Festival even before the opening time. Some must have walked for a mile to just get in. Here Sundae Funai (bottom left) was helping at the front gate directing traffic. Thanks Sundae!

Hungry shoppers were satisfied at a variety of food stations from fish, hawaiian food, waffle dogs and more. Thanks guys!

Lot of people tell me how much they love the music of Hawaii Skin Diver TV. Well we were fortunate to have Chucky Boy Chock and his wife Tammy drop by our booth. They have been so supportive and we are blessed to have such talented musicians willing to support us. They even came out with a CD for our viewers to purchase. Thanks Chucky/Tammy!

Reid from Hanapa'a Hawaii was also in the house selling HSD shirts, magazines, and ice cream! Reid knows alot about fishing and I always find myself picking his brain. Thanks Reid!

And of course legendary Richard "Sonny" Tanabe was promoting his new book coming out soon. Here the "Hij" was checking out the sample book to come. Sonny has also been an anchor in the freediving/spearfishing community despite how busy he is he always makes time for me. Thanks Sonny!

And many thanks to all the supporters, volunteers, and organizers from PIFG for hosting the event. Time for me to start putting away all our stuff and get ready for the next swell:)

HFSF 2011 Pau

2011-10-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

What a long fun weekend! The 6th annual Hawaii Fishing Seafood Festival was the place to be! We set up by 8:00 am and waited for the huge crowd to come in at 9:00 am. This was our booth featuring trips, tv, gyotaku, and more...we were blessed with great weather, cool breeze, and no rain!

Inside the fish auction there were a display of types of fish from reef to blue water fish.

but the big draw as always was meeting "Merlinda Garma" from Hawaii Skin Diver Television. She drew a line of fans waiting for her autograph.

Kids lined up waiting patiently to meet her and take pictures with her.

Even "Hawaii's Goes Fishing" host Cindy Paliracio was there to represent their show. It was such a awesome event and great way to bring the fishing community together. Great times, good food, entertainment, and things to buy. Mahalo to Pacific Island Fisheries Group, all our sponsors, helpers, clients, and fans for coming by. Until next year!

Hanapa'a

2011-10-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

Hanapa'a! After a fun week of south swells looks like the north will come alive next week, can't wait! Today we had an hour to spare so went to the pier with mamo on our mind and we got lucky! My nephew Maika casted his line and patiently waited for a bite. After 10 seconds he pulled the bait up, 5 seconds later he checked his bait, 5 seconds later got tangled on a rock, then after reseting his line, bam! Left corner went off, floater went down, and he was on! He was so stoked out of his mind and I think he is hooked:) He may be ready to dive soon. As the old chinese proverb goes.."Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime".

Hawaii Fishing Seafood Festival 2011

2011-10-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Aloha Tuesday all! Lots of fun summertime surf in the next few days so finish your work early and get out there! Been busy gearing up for the 2011 Hawaii Fishing Seafood Festival coming up this Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011 at Pier 38. We will be in booth #39, so come visit us if you can and get Merlinda's Autograph. There will be lots of cool stuff here for the family, great food, good times. Tonight premiers a new episode of Hawaii Skin Diver Television so tune in to OC16 or online at www.oc16.tv at 8:30 pm HST. Enjoy!

I See Red

2011-09-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well what do I do after two weeks of diving? Go dive some more! Headed out to one of our "secret spots" and did a few drops to target our favorite reef fish! Mu, Uku, and Goatfish!

We were powered with "Kona Red" antioxidant superjuice so after a while all we saw was red. Red Sea Trip drinking Kona Red diving for Red Goatfish. Love it! Steamed fish tonight:)

NWHI day 18-Final Day

2011-09-19T23:18:00.001-07:00

Our final day here in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands has come to and end. We had one more day of diving so we made the most of it till our hands wrinkled, mouth watered, and legs could not kick anymore. We started off in the deep watching our scuba divers and made a few 100 ft drops.

Then we went off to visit another shipwreck, this one with close ties to the story of Moby Dick. The same captain that was on the boat of the Moby Dick story later captained this other boat which sank here. Talk about hard luck. I heard he later gave up whaling/sea faring and became a security guard. The ocean was full of artifacts which was cool to video/photo.

Our dinner was complete with cupcakes and good food and camaraderie.

The crew played a few songs so I decided to capture it on film. Here is our make shift studio with dive lights and all.

It' s been an epic journey and one I will never forget. Life on the sea is what I've dreamed of and the ocean is my playground. Strangers are now friends, work is now play, dreams have become reality! As we set our bow to the east, we head back to our home and know that we have become better stewards of the sea.

