Lauren Smith

Who wants to be an ASTRONAUT? rEvo ‘TRY DIVES’ now available at IDH

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Dive the rEvo III hCCR… the most advanced diving system on the planet!

 

The rEvo hCCR(hybrid closed circuit rebreather) is the most advanced cutting edge, diving system available for underwater exploration. It rivals the astronaut’s primary life support system and shares much of the same technology. The rEvo hCCR recirculates and conditions the onboard gas supply, extending dive times far beyond those of traditional scuba divers. In addition, there are no bubbles and noise associated with open circuit scuba.

Learn how  rebreathers work and how rEvo divers can remain underwater longer. Discover how they enable divers to closely approach marine life to interact, to take photographs and video, stay warmer and make observations that would otherwise be missed by divers on open circuit scuba. Once you’ve gone Silent, you’ll hear what you’ve been missing!

 

CCR Try Dives at IDH

There are a few options available for divers wishing to ‘try before they buy’ and we always encourage you to get all the information possible before making a commitment to buy a CCR.

As a diver you have the following options available but if you feel your needs are not met below then please drop us an email detailing your specific request as we tailor events to suit your needs.

Option 1 is an informal 1-2 hour conversation. There is no charge for this but it must be pre-booked and arranged so please don’t show up expecting someone to be available. Drop us an email with the timescale that suits you best and we will advise you when it is best to arrive.

Option 2 is a more detailed version of the above costing $150.00+tax for half a day. With Option 2 we spend more time going into details of the available units plus fire them up and you get to ‘try dive’ them in our pool.

Option 3 is the same as option 2 but with an afternoon out on one of our boats. Please note that with option 3 we do charge an additional boat fee of $60.00 for a total cost of $210.00 per person+tax.

We would like to point out that our rEvo Try Dive days are very different than what is currently available on island. If you’re looking for a quick 20 minute dive on a CCR then there are other instructors offering this option. We consider ourselves a little more organised and professional which is why we meet and greet you in our shop before moving on to the in-water portions of the experience. All fees are included in the prices quoted above and there are no hidden extras involved. We make the theory part of the day informative and enjoyable with plenty of time to play with the units and ask questions.

What are you waiting for? Come on down to IDH and play with our units.

Patrick Lavin Pre BreathPatrick Lavin rEvo 'TRY DIVE'rEvo on the reef

Lauren Smith

LCU Followed by Fantasy – May 19

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Today we had a great bunch diving: Andre, Marc, and Anna. Also joining us we had a couple Island Divers Crew diving in celebration of boat crew Kelsey’s 20th birthday. This morning’s Sea Fox brought the divers out of the channel and straight over to LCU for the first dive. After making their way down to the wreck the divers explored the dive site and its surrounding areas. To my suprise, the pregnant White Tip that had been living under the LCU wasn’t around today. Clearly she must have had other plans.

After a 35 minute dive at the wreck the divers ascended and went to pick up another group of divers that would join us for the second dive. Ocean Matters is joining us this week with a group of 10 high school students who are out diving with us while learning about marine conservation and biology while on an academic trip accompanied by 7 chaperons.

After retrieving the teens the Fox sped back out to Fantasy Reef where we tied up and dropped down to the 60′ lava-field-turned-coral-reef for a 45-minute dive. The diver came across more Green Turtles than they could count while they explored the beautiful reef and swam through its swim-through’s. Excellent dive guys!!

Another great day splashing around in the Pacific. Happy Birthday Kelsey!

Juvenile turtle in B&W

Juvenile turtle in B&W

Happy birthday Kelsey!

Happy birthday Kelsey!

These boots were made for sitting at the bottom of the ocean?

These boots were made for sitting at the bottom of the ocean?

Landing Craft Utility

Landing Craft Utility

Eel

Eel

Hey brah, what ya looking at?!

Hey brah, what ya looking at?!

