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Date:
21 Nov 2002
Comments:
Trip Report I had been looking forward to a week of fun in
the sun with my good friend, Mo. She had invited me to join
her in on the Big Island of Hawaii while she was house and
dog sitting and this presented an opportunity for us to dive
the Kona coast together. Well, how could I pass up the chance
to dive in a new location with free room and transportation
while on the island? Mo had dove in Kona previously and was
familiar with a couple of operations. So, at her suggestion,
we dove with Big Island Divers and Dive Tek Hawaii. Our
first day out with Big Island wasn’t memorable. Two
other divers who hailed from Orange County joined us. Our
Dive Master was “new” to the job and not yet comfortable
with his role. Beyond the hard corals and the multitude of
tropical fish, nothing presented itself to make this dive
noteworthy. The following day we met Garry and Keith of Dive Tek Hawaii at the Marina. We were to be the only divers
on the boat. Mo had done some technical training with Dive
Tek previously and was quite enthused about them. Dive Tek
is “DIR friendly” and I welcomed the opportunity
to learn more about the DIR (Do It Right) way of thinking.
Because we had chartered the boat for the week, we were the
only divers on board the 22’ vessel. There was more
than enough room to be comfortable. On our way out of the
Harbor, we spotted the only turtle we saw all week. A few
minutes later we encountered the largest number of dolphin
I have ever seen at one time; easily 200+. These were Hawaiian
Spinner Dolphins and the pink-bellied youngsters entertained
us by jumping and spinning out of the water. Some of the babies
hadn’t quite perfected the spin yet and appeared to
be doing more of a side flop! I would have been content to
watch them for hours. We reached the dive site where we were
going to check out a huge pipe at 130’. As we entered
the water and began our decent, we observed several more dolphins
in transit along the coast. The water was warm at 81 degrees
and the vis was good. The entire dive was comfortable and
it gave Garry, our guide, an opportunity to observe our skill
level before anyone committed to more adventuresome diving.
The second dive of the day was equally interesting at a site
called “Suck em Up”. We dove through lava tubes
and got up close to a resting white tipped reef shark for
several minutes. The following day we were to dive with both
Dive Tek and Big Island. With Dive Tek, we planned a deep
dive to about 155’ in preparation for the diving we
hoped to do the following day. Garry wanted to see us function
in full technical gear with twin scuba cylinders and deco
bottles before we moved to the next level of Trimix (a blend
of air, oxygen, and helium.) We dove to a maximum depth of
155’ and saw nothing more noteworthy than a cleaner
shrimp at depth. With a water temperature of 82 degrees, and
a total run time of 1 hour and 9 minutes, I would have liked
to have seen a couple of Manta Rays, a Humpback Whale, or
a Whale Shark at least!!! That evening we did see Manta Rays
and they were up close and in our faces! We went on the Manta
Ray night dive with Big Island and what a treat it was. A
small group of about 6 divers descended to a 35’ ocean
bottom and got comfortable. We shined very powerful lights,
which were provided by the operator; up toward the surface
of the water, and within 2 minutes we had attracted our first
Manta. Suddenly we had 5 or 6 large Mantas coming into feed.
They put on a show for us as they did barrel rolls and buzzed
us from all directions. I got that feeling that we as divers
sometimes get that almost defies words. It’s the feeling
of having been privileged to be in such close contact with
one of this world’s magnificent creatures. It was an
experience that I won’t soon forget. The next couple
of days of diving with Dive Tek were very educational and
thrilling. Here I had the opportunity to dive on Trimix and
be clear-headed at 190’! If only we had Trimix available
to us in Bikini earlier this year! I was suddenly converted
from pessimistic to enthusiastic about this blend of air,
oxygen and helium. On Trimix, I was as clear headed at 175’
as I was at 30’ since the helium reduced the narcotic
effect of the nitrogen. I was sold and made arrangements to
dive on Trimix the following day as well. The ONLY drawback….expense.
