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Dive Blog

Marty’s Reef

I set out on this dive saying, “I will only shoot macro today!” And then proceeded to not take a single macro photo; It was all wide angle. I guess that’s what happens when sharks keep swimming by. But after each wide angle shot, I would get ready for macro again (move lenses, lights, etc) […]

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Dive Blog

Ulua Pom-Pom Crab Day

4 different species of Nudibranch today. But most importantly I set out to find the elusive endemic Hawaiian Pom-Pom Crab in a spot where I used to see them 20 years ago… and I found one. 🙂 Also called the Boxer Crab, this little crab (max 13 mm or ½”) will punch at you with […]

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Dive Blog

Ulua Deep

Switching it up, using my Wide Angle Dome lens today, but still ended up shooting mostly smaller subjects.

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Dive Blog

Ulua Mainly Macro

I am loving my new macro photo setup. Finally getting the detail I want on the smaller critters. And when a huge school of Heller’s Barracuda swim by, I can quickly move the macro lens to the side and shoot wide angle.

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Dive Blog

3 Dives, One Post

A Reef’s End dusk, drift dive at Molokini yesterday, and 2 shore dives today, first at Makena Landing, second to the St. Anthony from Mokapu Beach. Still trying to focus on macro subjects (pun intended), but nice having the flexibility to easily remove the macro lens; thanks to (finally) a good lens attachment design by […]

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Dive Blog

Ulua Deep Reef 9-4-2023

Yesterday I did a scooter dive and went out too a small patch of reef in about 60 ft (18 m) of water, way beyond the edge of the main reef.

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Dive Blog

Oneuli Beach (Pu’u Ola’i) & Makena Landing

So today was very exciting! On the first scooter dive from Oneuli Beach with Daniel Moth, I spotted a nudibranch I had never seen before, a quite pretty one (photos below of course). Daniel had never seen it either, and also got a couple of pictures. Once home, I tried to ID it, but it […]

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Dive Blog

Lana’i Second Cathedrals and Lighthouse

A nice relaxing day on the Maui Diamond II. And some new species sightings for me: Candy Cane Shrimp, Snow-goddess Nudibranch, Keferstein’s Sea Cucumber, and a small school of Bandfin Cardinalfish.

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Dive Blog

Makena Landing Super Blue Moon Night Dive

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Dive Blog

Marty’s Reef via Makena Landing

A first today: Using scooters to get to Marty’s reef from Makena Landing. T’was easy as pie. 2nd dive was just a slow, relaxing kick dive.

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Dive Blog

Ulua x2 Up Close

Putting a new Macro lens through its paces. It’s tricky as the focal range is very very short, like less than an inch, on the macro ultra close-up shots.

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Dive Blog

Pu’u Olai & Wailea Point (night)

Went out with Island Style Diving yesterday for a dusk/night dive. Molokini was the planned destination, but it was too rough from high winds. Trying out the new Divevolk iPhone housing which allows using the native iPhone camera app (which is far superior to the camera apps provided by the housing manufacturers) as this housing […]

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Dive Blog

More Ulua Reef Pics

Frogfish Hawaiian Green Lionfish Milkfish Miscellaneous

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Dive Blog

Sunday at my church: The St Anthony

Used the scooters to go out to the St Anthony again. New dive buddy Daniel wanted to try the Lefeet tank mounted scooter, so I used the Scubajet and we launched from Mokapu Beach. I finally got my St Anthony nav groove back; No more searching for the wreck, this time I hit it dead […]

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Dive Blog

Ulua 2x

Today was the day to test out new gear, and Ulua is always the perfect place for that. Trying out the new Kraken Wide Angle Conversion lens for the Kraken Smartphone housing. It is working quite well, I think. You be the judge. Also tried my new Aqualung Axiom i3+ BC with and without the […]

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Dive Blog

Makena Full Moon Night Dive 8-1-2023

Once, long ago, I did a night dive under a full moon when the water and sky were so clear that my buddy and I (can’t remember who it was now, some instructor friend no doubt) did the whole dive without turning on our lights. It was bright enough to see where we were going […]

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Dive Blog

Makena Landing

Another epic dive at Makena Landing. No, no Monk Seal so maybe not that epic. I met up with a couple of new dive buddies early at Makena, which is always nice to avoid the parking crush. Mostly all the usual suspects as far as critters go, but it was just a nice, calm, long […]

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Dive Blog

Honolua Bay and Mala Ramp

I went up to Honolua Bay to dive today for the first time in well over a decade. Honolua Bay has been a marine preserve for as long as I have been on island (March 1995), so the fish populations and reef health were very good. The long jungle walk from the parking area wasn’t […]

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Dive Blog

Mala Ramp Night Dive 7-23-2023

For my first night dive at Mala Ramp, I joined Maui Mantas Kimberly and Donna, who I dove with the day before on Island Style Diving to Molokini and Aloha reef. It was awesome, as night dives always are. Spotted a couple of cool new critters and some old faithfuls (turtles, sharks). Also as always […]

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Dive Blog

Kealia Pond 7-23-2023

First dive to Kealia. I have heard this is the place to find Sea Horses, but no luck today. It is a shallow dive with only small patches of reef. Mostly rock and sea grass. Still found some cool things, though. I hope you enjoy!

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Dive Blog

Aloha Reef! (and Molokini)

Went out today with Island Style Diving and it was epic! First stop, Molokini Reef’s End. All the usual suspects fish wise, but right when the group was turning… just beyond… was a school of baby Gray Reef Sharks. I wanted to swim out to them, but the divemaster was signaling me to return to […]

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Dive Blog

Friday Pau Hana Makena Dive

Quick jaunt to Makena Landing and a lucky spot of the rare Hawaiian Red Lionfish.

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Dive Blog

Mokapu Beach 7-16-2023

Posting a day late. Yesterday was a weird day. 🙂 I did 2 dives, but have no pictures from the first one, which was my first dive from Cove Beach Park to Aloha Reef. It is shallow for a long way out and is a popular surf spot, so not the best entry/exit, but it […]

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Dive Blog

St. Anthony via Keawakapu Beach

I was supposed to go out with Island Style Diving’s boat, the Pilikai, this morning but a fuel pump was out, so they had to cancel. So I grabbed a tank and my scooter and decided to try to make it to the St. Anthony from Keawakapu Beach again. Last time, I couldn’t find the […]

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Dive Blog

Three Dive Day

This morning I joined some Maui Manta (Facebook group) members on a private dive charter on a new boat business that just started up in April. The boat, the Paikea IIRC, was built and is owned by Mikel and Maggie, Maui Pacific Divers. I love their story; Mikal put his name on the list for […]