FISHING Valerie Nau (left) and Dave Van De Car took over Ohana Adventures Sportfishing in 2018 on Hawaii’s Big Island. “The experience is a work in progress,” says Van De Car, who was born in Hawaii but was in the insurance business before making a dramatic career change. (CHRIS COCOLES)
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS IN HAWAII A NEW BUSINESS VENTURE FOR A COUPLE IN A FISHING PARADISE
By Chris Cocoles
K
AILUA-KONA, Hawaii–As we spent a full day aboard a fishing boat off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii and got all of one bite, there was plenty of time for deep thoughts. Sure, my friends and I talked a lot – whether it was sharing stories, making fun of each other or planning the rest of our getaway to Kailua-
Kona. But there was also napping in the Ohana’s pretty comfortable cabin, checking smartphones and taking in some sun on the deck. I used much of my down time thinking about the conversation I had with our host earlier in the day and how much admiration I had for him. In 2018, Dave Van De Car and his partner Valerie Nau took over Ohana Sportfishing Adventures (808-854-4500; ohanasportfishing
.com), the kind of go-for-it career change that I’ve always thought about but ultimately seemed to have an excuse to back off of. I’m proud to be a journalist – a grinder who’s plugged away in the sports department at newspapers both small and big, and for almost seven years now as the editor of this magazine and another that covers the outdoors, Alaska Sporting Journal. The bottom line is I went to college
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