At $90.00 a fill, it gets a bit pricey. I had never had a
desire or a good reason to experiment with a scooter. But
one of the dives that we had planned required advancing about
a quarter mile from where the boat was moored. Here we would
see a shark cage at 175’ and a bell at 150’. With
twin steel 85’s on our backs and an aluminum 40 deco
bottle, there was no way to reach our destination without
the aid of the Gavins (scooters). So off we went. We were
propelled through the water at a pretty good rate of speed
and arrived at the shark cage in no time. Additionally, since
we weren’t swimming, we had conserved our gas for use
at depth and to enjoy the shark cage and the bell. After poking
around the cage for a while, we started off again and followed
our guide to the bell. What’s the big deal about a bell
I wondered? Well, it’s one of those things you have
to experience to appreciate. Here in 150’ of water,
we ducked into the bell, which contained a small space of
air. The air was not considered safe to breathe, but we could
talk by breathing from our regulator and exhaling as we spoke.
There we were; 3 people in 150’ of water talking like
Daffy and Donald Duck due to helium in our tanks! It was comical
to hear our guide give us directions in a “chipmunk”
voice. It’s pretty hard to take a guy seriously! Then
it was time to begin our ascent and decompression. We anticipated
a total run time of 90 minutes. Our switch to our deco gas
was planned for 70’. There we kneeled on the sandy bottom
next to our scooters and switched from our back gas to our
50/50 mix. Having made the switch, I began timing the ten-minute
stop and looked around at my surroundings. It was then that
I saw the Garden Eels off to my right. Just like I had seen
them on television, swaying in the water, ducking into the
sand and then reappearing. I am always on the look out for
the prized appearance of a Whale Shark. What was that approaching
from over the Eel Garden? Two magnificent Manta Rays came
into view as they got closer. There were spectacularly la!
rge and graceful as they glided through the water. The dive
continued as scheduled and ended right at 90 minutes. We boarded
the boat and were treated to a nutritious and delicious lunch
of fresh Sashimi, raw vegetables and dip and fresh fruit.
These guys really know how to treat their customers. Oh, and
did I forget to mention that this day they arrived at the
Marina with their larger boat? Yes, a newly refurbished 36’
Radon, equipped with a freshwater shower, head and shade to
escape the intensity of the sun. In summary, it was an experience
that I am glad to have had. I thoroughly enjoyed diving with
Dive Tek and wished Brian had been there to experience it
with me. I am thankful to Keith and Garry for their hospitality
and instruction. On the other hand, Kona does not provide
the lush, soft corals and plentiful ocean life that one would
expect in a tropical destination. It could be described as
somewhat barren and very different from its neighboring island
of Maui. Conversely, it’s a thrill to see giant Manta
Rays, baby Spinner Dolphins and white tipped reef sharks in
all their glory. So, you just have to weigh it out for yourself.
If you ever choose Kona for your diving experience, be sure
to look up Garry and Keith at Dive Tek. They can accommodate
both the recreational and the technical diver at all levels
and run a 1st class operation. >From -Debbra B. 's web
site
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Date: 16 Nov 2002
Comments:
Just
got my ReBreather certification with Chuck and Keith. Thanx
for a great time and an educationally challenging experience.
I learned more in two weeks about diving than I had gained
in recent experiences.
The extended day trip to AuAu crater was memorable and a rare
opportunity to dive where normally it would require the Agressor
to dive there.
The introduction to DIR opened my eyes and makes a lot of
sense.
The Gavin scooters rock!
Thanx and I'll be there next year for some DeComp training
and a new Halcyon BC,
PeterT
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Date:
10/19/2002
Comments
Probably the coolest thing that has happened in the past 6
months was when Trey and I went to Kona (Hawaii) for a week.
We went there to meet with Gard Wilson of DiveTek Adventures
in Kailua-Kona, to talk to his group about DIR and to dive
with them, and also to go sportfishing on the Huntress. It
was a great time ! From Pina >> A great diver!!! We
were PLEASE to have her visit! http://www.pina.us/
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Date:
10/18/2002
Comments
SNIPED FROM EMAIL below >>>>Gary Wilson from Dive
Tek, in Kona, Hawaii, hosted MHK, Sonya T and I for a fundamentals
class with students flying in from as far as Marshall Islands.