Charter Staff:

  • Captain: Joe & Neil
  • Boat Crew: Dooley
  • Dive Guide: Pete & Larry

Weather Conditions:

  • Weather: Mostly Cloudy
  • Swell: Moderate South Swell
  • Winds: Mild to No Winds

Dive Sites:

  • LCU
  • Fantasy Reef

Dive Conditions:

  • Visibility: Excellent
  • Current: Moderate Diamond Head

Marine Life Observed:

  • Humuhumunukunukuapua`a
  • Crown of Thorns Sea Star
  • Purple Dragon Nudibrach
  • Yellow Margin Morray
  • White Mouth Morray
  • Hawaiian Sergant Major
  • Moorish Idol
  • Raccoon Mask Butterfly Fish
  • Saddle Wrasse
  • Green Sea Turtles
Kellan Bernhardt

5/18 Joe Catches a Fish! We Swim Around a Bit

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Sunday – Three Tanker Day!  We had a bunch of really great people on board.  Namely Ann, Chris, Billy, Peter, Randy, Allison, Toshiro, Patrick, John, Rebecca, Erica, and Gene.  Gene especially is an old-timer fellow of Island Divers, and deserves a special mention.   First stop was the Kahala barge.  Deep, but the current wasn’t too bad, there was a thermocline at about 80 ft, which made it feel way colder.  Some people said they saw a crab, I’m calling their bluff.  I didn’t see it: must not have happened.  I did however find a new fin.  Treasure!  During the surface interval Joe caught a fish! Finally. From there we went to Baby barge and checked out a few turtles and the baby shark that’s been hanging out in the cave adjacent. After some lunch and hanging in the sun we went over to Fantasea reef and drifted for a bit, I zoned out in a food coma for 5 minutes, and then we took a left turn and looked for some conch. And eels. And some other things. All in all it was a very peaceful trip. Usually we look for exciting out here, but sometimes that can be a bad thing.  Not all types of excitement are the fun kinds. I’ll take peaceful this time.  Thanks everybody for making it a good one, and we’ll see you all soon.

Erika Gives Two Shakas

Erika Gives Two Shakas

Patrick Gives a shaka

Patrick Gives a shaka

So Many Shakas!

So Many Shakas!

Look no bubbles!

Look no bubbles!

Randy and Allison, There's another!

Randy and Allison, There’s another!

Gene

Gene

Heart Urchin!

Heart Urchin!

Weather: Light Wind, Mostly Sunny, Seas 2-3 ft. swell
Dive Sites: Kahala Barge, Baby Barge, Fantasea Reef
Dive Conditions:  Kahala – Vis 100′, Depth 95′, Moderate Current
Baby – Vis 90′, Depth 70′, Mild Current
Fantasea – Vis 50′, Depth 50′, Slight Surge

Marine Life: Honu, Moray Eels, White Tip Reef Shark, Horned Helmet snail, Sleepy Sponge Crab
Staff: Captain Joe, Instructors Kellan, Everett, Crew Lauren

Matt Negaard

So Hard to Choose..17 May

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Fortunately the predicted swell fell short for this Saturday 3 Tank beauty. The surf was up a little, but not enough to keep us dry. The Sea Hound left Kewalo Basin with 8 Divers plus lucky me and Captain Neil aboard. Arriving at our first dive site, we were welcomed by great visibility. We enjoyed the YO-257 from the outside (moderate current kept us out of the swim thrus today) and even made it over to visit the San Pedro, the second wreck at this unique dive site. There were a few Turtles around and some Moray Eels, along with a bunch of Pennant Butterflyfish. A submarine full of dry kine explorers came by a couple times too.

After an hour plus on the surface in gorgeous Hawaii weather, we made our way down to the Sea Tiger. No turtles here today, but  a massive school of Bluestripe Snapper was a sight to see, cruising around the wreck in tight formation. Very little current and nice visibility made for a pleasurable tour of one of my absolute favorite wrecks to dive. Time for some snacks and drinks to refuel for the last dive.

After two deep dives, it was time to finish with a nice reef dive. After a little hunting around, we got tied up at Kewalo Reef. There was a bit of surge here closer to shore, and reduced visibility, but what a great dive site! The reef is very lush, full of reef fish and lots of eels, even a Spotted Boxfish and a Thornback Cowfish. It was a great finish to a beautiful day on and under the waves. It was a pleasure to dive with such a skilled and relaxed group..you guys made my job easy today. Mahalo, and hopefully you can join us again soon.

