Quickie

[Daryl Wong]

Here's a short dive report since I only got out for two hours today.

My cousin Ron and I went out after I finished work to do some drift diving. The onos are in and we wanted to check out a few spots. by the time we loaded up and got in it was 4:15pm. I started up chumming while Ron was getting his gear ready. I was going to shoot some bait fish and then try out the new video camera I got recently. While I was loading my gun and hooking up the camera to my float, I saw two ons come by. I called Ron and told him they were here. One ono came in too close and it was fish on! A shitty shot high on the back but it held. Ron got in and I started chumming or burlying again as they say in Oz. This time five pesky sharks came up and started stealing the chum. They weren't to big but had attitude. When we would dive on them to chase them away they'd charge you. Next time out I'm bringing a few re straightened shafts to give them an attitude adjustment. They left when we quit chumming and so I started a new chum slick. I noticed two fish that didn't seem like AJ's because they were too skinny, yet didn't have the wide pectoral fins like our Uluas. I dropped down and saw that they were two nice African Pompanos. They Don't get huge like Hatteras or Florida, but they still taste just as good. One circled the chum and then it was lights out. Spined him.

I took that one back to the boat and then went back to see what Ron was up too. I got the video camera off my float and started filming the bait fish and the sharks that were below and eating our chum. I saw Ron pointing at me and behind me was a single ono coming in. I filmed the chum going down and the ono coming up to the debris. It saw Ron closing in and drifted away Ron took a long shot and it moved out. Now he's going to be thinking about that miss and worse I will remind him that I have it on film! By now it was getting dark and the sharks were coming up on us instead of hanging below, so it was a good time to leave. WE got to the pier at 7:00 and its off to shoot reef fish tomorrow. Dive report when we get back

Aloha,Daryl.

 

[cww180]

Great story and fish Daryl, good luck and safe diving tomorrow.

 

[Pastor]

You see what happens when you look after your boat trailer

I do envy your fish but I have to say that diving here does have its advantages, no sharks :friday Only had one encounter and that was enough for me. So have we got some video clips to look forward to in the near future? That would be cool

 

[Old Man Dave]

Daryl I'm gonna turn Buddhist so when I'm reincarnated I can come back as you. Man you have a hard life :t. Great catch and nice story. Keep them coming.

Dave

 

[Marwan]

A shitty shot high on the back but it held. .

what gun were you using :t:trofl

great story DR Wong
you think my insurance would cover the expenses if i told them my dentist is in hawaii

 

[Pastor]

what gun were you using :t:trofl

I hear it's a JBL the travel version, it's the best you know.

 

[Daryl Wong]

Aloha ,

The next morning I got out with two friends and we dove on the north side. It was dead calm and no wind. The highlight of the day was coming up on a mother humpback whale that was in forty ft of water and nursing her calf. I swam back to the boat and got my video camera and also called my friend Kaipo. He had never seen a whale up close. We snuckup onthe whales and I was able to get about three mintues of footage before she realized we were there and took her calf into the deep.
We didn't target onos yesterday and instead looked for our favorite reef fish the parrot fish and goat fish called Kumu. Kaipo aslo got his second Ulua and my cousin Ron got his first big Jobfish or Green snapper. I was lucky and got an Ulua and a Job fish or Uku as they are called here in Hawaii.
We didn't get trophy blue water fish but we got dinners and we all returned home safe.

Aloha,Daryl

 

[ILDiver]

Wow, nice fish! I need to live closer to blue water! Look at the calm water in the background....looks like good diving!

 

[rigdvr]

nice trip Daryl! Youre going to like that new camera...

 

[bgill]

Nice spearing Daryl...

Oh how I'd love to freedive/spear in some of the exotic locations you go!

Saw you on SpeargunHunter the other day...Or was it Ocean Hunter?

Can't remember...Awesome show though. Must've been SpeargunHunter,as I recall Sheri Daye's backside was mesmerizing me at one point! :chatup

There used to be a show on the Outdoor Channel with two Hawaiian guys...The show was named "Good Fishin." or something really simple...Them guys would sometimes go pole spearing on the show....Loved that show....Thats what got me into polespearing and freediving.

Someday....Someday when I'm really old...And rich! I WILL own a DW speargun/reef-gun!

 

[settingsteel]

Great pair of report and great fish WTG!!

