Hawaii has probably more outdoor activities than any other island in paradise that begins with “H” and uses the American dollar as currency (that saves me a lot of fact checking time).

Some activities are fun. Some are not. Here’s one that’s both…

The Halona Blowhole.

Remember, Hawaii is an island chain formed millions of years ago out of flowing lava that sprouted out of the sea. Think of it as a very big, very hot ant hill. Now with swaying palm trees, pristine beaches, and busloads of people who want to see it all.

Halona Blowhole is one of the attractions along Kalanianaole Highway east of Honolulu. The Blowhole is a lava tube. You can view the end of the tube from a lookout high above the crashing surf below. It’s the crashing surf below that makes the action happen.

The tube extends from the surface of the rocks above, and goes all the way into the ocean below—where the aforementioned crashing waves create water and air pressure and push both back through the lava tube. The end result is a blowhole. Spouting water and air that sometimes spouts a hundred feet in the air.

Sometimes.

That’s the problem. It doesn’t always spout. It doesn’t do it on a timed schedule like Old Faithful (tides, waves, winds, and other variables too variable for me to ponder today). And often, when it does spout, it doesn’t always spout very high. Conversely, once it’s spouted all the water it has to spout, it sucks the water back down the hole.

Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.

Every now and then, a young (they’re usually young) tourist will venture over the retaining wall and walk towards the Blowhole. Sometimes to take a picture. Sometimes to impress friends. Sometimes out of sheer stupidity.

Not long ago, a young man went down and straddled the Blowhole just as it erupted. He was lifted up in the air three or four feet by the blast. Then sucked back down into the Blowhole. Inside. As in, no longer outside. And no longer among the living.

His body was found a few hours later.

It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.

Catching a joy ride between the legs was not what the kid was after. He paid a big price for such foolishness. There were signs. There were people saying, “Hey, don’t go there!”

He went anyway. And he came back. Wet. Dead.

So, what’s it all mean? Well, for starters, make sure to wear clean underwear when you go out.

Want to know the best places to eat in Hawaii? Click over to Ono Dining for totally biased reviews on Hawai's best (and not so best) restaurants.

hello,
i know its pointless to even post this comment, but its not pointless to me... this kid you speak of his name was Daniel Dick (no lie)... he was actually my best friend for 12 years... he was a crazy kid, as i... we both shared sooo many fun times together, and i really miss that... so i know what he did was foolish... i dont want him to be remembered as a stupid kid, which for some reason everytime anyone from hawaii prints an article on the Halona blowhole its always about how he was a dumb "wet.dead." kid... i just want him to be remembered in a better light... i hope all who read this atleast take my feelings into consideration when writing about Daniel.
R.H.