NWHI day 17-Gardner Go Pro

2011-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

We arrived back at Gardner Reef at 0700 and did our routine breakfast at 7 am, safety briefing at 7:30 am, and dive at 8:00 am. We wanted to check a few pinnacles but couldn't find the high spot so it turned into a long boat ride of 2 hours. We headed back to the rock and jumped in to play around with cameras.

I am usually behind the camera so the only way I could get a shot of me was to hold two cameras. One in the right, one in the left. It was fun playing around with my cameras as the divers did their thing.

Check out this wall of nenue, so thick you couldn't see through until the big ulua would pass by.

Hawaii News Now cameraman Oscar Valuenzula was also on board to document a series so he did some interviews with us and our boat man Kevin about our experience. We are heading for our last dive tomorrow in the monument and then make our way home. As our experience comes to and end we are still summarizing our opinions to what we have learned on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

NWHI day 16- Transit Day

2011-09-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Today we are transiting back to Gardner Reef so another day to play catch up, check email, download pictures, take topside interviews, and maybe catch a matinee movie? Every day after our dive we need to get picked up from the mother ship lifting the little "Rubber Ducky" (name of our boat) up to the nest.

I think I've seen enough Uluas for a lifetime. I don't think I can spear one after swimming with them. "Fish are friends"!

The boat crew has opened up their hearts with sunset jam sessions. One of the boat men, Jason Kehn is always game to represent and lift the spirits of the group of divers with some of his tunes.

The sunsets are nice and the stars are even brighter. The Milky way is clear as can be. last night a bunch of divers stayed up late painting under the stars. Tomorrow we dive again all day so got get busy with my "to do" list.

NWHI day 15-Lisianski Wreck

2011-09-16T21:37:00.001-07:00

Another day was spent around Lisianski atoll. This is one of two islands in the chain of the Northwest Hawaiian islands. It's about a mile long and a guy name Mr. Lisianski found this island I think in the 1800's. He run aground with his 200 ft ship and had to offload canons to lighten the ship so we went looking for them but no luck.

Lots of birds are here along with seals, and turtles. We got to see them cruzing on shore and one seal came by to say hello!

We did manage to find a shipwreck which was cool. Did a few shots/video, then went out to visit the shark taggers who were 10 miles away but they had no luck. So headed in and ate crab legs and chili for dinner. Sorry no photos taken of the food since I was hungry.

NWHI day 14-Lisianski Go Pro

2011-09-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Life on the ship is awesome! You just go with the flow and you get a automatic rocker to put you to sleep. I got some of the best fish footage ever so wanted to play around today with my go pro camera to take some unique shots. Here I am trying to be creative without going man overboard.

I made this drop only to find out I had company following me again. There were a number of Ulua around 100 lbs but mostly 40-50 lbs. Here we don't look for fish, the fish find you. It feels like you are always being watched by these guardians of the sea. On this drop the Ulua tried to eat my go pro. Sorry, we don't have good internet here so I cannot upload any video. bummers..

The day ended with another good meal and discussion about tomorrow's dive in the dry lab. Dr. Randy Kosaki laid out the game plan for tomorrow and everyone is good to go! The sunset is now on our stern so now everyone is bummed because we are making our way back.

NWHI day 13-Uku mania

2011-09-15T00:15:00.000-07:00

Each evening some of the guys hang out on deck to see the sunset and watch the moonrise. The full moon is huge and stars are bright so it makes for a spectacular view.

Today our plan was to follow Dr. Carl Meyer around with some of his researchers as they put tags into sharks and uluas. It was cool to see and I got in the water to get the water shot also. We saw one tiger but it got tangled up and got away.

We headed in and decided to do a blind drop and we were pleasantly surprised to see a few ulua and a few ukus. Then like a parade more ukus came to join us. I felt like Forest Gump running and having more runners joining me. 10 more came, then 20, then 50, then 100 ukus followed. I made a drop and they all circled around. It was the coolest ever and probably never see this again in my life. This picture doesn't do justice to what I saw. I wish I had a panoramic camera but better yet, got it on video!

NWHI-day 12 Pearl Hermes Atoll

2011-09-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Another full day diving, this time at Pearl and Hermes Atoll. The visibility was the clearest so far with over 150 ft vis. Our plan was to visit one of the shipwreck sites that named this atoll. The wreck was located in 15 ft of water and parts of the ship was scattered all over. Here I am on one of the two anchors remaining.

Dr. Randy Kosaki also joined us and he explored parts of the wreck as well. Randy is the Chief scientist on board and a excellent free diver. He enjoys the water and fishing/diving is in his blood. As usual Uluas escorted us everywhere we went as if they were guardians of this atoll, showing us the way.

