Skinny-Dipping with Aloha by Kevin Reardon
National Skinny-Dipping Day—Saturday, July 13, 2024—began rather early for my
husband, Tim, and me and a few of our friends. We needed to leave our house in Hilo,
Hawai‘i, around 6:30 a.m. in order to get across the Big Island to the Kona side in time
to be on the boat before it left the Honokohau Harbor dock at 8:30. We would be
spending the morning with Swim Free Hawaii.
The quickest way between Hilo and Kona is over the “Saddle Road,” a.k.a. Daniel K.
Inouye Highway—named for one of the longest-serving U.S. Senators in history—but
even that route takes a minimum of 90 minutes. The road rises to an elevation of over
6,000 feet as it passes through the saddle between the peaks of Mauna Kea and
Mauna Loa, which are considered by some to be the tallest and largest mountains on
Earth. It was a typical damp, crisp morning as we headed out of Hilo and up the East
side, but once we passed under the arch of a not-uncommon rainbow, the clear blue sky
appeared and we knew it was going to be a beautiful day! Although Tim and I got a little
later start than we had planned, we arrived at the harbor with time to spare. After
parking and gathering our group together, we made our way down to the slip where the
Catchem’ I awaited us, with Captain Chuck Haupert and Co-Captain Gloria Martin ready
to take us out for a morning of nude snorkeling.
Hilo, Hawai‘i, has been Tim’s and my home for more than 15 years, and we’ve enjoyed
a couple of the Big Island’s beaches clothes free on many occasions, but it wasn’t until
a few years ago that we discovered Swim Free Hawaii (SFH,
www.swimfreehawaii.com). It popped up one day as I was scanning the Kona side of
the island on Google Maps. This was during the COVID pandemic, and when we had to
cancel a cruise vacation due to a spike in virus infections, we decided to take a local
mini cruise on SFH. Chuck and Gloria warmly welcomed us aboard the former charter
fishing vessel for the first of many excursions. Since then, we’ve been able to recruit
friends to join us on occasion, and for this National Skinny-Dipping Day, we had a
couple of first-timers in our group.
As Gloria capably piloted Catchem’ I away from the dock, Chuck expertly stowed the
line that had kept the boat tied in place. He has been operating SFH for eight years,
and before that, he captained deep-sea charter fishing trips aboard the boat for 35
years. Around the time that he was feeling that he was lacking the energy to continue
the fishing trips, some people asked him if he would take them out skinny-dipping. His
response? “Hell, yeah!,” and SFH was born. About a year later, as he and Gloria were
beginning their relationship, she asked about the boat. When he told her about the
nude snorkeling cruises, she said, “You’ll never get me on that boat!” At the time, she
felt fearful of the water, but that has obviously changed.
Having been training to captain the boat on her own, Gloria took us out of the harbor
and down the coast a mile or so, to a protected cove that is home to a coral reef. Many
reefs dot the western side of the Big Island, and it is a snorkeler’s and scuba diver’s
paradise. With so many diving and snorkeling boats plying the area and wanting to stay
put while their passengers were in the water, anchors represent a serious risk to the
health of the reefs. In response, a community of diving activists and others installed a
series of mooring balls up and down the coast. Probably the most well-known among
these reef heroes is the late Grateful Dead great, Jerry Garcia. The mooring balls act
as permanent anchors, each with a ball floating 15 feet or so below the surface, to
which boats can tie up to hold them in place for the duration of the dive without harming
the reef with their anchors. As we pulled up to the intended snorkeling spot, Chuck
stripped off his board shorts and dove in with the rope to tie up to the ball. At that point,
the rest of us began to free ourselves of our clothes and load on the sunscreen.
Back on the boat, Chuck pointed out the area where snorkeling is the best. Gloria
pulled out gear, and assisted our group members with the masks, snorkels, and fins.
Soon we were all in the water, most of us completely naked; on SFH, guests are
welcome to wear as much or as little as makes them comfortable. Myriad Hawaiian reef
fish worked the corals below us. I immediately saw some of my favorites: Hawai‘i’s
state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua‘a, or Rectangular Reef Triggerfish, and its
cousin, the Picasso Reef Triggerfish; the psychedelically-colored Yellowtail Coris; the
multi-hued Parrotfish; and the Moorish Idol, with its dorsal fin pennant streaming behind
it. The west coast of the Big Island has sometimes been called the “Gold Coast,” due to
the widespread abundance of Yellow Tangs, which were present in large numbers, as
well. Some in our group caught sight of a Spotted Eagle Ray, a smaller relative of the
huge Manta Rays that can be seen at night in the area. Tim and the ray swam in perfect
unison for about 200 feet, enjoying each other’s naked company, all the while
exchanging cautious glances. Magical!
The snorkeling is not the only thing that I enjoy on a SFH trip. After some time in the
water, if I get a bit chilled, I drag a towel to the bow of the boat and lay out in the sun,
enjoying being able to feel the warmth on my buttocks as well as on the rest of my body.
When I’ve warmed up and caught my breath, I’m off again to the back of the boat, to
take some dives off the platform. I love the feeling of being in the water without the
restrictive, clinginess of swim trunks, with the currents and eddies playing around my
entire body. To me, the name, Swim Free Hawaii, seems so apt for this opportunity to
enjoy being clothes-free in and on the water. While I’m doing my thing, the rest of the
group tend to also be in and out of the water, enjoying snacks that we all have brought
to share, and especially taking pleasure in the conversations and interactions with each
other and the chance to get to know each other better. This happens even when guests
start out as strangers to each other, as the setting itself helps to break down barriers.
To Tim and me, Catchem’ I is the “Little Nude Boat.” Last year, we became AANR
members while we were first-time cruisers on the Bare Necessities “Big Nude Boat.”
The clothing-optional excursions offered on the cruise were great fun, but the limited
availability was problematic since there was high demand for participation. Here on the
Big Island, those of us who live here, as well as interested visitors, are fortunate that we
can go on such excursions any day of the week with SFH. As a matter of fact, SFH is
an AANR-affiliated business. Any AANR members who find themselves on the Big
Island should definitely check it out.
It's been said that the worst day fishing beats the best day at work. Captain Chuck
agrees, but adds, “the worst day of nude snorkeling beats the best day fishing.” He
says, “I love what we’re doing. When the day comes that I have to stop, I’ll be kicking
and screaming.” We all hope that day remains a long way off.
Many people know the Hawaiian word, “aloha,” to mean “hello” and “goodbye.” It is
actually closest in meaning to the word, “love.” Chuck and Gloria are true ambassadors
of aloha, sharing it with all of their passengers. Smiles and hugs abound. For those of
us fortunate to celebrate National Skinny-Dipping Day with Swim Free Hawaii, we found
it to truly be skinny-dipping with aloha.
