Queens Bath, Kauai

I've just arrived on the beautiful Garden Island of Kauai, and on my first morning here, my girlfriend Aliee and I decided to hike down to a gorgeous spot known as Queens Bath. The "pool" is carved into a massive lava shelf and is the size of several large swimming pools. Usually shut down in the winter months due to rough surf, the pool is mostly calm and crystal clear during the summer.
So after a brisk 20 minute walk from our condo, we arrived at the path that would lead us down to the pool (which resembled more of a foliage covered trail that one might see while trekking through the jungle). As we neared the end, the trail opened up into a clearing that was composed entirely of huge boulders of lava, and nestled delicately at the bottom of the boulders was Queens Bath.
The pool is partly fed by fresh water streams that flow nearby and there were several breathtaking waterfalls that were visible on the hike down. Bathers of the pools are said to use these fresh water falls to rinse off after a day of soaking and swimming in the salt water.
Several life preservers hang menacingly on wooden stumps at the end of the trail as a reminder for those unfortunate souls who happened to misjudge the calmness of the water, and for all of the beauty of Queens Bath, it has the dubious honor of being Kauai's number one drowning spot. With the rough and jagged lava rock that surrounds the pool, I can definitely see how this serene over sized soaking tub could become a treacherous place to swim if not during the right time of the year.
Stay tuned, tomorrow will be our first day of diving on the island, and we are looking forward to a great day in the water! xoxo

Congratulations To My Newest Open Water Divers!

Congratulations to Scott and Nathan, my two open water students who went down to Monterey with me this weekend and completed their PADI open water certification course! With enthusiasm and determination, Scott and Nathan braved the 52 degree water temperature, five foot visibility and dreary surface conditions to pass their open water check out dives with flying colors. On our second dive Saturday, we were swimming back to shore when Scott spotted, what I estimated, was a 2.5 ft flounder trying to camouflage itself on the sandy bottom. I have seen a bunch of smaller ones over the years, but this was the biggest flounder I've seen at the jetty. The otters were also out in full force this weekend...jumping on floats, harassing students and being the mischievous critters they are! Then on Sunday, while completing our surface interval, we witnessed three Bottlenose Dolphin jumping out of the water and swimming within a few feet from a group of students! It was a fantastic ending to a fantastic weekend. As always, I would like to thank my surface team for helping with the class....Adam and Sage, I wouldn't of been able to do it without you, thanks for the help! xoxo