Welcome back!
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Great info from Google Touring here on how to make, complex, graphically rich tours for places I am truly familiar with — for example, Florida Keys dive sites and Oahu dive sites too.
A better example of what have in mind appears below. It’s a map of ecologically sound dive operators from Eco Diving Org.
-MS
Posted by Scubamatt | on November 16, 2009
In category: scuba
Researchers create mini robots to study the ocean!
http://www.livescience.com/environment/091110-ocean-robot-swarm.html
photo courtesy www.livescience.com
Posted by Scubamatt | on November 5, 2009
In category: scuba
The brutal, baseball bat beating of a 16-year-old Willmar teen has authorities concerned about rural MN gang violence. Matt Standal reports.
Check out the Lotus Ice Vehicle and click here for more about the Regan-Moon explorers who will use it cross antarctica in just a few days!
Posted by Scubamatt | on October 28, 2009
In category: KSAX Eyewitness News ---Matt Standal
A mobile home in Willmar burst into flames early Sunday morning. The occupants, 19 year-old Jason Rodgriguez, his 18 year-old girlfriend, and 5 month old child had moved-in only three days before.
KSAX Eyewitness News interviewed neighbors and the Willmar Fire Chief to better understand this, Read the rest of this entry »
Nice Transworld Surf article written by windy city rider Justin Cote.
Oct. 8 2009
Duluth MN Photo Courtesy Transworld Surf
Posted by Scubamatt | on August 18, 2009
In category: scuba
North Shore Kauai, Hanalei Bay
What most of my Minnesotan friends don’t know is that Hawaii’s North Shore is a place of legendary big wave surf, slow-moving island towns, and plenty of Aloha. It’s true, visit any of the Hawaiian islands and you’ll find their North Shores are the mecca of surf culture, adventure sports, and natural island beauty.
Palisade Head, North Shore MN
Likewise, most of my Hawaiian friends don’t know Minnesota has a rugged northern coastline bordering the largest freshwater lake in the world. When you tell them about the surfers, waterfalls, giant cliffs, and old volcano flows of Lake Superior’s North Shore, their mouths drop open and they laugh at you.
For a great introduction to Lake Superior’s waterfalls and scenery, visit the Superior Trails Website at http://www.superiortrails.com/lakesuperior1.html
When champion swimmer Duke Kahanamoku won the Olympics for Hawaii he helped bring attention to Hawaiian surfing. 80 years later,surfing and Hawaii are synonymous with celebrity boardriders maintaining million dollar homes in North Shore Hawaii.
Attention Hawaii – - Minnesota has winter Lake Superior Surfing!!!
No joke, if you think catching winter waves is hard in Hawaii, try surfing 43 degree water in December in Minnesota. When winter storms hit, you’ll find Stony point and the Lester River near Duluth going off.
It’s true, the Land of 10,000 Lakes is also the land of pancake breakfasts, meatball dinners, and 10,000 gigantic scandinavians. Hey, our state even claims to be the home of Paul Bunyan!
Think Hawaii is only home to skinny beach bodies and dainty island people? Think again. Spam-loving Hawaii is the home of football playing Samoans, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and big guys with little guitars.
Our new state slogan? You decide.
Flannel - join the cultural awakening
Here in Minnesota we love flannel because it’s warm and it makes you feel like a lumberjack. In fact, when the great flannel shortage of ‘89 hit, I was actually able to trade several highly sought-after flannel shirts to my neighbor Ole Johnson for his brand new snowmobile.
Interestingly enough, I have learned that Ancient Hawaiians wore flannel too. Why? Because freezing cold ancient surfers invented it. These noble warriors soon recognized that when the the temperature drops, flannel proves both warm and surprisingly fashionable.
The Loco-Moco.
Hawaiian food is simple. The hungrier you are, the better it is. Why? Because Hawaii’s ethnic foods were basically invented by working-class dudes with the munchies.
I’m talking about plate lunches here. Popular with kids, surfers, field-workers, and tourists, if you’re ever in Hawaii, be sure to visit a place called Zippies and order a plate lunch for seven bucks. I recommend the “loco moco”. What’s in it? Two hamburger patties covered with fried eggs and mayonnaise covered macaroni salad. Don’t tell your personal trainer about this one.
Viking warriors poisoned their enemies with bad lutefisk.
Populated by ancestors of Norwegians and Swedes, Minnesota has a bevy of traditional scandinavian dishes that would make the most iron-stomached hawaiian run in fear, lest they be forced to eat various types of disgusting Viking food.
Lutefisk is the food in question, here. Growing up in MN, I was tricked into eating this jiggly, jello-textured, fish-flavored food by Norwegian relatives. Later in life, I learned that Lutefisk is made by drying cod in the sun and then soaking it in barrels of lye (actually an industrial poison). With this new knowledge, I surmise that when consumed by my viking ancestors, Lutefisk erased their hunger by making them never want to eat again.
That’s it!
With my journey in Oahu done, I’ve packed my bags and headed approximately 4,000 miles back to the North Star State.
Needless to say, my scuba adventures will continue!
You ask: why would anyone in their right mind scuba dive in MN?
Well, I plan to answer that question in the following weeks, so…
Look for updates on:
Exploring Shipwrecks in Lake Superior with Innerspace Scuba Center
Diving MN’s shallow lakes with The Divers Clubhouse
Underwater artifacts and scuba science
Peace to the People and check out my Twitter Page @scubamatt!
I’ve also included a link to a great video that friend Joakim Hjelm published. The shots and video really sum up what it’s like to scuba here in Oahu.
Thanks for taking the time to look!
New diver Cherylee Chang ducked in to check out this beautiful hawksbill at Spitting Caves. This was her certification dive!
Actually called a "Pustolose Phyllida," this little nudibranch has been accurately described as a "red brain blob" by divers. So cool looking! I found it on Turtle Canyon.
Spring Break Scuba! Pictured left to right: Jim Galendez, Jeff Campbell, Maria Aguayo, Byron Hall, ScubaMatt, Kevin Aune
Check these little guys out! I founde them on "No. 17 Reef" Finding a school is like stumbling upon a yellow, living beachball that's bouncing around underwater. So cool!
Perfectly framed by the classic 1970’s adventure flick “The Deep,” (1977) the tenuous relationship between divers and big eels is always a good topic of scuba conversation.
Dive Instructors in some tourist destinations go as far as to name big eels and give them cut-up hotdogs by hand.
Not me.
Check out this pic from the big Island. I got to talking story with Big Island guitar player Gordon Freitas, and he let me know about this 150 pound Hawaii state record.
The fisherman is his cousin, Kimo Lopes. The eel is over 7 feet long.
Believe me guys, that sh*t will take your hand off!
Something about the usual guidebook description of Hawaiian species of moray eel “Maximum size 4.5 feet” seems to be wrong here.
“Who are you going to believe,” asks Gordon. “Scientists who get paid to write books or the people who live next to the reef.”
“Trust the natives!”
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