Mike, Nancy, Sonya and I managed to squeeze in a day for Fun
dives and of course a day on the lava flows in Kona. Gary
runs and excellent operations with two top shelf skippers
and boats. Just excellent.<<<<<<<
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Date:
09/11/2002
Comments
Thanks for the heads-up Jeremy... Great guys, terrific boat
- only one day with them, I will be back, thanks Keith &
Bacchus! Mike Ross http://www.corestore.org (Bacchus - the
best of your pics are starting to go up on the above site
- enjoy... awesome manta!)
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Date:
09/03/2002
Comments
I would echo everything in the previous entry. I had the opportunity
to complete a number of technical courses with Keith and Garry
over two trips to Kona recently. Above all, the operation
they run is professional, personal and safe. The George Irvine
lecture was an added bonus. I will be back for more diving
and can highly recommend Divetek for anyone considering diving
in Kona. bryan_bower@adelphia.net
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Date:
09/01/2002
Comments
Hi Guys, I sent this message to the rebreather list, but I
thought you might appreciate a copy of it. Thanks again for
everything! -----Original Message----- From: Jeremy Downs
[mailto:jedowns@ucdavis.edu Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002
1:19 AM To: rebreather@nwdesigns.com Subject: Kona diving
Hi Guys, I normally don't do this, but I just returned from
an extended trip to Kona, and I was so impressed with a very
professional and rebreather friendly operation out there that
I feel I have to forward this information. If any of you go
out to Kona, look up Keith and Geary at DiveTek (http://www.shrinkwrap.net/DiveTek/DiveTek1.htm
They are operating the most professional charter operation
I have ever had the chance to dive with. They really know
their stuff. Their OC equipment is almost completely DIR,
and you won't see any deep air nonsense on their boats. And
they are a couple of the nicest guys I have ever had a chance
to dive with. I hope to dive a lot more with them in the future.
With all the well maintained gear, boats, and staff they have,
I really don't know how they maintain a profit at the rates
they charge. Their standard rates were very fair considering
the extra needs their clients typically demand. Their helium
and O2 fills would be competative even on the mainland. In
fact, they only charged $25 per day's charter more than the
cattle boats, and yet provide a competant guide for each diver
that needs one. Typical staff to diver ratios were allways
2:1! Their boats had plenty of space to assemble rebreathers,
doubles, gavins, etc. We used gavins on almost every dive
(they have three), and we typically logged over three hours
of bottom time a day while finishing our deco on very healthy
reef systems. They had interesting dives at all the desired
depths I requested including an anthias covered diving bell
at 150, a very large shark cage at 200, and an interesting
drift dive below 240. Had I asked, I'm sure they would have
had more interesting stuff at even deeper depths. I didn't
see any wrecks, but the topography was incredable (especially
during deco). During deco we allways had at least one special
visitor. Mantas, whitetips, turtles, eagles, and dolphins
all checked us out at one time or another. If any of you head
out there, give them a call. You won't be sorry. JD
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Date:
07/11/2002
Comments
BY George Irvine :
It
is really good to see that the things that make sense in diving
are being quickly adopted by thinking people, and that the
influence of the idiots is quickly waning. Pina and I were
very happy with Gary's operation. He has a perfect boat, his
partner and captain is squared away, his buddies are squared
away, his gas setup and equipment is first class, and he is
running a stroke-free operation.
Hawaii
is a place where you can dive all the time, and it shows in
the innate skills of the divers we met. Amazingly, in a place
where the water can be hundreds, if not thousands of feet
deep right up against the shore in places, and the vis is
good and temp moderate, you do not see the deep air nonsense
and accidents occurring. It appears that Hawaii has a higher
order of inhabitants and visitors than are found elsewhere.
I noticed that people do not even lock their cars or put the
tops up on their convertibles when they leave them, the cops
drive their own cars rather than police cars, and everyone
seems quite proud of doing things in a proper fashion.
The
fishing is awesome, and the boats perfect. those people took
as much pride in doing it right on the rip as Gary's people
did in doing it right in diving. I fished on a Merritt boat
, built right here in Pompano Beach, that looked like it just
came out of Merritt's yard, with all the best equipment and
squared away crew.
