Video of Bob During This Instructor Development Course

Oh! I have been very busy working, Diving, and learning how to use Apple iMovie!
I spent the last few weeks staffing (helping out) at a PADI Instructor Development Course, preparing Divemasters to be Scuba Instructors. It is immensely satisfying and challenging work, and it requires crazy powers of Psychology to help teach them.
Course Director Bob is amazing. This video was taken during an underwater skill circuit, where Instructor Candidates are taught to demonstrate Scuba skills in an exaggerated, slow manner to help their students understand.
We joked around alot, and this video is an example of the fun we had.

Tango and Cass

Philippines

Wow! Humpback Whale Breaching!

This beautiful mama humpback was teaching her small baby how to breach today.
Amazing! I am lucky to have gotten these shots. Be assured there were many many shots of water and splashes and lopsided sky!
Humpback whales are here in Hawaii for their winter season of mating and birthing, and we are very lucky to have them.
North Kohala Coast, off of Kawaihae. The Big Island of Hawaii. Today, from the dive boat Kohala Diver.

Gar & Kel

Gar&Kel.JPG
Originally uploaded by KelKnits

Tiger Shark

Yes, that is a really big shark. This is the first time I have seen a Tiger Shark, and he was a big one: Twelve to fifteen feet was the final thought. Divers on the boat spotted what they thought were small, innocent, playful dolphins splashing on the horizon, so we took the boat in for a look. NOT dolphins! As we neared the splashing, we noted that it looked too... side-to-side? for dolphins, and then we saw the fins: Greyish brown, floppy, and a large space between dorsal and tail fin. Too large! We came right up on him and the Captain killed the engines. We gathered at the edge of the boat to see what he was after, because we could see the blood and, well, bits... floating on the surface. The shark nudged the body again and it flipped over to reveal hoofs: He had a goat. We stayed with him for a few minutes as he leisurely chomped away, and with one final swoop on the surface, he flashed his stripes, rolled his eyes back, opened his jaws and took the goat down into the depths.
Huge.
Wide.
Stripey.
Makes me aware I am not at the top of the food chain!

I didn't take this photo: A guest on the boat, Joyce B., took this photo and a few more, which I await via email.

Underwater Dancing

One of my most favorite students, 10 year old Isabella! We like to dance underwater, and while this dance was longer (I spun her a couple times before she spins me) her friend the videographer just captured this much.
This was a recent dive on the Kohala Coast: Potter's Reef, I believe.

Photography. Underwater.

Yes, I have been resistant to taking photos underwater: I find that photo-hogs are exceptionally rude underwater, often destroying coral, interupting behavior, or ruining experiences for other divers. Recently, however, I was tasked to take photos of divers underwater, and I didn't know how to use the camera well.
Enter my friend Paul, an amazing photographer and photography teacher, who happened to be in need of a few more student certifications. We used his Canon, housing, strobe, and various lenses over the course of two dives.
I am now certified with PADI as a Digital Underwater Photographer. I enjoyed the class very much, especially the opportunity to work on my technique without any professional pressure to lead dives. I doubt I shall ever feel comfortable enough to take a camera to work and take photos while also leading divers (cameras are already not allowed while teaching students: A policy I support).
The first photo is of a local nudibranch (shell-less sea slug) the Poliahu (Glossodorus Poliahu), an indiginous nudi from here in Hawaii. She is named for the Hawaiian Snow Goddess, as the small white dots appear like a dusting of snow. Note the spiral next to the slug? This will be her eggs! I love how the eggs are frilly like the nudi is frilly!
The second photo is of a White Mouth Moray Eel who was very patient with me taking photo after photo of him.

Another IDC?

Where have I been? September was full of diving, but not the usual diving! I was auditing a PADI Instructor Development Course and Instructor Exam (which I took two years ago) in order to become a PADI IDC Staff Instructor. Which I did!
We had Course Director Bob, an official IDC Staff Instructor Matt, four of us IDC Staff Instructor candidates, and four Divemasters wishing to become Instructors (Spoiler Warning: Everyone passed!)
Our course consisted of learning how to train Instructors, and learning how to grade presentations like the Instructor examiner does. We also helped train the candidates through mentoring, skills workshops, advice, and criticism. It was fascinating to go through the entire Instructor process without the stress of two years ago!
Wonderful opportunity and i would do it again in a second!
(Which I will need to do: The next rung in the PADI ladder for me would be Master Instructor, where I will need to audit a few more IDCs! Bring it on!)
Congratulations to us all, especially the new Open Water Scuba Instructors who had to go through the stress of the class and the exam with 6 sets of eyes on them! They did well under the circumstances.
All props to CD Bob Hajek who is an incredible instructor, mentor, inspiration, and juggler (of 9 Staff/Students!)

My Whale Photo on Schmap!

My Humpback Whale photo has been chosen for inclusion on the Schmap of Kohala Coast! This was a mother and calf that I photographed this winter. Yay! I am not a very good photographer, but I guess I am actually a Professional, since my photos have appeared in the (now defunct) Hawaii Island Journal.