it’s rainy season here in panama and it’s been raining everyday. yesterday was the worst. as we were diving, you could hear the thunder roar and the lighting striking the ocean. looking for fish, you can see flashes and yes, it was pretty scary. i guess you can call it hard core diving? pretty crazy! here’s Keaka and Johnathan holding on on the ride back.

if you’re a tourists looking to sit on the beach for a suntan, this isn’t the place. i was coming to panama and it was supposed to be super hot so i didn’t bring a jacket. big mistake!

and after eating tuna every night for the past 5 days, i don’t want any more tuna for a long time. i miss a fat juicy rib eye steak!
we leave here this morning, heading back to the city, and i’ll try to get back to hawaii tomorrow. like always, it’s unpredictable for me. i might get home tomorrow, the day after, or who knows. i might make it back straight, or i might have to fly to japan again. what ever happens happens. going with the flow.
anyway, i speared 15 tuna all over 200lbs!!!! it was sunny, the water was clear, and i seen tunas everywhere! WAIT! well, that’s what i was dreaming the whole time i was here. in fact, everything was the opposite. there were 16 world class divers from all parts of the world. russia, cuba, florida, mexico, bahamas, and so many other places. many first timers here, many regulars. at the end, only 7 tunas came up. everybody agreed that it was the worst diving conditions ever. you had to be extremely lucky if a tuna swam in front of you. underwater it was just a black world. couldn’t see anything. some divers didn’t even see a tuna, some divers didn’t even shoot their gun, some divers are disappointed, some aren’t. as for me, i’m super happy with the results of catching no tunas. before i came here, i was over excited, over anxious, and over confident. now, i’m leaving here like a baby spear fisherman. this trip made me realize that the ocean is a lot more unpredictable than i thought. it’s just like going on a surf trip and not getting good waves. in japanese, we call it “shoganai” or “it can’t be helped.” i’m not sad, i’m not mad, and i’m not disappointed. i’m just excited to continue my pursuit for the big tuna and like usual, i will never ever give up. but in the meantime, i will spear another 30 tunas this year, “in my dreams.” haha.
and no, the many experiences and the many new friends i made isn’t a dream. it’s something money or tunas can’t buy. traveling the world is my dream life!

To all my new friends, kanpai!!!!

Dive today.