The
island itself is a wonder. Pina and I drove all around it
one day and went to the volcano at night on the 4th - spectacular,
better than fireworks. This is the perfect place to either
go for vacation, diving , training, or as a halfway point
to the other pacific islands. We stayed in Gary's condo on
the beach, where you hear the surf breaking all the time and
people are out in front surfing all day long. His 'classroom"
is on a mountain looking over all of Kona and the Pacific
- a must see.
Taken from email on Quest>>
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Date:
07/10/2002
Comments
My dive buddy, his 12 year old son and I had the pleasure
of 3 days of diving with Dive TEK in June of 2002 off the
Kona Coast of the Big Island Hawaii. We hooked up with Keith
and Garry through a technical diver friend whose judgment
I trust and all I can say is my friend deserves a bottle of
top-shelf scotch. The Dive TEK team is professional, safety
conscious and incredibly friendly. I only wish there was a
team as fantastic as Dive TEK located in all my favorite warm
water locations. After my cattle boat experiences in the past,
the personal and personable service of the Dive TEK team made
me feel like I was on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous".
The Junior diver in our group received one-on-one attention
from a dive instructor and so allowed my dive buddy and I
the freedom to explore without worry. I had three wishes for
my dives - turtles, dolphins and mantas. The Dive TEK team
went the extra mile to see those wishes fulfilled. Unfortunately
the mantas were no shows. I did get to dive a turtle cleaning
station and swim right along side those wonderful peaceful
creatures. On our last day I had the experience of wild dolphins
up close. What a rush! Keith and Garry knew where the dolphins
often take their afternoon "siesta" (though they
do anything but rest!) and we patiently waited for them to
turn up which they did shortly after lunch. SeaWorld can't
hold a candle to the show those wild Spinner dolphins put
on for us. It's the memory of a lifetime. Dive TEK certainly
goes the extra mile to make sure you have a fantastic experience.
If you're going to the Big Island to dive, dive with Dive
TEK. Nora.Boettcher@parc.com
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Date:
07/07/2002
Comments
"Pina and I are out in Hawaii diving and marlin fishing.
The diving here is amazing. The shore drops off into the abyss
so you are diving deep water which slopes to shallow within
a few feet of the shore. There is one place we saw people
snorkeling near the shore where it was 500 feet deep under
us forty feet away. We have been riding the scooters along
the edge and then easing up as we go along, so the whole dive
is continuous and you see the same stuff at all depths. The
scenery here is unbelievable. Gary has a stroke-free operation
for diving,"
Quote
from George Irvine
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Date:
05/30/2002
Comments
I was diving with Garry and Keith from Dive Tek on the big
island. It's a fantastic experience to dive Kona. Kona is
the younger island of Hawaii island. From north of Marshall
atoll, all the way down, the underwater topology and formation
change. You will notice it after you dive Kawai, Maui and
then Kona. The younger geology of Kona has more lava tubes,
stiff drop off and better wall system.
During
my dive over there, we drop down to 150 to 200 feet deep and
use fast Garvin Scooter to tour around. These are the real
McCoy and no other scooter can compare to it's power and flexibility.
They are also larger than other scooters and you need some
training to get use to. Garry and Keith can take you for training
and tour. They are fun and we did several drift dive with
them.
Last
day of my stay on the island, I dove 2 sites: Turtle Haven
(next to the old airport) and Kaiwi point. I have been to
Kaiwi point before but was heading out to go deeper (decompression
dive) and there are lot to see at shallow also.
From
the Turtle Haven, I enjoy diving with 5 or 6 turtles and observe
them to get clean by trigger, tang and other fish. Giant turtle
are gentle but they can swim fast and they are under protection
so approach them carefully. I have some images and videos
on this page.
The
wall system at Kaiwi point is an extension of the flow down
lava and there are a few short cavern to explore. Lots of
life hide around the lava creaks and they are perfect for
photo. See my photo here.
Kaiwi
point is very unique. I have encounter Garden eel, Bottlenose
dolphin, flying fish and whales here. My camera housing was
not designed pass 130 feet so I did not bring it down in most
of my dives. (Yes, if I can afford one of these more pricey
housing, I would)
I
will be back to Kona soon enough to explore more. And next
trip, I hope to go down deep to find line coral and some of
more exotic fishes.
