June 21, 2024
6/18/24 – scuba day 3
Today we hit the ocean for our first real scuba dive! We went down about 40 ft down off the Kailua pier. We practiced various safety procedures and skills today. We saw lots of fish from the cast of Nemo! Harper and Sophia rocked the skill of taking off their mask underwater and putting it back together as partners! Sofia and Winston were cool as cucumbers under the water- it was very impressive! After a long day of diving, we ventured to Safeway where the kids were divided into teams of 4 and gathered groceries to have a cookoff. When we arrived back at camp, Lily discovered a mongoose that had stolen our shrimp, so she, Mia, and Clare went on an adventure to find some more fresh catch. Dylan was head chef tonight with his group making candied bacon pecan as well George cooking up some delicious Cajun shrimp and grits. Little rain fell over the camp but the evening ended with a glorious sunset!
6/19/24 – scuba day 4 / certification day; manta ray snorkel
Our final early morning to Jacks diving locker was fueled by chocolate rice cakes and a few pop tarts, topped off with 2010’s hits to stimulate our lungs for the dives – voices of angels there in the van. Carlos and Shannon were awaiting us eager to get the boat day going, so we prepped the gear and hit the teal seas with salty wind and Hilo sun beaming our skin. The first spot, Garden Eel cove, set the scene for navigation skills, to which George and Winston guided our split groups via compass. Meanwhile on the boat, Lily and Dylan were enjoying some “boat juice” (sweet tea/lemonade) with Alex, permits secured and sinuses getting the best of them – equalizing their ears wasn’t on the agenda. Nonetheless they had a spectacular view and interesting conversations with the other boat-goers. Dive spot #2, Golden Arches, gave our group more free roam and officially certified them! Swimming through the arches and spotting the marine creatures were highlights for a summer for sure. Harper, Sofia, and Sophia ascended with massive assurance and pride. They mentioned how accomplished they felt and Clare did a great job hyping them up too. Back at shore, around mid afternoon, the Moondancers filled out their final dive logs and said farewell to the boat for a few hours. We’d be back in our wetsuits to see some other fish later… but in between then it would happen to be taco o’clock. Back at Coconut Grove, the area by Jacks that we liked, the final souvenirs were picked out and the tacos were demolished. Post-frolic, back at the harbor we found ourselves, but this time to view the magnificent manta rays! Mannn they came so close! Horizontally floating, we held onto a surfboard with blue lights underneath it, attracting zoo plankton for the mantas to munch. And of course the sunset looked amazing just as we got into the water. A few times the glistening plankton underneath the board became so dense that it was hard to see each other! But holllyyy WOAH those sea pancakes were flipping just INCHES from our mesmerized bodies. Riley had captured some great footage that we’re all excited to see soon. Like the spinner dolphins from the sea kayaking, these mantas put on a show. We just keep getting lucky!
6/20/24 – departure day
We started off our final day in Hawaii just as we began our first. Firing up the Coleman grill for M&M pancakes and scrambled eggs. Lily surprised the group with a giant white pineapple she found at the local grocery store with Mia and Clare and Winston sliced it up so everyone could get a taste. After a nice and relaxing breakfast, we packed up our bags and put away our tents. Then we said our final goodbyes to Ho’okena before hopping into our beloved van. On the way into town, we stopped at Lex Brodies car wash where Winston and Harper immediately took the lead in helping to vacuum away all the sand in our van. After all the packing and cleaning, we were starting to get hungry for our final banquet meal, but the leaders had one more surprise stop before sitting down for lunch: the thrift store! Our group searched the racks and picked out the silliest outfits they could find. Dylan styled together a retro surfer fit while George wowed the crowd with an unpredictable black and red ensemble. Sophia rocked a side ponytail and a rainbow tulle dress, Riley continued to channel her inner surfer girl with a Billabong top, and Sofia strutted around the store in fishnet heels. By the time we left Goodwill and arrived at our ocean side lunch spot, we looked like the cast of Teen Beach Movie. Banquet was a blast with the sea side breeze keeping us cool as we devoured an assortment of appetizers, fresh fish entrees, and comfort foods. To close out our final meal, we opened up the nug jug one last time and went around the table sharing our favorite memories from the past two weeks. Before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport, where the best surprise of all was in store. After weeks of the leaders surprising the students, the roles were reversed when the group brought out 3 signed surfboards for Mia, Alex, and Clare. The unbelievably thoughtful gift truly brought tears to our eyes as we all said our goodbyes before we couldn’t wait any longer to go head to our respective gates.
To the parents: Mahalo for sending your child over to the Hawaiian islands this summer. It was nothing short of an honor + privilege to cherish every waking moment with the special people they came in as, and the special people they left as this evening. As first year leaders, we couldn’t have fathomed a better group to break us in. A week on Kauai and a week on the big island of Hawaii would likely inspire anyone who had embarked on that adventure, though through our laughs, adversity, passion, kindness, creativity and respect, all 11 of us made memories of a lifetime, without any iPhones to capture them, just our eyes. Our hearts beat for y’all! Enjoy the rest of the summer and catch ya later!