The late-afternoon sun speckled across the windshield as we breezed down the Honoapi’ilani Hwy that parallels the western shore of the island. My arm hung out the window and the sea breeze blew thick through my salty hair. I was in a swimsuit and flip-flops and we were heading to a double dive. This one was going to be different. We were going to start with a twilight dive, then, just after sunset, we would grab some underwater flashlights and scope out the Black Rock reef structure at night. Black Rock is known as one of the top dive sights in Hawai’i and one of the highest-rated night dive sites in the world.
Harmony pulled the truck up a hill that overlooked the shore-entry point where we were going to drop in later that evening. The waters were calmly splashing on the beach next to the Black Rock structure, a 50’ tall volcanic rock cliff that dove some 40’ deeper into the water.
She climbed to the top of the cliff that overlooked the beach. Her sun-blonded hair wisped in the cool wind as she squinted her eyes, looking over the waves, reading them for any signs of turbulence.
“Looks good, the waves are calm and the current will be at our back the whole way. This will be a good dive. Unless the currents change.” She said. We piled back in the car and headed out to meet the rest of the dive group and get ready for the dive.
After gearing up and testing equipment, Harmony, our dive instructor, went over the plan. We would drop in on the north side of Black Rock and follow the structure around to its southern edge where we would exit and prepare for our night dive. The night dive would follow the same path, but in reverse, going from south to north. She went over various wildlife we should expect to see and then highlighted the potential hazards. Nothing seemed too serious until she mentioned the “washing machine.”
The washing machine is in the middle of the Black Rock structure where the cliff carves inward to make a “U” shape, cutting into the interior of Black Rock. When a current hits this, it creates a powerful eddy that swirls around and can suck a diver into the center of the rock. Once there, it is a battle to get out and safely to the end. Since there is no way to exit from that point, the divers have to make it past the washing machine and to the other side before their air runs out, or an emergency evacuation must be called in.
About an hour and a half later, a full group of suited-up divers walked back to that very point we had been earlier. This time the scene was quite different. What was once a calm ocean had turned into a scene of intense violence. Eight-foot swells surged white foam and smashed onto the beach, the sound deafening as it hit the cliffside of Black Rock and shot surf 40 feet in the air.
I looked back at Harmony. Her eyes were focused on the swells. Then she looked at me with a sadistic grin, the evening sun gleaming in her eye, and said, “Currents change. You ready?”
I was definitely NOT ready,
We all gathered up and Harmony gave us a quick re-briefing.
“Ok look guys, things have changed a little bit with this surf. The hardest part is going to be getting into the water through these waves. You have to time your entry right, or it will wash you back up on the shore. The best time to enter is right before it crashes. Once you’re in, get your fins on and meet me further out. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
She took a few steps closer to the ocean and stood there watching the surf. I could hear her whispering a count to herself, timing when the waves came in.
And then the strangest thing happened. This monster wave was pulling back to the highest point of its crest. I heard Harmony whisper “now” to herself. And with complete calmness she walked up to this giant wave like a lone samurai facing an approaching army. Then, at the last instant, when the wave was at its highest, the foam of the surf just teetering on the breaking point, Harmony disappeared into the wave like an actor through the main curtains on opening night.
And just like that, she was gone. The wave violently smashed against the beach. Surf flew everywhere and then the deafening echo of the wave hitting Black Rock ripped across the beach.
Once the wave crashed, we saw her pop up several yards out in the ocean. She waved at us and signaled that it was our turn to face the mighty waves. One by one, the group went and faced the wave. One by one, they walked through the giant curtain of hydraulic insanity and one by one they popped up several yards further out in the ocean. Then it was my turn.
Standing up in front of these giant waves, all alone, was a daunting experience. The sheer power of them crashing in front of me was a force I had not ever encountered, especially not one I had to go charging into with 40 lbs of gear on my back. I began to count the time between the waves, noting the time between when the waves would start building, when they would crest and when they would crash. Then, an extra-large wave began building out in the ocean; I knew this one was mine. I waited as it built, the rolling sea lifting itself up as it raced toward me. My breath calmed. I continued my count. It was as if a giant hand of water was reaching up into the sky to grab me and pull me into the ocean.
Then I felt it. The moment of action. The fingers of the wave began to form and the surf foam began to fly off the top of the wave. Then I saw it: the curtain. It was clear turquoise blue. I could see little bits of seaweed and tiny fish swimming in this tall vertical wall. I was afraid, but I knew it was time. I tightened my grip on my fins, lunged forward and stepped onstage.
