Akira dkt Reports

  • Figured id start a dive log, pretty cool seeing the progression of other members dives through the years.


    6/9/16
    Swell is hitting Hawaii island from all directions, not huge but its beginning to make the water turbid.
    Went on a short 3 hour dive today, my buddy Tom shot his first kahala (AJ) 15lbs. and I shot a 4-5lb mu. A lot of game swimming around, saw 3 nice sized ukus (green jobs) and some large (8-10lb) mu. Near the end of our dive Tom began to cramp in his calves, so we decided to swim in to shallower water (40ft-). I took a drop, saw nothing but skiddish fish on a ledge. Came up, Tom says "I think we got taxed"...understatement of the day. 18-20ft tiger took our fish, my flag, a sentimental Kui (stringer) and my brand new 3prong rubber.


    At least we got out safe thank God.



    Shark was probably following us since Tom shot the kahala, water was about 20ft of viz 10ft clear, we may just not have known it was there.

  • Glad you guys are ok. Thats a big fish following you around. Bummer about the mu and kahala. How do you prepare your kahala?

  • Hookinfish, AJs in Hawai'i generally have the load of cestode worms, these are either maually removed or cooked out of the filet. Here we mostly smoke, and salt/dry the meat using a dry cure for 12-24 hours. After the fish is smoked for 6 or so hours we store and cook (bake, steam, fry) the meat.
    Kahala are also known to contain ciguatoxin, but unless the fish is over 20lbs they're generally safe to consume. If diving blue water or deep reef (where it isnt murky and sharky) we like to use the meat as chum, lots of oil and easy to cut up.


    Dan, Idk a platform/dive board would have kept the fish smell and blood out of the water, but for the conditions we were diving in the board would have been cumbersome to launch, as well as drag to and from shore. I believe that shark is a resident of the dive location. I gotten taxed 4 years ago, in the same exact location by a large 15+ft tiger which could have very well been the same shark.

  • I grew up with everyone telling me kahala had worms so thats why I was curious. Everyone I knew used them for bait or threw them back. Same with large ulua.

  • Hookinfish, 90% of the kahala Ive shot/caught were full of spaghetti, the meat is nice though, much nicer than large ulua.
    Ladvr, thanks, made it to shore safe and sound, I got a good look at the shark through the murk, big female, I believe she got a good look at us too, just interested in the fish. (still, big submarine with teeth is quite unnerving in murky water):)

  • Hookinfish, 90% of the kahala Ive shot/caught were full of spaghetti, the meat is nice though, much nicer than large ulua.
    Ladvr, thanks, made it to shore safe and sound, I got a good look at the shark through the murk, big female, I believe she got a good look at us too, just interested in the fish. (still, big submarine with teeth is quite unnerving in murky water):)


    Jake tells me the boys in Kona see some big tigers as well as "white boys" as in Great Whites. He's finding some spots now. I hope to dive there soon.

  • 7/3/2016


    A few pics from last couple weeks of local shore diving.


    Got to land a nice Kahala with the 80cm omer HF2.
    The first gun i ever bought was an HF2 100cm,,,,,and i lost it getting pounded by swell my second dive with it.



    Since they dont make them anymore, and this one was on sale I had to get it for nostalgia sake..
    Guns this size are great for training, stalking and breath hold, I value these above pole spears because they are still guns, (no change in aiming). Landing a nice fish with a small, single band single wrap gun is super rewarding.




    I also got to finally test out my takedown hybrid on a dive with my girlfriends uncle last week friday. I initially built this gun to take to Arizona (when visiting my Mom) to shoot carp and striper in the lakes (Saguaro, Pleasant). I found that it shoots even better than my carbon rollers, (more mass in the stock).


    Scored a nice Mu at around 80ft and my PR Roi 7.5lbs at around 90ft. along with some more roi for my ciguatoxin study.



  • By take down you mean it comes apart for easier transport? Spear is still long?


    yeah the gun in the pic breaks down into appx 27" stock and 24" barrel (around there). I built it with the intention of using it in AZ as well as other Islands in HI.


    Sadly yes spear is still long, but im looking into the riffe travel spears $$$$$$:@ (I dont have the means to fabricate my own takedown shafts right now)

  • I need to start checking in more often!
    Sick story about the tiger Joshua, glad you are all right. And thanks for building me my very own hybrid double roller take apart wahoo gun bruddah! Can't wait to show off your creation to the world👍. I may start actually being motivated to start showing video again of my hunting.


    Sent from my SM-G800H using Tapatalk

    A bad day at sea is better than a good day in the boatyard
    George Steele

  • Kahala Smoked hands down!! A nice smoke of kiawe (mesquite)!


    Glad the taxman got the fish and left you alone. Night dives at Laupahoehoe have been spooky with the local resident tax collector!

    HUI KOA KAI O HAMAKUA
    MAHALO KE AKUA
    E MALAMA I KE KAI

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