I was on a ship based in Pearl Harbor(USS BREWTON FFG-1086). So i never had to get an apartment or anything. However one of my lady friends rented a room bearly big enough for her queensize bed and a dresser and tv for five hundred a month. she shared the rest of the house with two other people. This was at the end of my 2nd four year term, from 1989-1991 during the Gulf war. A shipmate from another ship had a hell of a time getting base housing for him and his wife and her boy.
the thing i remember the most was being on Waikiki beach and a ten minute rain shower would hit. the tourist would scrambled for shelter, but those that knew better would just wait it out. Ialso will never forget my first time at North shore..... I've done some things that could be considered dangerous to ya health, but those boys and girls HAD to be insane to try out some of those waves.