For anyone who is into scuba diving, there is a feeling of awe when we think of the "oldtime" surface supplied divers. You see, while SCUBA was only developed and marketed to recreational users in the early 1960's, the hard-hat surface supplied diving rigs had been around for hundreds of years previous.Ever since I was a kid, I thought that it would be great to grab a garden hose and go exploring on the bottom of some pond. Turns out that this is physiologically impossible (constraints on the human lungs' capacity to draw in air against a greater surrounding pressure, etc.). However, if you take that garden hose and force air down through it using a compressor, then it would work. This is essentially what they discovered a few centuries earlier, you take a metal helmet and run a compressed air hose down to it from the surface, giving you a tethered surface-supplied diver, often referred to as a "hardhat" diver. These expensive, bulky, cumbersome, and heavy systems were only available to military and commercial divers. Not exactly available to a 10 year old kid, or a 33 year old for that matter.
So when the opportunity to dive a vintage US Navy mark 5 (mk 5) dive helmet presented itself, I jumped at the chance. This is the same rig shown in the Hollywood movie "Men of Honor". These rigs were used for a very long time in the USN, up until the mid 1980's when they were replaced by lighter composite versions. The entire Mk 5 rig weighs in at 196 pounds (the helmet alone weighs 65) and takes several people to help get you into the units.
Obviously, you are not going to be running any marathons in these things, but like most things they are not too bad once you get into the water.
Obviously, you are not going to be running any marathons in these things, but like most things they are not too bad once you get into the water.This was some of the most fun I have had in years. It really made me want to join the navy and go to navy dive school to become a salvage diver. They get to do this all the time, although in much different gear now. Carrying almost 200 pounds of gear, plus all the additional equipment needed to go surface supplied diving isn't exactly the "garden hose" dreams of my youth, but I would definitely go wandering around on the bottom of any lake, pond, or ocean with one of these rigs again.
Along with our friend Markus, we spent 30 minutes underwater at a maximum depth of 13 feet. We went to a spot we call the turt
We stayed in Nukalofa, at a really cool B & B. Not usually one for this type of accommodation, it was actually our taxi driver who brought us to check it out. Ended up being way, way nicer than the hotel we were planning on staying at AND it was cheaper. Thanks, Edward (our taxi/ tour driver). If you ever get a chance to go to Tonga, you should look up Edward at...yup, Edward Tours. Anyway, once settled we headed over to the main market in Tonga. It is a huge two story building with vendors on both floors. Not much happens on the second floor, but lots on the first. There were all kinds of handicrafts, baskets, bowls, tapa (decorated barkcloth), ceremonial weapons, etc. as well as all the produce you could ever imagine. Melanie has written before about the sad fruit and vegetable supply here on Tutuila. Tonga had all the produce a tropical island should have and more. It was fresh, unbelievably cheap, and everywhere. The handicraft area was huge. There were really about 3 main types of venders: tapa (also known as siapo or ngatu), weapons and other carved goods, and mixed weaving. While yes, most everyone had the same stuff, there was a definite artistic quality lacking in some vendors or just simply poor execution. Some peoples’ work however was exquisite, gallery quality stuff. It was more expensive (by about $2), but definitely worth it. I got lots of stuff, but my one true goal was to get a big tapa while I was there. I did get a big tapa indeed. It measures about 45’ x 32’. This, by Tongan standards, is actually a small tapa! It weighs about 24 lbs. It became the albatross around my neck as I was trying to carry this thing around in later travelling days. A big tapa by the way is about 150 feet long.
That's mulberry bark (below) before processing into cloth. The picture at the bottom is Hibiscus (used to make skirts). 
One thing I have to vent about at the markets makes me sad. This by the way was true of the markets in Vava’u, Tongatapu and in Samoa... Every single market had several people selling sea turtle shells and items made from turtles. Many had cheap Chinese plastic knock-off jewelry they were trying to cheat the tourists with, but many more had actual endangered species carved up for sale. How much does a sea turtle shell go for? Anywhere from $15 up to $130 depending on the vendor. $15 for an endangered animal. Did they not realize these were CITES non-tradable goods that would be seized by customs agents anywhere in the world? I doubt they cared, and as my friend pointed out, you can bring anything you want into a country in a yacht.
After our many trips back and forth to the markets we headed all around the island to see “the sights”. The highlights are the blowholes, the trilathon, the Lapati tombs, the bat colony, and the sound of tapa.
The trilathon is known as the Tongan Stonehenge. Having been to the real Stonehenge I can tell you that if you have that in mind and then go see the trilathon you will be sorely disappointed. No expectations? Okay, it’s a neat trio of rocks made into an archway.
The Lapati tombs are big rocks... um, yup that is about it.
Unfortunately fruit bats are threatened or endangered throughout the world. Sadly, they didn’t seem very common in Tonga. We did take a trip to see one small bat colony, but considering that I see 500-600 individuals in the colonies at work, this one just seemed sad. Still, any bats are cool and these were in a “bat sanctuary” so hopefully they will flourish.
We keep stopping at random places to see the various island attractions. One thing always stood out, from all around you came the tap tap tapping sound of women pounding mulberry bark to produce tapa. As this is one of the favorite tourist souvenirs, more tapa is produced now than ever before and it all comes from a small weed-like tree, the paper mulberry.
No trip to Tonga is complete with out seeing the world famous three headed coconut. My friend really wanted to see it. I think he would also really want to see the two headed snapping turtle at the carnival in Tennessee... but anyway, here it is, the three headed coconut. For an added bonus you get cows grazing under coconut trees, which is just odd coming from the midwest.
Cows under coconuts.... weird.