Archeologist, Kelly Gleason gave us the tour and description of each of the artifacts of the wreck. This here was a canon on board that ship. I shot over 1800 photos today with over 23 gigs so gotta go download my photos. We have another day here so can't wait to see more.

NWHI-day 11 Transit Photos

2011-09-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today we are transiting to Pearl and Hermes Atoll all day so got a good rest and recovering from the past days of diving. This will give me time to catch up and let my legs recover from all the swimming. We got to see all kinds of species and even a few lobsters. I can't believe how tame these fish are here.

One of our fellow diver and UH student Keo Lopes was hanging out with us the other day observing our filming so I was able to snap a few shots of him enjoying the scenery.

You can feel their curiosity of a stranger in their neighborhood and often sense the reverse rolls of being the prey instead of the predator. These Ulua will swim up to you, and like Mike Tyson in the ring they will stare you down, circle you, and dance around you till you are out of air and need to ascend to the surface.

NWHI-day 10 Maro Reef

2011-09-11T22:38:00.001-07:00

This morning we arrived at Maro reef and the weather was little rougher but who cares! Let's dive! There is no island here just underwater reef spider web system layout which is around 10 miles wide. We dove this spot and saw loads of knife jaws, the most I've ever seen anywhere. Then a huge school of omilu swam by then a bunch of big Uluas. We had fun with the Uluas and every time the boat came near the uluas came too! We would have our boat man rev the engine and all the uluas showed up every time.

After the dive we decided to see what the scuba guys were doing so we dropped in. They were surprised to see us of course 65 feet below. Here Kimi (right) dropped and surprised them.

After that we were able to get some shark footage. These are a dozen or so 5-6 ft sharks checking us out. I haven't seen anything over 8 ft but I'm sure they see us. We didn't eat lunch again but did have a few pumpkin seeds between spots to keep us going while staying fully hydrated. We try and stay in the water as much as possible until our fingers and toes gets all wrinkled. Tomorrow we transit to Pearl and Hermes Atoll and I hear that is amazing! Stay tuned..

NWHI-day 9 Gardner Atoll

2011-09-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

What a day! We arrived at Gardner atoll at 0800 and it was our first full day in the water. These are the last islands protruding above the water and from this point it's all underwater. We did a few laps around the islands and we saw lots of fish!

Huge schools of nenue, opelu, omilus, knife jaws, mu's, and everything else was here. It was so cool to see so many tame uluas!

There some in the 80-100 lb range with many in the 40-60 lb range just swarming us. We saw some sharks, seals, and rays also. We were so happy to see fish we decided to skip lunch and dive all day till 1600 (4 pm). Can't wait for tomorrow!

NWHI-day 8 Ulua sighting

2011-09-10T01:09:00.000-07:00

We arrived at french frigate shoals on schedule and everyone was very excited to say the least to get in the water. So we did more safety drills and I got to learn how to administer oxygen which was very good. At 1pm we deployed the first boat and we headed out to this reef called rapture reef. All the rest of the scuba divers were there doing their studies and we asked them how it was. The water was dirty so we did a few drops and moved to a small rock island, called La Parus. It looked nice and we saw fish:)

There were two big uluas came in to check me out and hung around for about 5 minutes before getting bored of me filming it. Saw some kawakawa in 20 ft of water and some big mu's that we could have 3 pronged. I downloaded some go pro video but didn't have time to download my good stuff yet. stay tuned! tomorrows a full day! Good night.zzzzz

NWHI-day 7 Sail away

2011-09-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Well after a few days at home wishing I was on the boat, we got the ok to sail back. It's going to be another 50 hours of sailing till we return where we left so decided to get some work done topside. We interviewed Hawaii's Shark expert, Dr. Carl Meyer who is one of the key scientist on board. He shared about his research and tips on how we as divers can deal with aggressive sharks.

Then the party moved to the bow of the boat where a bunch of the crew started singing ship sailer songs. With the beautiful sunset and sheet glass water, everyone is very excited for tomorrow. We hope to get in the water in the afternoon and see some underwater action. Gotta go tune up my gear and go to bed.

NWHI-day 6 Wii go

2011-09-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

As we make our way back to port there is not much we can do but hope and pray for the best for a quick turn-a-round. So what else is there to do but make the most of it. Should we watch video? Play cards? Read a book? Mrs. Parker (assistant chef) suggest we play "Wii game". So that's whats happening now! The scientist, crew, and divers are taking turns on this game called Wii. Everyone is having fun and it's lighting up the smiles as we make our way home. Videoing this is making me tired already and ready for lunch.

