Occasionally I take a break from our weekly boating adventures to blue water buoys for a casual kayak trip from shore. Being that my 48′th Birthday was the following day and the ocean was as flat as a pancake, I decided to take a paddle out to my favorite spot directly in front of my house. After paddling through the crystal clear in-shore waters, I was a little disappointed to find murk had replaced clear water at the 120′ drop-off. Upon arrival at “the spot” , I double-check my marks and begin gearing-up. After every trip, my experience dictates what the new procedure will be and I recall the trip when I hung my flasher set-up over the side and was disappointed when I slipped into the water and scared away a dozen onos that had been drawn to it. So now the flashers come in with me! However, I did score two onos and a nice 35lb shibi that day, so maybe that was the right order, not that I am superstitious. Well today the flashers are coming in with me. I wish that I had brought a bang head purchased from Hanapa’a with me being that I am out 2 miles from shore and I would like to open gifts tomorrow. I make a mental note for the next trip’s checklist and slip into the water.

 The ocean was dead flat due to no wind, however the spot is a quarter mile from the mouth of Pearl Harbor and therefore the water is often dirty. Instead of 150′ of visibility only 40′ today. I am pulling my kayak along, trying to make out the ledge, when a large turtle appears thirty feet directly in front of me. Alarmed a little by the sight of the turtle but more so by the fact that I didn’t see it until he was 30 feet from me, I knew I would have to keep a keen eye out for the Tax men in the gray suits. Wouldn’t you know, an eight foot gray shark comes screaming under me attracted by my fish flashers. Keeping my eye on where he last was, anticipating where his next pass would come from, I was unaware of his buddy passing directly underneath me and disappearing in the opposite direction. I’m now thinking this may not be such a great idea and that I should probably head to cleaner water if I’m going to open presents tomorrow.  I pop my head out of the water to locate the direction of my kayak,( in case I have to bail ),and then start to scan underneath me to see why these sharks are swimming so erratically. As I’m scanning, the last shark has U-turned and is now coming directly towards me to investigate and I decide to charge the shark which often sends them away. They are not used to being hunted and normally will flee. As I charged the shark, I noticed thirty feet lower there was a large school of what appears to be ahi but the fish were more slender for their length. I decided to shoot, even thou I knew I would probably have to wrestle it from the sharks if there was a struggle with the fish. Luckily the shot went from the top of the fish, through the spine and out the belly, stoning it. It turned over and now  I could see that it was a huge Ulua and the shaft has exited the bottom of the fish and it is dead weight on the end of my shooting line. I’m still going to need  the Lord’s help getting the fish to the top and into the kayak before the eaters decide to feast on the fish. I was able to pull it to me, bear-hug it and started to head for the kayak scanning to see where my toothy friends were. I had one gray reef shark pass 10 feet from me as I swam back to my kayak and that adrenaline boost is what I needed to lift it onto to the kayak. I climbed on top of the fish, sat on it’s head and used my legs as outriggers to stabilize the kayak until I could get the shaft out and store the fish in the forward hatch.

I watched for a few minutes to see if I was going to lose a fin and then marveled at the size of the fish, wondering if he will fit into the fish bag. Although the fish wasn’t moving, I decided to brain the fish with my knife so that he doesn’t “wake up” and buck me out of my kayak. After dispatching the fish, I’m now faced with removing the shaft and contemplating wether to try for another. I looked at my watch and only twelve minutes had passed but it could have been a life time. With the fish slime on my gloves and the Alexander slip tip receiver too hard to remove I decided it was now time to head to cleaner water. Since I couldn’t get the spear out of the fish, I took that as a sign to definitely vacate the area.

The only other excitement was returning to shore. The boat had so much weight in the front that when a wave lifted the aft end, I pearled right in front of my house to the amusement of my neighbors that were fishing from shore. After they had a good laugh, they were quick to get their cameras to snap some photos off the catch.  What a catch and more importantly what a nice scar on the brain! You can’t forget things like this. Thanks to Jesus for watching over me and to my wife Jennifer for watching over my kids and allowing me the time to dive and to Steve Alexander for making great parts for spear guns and for you guys at Hanapa’a and Hawaii skin diver for allowing me to share my experience with others. Also thanks to my neighbor Bill Newton for taking the Photo. Aloha Parris

Words from Parris Ernst, Photo by Bill Newton

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