From
L Tasi
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Date:
05/25/2002
Comments
A comment about the quality of the training available at Dive Tek Hawaii. I have spent most of my dive career (four
years) taking classes--from OW to Advanced Tri-Mix. It was
not until I took a class from DTA that I realized the difference
between paying for certs and actually being required to master
the skills that went with the cert.
The
instructors at DTA take pride in their teaching role and insure
that every graduate has actually met the requirements of the
class. If you want technical training come to paradise and
get the best.
If
you just want FUN diving it doesn't get any better than with
Gary and Keith and the rest of the staff.
John
Calvin Kona, Hawaii
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Date:
05/21/2002
Comments
I would like to pass along information on a *FAMILY friendly*
dive operator on the Big Island.
Most
west coast divers know that Hawaii offers the best opportunities
to see pelagic animals including Humpback Wales, Mantas and
the like, but the real find on Hawaii is DiveTek. DiveTek
is truly a top technical diving operation pumping Helium and
offering private boat charters and diving instruction from
basic Nitrox thru Rebreathers.
I
found that it was a perfect blend, my husband would dive the
deep stuff while I stayed on board sunning ... Latter, we
directed the boat to a site that I felt comfortable with and
we did some very interesting yet easy recreational diving.
This
is a short of what I found list:
1.
We found DiveTek DIR friendly and to be professional, safety
conscious and extremely friendly. We even had our one year
old on board! Yes, we had a life vest on him.
2.
They were extremely flexible – we decided to blow of
a dive and whale watch ~ DiveTek turned the boat and we were
soon *swimming with the Humpbacks* (yes, they did every thing
legally).
3.
They pump He to O2.
4.
The vessel and gear is in top condition (I chartered a 6 pack
they have a larger vessel for bigger groups).
5.
The charter was nearly the same price as it cost for two divers
to dive on one of the cattle boats *(extremely reasonable
priced) *remember when you charter the boat it goes were you
want!
6.
For the deepsters - DiveTek has some interesting deep-water
targets.
7.
The have all the gear from AL40s/AL80s slings to AL doubles
and steel doubles.
I
could add much more but I did not want to waste bandwidth
for some that might not be interested doing their deco stops
while listening the songs of humpback whales.
If
you get a chance book a trip!
Shannon
(Written previously)
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Date:
05/21/2002
Comments
Note to Technical divers: You might want to consider bring
your dry suit if you plan on diving deep! They have double
steel tanks available to those that have a dry suit or the
double AL80’s for the wetsuit diver ;-)
Jt
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Date:
05/21/2002
Comments
I just got back from a great week of diving in Hawaii with
DiveTek in Kailua-Kona, Big Island. Since DiveTek is not well
known in the Bay Area, I thought I'd make a brief post here
so that others seeking DIR Tech or Rec diving in Hawaii will
know where to turn.
http://www.divetekadventures.com/
DiveTek
is a very nice, small charter boat operation working out of
the marina in Kailua-Kona. Jim Thompson was kind enough to
alert me to their existence and to open his previously booked
charter to me. DiveTek is focused on technical diving and
has all the gear and team members to support tech divers.
I am really a DIR-Rec diver, but felt very welcome on the
boat. They provided me with 30/30 all week and did an excellent
job of mixing, hitting the 02 spot-on. The first two days
were rec profile dives with Jim and his wife. We had a great
time both under water and on the surface -- particularly with
whales and dolphins. The next several days were a mix of tech
and rec diving. Jim and John Calvin were diving deep and I
hung out in the shallows. The boat team made that work well
for both teams. For the days that I didn't have Jim as a buddy,
DiveTek provided someone to dive with.
DiveTek
is currently "DIR friendly" rather than fully a
GUE/DIR operation. They have the right gear and Keith and
Garry know DIR procedures. Keith said they are working toward
being a GUE rather than TDI training organization. I felt
safer, knowing that DIR safety principles were being followed
but in the water, we were much free-er to explore than on
a typical resort boat.
Gary
Banta
Garry
Wilson.
Copyright © 2001 by Dive Tek Hawaii. All rights reserved.
Revised: 02/10/03
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