NWHI- day 5 "Diver Down"

2011-09-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

We had a diver down yesterday but luckily he got back up from a scuba accident. But because we are on board a NOAA ship the proper protocols must me made and unfortunately we have to make a u-turn and head home. Our group handled the incident perfectly and all those safety drills came in handy this time.

So we are steaming home at the moment to take care of this issue but hope to back out shortly, I hope! ETA is tomorrow afternoon.

NWHI day 4- Tern Island

2011-09-02T00:33:00.000-07:00

Today was our plan was to visit Tern Island, one of the two Islands we were scheduled to see. Tern Island is situated in the French Frigate Shoals, the largest atoll in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

There are 18 species of birds found here and today we got to see them. They are so curious and interested in us that they even pooped on my camera bag. I got some of the best bird photos ever and even got to see some monk seals catching tan. A couple divers jumped in the shallow water to snorkel and saw big uku in 5 ft of water. I am anxious to jump in the water!

NWHI day 3-Transit

2011-08-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

Meet Mrs. Parker, she's the queen of the galley and makes our meals along side the "chief", you will meet him later. She is on top of the game and is always preparing the next meal. If you cross her path you will be the next meal. ha ha!

Today for lunch we had a healthy salad and cheeseburger deluxe with onion rings on the side. Everyday like clock work we are eating. 7-8 am breakfast, 11-12 lunch, 5-6 pm dinner

Since today was a full day of transit everyone was gearing up for tomorrows big day. Keo a UH undergrad student is here to research and he and his fellows were getting ready for tomorrows dive at french frigate shoals. I am amazed to be a part of this awesome group of people.

I hear there are aggressive big Uluas who will bite you if you have anything shiny so I decided instead of being eaten by 100 lb Uluas and become the prey, I would be safe and low key. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds. More to come, good night..zzz

NWHI Day 2

2011-08-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

Well after 24 hour boat ride we finally arrived at Nihoa. I had a great sleep and felt good to be on a boat again. The day was spent going over safety drills and practicing launching the boats. These guys got it together and safety is the utmost importance. We store our dive gear here in these lockers and everyday we must wear our hard hats and life jackets.

I have my own corner in the lab where I can get my camera gear together and get things ready to film. Everyone has the top of the line gear from slr cameras to lights to all kinds of video equipment.

John and Rob got some great footage on our first dive this afternoon and even documented a dozen new species found. These guys are great scientist and know every fish in the book by their scientific name.

Our day ended with this amazing sunset and what a way to close the day. We did our drills, did a 30 minute dive, and tomorrow have a full day at french frigate shoals. I can't wait:)

NWHI Day 1

2011-08-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

Well I made it board the NOAA ship today and the Captain let me take the wheel. For 2 seconds. Everything is high tech on this ship and the boat is so huge I get lost every time. We fueled up 50,000 gallons of gas and ready to sail around the world. There is hot water:), food, weight room, but internet is slow so will do my best to keep everyone abreast of the action. South swell arrived so hope everyone is getting some good waves and catching a few for me also. Tomorrow afternoon we arrive at our first destination in Nihoa and will practice our entry dives. Stay tuned!

My Dream Trip

2011-08-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

What is your perfect dream boat trip? For surfers its going to Indo to surf perfect waves with no one out. For divers it's being on a boat with ton's of 500 lb tunas swimming around. For videographers like me it's always been to get go to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. I've always aspired to get footage like I see on National Geographic and was fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity to join this trip. I hope to bring back some amazing images and stories that will educate our viewers about the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

I have always struggled traveling to make the 50 lb/bag weight limit but on this trip its all good. Yup I got my house and lot except the dog going. This was just half of my gear. I got my lap top and cameras ready so stay tuned.

My bed where I'll be writing my blogs from...

My closet with my essentials... 3 pairs of clothes, dive gear, and favorite drinks! Well gotta go back and get my rest of my gear and load the ship. Stay tuned!

Tanks

2011-08-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

What an eventful weekend and week ahead. To start if off saturday was spent working, editing, packing and gearing up for our next Red Sea Ocean Adventure (more to come). But Al Ah Nee calls me up and wants to dive so we (Travis, Me, Al) decide to brave the windy weather on our Kayaks. Yes we go paddling and barely make it in as the winds picked up. God I miss my boat! Later we heard another kayak diver got swept out and was rescued by the coast guard that night! It's a good thing it wasn't us getting rescued.

South swell arrived Monday and decided to grab a few barrels at big rights! Just me and two friends out for awhile and scored! Got a call from fellow diver Brent Ching to go scuba dive so since I've haven't scuba dove for a long time I wanted to try.

Passed by the afternoon crowd at bowls and headed to the Alantis shipwreck outside Waikiki. The sun was about to set so we gear up and joined Capt. Roger, first mate John, Brent, and a few other guys.

