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Hawaiian Islands Aloha - Paradise exists for the shooters of the Hawaiian Islands

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Old 01-20-2011, 10:03 PM   #1
Tony S.
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Diving With HammerHead

Aloha,

I'm new on this board and just wanted to introduce myself with a first post.

Most of all, I wanted to thank you California divers for sending my way one of your old dive buddies: Kevin Sakuda from HammerHead Spearguns.

Coming from the cold East coast and new to Oahu almost 3 years ago, I took up speafishing, here in Hawaii where Kevin and I now live.

I met Kevin at a fun dive and he has been gracious to invite me on many of his boat dives.

In the next few posts, I will recap diving with HammerHead in 2010 with a few dive story and photos.

Mahalo,
Tony

Last edited by Tony S.; 01-20-2011 at 10:12 PM.
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Old 01-20-2011, 10:25 PM   #2
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Hi Tony and welcome.
Mahalo for posting on the CA forum. Keep in touch so we can hear about what's happening at the islands.
Good to network for when you come here or we/me/us come there.
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Old 01-20-2011, 10:26 PM   #3
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Nice post Tony, welcome !!!! Kevin is a great guy.
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Old 01-20-2011, 11:38 PM   #4
Tony S.
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

I like to give my HH dives a name and do an extensive story writeup, although sometimes too long, I apologize in advance, if I bore you with too many details.
Posting video when available and mostly all times with photos.

Some of you may have already seen some of Kevin's photos perhaps on FB and here, and now you will have a story from me to tie it all up.

The first dive of 2010, you may already read a writeup from Kevin here on SB and seen photos: http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=99188

I will now recant it from my perspective, as I was the diver in the water when Kevin shot the toad.


- - - - -

"The 100+ Club Dive"
Sunday, Jan 24th 2010.
Divers: Kevin, Tony, and 2 others (sorry I forgot who they were)

We had been working our way down the coast towards Kaena Pt, not staying too long in any one spot on the reef.
I had seen a large uku (snapper) and couldn't get him to come in close enough for the shot.
I remember this day as having quite a significant swell, and it was/is hard for me to stay down.....I'm still just a neub.
Knowing that I didn't have the shot on the uku, I yelled out to Kevin, he was still in the boat suiting up (we had just changed spots).
I yelled for him to palu (chum) from the boat and told him a nice size uku was swimming towards the "666" (Kevin's boat as he/I like to call it) due to his HI reg num.
They chum, Kevin jumps in the water and minutes later, uku landed.

We moved to the next spot on the reef where we stalk a large pile of Mu's (Emperor). This school was huge and there were lots of fatties.
Again, I was having a hard time staying down in one spot as the swell (I think 10 feet that day), would rock me back and forth on the reef, sometimes up to 6 feet.
I don't know how it is to hit an Mu or Emperor in other parts of the world (that is, if they exist there), but here in Hawaii, you have to have huge down time and and play hide, then wait for them to come seek you.
I've only hit 3 in my short diving career and when you hit these fish consistently, then I think you are a very good diver.
Again, I didn't get a fish, but as you see in the photos, Kevin was able to land a fatty.

Since it was getting late in the day, we moved to our last spot, Kaena Pt. (known for its raging current).
We were trying to shield ourselves from the swell and dive around the corner.
From the boat, Kevin puts on his mask and dips his head overboard, comes up and says, there are 2 uluas 70#erds (giant trevaly) down there.
He didn't want to anchor there and scare the uluas, so we drifted a bit and then anchored.

We both jumped in first and swam together, with me trailing a few feet.
The current was massive and it took us what seemed to me forever to swim the 40 to 50 yards to the dive spot.
We were in about 40 feet of water to the top of a trench and maybe 50 to the bottom.
To me it seemed like a trench wall, as Kevin and I positioned ourselves above and facing each other, one on each side of the trench walls.
There were opening in the wall, we each faced one of the openings.

No chance to rest after that long swim and just seconds there and finning hard to stay in place, Kevin yells out and points over my shoulder to take the first dive and the first shot.
I turn 180 up current and see 3 huge uluas, in fighter formation, largest in front swimming towards me, as they swam at bottom of trench.
I had a 120cm with lifeguard float, long tagline and bungee setup.

