JENnIFer KALAULI
INTERVIEW Kalena Holani
When did you start diving? Back in the days before you were born… in 1985.
How did you learn? My first boyfriend took me down to Keaukaha, on the Big Islands and let me pull his stringer around. I wasn’t given a three prong, and that lasted about a year before I got to actually hit my first fish, but that’s only because I went ahead and bought my own three prong. He was always afraid I’d get in his way or lose his equipment. What was your first fish? A Hinalea. H-I-N….Mom I know how to spell Hinalea! Oh that’s right you can speak fluent Hawaiian—maika‘i loa. But that was the last time I’ve ever poked another Hinalea, just because I didn’t want to scale it, it’s so slimy. Why do you dive? It’s one of my gifts that God gave me…it’s a passion for me…I feel so grateful to be able to feed people, and teach them how to feed themselves, especially young people. What is your most memorable diving experience? It had to be the Ulua cave or the Kumu? Just going into an Ulua cave and hitting it with my three prong. It was probably 60 plus and he swam right up to me. His eyes were as big as a Koele, and he turned like a Menpachi would. I aimed right for his brain, my three prong went all the way through and he barely moved. I had to come up for air and when I came back he drifted into the dark, dark part of the cave…it made me feel like I left a part of me there…including my three prong. In addition my most memorable moments are when I’m diving by myself because I am completely relying on God to keep me safe. It is so empowering to know he created all this for us to sustain ourselves; it’s such a humbling way to live. What is the most valuable thing people need to know before you dive? I believe you need to ask this question, why are you diving? I believe it’s important to have good intentions every time you go into the water. Also, dive with someone you trust who is familiar with that area. God didn’t create the ocean ecosystem for us to live in fear of it but for us to respect it by being good care takers and leaving a healthy sustainable ecosystem for our future generations.
If you could pass down any piece of knowledge to the up and coming divers what would that be? To be patient, only take what you need and don’t forget to feed your kupuna.
Why do you prefer the three prong instead of the spear gun? Whenever I use a spear gun, I always get tangled up with the line and I have a hard time pulling back the rubbers. I only catch myself with the gun. But with the 3 prong it challenges me to be quiet, because you need to get closer to the fish, so I have to be as stealth like as possible…and I love to anticipate where the fish is going to be swimming to especially the smarter fish like Mu. Why a boogie board instead of a floater? Because I hit myself in the head with the lifeguard buoy all the time. I literally have 3 lumps on my head from hitting myself with the lifeguard buoy…but I love my boogie board cuz I can attach my kui line onto it, and that way I can keep my fish on top of the boogie board for less drag on the water. The board also provides me rest, when I’m tired. Most of all it’s a great escape to the shoreline, when the water conditions change quickly. I only wish I could teach my dogs how to carry my diving equipment up the mountain when I am pau.” GO TO P. 72
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