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Monday, June 21, 2010

Kauai: Surf and Snorkel

Surfing at Hanalei Bay

Back in 2006, my friend Ashley and I volunteered at Shriners Hospital for Children in Honolulu for a few weeks. From 8 until 4 every day, we hung out with the most incredible kids who called us Ashley 1 and Ashley 2. From 4 until the sun went down, we hit up the beach and picked up surfing along the way. It was fantastic.

Surfing was even better this time around since I got to share it with Matt. Let's be honest, though--everything is better with him around. We picked Hanalei Bay for his maiden surfing voyage and my refresher course. That boy was hanging ten and even doing handstands on the surfboard in no time at all! His natural ability to do whatever he pleases really isn't fair, is it?
After Matt took the first video clip below, the nicest lady in the world offered to take some pictures and video for us (she's responsible for every single "action shot" in this post). Unfortunately, she got the on/off switch mixed up a few times so we didn't really get any videos of Matt--just super short little clips. But hey, we're grateful to have any documentation at all! Just don't blink while you watch it :-)
Check out the view we were treated to as we came in with the surf:
We spent the first part of our surf session cheering each other on as we crossed paths on the ocean, with one paddling out while the other rode in. A couple hours into it, we decided to catch a few waves together. And let me tell you--surfing right alongside Matt was so much fun! It was seriously the highlight of the day.
Hopefully these pictures will convince our future children that their parents were are cool after all.

Snorkeling at Tunnels Beach

After a lunchtime picnic on the beach, we headed a few miles West to Makua Beach--better known as Tunnels.
Tunnels Beach is a fascinating place to snorkel, thanks to the labyrinth of coral reef tunnels responsible for its nickname. Some areas were so shallow that we had to hold our breath and be incredibly careful not to touch the reef, while other areas were deep with interesting mazes that just begged us to dive down and explore. With its unique underwater world and beautiful marine life, Tunnels provided us with endless entertainment that afternoon.
Matt and I attempted to catch a few video clips of our little snorkeling excursion. Suffice it to say, our underwater video camera skills are less than stellar! But I scrounged up a few that are okay, and even provided subtitles so you can understand what on earth we were saying. (Yes, we talked to each other the whole time we were snorkeling. And that is entirely normal... right?)
Once Matt had swallowed too many gallons of salt water, we retired to the beach to relax in the sunshine for the remainder of the afternoon.
Nothing beats a day of surf and sun!

12 comments:

  1. Absolutely LOVE your hat! This looks like so much fun!!!!

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  2. I have never snorkeled so I enjoyed the snorkling video you posted. It looks really fun to explore the reef. I like that first photo you posted under the Snorkeling at Tunnel Beach title. That seriously looks like a modeling picture that you would see in a travel magazine. You two have fun adventures. I gotta go to Hawaii.

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  3. This brought back so many good and a few painful memories! Why painful? Well Brian and I went all these places when we went to Kaui for our 25th wedding anniversary. It was spectacular and amazing and we loved ever minute of it, the only painful part was that I had just finished 6 months of Chemotherapy, had barely any hair, no eye lashes and eye brows and didn't really feel like myself. It was a little strange for me, but Brian just treated me like a princess and acted as if it was completely normal. I remember at his suggestion and encouragement, hanging my wig on one of the trees behind you on tunnels beach, putting my snorkel on and attempting the swim. Wow, what a trip. I will never forget my Sweetheart taking such good care of me!

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  4. Must go to Hawaii! I keep showing Curt your blog to get him excited for the idea. He's actually okay with the idea, it's the spending of the money that is the sticking point.

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  5. It is all just so perfect. Your life is like a movie. They couldn't make stuff up this perfect.

    And after seeing your surfing pics/videos I now feel a little more confident that I could give surfing a try. You make it look so easy! I would definitely need to get my hands on one of those boards that's twice my height though. Good call. Okay how awesome was that lady? loved the videos she took. How nice.

    I also like your snorkeling videos. I found myself talking to Klane and my family through the snorkel tube in Hawaii. It works right? Pretty impossible to make the "mmmm" sound but other than that you're good. :) How did you get the underwater video/pictures?

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  6. I love all your adventures! You guys are living the life I tell ya!

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  7. OH, Snorkeling is my FAVORITE thing ever in the whole wide world!! I first learned how out in Maui with Brian and Sharla! I fell in LOVE with it! Then, we went on a cruise with Jay's family a few years later and we loved our snorkeling adventures out there too!! Your pics are great!!!

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  8. Sharla- Thanks for sharing that sweet story! You and Brian are such great examples.

    Sydna-Haha, yeah, that tends to be the sticking point for a lot of our trips, too :-)

    Ang-Definitely give surfing a try! We used 11-foot boards on the first day to make sure we'd be successful and grabbed a 10-foot board the next day. Had we gone out again, we probably would've used used a 9'6" (that's what I used on Oahu). Long boards are your friend.

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  9. These are so great! Is your camera waterproof?

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  10. I can't believe you can surf, I attempted Boogie Boarding for the first time last week, and let me tell you.. I am not good. I can't imagine surfing..

    "Check out the beautiful scenery".. that made me smile.

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