At this point I'd like to say, that I declined the first shot, so to give it to Kevin and possibly get invited back on the "666".
But I'm a straight shooter, and don't usually tell lies.
I dive down about half way and turn back up, and here are some reasons:
1 - I never seen a fish anywhere this size before and have no experience.
2 - I was tired from the current and when this happens, it's hard to breath-up.
3 - Just the added adrenaline of seeing a huge fish jumped my heartbeat by then some.
4 - Did I mention, I have no experience and still a neub.

The 3 uluas swim out of my sight for a couple of minutes and then I see them come back towards Kevin's side.
He drops down to about 37 feet, takes aim as the 3 uluas swim straight at him and splash 1, takes out the largest of the 3.
The ulua goes inverted at a 60 degree angle and starts to quiver into fits and shakes.
STONE SHOT with a HammerHead Evolution 90cm.

Incredible and I was fortunate to witness it....Congrats Kevin on joining the 100+ Club.

Just a few notes....
- the shaft was not bent from the ulua, rather from pulling the ulua on to the boat, by the shaft.
- in the event, the ulua was not stoned and I could not retrieve it with the backup shot, Kevin could of used my gun as backup.

Mahalo for reading, Tony.

- - - -








Last edited by Tony S.; 01-21-2011 at 12:15 AM.
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Old 01-21-2011, 02:36 AM   #5
"Yard-Sale Josh"
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

That is a huge fish. Stoned it with a 90, awesome.
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Old 01-21-2011, 02:38 AM   #6
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Fuuk you shot that thing with that tiny gun?
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Old 01-21-2011, 12:18 PM   #7
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Holly cow! That's a big fish. Thanks for the report.
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Old 01-21-2011, 01:55 PM   #8
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

My concern on a fish that big in Hawaii would be cig. Did you guys test it? Was it hot?

Nice uku, too!

Last edited by ApneaAddict; 01-21-2011 at 03:11 PM.
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Old 01-21-2011, 03:02 PM   #9
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

great report, thanks for sharing...i enjoy the newb perspective on such a great capture...good on you for the honesty too

you'll get yours too, especially if you are diving with a buddy who offered you the first shot on these beasts...it is amazing that 90 took this bruiser. nice work Kevin
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Old 01-22-2011, 01:05 PM   #10
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Thanks guys, for the warm welcome.

Kevin's shot on the ulua was unbelievable and I was there to see it.
Besides a large shark, the 118 pound was the largest fish I've seen to date, also quite incredible.

Tony.
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Old 01-22-2011, 02:20 PM   #11
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Wow that's a monster, I had seen the fish before but didn't hear the full story, thanks for writing it up!
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Old 01-25-2011, 09:50 PM   #12
Tony S.
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Sat July 3, 2010. "The Blue Dive"

Divers: Kevin, Romain, Nate, Frank, and Tony.
Dive spot: North Oahu, lots of large uhus, rois, some papios and occasional ukus.

We headed out Haleiwa boat harbor and made a right turn for my secret grounds.
Decided to troll for the first 1/2 hour to 45 minutes and until we got to dive spot with no bites on the lures.
It was windy, rainy, cold (hey it's Hawaii, we are allowed to get cold. ) and lots of chop.
Got to the spot and water was super junk, about 10 feet vis, as this spot usually is bad vis.
This is a ledge drift dive and usually clears up farther out at the blue water line.
We headed towards the ledge, blue water line and it cleared to at least 30 feet and sometimes up to 50-60.
Current wasn't that bad, but the wind and chop was brutal.
Broke my rubber weight belt, lost my shaft when line broke.
It was a pretty irritating dive for me, but still landed, a Goatfish (Joe), blue uhu (Parrotfish), table boss (Hogfish) and kumu (Goatfish).
This was new grounds "secret" for team HH, and the end result it was one of their best dives.









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Old 01-26-2011, 12:29 AM   #13
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Another great story.
What are those little groupers? They look like a lot like an Argus grouper I have in a tank at work.
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Old 01-26-2011, 12:39 AM   #14
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

That's a Roi (blue spotted grouper), it's actually a non native fish that is messing up the local fish. When I first saw one years ago I thought it was a baby baja grouper.

Edit: Kyle you are right, that's another name for it. Are you working at the library with the giant fish tank?
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Old 01-26-2011, 12:50 AM   #15
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Re: Look what I got from California.....

Argus, Roi, blu-spotted grouper, peacock grouper...it goes by all those names.
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