Sea Tiger

Sea Tiger

Bluestripe Snapper

Bluestripe Snapper

YO-257

YO-257

Whitemouth Moray

Whitemouth Moray

Weather: Light Wind, Mostly Sunny, Seas 2-3 ft. swell
Dive Sites: YO-257/San Pedro, Sea Tiger, Kewalo Reef
Dive Conditions: YO – Vis 100′, Depth 90′, Moderate Current
Sea Tiger – Vis 80′, Depth 107′, Mild Current
Kewalo Reef – Vis 30′, Depth 50′, Slight Surge
Marine Life: Honu, Moray Eels, Pennant Butterflyfish, Bluestipe Snapper, Spotted Boxfish, Thornback Cowfishd, Atlantis Sub.
Staff: Captain Neil, Instructor Matt

Larry Hogan

GREAT SURFING ON THE SOUTH SHORE !! 17 May

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Lots of surfers out today on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, as the south shore was pumping beautiful waves!  well, our intrepid Open Water students were also pumped to go diving!  the surface outside the channel was not bad, but the viz in our usual spots was really down, so captain joe took us over to Fantasy Reef, one of my absolute favorite dive sites.  we tied up on the center mooring and i ventured down with students Fred, ali’i, and Vanessa.  TJ had student Aspen, her Dad, and special guest diver – TJ’s mom!  the surge was strong, and the viz was only 50 feet, but that was much better than the 10 foot viz on the shallower sites.  lots of huge turtles looming out of the gloom, barracudas, loads of reef fish, and the beautiful topography of this site gave us a fantastic two dives.  our students had no problems with the surge or their underwater skills, so an easy and fun day for staff!  thanks to all for a great job underwater, and to joe and max on the boat!  larry

 

DSC00001 DSC00008 DSC00007

Lauren Smith

Corsair and Keanu with Pete and Max – May 17

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It was a gorgeous morning as the Sea Fox headed out of the channel past all the surfers, kayakers, and paddlers out in Maunalua Bay trying to catch a wave as the first decent south swell of the season picks up.

First stop, Corsair. The divers went down the long lines to the old plane wreck sitting in the sand at 107′. Everyone had a great time checking out the super cool dive site and all of her inhabitants. One diver even claimed to see a Galapagos Shark cruise by! After a short 20 minute dive the group ascended, did a safety stop, then clambered back onto the deck of the Fox for a nice long 60 minute surface interval.

Capt Joe patrolled the wall searching for a Mahi, Ahi, or Ono, but alas no delicious fish were landed today. Once the appropriate amount of nitrogen had been off-gassed the divers shot back down to 75′ fora 35 minute drift on Keanu Reef where they encountered eels, corals, fish and even a White Tip Reef Shark.

Two great dives for a great group of divers!

This here's an anchor

This here’s an anchor

Leaf Scorpionfish

Leaf Scorpionfish

Hey there, Corsair!

Hey there, Corsair!

Tangy Tang Tang

Tangy Tang Tang

 

 

Staff:

  • Captain: Joe
  • Boat Crew: Kelsey
  • Dive Guide: Pete & Max

Weather Conditions:

  • Weather: Mostly Sunny
  • Swell: Moderate South Swell and Rising
  • Winds: Mild S Kona Winds

Dive Sites:

  • Corsair
  • Keanu Reef

Dive Conditions:

  • Visibility: Great
  • Current: Moderate Diamond Head

Marine Life Observed:

  • Humuhumunukunukuapua`a
  • Crown of Thorns Sea Star
  • Purple Dragon Nudibrach
  • Yellow Margin Morray
  • White Mouth Morray
  • Hawaiian Sergant Major
  • Moorish Idol
  • White Tip Reef Shark
  • Green Sea Turtles
Lauren Smith

7 Extraordinary Sea Animals to Observe While Scuba Diving in Hawaii

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Green Sea TurtlesWe are passionately in love with our environment, and feel privileged to be able to show off the natural riches that can be seen underwater. Offering you an unparalleled scuba diving experience, we never tire of the thrill clients experience after their first dive.