Here I am down at 80 ft. on my dive. I forgot to add weights to my belt so John had to help me with a extra belt so I could get down. It was a new experience and cool to do. I didn't poke any fish but took a few pics.

Tanks Brent for inviting me and keep up the diving!

HSDTV at OIA Game

2011-08-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last night we were invited to promote Hawaii Skin Diver at the OIA moanalua/damien football game and it was fun! OC16 put a booth together and a good crowd showed up. I think the last time I've been to a football game was 20 years ago.

Merlinda Garma our host was there to sign autographs and take pictures with her fans. Feels great to see the youngsters who admire her and want to get to meet her. This girl wanted a autograph for her brother who was on the field playing.

Moanalua won the game and everything turned out well. Lots to do this weekend so gotta get to work now!

Tuna Cowboys

2011-08-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

One of the prize catches of any diver is landing a nice Yellowfin Tuna. Well we know where they coming up regularly and they are here! One of our friends Sebastian and his friend just speared these big boys and invited us over to film so are gearing up!

One more diver spot open and if you want to join us check out our website for the next upcoming trips http://redseaoceanadventures.com/travel/upcoming.html. to Mexico! Ariba ariba! Bring your own wasabi!

Mentawai Party Night

2011-08-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

Last night our Red Sea group that went to the Mentawais had a get together to reminisce old times. It's only a month ago and they want to go back. So we headed back in time to share stories of the trip and recollect the great memories made.

The young guns, Skye, Chris, Steven were planning their next Red Sea trip and it's great to see them hanging out. As I always say, its about the relationships and new friendships that has always been the key to a successful trip.

The old guns, Al Ah Nee and Kyle Chikuma represented and still stoked on their beng-beng session with overhead surf and no one out.

We had a big spread of poke, steak, salad, and much more...Thanks Mike for organizing the event!

Every time I travel I want to upload pics and share stories live on location, so decided to invest in a laptop that will do the job. Now just gotta make time to upload the pics when I'm there! ha ha! Have a good day everyone!

Dream Boat?

2011-08-16T01:09:00.000-07:00

After selling my boat, I felt like a fish without water so had to make do and figure out a plan. The next best thing was to borrow a kayak! Yes we can launch from anywhere, get exercise, and get some fish! This is two man kayak so hit me up when you guys are free to dive. Well I'm ready to go dive but just so darn busy. I have just enough time to sit in this kayak take a picture then go back to work. Hopefully some day soon I will be able to own my dream boat to take all my friends and family diving/fishing!

"Strange Fish"

2011-08-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

On our last trip to Indonesia our crew caught this "Strange Fish" while fishing. It did not need water to survive and lasted a while sitting on the sink. I thought it was the coolest fish ever and just posed the entire time I filmed it. I bet if he wanted to walk and jump over the deck he could, but instead the boat crew had it for dinner that night. Poor thing:(

On a brighter note: I finally got over my 14-day jetlag, getting over a 10-day cold, and gearing up for a trip of a lifetime:) Details coming soon...

Boatless in Hawaii

2011-07-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sleepless in Seattle? No...Boatless in Hawaii! Well I took a step of faith and my boat is gone, yup gone! Can't sleep, can't think, can't boat dive on demand...It was a hard decision to make being this boat has brought in so many fish for my family, friends, and the TV Show!

I remember this day like it was yesterday as Travis speared this Gimungus Uku around 26 lbs. I've had such great times on this boat fishing, diving, filming and appreciate all the people who helped wash, clean, and care for all these years. I've learned alot about boats and how much it costs to own and maintain a boat. It's all worth it and I can't wait to see what's happens next! In the meantime, call me up and we can go shoredive:)

Tiger shark circles divers

2011-07-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

A ten foot tiger shark circled two divers in Hapuna a few days ago and the story has been making the news. News reporter from KGMB, Tim Sakahara called me up for my opinion on the sighting so I shared a few words. It was little weird as I am usually behind the camera. Click here for more: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/15145692/shark-specialist-talks-about-close-encounter

Big GT

2011-07-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Divers in Hawaii are Awesome divers! They have great hunting skills and know where to find certain types of fish. One of the prized catches is a big Ulua or giant trevally and here Kauai boy Jon Barretto shows us how its done. Check out our next episode of Hawaii Skin Diver and see some insane Ulua action! Premiers Aug. 2nd at 8:30 pm on channel 16 or 1016 (HD version). Thanks for watching!

