Hawaii Cliff Jumping project

This is a new project I'm working on.

I am trying to compile all the places in Hawaii mostly Oahu that you can jump from into water. I have been kicking this plan around for a while, but wasn't sure how to present it. I am working on it now because I finally know how to make maps in google and because of this failed Kickstarter project I read about. Maybe someday I will try to turn it into a book.

I plan to keep working on this until everything I know is on this map, color coded by height.


View Lele Kawa  Cliff jumping in a larger map


Check back for updates

-James

Lele Kawa

Ice and Fire

Since before I ever got to Hawaii it was a goal of mine to go from snow to beach in the same day. I really wanted to snowboard and surf in the same day, but that didn't quite happen.

In one day I managed to go visit the top of Mauna Kea and play in the snow, and then drive down to Volcanos National Park and see flowing lava in the afternoon, an stopped at the beach inbetween. While both of these things are relitively close, it still took most of the day.Because I started in Kona, Hawaii, the day involved about 10 hours of driving.

I don't have too much to say on this adventure, so I will let the video and pictures speak for themselves.

Lava

Hot lava

Hawaiian Snow

View from the top of the world

Makapuu Lighthouse Lele Kawa

Back in July 06 Sk8ersurferdude convinced me to explore the tide pools you see when you look down from Makapuu Lighthouse on Oahu. We were seeking a Blow-hole that was known to suck and blow. Amazing right?
So we spot the mist from the blow-hole as we hike the path to the lighthouse, and turn strait down the hill towards it. Scrambling down the loose lava rock in Reef Mick Fanning's of course, what else would you wear hiking into the unknown in Hawaii.

The Hike Down

We reach the blow-hole, and while it sounds like a jet engine (due to the suck/blow action) the spray is rather unimpressive, mush have been the wrong tide, we always seem to forget to check these details. After snapping a few shots we head left to see what else there is to see. We don't get very far when we reach a 20 foot drop off that is undercut on the bottom 6 feet, and what luck there is a sketchy piece of rope hanging down it.

At The Bottom

Taking our chances we (I) grab on and shimmy down. Sk8ersurferdude seeing that its safe (relatively) tosses down the camera and follows. At this point we note that it is unlikely we could climb back up this way. Next to this drop off is a large tide pool, to our dismay there is nowhere to jump into it, it is completely filled with rocks and is no deeper than a few inches at the deepest spots.

Bummer Tide Pool

We keep making our way around (because we couldn't turn around and head back). Next we find a nice tide pool that looks big enough to splash in about 10 feet by 5 feet and 2.5 feet deep with a little 4 foot high ledge to jump from. We do various flips and dives into said pool, then continue on.
Bakflip Into First Tide Pool

Tide Pool Dive

The next location was the "impossible jump" that I spotted. The pool is about 2 feet deep at its deepest and only 3 feet across and about 7 feet long, not so bad. The jumping ledge is a bit over 20 feet tall and 15 feet from the pool. Also the ledge is made up of some of the sharpest lava rocks around, so bare foot is out of the question and so is a run up. After about 10 min of debating if it was even possible to do without getting hurt. I decide there is only one way to find out, I will try it, at least Sk8ersurferdude will get some pictures of my last moments should things go badly. I place my sandals on the sharp rocks, track start style, take a deep breath and go for it. Much to my joy I made it. Now would never have to repeat said jump, or so I thought. The pictures didn't turn out. Time to risk it all again. These pictures were good. Not to be outdone Sk8ersurferdude tried it.

Impossible Jump Take Two

We couldn't go much further around due to sheer cliffs and an angry ocean so we headed up a ravine in the cliffs.

View From The Top After The Climb

Street Kayaking

During March of 2006 in Hawaii there was a little rain, 42 strait days of a little rain in fact. At times it was raining 10+ inches in an hour. Perfect opportunity to get in a little street kayak.

Street kayaking


Lost the original file, so this will have to do for now.