I moved to Hawaii a long time ago to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa. So many great memories, but one of the strongest is the ocean and my time in and around it. You cannot miss the blue water that surrounds you for thousands of miles in every direction. Some folks who move to Hawaii suffer from Rock Fever, the sense of being trapped on a small circle of land. I pointed out at the time that even folks who live on the Mainland rarely venture beyond a 40-50 mile radius of their home and thereby are living on a virtual “rock”.
In the winter months the north shore of Oahu is subjected to huge waves generated by storms in the north pacific, and these are the best times for surfers. For me though the best water was in the summer when those same rough seas would turn glassy and calm, perfect for recreational diving.
One of my favorite dive sites was Three Tables, so named because of the three flat lava outcroppings which would be just visible at low tide. Out beyond the tables the bottom sloped away gradually.
We used to swim out a few hundred yards until the water was around 40-50 feet deep where, surrounded by crystal clear water, it felt like swimming in an enormous bathtub. I would dive down and clear my ears of the pressure (a squeaky sound!) and revel in the silence, isolation, and best of all, the third dimension. I liked to flip over and swim looking back up at the distant surface, imagining being the aquatic creature I once was. Diving deep at Three Tables, I believe our cells carry these memories still, from that time long ago before we struggled into the sun and the wind, up there on the other side of the world.
whoisfenton 