Here’s the last part…

Last week I had another race. This one was 32 miles, from Hawaii Kai to Nanakuli (past Ko’Olina on the west side). I didn’t have very much rest. So, I’m guessing I did about 25 of those miles. The girls change in and out of the boat during the race… while the boat is moving. You can’t drag your legs when you climb in or you will slow your team down. Miss the boat completely, and you REALLY slow your team down. I never did a change before this race. My coach showed me a video on “You Tube” and told me to “do what they do” and “whatever you do – DON’T miss the boat”. Needless to say, I was a little nervous for my first change. But, thank God I did not miss the boat. It was my first distance race and a great experience. Our club came in 3rd, 10th, and I don’t know what the other two places we got were. There were about 25 canoes racing in this one (maybe more).

I don’t know how many deaf outrigger canoe paddlers there are out there. If there are more out there, I’d really like to meet them. In these canoes, we alternate which side we paddle on. But, when we change which side we paddle on, the girl sitting in the second seat yells, “HUT!”. My crew team has incorporated a stomp on the bottom of the boat with the “HUT”. I can feel the stomp, the other girls hear the “HUT”.

We have another huge long distance race coming up. I didn’t think I would make crew for any of the races this long distance season. I missed half the season with the honeymoon and wedding stuff. I only went to two practices before last week’s race. But, surprise, surprise. I just will be racing the Na Wahine O Ke Kai after all! That’s the women’s version of the men’s “Molokai Hoe”. We race from Molokai all the way back to Oahu.

While I was recovering, Paul set out for yet another fish adventure….

and

This is Ulua #3 for me and 11 pounds lighter than my last ulua lesson…

Where: Somewhere on the east side in the upcoming Fall Shootout tournament grounds while scouting. 15′ deep.
Conditions: Glassy waters, moderate swells and currents
Time: 2:30 PM

I was a bit bored. I had been diving for most of the day already and was rather unimpressed with what I had seen so far. Some small mus, some uhus, one papio and one omilu that was about 10#. Earlier that morning, I had done what I thought was blue water until I dove down to 80′ and found that I could actually make out the bottom. I informed C. Carcharias that I could see the bottom and he went down to check it out. He came back up reporting seeing a large uku. I tossed a spoon and followed it down and confirmed the sizeable uku that was deeper than I was comfortable in going. I estimated it was in 130-140′ of water and a 20 pounder.

Anyways, at about 2:30 that afternoon, I decided to swim towards some dry land just to see if there was anything interesting there. I saw my biggest pair of onos of my life right next to a cliff off of Niihau, and I shot my biggest White Sea Bass in only 3′ of water in San Diego. One just never knows.

I came upon a trench in the rocks with surging waves. It looked like an open trench but when I got closer, the trench was clogged nearly shut by coral and rock formation just a foot or two underwater. Upon closer inspection, I noted that there was a cavern below the coral and rock formation following the trench.

A dive buddy swam up to me to confirm that I was OK as I was breathing up. I flashed him the thumbs up sign and dove down to the cave opening as a big wave crashed on me, churning white water everywhere. Visibility was bad, but I could make out the cave swallowing me up. It was sucking in water and not pushing water out so I knew it had an opening somewhere. I allowed myself to be sucked into the cavern and darkness. As the bubbles lifted, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw a big ulua swimming straight for me as I tumbled deeper into the cave.

Like a lone gunslinger under a harsh noon sun in a western movie, I squinted my eyes, and casually, I swung around my overpowered 55″ Wong Carbon Hybrid with brand spankin’ new Aimrite shaft. The ulua turned barely 5 feet from me. My trigger finger tightened.

BLAM!

Right through its cheek and out the backside of its gill plate. It did not even blink, change it’s turning speed or react that I could see.

s–t, did I miss or something? Why is he turning away and swimming away slowly as if nothing happened? This is just like my last ulua!

Within seconds, the 300# mono shaft line was taut and all hell broke loose. The brute charged deeper into the cave, hauling me along for a ride. I quickly grabbed a piece of rock hanging off the side of the cave and put a strong stop to the Ulua. I then pulled it towards me, turning it. I was able to swim backwards out of the cave, hauling hard. I swam out of the cave, waving with my free arm for the dive buddy to come and put in a back-up shot.

The ulua had other plans. He turned around and dragged me back into the cavern. I looked behind me as I got pulled back into the cave again. Dive buddy no where to be seen. C’est la vie. Darkness again. Eyes adjusted. Bounced off the ceiling. Grabbed a piece of coral on the ceiling. Arms straining hard. Pull hard on the gun. the big brute is turned again. I swim back out of the cave. Look around again for my dive buddy. Nowhere to be seen. Must breathe. The ulua pulls me back towards the cave.

I let go of the gun and watch it as it rapidly disappears back into the cave, bouncing off of the ceiling. Luckily, my float line is attached to the gun so I’m not too worried about losing the gun. I surface and gasp for breath. I see my dive buddy about 50 yards out to sea looking at me. I wave frantically. He sees the urgency and immediately sprints over.

I tell him I’ve shot a big ulua and that I need a back up shot in it asap, preferably a kill shot. He looks at me as we get churned around as if in a washing machine barely feet away from sharp rocks rising out of the water. A wave crashes, spraying water all over us. He looks under water. Looks back at me. Shakes his head as if to say “No way Jose.”

We watch my dive float come cruising past our faces. We both know my float line is 100′ long. This is not good news.

(blurred to protect location until after tournament – those that know the spot extremely well might recognize it from the next photo – keep it to yourselves please)
The current pushes us into the trench above the cave and we are getting bounced on the rocks, reef and each other. I finally decide that yes, this is indeed dangerous, especially for him. I tell him to move back out to the open sea and he does so.

As he kicks away, I go under again, blindly following my float line, unwrapping it from various overhangs and pieces of coral. I surface again for several more breaths as I try to slow down my racing heart. My dive buddy is looking at me from the open sea and starts towards me again.

I go under again and unwrap enough of the float line that I reach my gun again and feel the monster still fighting at the end of my line so I know he’s still there. I look harder and see an opening at the end of the cavern. I can see the shape of the fish filling up most of the opening. Looking above, I find another opening in the roof of the cavern and squeeze through.

On the surface, I swim to the back door of the cave that I had spied earlier. Sure enough, I can see the ulua swimming in circles there. My dive buddy joins me there and askes what the hell is going on. I point below him at the brute. He gives a jump of surprise. I tell him to shoot it. He goes under, aims with the muzzle just a foot away and pulls the trigger just as another wave hits and he completely misses. Now his line is tangled up in mine as the ulua circles.

It seems to be tiring and I am worried that the shooting line is going to break with all the coral/rock rubbing that is occurring at the back door. I dive down and grab it by the tail with both hands. Holding on TIGHT, I haul it up to the surface. I let go with one hand and jam another into it’s gills which clamp shut on my hand, trapping it there. I let go of the tail.

The knife comes out and plunges. The battle is over.

Cost:
Cut/shredded shooting line: 20
Shaft: 75
Water Proof Camera Stopped Working: $99

Total: About $195, a $105 improvement over the last incident.
Swimming along, I notice something strange in it’s mouth…

It’s an freshly eaten eel!

Scale issues (made in China) so an accurate weight is uncertain, but my favorite estimate by an experienced spearo is 67# and I agree so that’s what I’m calling it.

-Paul

and

Jen

P.S. Thankfully, this fish isn’t as big or bigger than his last Uhula catch – no pressure for me to eat it . However, now Paul is wanting to buy those big horrible freezer chests to put out on the lanai. This is coming from the same man that vetoed a kitchen table because it would take up too much room.