The People of Honokohau: Patrice and Frank with Pacific Rim Divers
Written by Hawaiian Adventures Naturalist Amy Aggergaard
Pacific Rim Divers began on the big island in 1997. Frank and Patrice Howler, the owners and commanding officers of the company, had built their lives around the ocean long before that. In the early 1990s, the two met on a dive boat off the Maui coast. Frank(a dive master and instructor on the boat at the time) and Patrice (a passenger and dive master). A few months after becoming acquainted and discovering their shared passion for diving and the ocean, Patrice moved to Maui and obtained her dive instructor license. The two worked together on Maui for a few years before ultimately moving to the Big Island in 1997 where they started their own company, Pacific Rim Diving. Patrice and Frank have been running trips and exploring the wonders beneath the waves ever since. As divers who put conservation at the forefront of their operations, Frank and Patrice implore a message to “only take pictures and only leave bubbles”. Patrice stated that she wants to show her guests the beauty of the ocean from a nondisruptive and noninteractive point, witnessing the natural currents and flow of the reef uninterrupted and unspoiled. Frank and Patrice will continue to enjoy the Kona Coast and it’s marine life while putting animal comfort, protection, and conservation first.
Patrice Howler stated that many things have changed in the diving community over the years, but the most important aspects have remained the same. Many individuals who began diving 40 years ago are feeling their age catch up with them. As a very physically demanding sport, some older scuba enthusiasts are now up against new challenges that scuba diving companies need to be ready to face. She also stated that although that despite these challenges, the passion for diving is always there. Patrice has observed that over the years the sport itself has morphed from being a rigorous and demanding activity to a more relaxed and family-friendly activity. Especially as certification requirements and age restrictions lower. Dive culture has also grown more environmentally friendly and conservation oriented, and people hold each other accountable now more than ever to being environmentally conscious.
When asked what pushes her to keep diving, Patrice stated that now (after all these years) it’s the excitement and wonder in other peoples’ eyes that motivates her to continue. Sharing an enthusiasm for marine life big and small and stoking passion in divers is the best part of the job. Patrice explained that by helping people who are taking a break from their own lives to spend some time underneath the surface, and by taking care of those who take care of everyone else (like doctors, nurses, paramedics, teachers, farmers, and many others), she and Frank are taking care of those who take care of the rest of the world. When asked about working in Honokohau, Patrice highlighted the tight-knit sense of community. Despite the change over the years, everyone in Honokohau has always been ready and prepared to help when someone needs it, even newcomers. Everything in the harbor is centrally located and everyone seems to know everyone. It’s a community within Kona that is cherished by many.
Patrice has always been surprised with the quality of people who are drawn to the sport of scuba diving. She says that she has established some of her strongest friendships through diving and that, thanks to the loyalty of guests turned friends who continue to return, the business has been able to thrive.
When asked why she chose an ocean related field, Patrice stated that diving has opened up a whole new world for her and changed her life in unimaginable ways. She’s surprised she ended up here, but it fits her so well and she’s so grateful the islands have accepted her, Frank, and their company. After 15,000 dives, she still sees new things because the reef is never stagnant and that every day, ‘you just have no idea what’s under there’. Every dive is a blank slate, a new adventure to journey out in and explore. She claims that the islands are her home and that the ocean is her home.
