First off, photos are available here: Tim Dekle's Photos - Shark's Cove 4-10-09 | Facebook (just easier than loading them all a second time 
)
I met up with JJ at Hickam around 7:30 am where we realized we had our choice of any dive site on the island (beautiful conditions) after much debate over boat or shore diving we decided on a shore dive at Shark's Cove along the North Shore.
This is the first time I've been in the water at Shark's Cove since my 5th grade birthday party (where everyone went home with urchin spines in their feet ... what a way to celebrate) For years I've heard about the infamous "Elevator Shaft" from my freediving friends - they consider it either to be an act of extreme bravery or stupidity to enter there on breath hold. . . on scuba, well it's just downright FUN It's like any other giant stride entry off a swim platform, but then you get sucked into a lava tube which you swim thru to get to open water about 50 feet away (you can see it in the first 3 photos)
Once again JJ played the role of navigator as he led me to cavern after cavern for the next 79 minutes - lots of incredible structure ... and a bit of fun surge too in most of the small lava tubes it felt like you were either getting vacuumed up or spit out alternately.
Once we'd finished our first dive we warmed up in the sun (after 79 minutes in 73* water wearing swim trunks even I start getting pretty cold) then we grabbed the scooters for a planned trip up to 3 tables. 20 minutes into the dive one of the batteries gave out :S still not sure what happened, but it did not have a good charge ... not sure what's going on. Still we had started this dive with a nice FAT fill (3400) and still had 2500 psi remaining, so we kicked back to the entry point (Actually JJ kicked ... I scooted for a few more minutes before mine also died) - I definitely want to go back there once I figure out what I did wrong in charging the batteries (gotta run a few pool tests to see what's up) because there are some wonderful pinnacles, overhangs and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find an arch or two out there - definite scooter paradise
Another great dive - Thanks for the fun JJ
Aloha, Tim
)I met up with JJ at Hickam around 7:30 am where we realized we had our choice of any dive site on the island (beautiful conditions) after much debate over boat or shore diving we decided on a shore dive at Shark's Cove along the North Shore.
This is the first time I've been in the water at Shark's Cove since my 5th grade birthday party (where everyone went home with urchin spines in their feet ... what a way to celebrate) For years I've heard about the infamous "Elevator Shaft" from my freediving friends - they consider it either to be an act of extreme bravery or stupidity to enter there on breath hold. . . on scuba, well it's just downright FUN
It's like any other giant stride entry off a swim platform, but then you get sucked into a lava tube which you swim thru to get to open water about 50 feet away (you can see it in the first 3 photos)Once again JJ played the role of navigator as he led me to cavern after cavern for the next 79 minutes - lots of incredible structure ... and a bit of fun surge too
in most of the small lava tubes it felt like you were either getting vacuumed up or spit out alternately.Once we'd finished our first dive we warmed up in the sun (after 79 minutes in 73* water wearing swim trunks even I start getting pretty cold) then we grabbed the scooters for a planned trip up to 3 tables. 20 minutes into the dive one of the batteries gave out :S still not sure what happened, but it did not have a good charge ... not sure what's going on. Still we had started this dive with a nice FAT fill (3400) and still had 2500 psi remaining, so we kicked back to the entry point (Actually JJ kicked ... I scooted for a few more minutes before mine also died) - I definitely want to go back there once I figure out what I did wrong in charging the batteries (gotta run a few pool tests to see what's up) because there are some wonderful pinnacles, overhangs and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find an arch or two out there - definite scooter paradise
Another great dive - Thanks for the fun JJ
Aloha, Tim
