Hawaii 2011Trip - Page 5
Our first dive was at a place called "Freeze Face", due to a vent of cold fresh water that comes out of a fissure at this spot. You can see the heavy swells pushing water onto the cliff face. A beautiful golf course is right here as well. The water right off the cliff is about 40 feet deep, which then gradually decends on an incline another 20 feet before hiting a shelf, which steeply goes down several hundred feet.
Looking south slightly at Mauna Loa mountain.
Thomas comes ashore from the first dive...
I surface after my first dive...
I swim around a bit before coming back onboard.
We had some time to kill before the second group came up, so I swam around enjoying the warm water and comfortable swells.
Our next dive was about 5 miles away, a place called Kaloko Arches - a really cool spot featuring the most dramatic topography on the Kona coast. Numerous arches and canyons with vertical walls made this a very unique dive

Thomas and I get ready to get back into the water....
I do a gian stride entry....
We get ready to go down 50 feet to the ocean floor....

Thomas comes back on board....he goes thru air a little faster than I do. There were two arches we could swim thru, and great volcanic topography.
Thomas looking all wordly after this dives in Hawaii...:)
I surface...minus my snorkel. Somewhere along the way it fell off....oh well, a treasure for the next diver!
Here is my worldy face...:)
Doing the "superman".....
All done and ready for food!
Back at the resort we all chilled by the pool, doing the water slides and resting.

Teresa got us some mountain smoothies....goooood stuff! Oh, the fresh pineapple everywhere was awesome too....
The resort had an inner lagoon and an outer bay. This is the outer bay. The inner lagoon has dolphins, padle boards, kayaks, etc.
We went out snorkeling in this lagoon, and it was fun, but it was not nearly as good as Kealakaua bay.
This is only one of about 12 resorts in Waikoloa, and there are also about a dozen golf courses.
We wandered and explored the properties...wild lime and mango trees, as well as banana and coconut trees were everywhere.
Looking into the distance is Mount Mauna Kea, with the worlds largest telescopes on it.
Here is a zoom in of the same picture....
The sun sets on another beatiful day. Each day was about 85 degrees, nights were about 75 degrees, adn the rain, infrequest as it was, only lasted about 40 minutes when it occured.
Here we are, sad to be heading home, waiting at the Kona airport....
Flying into Honolulu from Kona, Thomas spotted this nuclear submarine heading into Pearl Harbot...
On this return leg, our room at the Hawaiian Village was a suite, a corner suite, with windows looking wouth and east. It was an amazing room. Here is the south view, overlooking an exclusive pool and the beach.
Looking from the bedroom entrance, at the east and south windows. When both were opened, the ocean breeze was amazing.
Teresa comes into bedroom area as Thomas lunges. We had about 8 hours before Thomas had to fly out so we headed to Waikiki to get some sunglasses. We found a cool shop with Maui Jim brand sunglasses. Teresa and I both picked up a pair.
Sunset hit, and we stop for farewell photos. Thomas and Teresa.
Sean and Thomas...
Sunset of the Honolulu Marina. Opening shots of Gilligans Island were filmed here.
Looking back at Waikiki hotels from the Marina.....we didn't find any SS. Minow ship names tho....
Thomas gets into his taxi.....
The next morning Teresa and I board our plane to head back to Japan....beautiful clouds on the way...pretty smooth flying.
For the 8 hour trip back we read, watched our IPAD/ZUNE devices and napped...
The shores of Japan eventually appeared and it was time to go back to work....all in all, it was an awesome vacation!