Diving is not just a job for us – it’s a way of life. It’s our work and our passion, and we know this area like the back of our hands. We are proud to live here and to show off all the natural riches of our islands and their wildlife inhabitants. It is in this spirit that we’d like to introduce you to some of the extraordinary sea creatures that you are most likely to spot while scuba diving in Hawaii.

Green Sea Turtles (Honu)

We can honestly say that these gentle guys are our favorites. Though they are a threatened species worldwide, they are fairly common here in Hawaii. With green fat between their organs and shell, a large body, and paddle flippers, you can see them in shallow lagoons minding their own business as they peacefully munch on a meal of sea grass.

Manta Rays (Hahalua)

One of largest fish in the ocean, these graceful pelagic fish can be intimidating with their wingspan of 20 feet or more. Manta Rays don’t have stingers – so fear not, intrepid diver! –  they won’t hurt you. You’ll find them near the water’s surface, feeding on zooplankton.

Heller’s Barracuda

These toothy-grinned babies can be quite daunting with their long bodies, smooth scales, fang-like teeth, and large pointed heads. They will usually have dark blue, green, or gray upper bodies, silvery sides, and white bellies, with variations like black spots or dark bars on their sides. Up to seven feet long and 12 inches wide, they are fast and furious and often found near the top of the water, around coral reefs and sea grasses, or in muddy shallows. Attracted to shiny things, they can sometimes mistake humans for food, but we’ve yet to see anyone in our orbit attacked, so despite their reputation, there’s no cause for alarm.

Blackspot Sergeant

This is a chic and sleek underwater beauty, with its sleek black body and white vertical stripes. You will observe them in small groups around the reef areas, feeding on algae, invertebrates, and crustaceans.

Hawaiian White Spotted Toby

Another fashionable fish with a brown body, white spots, and green eyes, the Toby are also called the Sharpnose Pufferfish thanks to their elongated snouts. Less than four inches long, they usually swim in pairs, looking for algae to eat. While not really dangerous, they can be quite annoying and rambunctious, nipping on other fish’s fins and biting the skin of turtles.

Yellowtail Coris

As adolescents, these fish have reddish-orange bodies dotted with three white spots outlined in black, two white spots on their heads, and white tails. As adults, their tails become a flashy yellow, their bodies change to a reddish or greenish brown color, and their heads become red with blue lines or other variations. They are very funny to watch when they use their heads and mouths to flip over rocks in their search for crabs and sea urchins to eat. At 2.5 to four inches long, they usually swim alone.

Hawaiian Spinner Dolphin

Known for their acrobatics, these dolphins spin along their longitudinal axis as they leap into the air, which is quite a sight to see. They enjoy their rest in the shallow bays near deep water, going offshore at dusk to feed.

These are just a few of the wonders you’ll observe in our Hawaiian paradise. Drop us a line today to learn more about scheduling your amazing underwater dive experience!

Lauren Smith

Wreck Diving Attractions in Oahu

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Oahu, HawaiiAs the third largest of Hawaii’s islands, Oahu covers over 600 square miles, with over 110 miles of pristine white sandy beaches. The island is a scuba diving heaven with its crystal-clear waters ranging from 72 to 79 degrees.

In such exceptional conditions it can be hard to pick a dive site, especially if you’re vacationing here for a limited amount of time. With so many awesome underwater attractions, we would like to make some suggestions of underwater attractions that divers of all levels can enjoy. With our daily two-tank boat charters, we will not only take you to the best dive sites around, but also provide you with an overview of the area and the marine life you are likely to see when adventuring underwater.

Wreck Diving

Wreck diving is another world of scuba diving to explore, and in Oahu there are over 10 accessible wrecks that can be visited inside and out. Home to all types of sea life, wrecks are a paradise for those of you who want some great underwater photographic shots. Our team provides courses in how to correctly execute a wreck dive, teaching you all the skills and techniques you need.