Mentawai 2011 - Pics Part 4

2011-07-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

More fun surf from Mentawais 2011. Lances Right is always good but because it is one of the world's best rights it's often crowded. I just need one good one from here to make my trip complete and luckily Yanto our boat guide was there to catch a photo as well. Thanks Yanto!

There are a few spots that are uncrowded as well and during this surf session we got it all to ourselves. This left reminds me of concessions left that is three times as long and doesn't close out. Well the surf here in Hawaii has been small and I surfed once for 1 hour since I came back and still jetlagged. I think I should fly back to Indo time and get my sea legs back. If you want to join us on our next trip shoot me an email.

Mentawai 2011 - Pics Part 3

2011-07-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

More pictures from our recent trip to the Mentawai Islands. Their are hundreds of coconut palm trees lining the shoreline and if you are lucky you can ask a local villager to get you a fresh coconut to drink/eat.

We had a bunch of boys (Steven, Chris, Skye, Rand) who joined us and they had the best time of their lives surfing, partying, joking together.

Steven got this nice barrel at Macaronies which made his day complete. One good wave in the Mentawais will scar your memory bank for life.

Al Ah Nee also speared his first fish with his new Riffe speargun. This surgeon fish did not let go without a fight and gave him a nice poke as well with his sharp fin. Look forward to many more dives together with Al on our next trip.

Mentawai 2011 - Pics Part 2

2011-07-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

One of the places I really wanted to visit was the Macaronies Resort as this is where the 3 meter tsunami hit Oct, 2010. I saw this place when they were just about to open and there were bungalows all along this lagoon. Now nothing and they are still not open. I got to talk with a local who was there when the tsunami hit killing about 24 people.

The Naga Laut has a great crew and awesome cook, "Boi" who every day provides us onolicious meals. In fact most of the guys thought they gained weight after the trip.

I did some diving to catch the pupus along with my partner Al Ah Nee, who speared his first fish with his new Riffe speargun. We got enough fish for our pupu hour each day. This little doggie came by my window.

Also got a grouper for the crew to eat which they were happy. But surfing was on each day and for me I enjoyed the opportunity to finally surf good Rifles.

This wave is as long as catching a wave from Holtons through inside Laniakea with several barrel sections along the way. It is very fast and hollow and if you are lucky you can score your longest barrel ever. We got three sessions out here and I had lots of fun.

Mentawai 2011 Pics Part 1

2011-07-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mentawai 2011 trip comes to a close as group of 10 surfers experience the trip of a lifetime. Their home, "Naga Laut", a 70 ft charter boat with a crew of 7 to cater to their every need. Awesome food, spectacular scenery, good friends, what else can you ask for.

Every day they were driven to the surf spot and dropped off right in the spot. Wave your board and you are picked up.

Waves like this was only the beginning as we surfed over a dozen spots in ten days. Here Chris Murphy was setting up for the vertical off the lip.

Macaronies was all time with everyone on it! But Rifles was the spot...More pics to come.

2011 Indo Season

2011-06-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

Last year I got to surf the Mentawais in Indonesia and got one of my best barrel of the 2010. We had 2 solid days of 6-8 ft waves at a spot called Ht's, the rest of the trip was gravy. Beautiful sunsets, perfect waves, and lots of fish! If you ever are considering the Ultimate Surf Trip this is a MUST DO destination! We live on a boat for 10 days/11 nights and surf/dive/fish our brains out.

2011 Indo Season has begun and I'm excited to head back for more barrels, fish, and fun times with a group from Hawaii and hope we score again! Now that the south swells in Hawaii have slowed down, it's time to start chasing some Indo swells. I'll be bringing my camera and taking some photos of the boys so stay tuned!

Mexican Shootout 2011 Pau

2011-06-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Just in from the 5th Annual Mexican Shootout and it was a BLAST! Lots of FUN, SUN, and Good times again with divers from Hawaii, Seattle, San Diego, & Alabama. The tides and full moon made for strong currents with a thermocline 40 ft below. The waters were changing from cool spring to warm summer so the fish were coming in. Lots of sighting of Marlin, Roosterfish, and even 80# Yellowfin tuna and big Wahoo was taken a few days before the competition.

We raised about $600 to support the El Sarjento School with new sporting supplies and the kids came down one evening to perform a dance for our group. Its a great feeling to catch fish for a good cause. Tim, Karon, and Jimena Hatler do an excellent job every year.

We had a host of great sponsors who generously donated prizes for the event and we were so thankful for their support! Prizes to our Captains, Teams, and Individual awards were given out and appreciated by all.

Team "Revolu-Sun" Puna Apio and Ernie Ripley took first place this year and their strategy paid off and the end. Congratulations you guys! Ken Oakes also nailed this huge trigger fish weighing in almost 10 lbs winning the target reef fish!

