Hawaii...Day 3

Monday was Scuba Diving day!! We headed down to Honolulu first thing in the morning to meet up with our scuba instructor, Drew.  Abi had really clogged ears, so she was not going to be able to dive, so she and John decided to snorkel while Cory and I dove.  First we had to watch a instructional video, which scared me to no end!  I was SO nervous about forgetting to do something, or doing something wrong, or just not being able to breathe.  Our instructor insured us that fear was normal & healthy, and that everything would be fine. So, off we went!

This is the lovely view of Waikiki/Ala Moana as we left the harbor. We are grateful we didn't really spend any time at this beach because is was so crowded!

Abi & John excited to get their snorkel on!

This is one of Cory's attempts at clearing his mask. This was a necessary skill that we had to master before actually getting in the water.  Our instructor poured water into our masks and then had us clear it out using the techniques he taught us. It took Cory a few times to figure it out.

I got it on my first try! Just sayin...

Here we are about to practice what to do if your regulator comes out of your mouth underwater. We are pretending to be holding on to the rope that we will use to decend into the water.  We did all of these exercises again when we got just below the water's surface.  Luckily, the only skill we ever had to use was clearing our masks.  This actually came in VERY handy later on in our snorkeling adventures.

This is me heading into the water before our dive. I'm the one with the yellow fins & the other figure is Drew, the instructor. This is the only picture we got of us scuba diving since we were not allowed to take a camera (too many other things to focus on for our first dive) and Abi & John were too into their snorkeling.

But, with creatures like these just a short reach away, who could blame them!! There were a bunch of turtles right where we dove/snorkeled.  John & Abi said they had to be careful not to bump into them, they were so close!  We saw a turtle down on the bottom that was sleeping wedged in between some rocks. So cute!! Scuba diving was so much fun!  I am so glad I was able to relax and enjoy it.  I nearly quit when we first got into the water and I had to put my face in and breathe. I am grateful for a patient, understanding instructor who didn't give up on me.

Cory didn't have quite as much fun scuba diving as I did.  The waves were kind of rough that day, and since we didn't go very far down, we were tossed to and fro a bit with the waves. Cory got nice and seasick.  By the time we got back up to the surface, he could hold it in no longer. What was that John called it? Chumming for fish? Yes, that is a much nicer way to put it! :)

We opted out of the second dive that was planned for us and instead enjoyed a nice picnic lunch on this lovely beach.  I think it may have been Ala Moana, but I am not certain.

After lunch we decided we had really not had enough fish-seeing for the day, so we headed to Hanauma Bay, a famous snorkeling area on Oahu. Since it was late in the afternoon, we got to go in free of charge, and even though the waves were a bit strong here as well, we enjoyed some lovely snorkeling. Above, a school of Sailfin Tangs.

These are one of Cory's favorite fish; Achile's Tangs.  We saw tons of them, and it was so neat!  They cannot be kept in captivity, so this was an awesome opportunity to see them in real life. The other yellow fish is some sort of Butterfly Fish, but I don't feel like looking it up right now.

After we wore ourseves out snorkeling, we headed back to the house for dinner and relxation. At this point, our bodies were still not adjusted to the time difference (HI is 4 hours earlier than UT) so we were always exhausted by 8 or 9 o'clock. I don't know if that really ever changed!