WHAT WILL WE DO AND WHAT WILL WE SEE AT THE HAWAII SEA CAMP?
Learn tropical marine science and SCUBA training in paradise...
- Get further training and certifications in SCUBA - Open water, advanced, rescue diver, dive master and specialty diving such as; deep diver, NITROX, search and salvage, underwater naturalist, underwater propulsion vehicle, and underwater video and photography.
- Learn, study and take active parts in oceanography, meteorology and tropical marine science programs.
- We will see lots of tropical reef fish and big predatory reef fish, spotted eagle rays, manta rays, green sea turtles, spinner dolphins, morey eels, white tip reef sharks, corals, shells, lava tubes and shallow caverns all in clear calm blue Pacific waters.
- Most of the diving is done from easily accessible shore locations on spectacular reefs. Two days will be spent aboard a boat; a two tank day dive along the Kohala Coast and a one tank night dive at the famous manta ray dive site from Kailua. We will spend three days snorkeling out of our ocean kayaks where the focus will be on dolphins and turtles.
- Let’s not forget post-SCUBA activities such as; beach camp fires, B-B-Q’s, surfing and body boarding, snorkeling, tide pool exploration and of course sun bathing on the beach.
Snorkeling at Honaunau
EQUIPMENT USED
AT HAWAII SEA CAMP:
Safety is our top priority at Hawaii Sea Camp. No expense is spared when it comes to safety and quality SCUBA equipment.
All SCUBA gear used at Hawaii Sea Camp is the highest quality SCUBAPRO.
We have various size masks, fins and snorkel sets of high quality from several top dive manufacturers.
At Hawaii Sea Camp all regulators come equipped with an alternate air source. Instrument consoles contain a dive computer and as back up standard depth and bottom timing gauges.
It is recommended, but not required that students obtain a basic open water certification before coming to Hawaii Sea Camp. If the student wants to achieve their open water certification at Hawaii Sea Camp we will provide all diving gear except wet suit (to provide thermal protection in 74 degree water) and booties (above ankle high).
It is recommended that students achieving their advanced SCUBA certification bring their own mask fin snorkel gear. This is personnel diving gear and an advanced diver should have their own. As a minimum, however, wet suit and booties as stated above.
Rescue diver candidates must have their own mask fin snorkel set as well as wet suit and booties.
Dive master candidates must have their own total SCUBA system, with alternate air source, dive computer, depth and bottom timing gauges.
TANKS AND WEIGHTS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ALL LEVELS OF SCUBA AT HAWAII SEA CAMP
All camping gear is provided, even sleeping bags, however students may bring their own if they wish. Kayaks are large,” Ocean Kayak”, sit on top kayaks, with deck hatches to stow gear below in the hull.
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PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
TRAVEL COSTS AND ARRANGMENTS ARE THE STUDENTS RESPONSIBILITY.
DAY 1 – Arrival into Kailua Kona International Airport, on as early of an arrival time as can be scheduled. Orientation and program set up.
DAY 2,3,4,5 – SCUBA training.
It is recommended that the student come as a certified open water diver, if not then these four days will be strictly devoted to the task of certifying them as such.
For those who come as certified open water divers an advanced course will be conducted. Specialty courses will be conducted for students that come with an advanced certification and for the students who obtain an advanced certification from Hawaii Sea Camp. Specialty options include; deep diver, NITROX, underwater propulsion vehicle, search and salvage, underwater naturalist, underwater navigation, and underwater video and photography.
Rescue diver courses are also provided, however because of the length and intensity of the rescue diver program that is all the student will be focusing on for the entire two week schedule. Oxygen administration, CPR and first aid certifications are included in this course.
Dive master courses are also available and as with the length and intensity of this program that is all the student will be focusing on. The length of this course is four weeks and students must sign up for back to back trips, however a reduced price for the four week course is only $3000 and the student must have their own full SCUBA, except tanks and weights.
DAY 6,7,8,9,10 – Marine science phase 1.
Now that we are all on the same page and comfortable and safe as divers, we can begin to really focus on marine science. At Hawaii Sea Camp we have a mobile lab with scientific equipment such as; sechi disks, plankton nets, microscopes, collection equipment, holding tanks, chemical hydrometer, depth thermometer, survey grids, computers, data log books, research library, wet and dry bulb thermometer, anemometer, barometer and weather pattern charts
The students will take water quality samples, learn and practice survey techniques such as grid and general field sighting, learn and experiment with primary production, conduct a recruitment experiment, conduct underwater topography mapping exercises, learn and identify different classes/families and characteristics of; fishes, cnidarians, mollusks, arthropods, and echinoderms, and learn and observe physical oceanography and meteorology.
All observations and experiments will be logged several times daily by the students in the Hawaii Sea Camp data base and then through these observations the students will be able to see how changes affect the reef system.
DURING THESE 10 DAYS AT THE HAWAII SEA CAMP THE TWO BOAT TRIPS ARE PROVIDED. THE TWO TANK KOHALA COAST DIVE ON THE LAST DAY OF SCUBA TRAINING AND THE ONE TANK MANTA RAY NIGHT DIVE AT THE END OF THE MARINE SCIENCE PROGRAM PHASE 1.
DAY 11,12,13 - Marine science phase 2.
Time to ocean kayak with snorkeling gear and paddle in bays and close to shore. The main focus of this trip will be on spinner dolphins and green sea turtles, lots of chances to interact with these magnificent creatures. All sightings will be officially logged for several endangered species programs.
This part of the trip takes us down the very southern end of the Kona Coast ending at South Point. This part of the coast is very beautiful and special, along the way the geology of Hawaii will be taught and observed first hand. At South Point we all have one final SCUBA dive.
DAY 14 – Departure out of Kailua Kona International Airport.
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