I was hoping for one nice fish and got lucky at the end of trip with this sailfish that came in a little to close to my speargun. Palapas Ventana is the place to land a billfish and all sorts of fish we don't have in Hawaii so I can't wait for next year! Thank you to all our divers, boatmen, sponsors, and Palapas Ventana Ohana for making it another successful event! Make plans to join us next year!

Mexican Shootout coming soon!

2011-06-08T02:32:00.000-07:00

Every year we team up with Palapas Ventana to host a fun dive tournament in La Paz Mexico. We have a great team of sponsors who are very generous to support the event and welcome divers and non-divers to join the fun for a great cause. If you are interested in joining us send me an email: redsea@hawaii.rr.com.

Waiting game

2011-06-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday Morning "Dawn Patrol Crew" anxiously waiting for the new swell. Looks like about a dozen surfers out already. Call me when it comes in...back to zzzz.

Memorial Day Ono

2011-05-30T23:56:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice long weekend! My friend Erick Itoman had a day off and hasn't had a chance to dive in a long time so we headed out to the blue once again in search of Wahoo. Saw some of the boys on the kayaks diving as well since it was a nice day. The current was mild so it seems the fish was not around but then two wahoo came by. Erick was down hunting as I watched him from above, then as he surfaced I saw them come in. They were not hungry so had to chase them down but luckily one turned and I got a shot off. Erick later gave it a back up shot so we at least got one for today. I wanted to test out a new underwater camera I got so grabbed a shot as well. Thanks Erick for a great dive!

Got a Virus?

2011-05-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

My new toy "5'-5" virus" has arrived thanks to Jason Kashiwai! It is super fast, easy to turn, and it's the perfect shortboard. You can ride it 3 fin or 4 fin and I'm ready to test it out with the new swell in town. I debated to let it cure but was too anxious to get it wet so I gave my nephews some posca pens and they went to town on the top deck.

Kai (left) was super proud to color the board while Maika (right) focused on the details of each circle, spot, dot, etc..Guess which boy wants to test ride it first? MEEEE! See ya in the water!

Pargon Alley

2011-05-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last years Mexican shootout we got some nice fish come up and this year we are hoping for the same. On one of the warm up days I took a drop to find a school of Pargon (Dogtooth Snapper) on the bottom and lined up on one with my 120 cm pipe gun and luckily it stuck. There is a spot called "Pargon alley" which hold a bunch of these and they are fun to spear and also great eating. If you haven't speared a Pargon, Marlin, Wahoo, Mahi, or Roosterfish this is your best opportunity. We got some great sponsors again supporting the event and look forward to seeing you there on June 13-18, 2011! Email me if you want to join us!

Aku Wanted

2011-05-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the day to dive! Forecast was for light and variable winds so headed to the supa-market again. I asked my family what they wanted to eat and they all said "Aku". Aku? No Kole? Ok den, Aku was are target and off we went...Captain James Oshiro behind the wheel and Kekoa Mau watching my back.

James sent out the lines and kabam! screaming the lines as the aku was on! Kekoa and James took turns and we had one big hit on my Gaji lure that came off as the guys were playing tag team reel in. After boating enough we went dive on the reef for some variety.

Kekoa got a nice catch and I also had a few pieces for the table. Got a bbq coming up so will be put to good use.

Thanks guys for a great day on the water and see you at the bbq! Forecast calls for some surf on the northshore the next few days as the tradewinds build. Southshores should be picking up also next week so wax up! I can't wait to try my new board by Jason Kashiwai! Hint hint...

Sunshine finally!

2011-05-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

Wednesday finally stopped raining and sun started shining so we decided to head out to the market. Most of the island was raining and created dirty water scenarios so we headed to the North shore which seemed the cleanest water. Kirby Fukunaga and James Oshiro joined me for a fun day of diving.

On the way to our spot we were greeted by a pod of dolphins, about 100 dolphins just cruising and enjoying life. They followed us for a while then we departed to go dive. Tried for Ono's but instead came across Ukus. Had a few big ones in the 15 lb range come in but they were smart. You don't have much time to spear a hungry uku as they may come in for a few bites of chum then disappear. I had one come up and he got greedy so I let him have it.

Kirby later got a good shot off on a Awa and Uhu which was perfect for an upcoming bbq. Thanks guys for another great day on the ocean!

J. Kashiwai boards

2011-05-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Windy weather for past week kept me indoors working like a slave. Editing shows, planning trips, researching the next destination. So I called my shaper, Jason Kashiwai and put in an order for the next board. Even though I getting older and arms don't paddle as fast the trend has been to go smaller so I'm getting a 5'-5". Jason has been working with me for a while and a huge supporter of Red Sea Ocean Adventures! Thanks Jason!

