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+--- Thread: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? (/showthread.php?tid=1384)
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - oink - 09-23-2007
Actually, for trips on the smaller boats that price doesn't seem too bad at all. A sport fishing charter for a half day would cost that easy and with less risk and liability to the operator. If you're being crammed on a 20 passenger tourist boat, the price would be a bit steep.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - LavaOcean - 09-23-2007
Picture link for boat at www.lavaocean.com under waterfall tours.
Our pricing is currently based on our 6 passenger opperation and will change a bit for the new boat. Our price during our lava tour was 199 per passenger which included fishing and we gace a discout of 200$ for the full boat of 6. If you talk to any of our passengers both locals and tourists you would know that this was a first rate experience for them. We love to host kama'aina trips and are willing to do trips that would just cover our basic costs, If the punaweb group would like to schedule a tour of the boat Id be glad to set up a time. Currently the boats in Hilo so we'd probably do something out of there. As for crammed this boat is well spaced and intended for passengers.
Ending thought, we have numerous tour companies here on the Puna side who currently opperate Van based tours and no real Ocean Activities so are we saying no to commerical boating on this side as a community? Im still in this for a great time on the water with people who want to have a good time, starting to think thats not the case for some nowadays!
Shane Turpin
Lava Ocean Adventures
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - Genxor - 09-23-2007
Lava Ocean prices certainly seem to be in line with other land based tours operating in Puna.
For example - Secrets of Puna tour and other tours from Kapohokine.com are in the exact same range as Lava Oceans.
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - LavaOcean - 09-23-2007
Please relise that to do business on the water is much more costly than on land additionally were regulated both by state and USCG guidelines, which we just recently went through & passed more iimportantly. Dan and I strive to show you the best possible time on the water & have already put into place a couple relationships that will have local people, who want to work, also benefiting of this created revenue. Please remember that Puna is growing and we all know this, a couple years down the road what are we going to do when someone with big money, any of the big guys Roberts Hawaii, Jacks Tours, Fairwinds, decides to start running boat opps out of Pohoiki. It has just been a matter of time, I waited over 5 years to start the lava tour, why had to save enough money to get going, needed to obain proper licensing, needed to make sure Pele was going to contiue her part, and wanted to make sure that we could opperate around fishermens schedule to make the harbor as uncrowded as possible. With more people using the ramp nowadays is time to address the issues at hand.
Shane Turpin
Lava Ocean Adventures
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - Greg - 09-23-2007
Shane, My main concerns are with safety. People (especially kids) sharing the tiny harbor with power boats is a tragedy waiting to happen. We've been lucky so far with the unofficial fishing boat "warning system" in place, but as boat numbers and size increase, so do the chances of an accident. One way to make it safer would be to have a "water safety officer" on duty who's job it would be to clear the area when any power boat is launching or landing. Maybe the boat operators could help subsidize this with the county.
My other concern is with human waste. Does your boat have a holding tank that would be pumped out when onshore?
Mahalo, Greg
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - LavaOcean - 09-24-2007
Yes I too think a water safety or lifeguard is the solution.
Yes we do have an onboard holding tank and must go 3 miles offshore to pump it, currently Im entertaining other solutions due to poor boat facilitys here on island that should be required to have pump facilities. Usually we ask our client to use the head only when needed to cut down on waste. Once again were less imact then these giant tour buses and less invasive then most think, heck look how many people wouldnt even have known about these issues unless we raise some awareness.I know I cant please everyone but I strive to make this a safe & fun ocean excursion like our previous tour was.
Shane Turpin
Lava Ocean Adventures
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - Beachboy - 09-24-2007
quote:
Please remember that Puna is growing and we all know this, a couple years down the road what are we going to do when someone with big money, any of the big guys Roberts Hawaii, Jacks Tours, Fairwinds, decides to start running boat opps out of Pohoiki. It has just been a matter of time, I waited over 5 years to start the lava tour, why had to save enough money to get going, needed to obain proper licensing, needed to make sure Pele was going to contiue her part, and wanted to make sure that we could opperate around fishermens schedule to make the harbor as uncrowded as possible. With more people using the ramp nowadays is time to address the issues at hand.
Shane Turpin
Lava Ocean Adventures
so you figure Roberts Hawaii or any other tour group is gonna jump on this lucrutive goal mine, so you two will jump first? I seriously doubt Roberts Hawaii or any other tour group is gonna touch that with a ten ft pole! Again Liabilty being the main factor, enviornment being second. Pohoiki is the only place you two are considering to operate out of?
Listen Shane, I'm not trying to be an A--hole here. I'm just trying to figure out where you're coming from. I guess different strokes for different folks, huh?
I have spent my entire life on or near the Pacific Ocean. Raised in Lahaina I saw and watched in horror how fishermen came into Lahaina and destroyed all she had offered to ocean lovers there! But not just fisherman either. Tour operations related to the ocean destroyed this once peaceful, lazy town I grew up in. It became so bad I moved away!
Over the years working as a Waikiki Beachboy it aloud me to make a living doing what I love surfing. I'm sure your operation is somewhat out of love too for the ocean...but how much of it is greed? I bought a boat from Kauai some years back. A 20 ft Radon. It was great for fishing(trolling, coral diving) etc. I also knew it would come in handy here on the Big Island. But because of the local enviornment here in Puna I elected to sell my Radon Boat! With it I lost a valuable source of income....fishing! But I felt the local enviornment was more important than me launching my boat whenever to go fish, etc,etc,.
Like I said Shane different strokes for different folks! But don't piss on the back of the good folks of Puna and tell them it's a trade shower! It is what it is. A piece of beauty for some, and an eye sore for others!
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - Greg - 09-24-2007
Shane, Thanks for answering my question about "pumping out" waste. I've gotta say I'm with Beachboy on this. Did you know that at Ma'alaea harbor on Maui there are no pumping out facilities? This is where hundreds of whale watch and fishing boats operate out of every month. They also dump their waste three miles out and have effectively polluted the area. Since Puna has no facilities for pumping out, I don't think there's room for a tour operation. Especially one that may expand to bigger tour companies. By the way, responsible tour companies like Kapohokine provide their own outhouses and leave no waste in Puna.
Regarding safety; I'm sure you've seen smaller fishing boats come in riding a swell on a big day. When entering the harbor like this it is impossible for them to stop or manuever if they suddenly had to do so. That's why I believe it's a tragedy waiting to happen. What's a boat operator going to do when an innatentive head pops up in front of him/her while surfing in? All a lifeguard could do is clean up the mess. We don't need to increase boat use in this allready overutilized location.
On top of that, Pele's not exactly cooperating right now. You may be able to take people out from Hilo and watch the Lava enter the ocean at Kaloli point :o
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - Carey - 09-24-2007
If anyone is worried about the waste issues & tours in Hawaii, Uh-Hilo is starting to compile data (just starting...need data) on the tours, esp. backcountry &4WD tours that are running tourists out ewith no facilities. They are starting to look at the Champaign Ponds area, where are now 4WD tour buses taking tourist. There are no facilities in this area, nor observed on the buses. The 'toileting' facilites around this area have increased (some are absolutely amazing, in a yucky ewww way), and some should be of concern to both people shore fishing & those who use Champaigne Pond. This is state land (most new lava) and it is something that Puna must plan for early....
RE: Pohoiki Boat Ramp or Swim Ramp? - Beachboy - 09-24-2007
quote:
On top of that, Pele's not exactly cooperating right now. You may be able to take people out from Hilo and watch the Lava enter the ocean at Kaloli point :o
take it easy!!!!