Best Scuba Shop On Oahu

[diveguylongago]

Hi, I'm Russ Lefebvre. I'm assuming the Chuck here is from Hawaii Sea Adventures. Used to dive with Chuck in the 90's. I know Tommy and Kat. I was just looking to go back to Hawaii and dive again and was looking for the shop's website but it is gone. What happened to Chuck and the shop? Thanks, Russ

 

[MeiLing]

Chuck went out of business a few years ago. He sold half his business and moved to the PI. His new partner didn't have his sales saavy and couldn't make it work. The shop finally closed its doors about 2 1/2 years ago. Chuck now lives in the PI.

I still see Tommy and Kat around every now and then. Tommy now lives in San Diego and works for one of the distributors. I see him whenever Dive Oahu, Brian Benton's shop, has its tent sale at the NEX. He usually comes to town then.

I bumped into Kat, last week. She hasn't dove in 3 years. She was talking about dusting off her gear and coming out with us though.

Most of the remaining folks from HSA have formed a dive club, Rat Dog Divers. It was started by Randy Brewer and Randy Burbank. Burbank now lives on the mainland now though.

 

[fishb0y]

Kinda worked out nice, Randy Burbank and I are diving out of the same shop here in WA.

As far as the crack about the Sea Lancer's air goes... most of the "bad air" story came out of OC when they tried to get the club shutdown.

 

[crab lover]

Actually, for quite a while, I always knew I had a Sea Lancers fill by the smell of the air... I never got sick from it, but there was a distinct smell and the tank I let my dive buddy borrow gave her a splitting headache. They got a new filter some months back though, and the air didn't smell after that.

 

[diveguylongago]

One year we did a Halloween dive on the YO-257. Had a mannequin in the wheel house, a few guys hiding inside, and we didn't let the divers use their lights for the whole dive. They basically had to follow the guy's chem lite in front of them. What sucked for us instructors leading is we had no guy in front of us so we were blind the whole time. Took a lot of set up and then we all left for a party Chuck had downtown while the guys who were in the wreck cleaned it up. That was a one time thing cuz none of those guys wanted to do that again. But it was a great dive and a big turn out. Chuck always had good parties at his shop. We had so many we had to take them down in groups of 10.
I heard he had a kid down in the PI. Guess once his alimony payments were done he just decided to take it easy.
Back then Aaron's dive shop had three shops. I use to teach out of the Pearl City store when Diana was married to Jack and running that store. Then went to Chuck.

 

[MeiLing]

One year we did a Halloween dive on the YO-257. Had a mannequin in the wheel house, a few guys hiding inside, and we didn't let the divers use their lights for the whole dive. They basically had to follow the guy's chem lite in front of them. What sucked for us instructors leading is we had no guy in front of us so we were blind the whole time. Took a lot of set up and then we all left for a party Chuck had downtown while the guys who were in the wreck cleaned it up. That was a one time thing cuz none of those guys wanted to do that again. But it was a great dive and a big turn out. Chuck always had good parties at his shop. We had so many we had to take them down in groups of 10.
I heard he had a kid down in the PI. Guess once his alimony payments were done he just decided to take it easy.
Back then Aaron's dive shop had three shops. I use to teach out of the Pearl City store when Diana was married to Jack and running that store. Then went to Chuck.

Your assumptions about why Chuck left are way off, bud. His leaving had nothing do with his alimony payments being done. His last divorce was at least 2 years before I met him in '93. And I believe all was settled in the divorce and he lost his Kailua shop in that. Not only that his ex-wife was not exactly lacking her own financial means as she was a rather successful realtor.

His motivation for leaving the industry had more to do with his losing interest and the economy at the time. Pre-9/11, he was already spending a substantial amount of time in the PI and had a girlfriend there (mother of his child) . When 9/11 occurred and the majority of the military (who were his primary customer base) shipped out, he really didn't have the desire to weather the lean times yet again. He tried to sell the business and only managed to find someone who wanted to buy half and run it while he remained a somewhat silent partner. Who got the better end of that deal is certainly up for debate.

At this point Chuck doesn't even dive anymore due to physical issues, something with his ears. He was involved in the industry and attended the 2007 Long Beach Dive show to promote diving in the PI. Last I heard, he was working as the GM for the Red Sun Resort in Puerta Galera, PI.

Chuck's boy would be about 4-5 years old now and his name is Elmer. The attached picture is dated Christmas 2004.

You are correct about one thing! His parties were always the best!

 

[diveguylongago]

Does anyone know how to contact Chuck? I think I might move there and who would be better to hang out with than him.

 

[TommyDaly]

Hey there Lisa, Tommy Daly here.
Are you John's Lisa or another Lisa from HSA?

 

[DiveWestOahu]

what a trip,, first chuck,,, now tommy,, where's heather and randy

 

[DiveWestOahu]

oh by the way,,, howzit tommy