The Corsair

The 1946 Corsair airplane wreck in Maunalua Bay lays 115 feet down in clear water that allows you to actually see it from the surface. With a family of octopi living in the wings, and a group of eels in the cockpit, you won’t be alone as you explore the ins and outs of this famous underwater wreck.

The Mahi

WWII Navy minesweeper measuring 185 feet long, the Mahi was voted by Rodale’s Scuba Diving Magazine’s reader survey as the fourth-best wreck dive in the U.S. It’s home to families of Eagle Rays and many more creatures, making it the perfect location for a day of underwater adventure.

For more information on scuba diving in Oahu with our expert dive instructors, contact us today and find out how exhilarating it truly is to explore the worlds underwater.

Kellan Bernhardt

5/15 We Abandon Corsair!

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Thursday – Smokey and the gang saddle up and… *ahem*-sorry- Mark, Crystal, Alicia, Chris, Elizabeth, Angela, Brian, Patrick, Other Chris, Max, Sunshine Scuba, and I jump on the Fox and head out to Corsair on request to find that the crazy heavy currents we’ve been having because of the full moon are making the site undivable.  Sorry about that Mark and Crystal.  Well we move onto the LCU and it’s great.  There are Neon Morays under the blocks, heart urchins; it’s always nice to get good and deep once in a while.  From there we make our way over to Fantasea and get our drift on.  We saw like a bazillion Horned helmet snails!  And we totally blew out the side of the site!  Made it all the way to the sand, which I’d never done before.  Thanks all, see you next time.

Found a snail

Found a snail

Swim Throughs!

Swim Throughs!

Found another snail

Found another snail

Shakakahn!

Shakakahn!

Weather conditions:  Low Wind, Small Swell, Very sunny.
Dive sites: LCU, Fantasea Reef
Dive conditions: LCU: Strong current, 95ft, 78F; Fantasea: Mad current, 45ft, 78F
Marine Life observed: Horned Helmet x1,000,000,000, Green sea turtle, Pacific Octopus
Staff: Captain Joe; Crew: Greg; Instructors: Kellan, Max

Marnie Cadden

Diving Perfection

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What a fantastic day for diving! We couldn’t have asked for better weather and conditions for the afternoon charter on the Sea Fox. We had a great group of divers that varied in their levels of diving. For our first time divers, we had an opportunity to see Hawaii’s marine world at its best. Everyone was excited to jump in the water and check out some of our favorite dive sites.

Gearing up for the first dive.

Gearing up for the first dive.

At our first site, Koko Crater, divers got to experience 100+ ft visibility, which allowed them to get some great views of one of our favorite sites. With a such a small group of divers, we had the opportunity to see some awesome marine life up close.

Triggerfish

Triggerfish

Our Open Water students got to test their skills in pristine conditions, and had enough time to check out the rest of the site with the other certified divers. We spent about half an hour exploring the nooks and crannies finding some really cool creatures!

Checking in with some local eels.

Checking in with some local eels.

We spent our surface interval enjoying the sunshine and exchanging stories of diving. Divers, both new and old, were excited to have mother nature on our side this afternoon.

Cpt Joe at his finest

Cpt Joe at his finest

Ready to jump back in!

Ready to jump back in!

At our second site, Pa’a’awa, the divers had a close encounter with a friendly sea turtle, some traveling nudibranch, and even found an octopus!

Cruising along.

Cruising along.

Our students had the opportunity to practice their buoyancy along the wall and across the large boulders that were teeming with marine life. It was a very active day out on the Maunalua Bay reefs.

Enjoying the warm sun on the way in.

Enjoying the warm sun on the way in.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Conditions: Sunny 80*F

Visibility: 100’+

Dive Sites: Koko Crater & Pa’a’awa

Dive Conditions: Koko Crater 90+ vis, max depth 37′, 35min dive time, water temp 75f; Pa’a’awa 100+ vis, max depth 40′, 30min dive time, water temp 75f

Marine life observed: Triggerfish, green turtles, wrasse, butterfly fish, eels, nudibranch

Staff: Capt Joe, Instructor Marnie and TJ, Crew Maxine