 

[Mongrel454]

WOW i can only dream bout spearing those fish, what a catch mate and a great read aswell

Nice to meet ya Daryl and im sure to read up on your next adventure

 

[Daryl Wong]

Aloha All,

Well, with the boat in the shop, I have been landlocked for the last two weeks. So its been hitching rides on friends boats the last two weeks. This week it was with Pete my dive hero who dives three times a week often by himself if no one else is available, and with me on weekends.
Wed the weather forecast for light trades so I took a break from the shop to dive on Pete's small 15ft Zodiak. Pete is your typical gentleman diver. Get up late, walk the dog, and then get going at 9:30 am. By 12:00 he's on his way home.
I was able to talk him into staying at least until 2:00 pm. Wed.
We launched in 10-20 knot winds and the first thing he said was it's going to be miserable. We go out in my boat when its rougher than that and no problems. After a short, bumpy ride of over 45 minutes. I turned and told Pete, " now I know why I have a big boat". My kidneys and back were killing me! Try to sit side saddle on a bouncing inflatable with a 73 yr old driver who doesn't know what quartering waves means. By the time we got to the spot, I was exhausted.
Since it was his boat, we did what he normally does when he goes diving. We drift dove. We did this by throwing out the anchor so that it hung mid water and also threw a chute to slow it down. We then dove around, behind and in front the boat as it drifted. We covered some nice ground and we managed to shoot a few fish.
By 1:30 we headed to a last spot to check an ulua house and then head in. We bounced a mile to the deep hole as we call it and I swam over with Pete to check the archway. There I saw a schooll of juvenile trevallies and one big one. I dropped down and the big ulua headed away from we up to a dead end hole. It had to come back out and when it came by me to pass, I got a spine shot on it.
back at the boat we took a few pictures and then headed in. All in all a short day out is better than a hot day in my sweat shop. Thanks Pete! Next time we'll take my boat.

Aloha,Daryl
Hawaii nei

 

[settingsteel]

Nice report Dr Wong!!! And sweeet ulua....cool drift method, guess its a good way to cover some ground...."sweat shop" aye, I'll bet some of your best memories originated there:friday

 

[Mongrel454]

Nice catch and great story as usual

 

[Daryl Wong]

Aloha Setting steel,

Drift diving is how I found most of my spots and a great way to scout for tournaments.
Another way to find spot is a when we have a group a divers and we "hopscotch" as I call it. We drop one or two divers, usually myself or another person who I trust to run the boat and let them dive with the current. We then take the boat down current 1/8 or 1/4 mile down and throw anchor. The guys in the boat then get in and dive with the current and are then picked up when the first divers get to the boat.
The guys going to the boat have to be aware of where the boat is located at all times. And both divers have to get to the boat and then pick up the others. Usually they dive together until they reach the boat. While doing this, if any ulua houses or really nice spots are found, the divers tie up their floatlines to that spot and when they get back to the boat and pick up the others we go back to that spot and mark it.
This technique works great. Depending on how strong the current is, determines how far the boat is anchored. If its really strong then the boat is not parked very far.
If the current should switch while we are diving, it is the second group of divers know to swim back to the boat and pick up the others. That way no one has to swim up current to the boat.
Our group has been diving together for over ten years, so we pretty much have a routine down depending on the situation.

I can see where it would be difficult in Florida. The current is always moving and with the bullsharks being so aggressive that its probably best to live boat. The main thing is we have fun and dive safe.

Aloha,Daryl

 

[Pastor]

Hopscotching Cool name! We have some seriously strong currents here in the straights between the islands and use the exact same method. It's good fun and a cool way of hunting just hanging mid water and drifting as the fish come out of the murk to examine the strange object.

 

[blaiz]

I noticed two fish that didn't seem like AJ's because they were too skinny, yet didn't have the wide pectoral fins like our Uluas. I dropped down and saw that they were two nice African Pompanos.

Are those the same thing as Kagami? Thats a murph! Nice fish and great stories! One of these days when I save the money Im going to have to get me one of your blue water guns! Ive been drooling over them for the past few years! Beautiful work!

 

[ILDiver]

Def. some nice fish! Look at that water, wow.

 

[Daryl Wong]

Aloha Blaiz,

The ulua in the most recent picture is an Ulua, It was black colored, but normally are light when you find them.
Kagamis are more box shaped and very shiny.

ALoha,Daryl