He rips and here at Macaronies in Mentawais he was going off the hook, under the hook, and on top of the hook, throwing big sprays. If you haven't ordered his boards, just let me know and I'll connect you. We had a great time in Indo and can't wait to do it again.

So ordered me my ticket and booked a group to the Mentawais next month for some more epic surf! I catch my best waves each year traveling and there is no comparison to the quality of these waves. You will never know unless you go!

Lucky we live Hawaii

2011-05-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Happy May Day Everyone! Wow days are flying by so fast but at least sun is staying out longer! Freezer was empty so had to go to the market this weekend and stock up for dinner. First drop was to target Onos but it was a little slow coming so told my dive partner Keith Yamane to head up. He starts hooting through his snorkel Ono! I look and focus and see him dropping down and the fish came in. It swam in slow and noticed it was a great barracuda. Keith shoots and rolls it over, cold stoned! We try again but no Onos except a hungry shark so decide to check out another secret spot.

The current is picking up and we start chuming, flashing, and next thing you know we see a couple mahis swimming. One of them curiously comes too close to my speargun and Pow! I leave it in the water as the other one comes in to bid his partner farewell but Keith is there and they both go to fish heaven. We end up with 3 mahi and another 4th is still swimming around but we had enough so headed in for some Kole action on the reef.

After lunch we filled up our cooler and ready to head in as the thunderstorms were approaching in a distance. Mahalo to Capt. Cat for putting us on the spots and Keith for another great day on the ocean! Lucky we live Hawaii!

Gene Higa Memorial 2010

2011-04-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars divers for the 2011 Gene Higa Memorial Tournament coming up May 21 at Puuiki Pavillion in Wailua. Last year was a great event and good times was had by over 100 divers. Some of the boys giving the "shaka" as they were hanging out.

There are great sponsors like primo beer, outback steakhouse, hatch custom spearguns, hammerhead spearguns, omer, and more. Clifford Cheng and Marc Inouye always hard at work behind the scenes.

Calvin Lai Jr. and Hanalei took the event with this huge ulua they found in a cave. This is Hanalei's back yard so its no surprise to have him bring home the big one!

This past year reigning Iron Chef Kimi Werner took on the challenger, Nico Chaize from Nico's at Pier 38. It was a showdown to remember and we got it all on the next episode of Hawaii Skin Diver premiering May 3rd 8:30 pm on OC16. Check it out!

Pass it on

2011-04-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

One of greatest things we can do for our keiki is teach them what we know. We had the opportunity to assist Gyotaku Artist "Crow" Nakamoto at Kaneohe Elementary School demonstrate how to do gyotaku to kindergarden kids. They were so happy and excited to paint fish. One kid asked if she could eat the fish, another told me he goes diving with his dad already, another said he watches our show, Hawaii Skin Diver all the time.

They were so proud and printed then painted their fish with their water colors. This girl Kiyomi's expression says it all. I bet it will be framed on her wall forever.

A big mahalo for Crow and his crew for teaching the kids at Kaneohe Elementary how to do gyotaku. Now is the time to pass it on!

Mixed Bag

2011-04-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

I put on my meterologist hat and been watching the weather like a hawk. I checked my sources and decided to head out to one of my secret spots for a dive. Dive partners Kekoa and Owen boarded the Red Sea Boat and we were off! Got a mix bag of reef fish so we decided to try the blue water for a quick dive and...

after about 30 minutes this mahi came bolting in for my flashers. I quickly lined up as the mahi darted left and right trying to get a shot. I had a hard time getting the shot I wanted so fired and it went high but held on by the skin of the fish. I motioned to Kekoa to back me up as the fish headed up to the surface. Kekoa nailed it with his 100 cm Omer and we called it a day. Thanks guys for joining me on another Red Sea Ocean Adventure.

Next trip is La Paz, Mexico so get your gear together and climb on board that trip and hopefully you will get a chance for some pelagics, marlin, and maybe a rooster fish too! June 12-18th. Email me for any questions.

Aloha Derek

2011-04-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Just heard out our friend, Derek Hara from the big island passed away diving. http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/119902179.html Seem like just yesterday we were over there filming with him shooting his first ono and eating all the good grinds his wife provided our group. His infectious smile and cracking jokes all the time, and hospitable attitude toward others was a few of many things that made him so special. May God's peace provide his family strength during this most difficult time. Aloha Derek, you will be greatly missed.

Kokua for Japan Video

2011-04-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

Merlinda in the house..represent! Mahalo for donating everyone! More opportunities to support Japan coming, stay tuned!