It wasn’t until I was en route via a Cadillac Escalade from Four Seasons Resort Oahu to Ko Olina Marina — which is just down the road — that reality began to sink in. Within one hour, I would be fully suited up and jumping into open ocean water for my first-ever Discover Scuba course, which is a standard offering at PADI-certified dive centers around the world and some resorts, too (although usually in a pool setting).

An avid snorkeler but decidedly not a diver, I focused on what I knew about Trident Adventures — the new snorkel, dive and adventure operation based at Ko Olina Marina — which has a pedigree that would assuage even the most nervous beginner. … (continue reading)