The ocean hand grabbed me and pulled me with incredible force out into the ocean. I was completely powerless, the tide tumbling me like a rag doll into the open sea. I held my breath and gripped my fins with all my might. And then it stopped. The pull of the ocean let me go and I popped up out of the water and next to the group of other divers. I quickly put my fins on and swam toward the group so I wouldn’t be sucked back to shore.
Everyone gathered, we ran our checks and we submerged about 20 ft to the bottom of the sea floor. It was sandy and rippled from the current. We were swimming toward the Black Rock structure and just when we passed the edge of the wall, the current grabbed us. We were rocketed across the edge of the wall and into a world teeming with life. Schools of hundreds of fish gathered in-line with the current and lay motionless. Coral breathed life of tiny fish, crabs, eels and many more I couldn’t recognize. Turtles the size of VW Beetles gathered in underground caves and others languidly soared above us. We swam on.
After about a half hour, swimming started to get more difficult. I began to notice an ebb and flow of the current. I would be pushed forward quickly, and then I couldn’t go forward, no matter how hard I kicked my fins. Harmony stopped and turned around. She made the signal for “the washing machine” and I knew we were in the most hazardous point of the dive.
Overhead view of “the washing machine” (Stolen from the internet)
I understand now why it is called “the washing machine.” The way the eddy swirls in this area, you get pushed and pulled in all directions. You get sucked toward the rocks and then push out to sea. Then pulled back again. It took everything I had to fight this current and keep moving forward. I began to time the current and ride it when it was pushing us in the right direction, and then slowing when it was against us. We fought it for a good ten minutes before we finally passed it and emerged on the other side.
It wasn’t much longer before we had circled the whole of Black Rock and were on the other side, climbing out onto the beach into the large patio of a fancy resort. Like Navy SEALs invading a foreign country, the frog men (and women) sloshed past millionaires smoking fat cigars and rich children running rampant through the resort. We made it back to the trucks, had a few snacks and talked about the dive. We had a while to wait until the sun set and we began the night dive.
Sunset over the ocean.
I watched as the sun dipped below the clouded islands off in the horizon. Beams of golden light fingered through the clouds and heavenly rays shot off into infinity. When the sky turned a deep orange, we were all handed underwater flashlights and began to walk back to the beach.
By the time we were at the beach, the sky was a deep purple and the brightest stars had begun shining in the night sky. The ocean was calmer this time and we slipped into the dark black ocean with ease. Each diver could be seen illuminated by his or her flashlight that dissipated into the dark water below.
Once we were further out to sea, we dropped down to the floor. It was different this time. We were surrounded by blackness. Even on the highest setting, the spotlights could only illuminate a few meters. Anything could come from that infinite expanse that stood there, ominously black.
When we reached Black Rock, it was a completely different world than from a few hours ago. It was exploding with life as the nocturnal fish began to feed and the daylight fish went to sleep. Blue eels seven feet long cascaded across rocky coral reefs in search of food. Giant crabs the size of dinner plates came out and snatched little fish in their claws.
After a while, I noticed that ebb and flow of the current. I knew we were back at “the washing machine.” Having gone through this before, I was ready. I rode the current forward and waited when it was against me. We were in a pretty tight group when an extra strong current threw me forward.
I felt something hit me on the side of the face. There was a flash of bright light. Then darkness. Something had hit me hard. I opened my eyes, only to feel the sting of saltwater. I reached for my mask—it wasn’t there. The current blew me forward again and dashed me against the rock wall. I couldn’t see anything but blackness. I was sucked backward again. Then pushed forward. Then backward. I was completely oblivious to where I was or which way was up. Darkness was everywhere.
The ocean surged again. I held my hands out to feel for the rock wall. It was the only thing I could orient myself with. Nothing; just the push and pull of the ocean current throwing me in the darkness. Again it surged and I felt something solid. I grabbed it. It was the tank of another diver. I held on and calmed my breathing. Panic doesn’t help anything. I felt my mask slipped into my hand. I wrapped it around my head, cleared it, and was able to see again. My eyes burned, but I could see one of the other instructors had come to my rescue.
We pushed on again and finished the dive. By the time we got back to the shore, I was worn out. Walking back to the truck, a wave of euphoria washed over me and the group. We were all giggling like schoolgirls; telling stories of the sights, the adventure and the danger on the dives.
Harmony looked back at me as we reached the trucks, “Way to stay cool out there rookie.” She said with a smile.
We loaded up and headed back to the shop. Our diving for the day was over.