ScubaSteve
Wow.....what a DB
I got to celebrate both holidays (1st and 4th) with 7 dives at Dutch Springs in Bethlehem, PA this weekend with a bunch of fellow ScubaBoarders.
Where did you dive today?
- Thread starter El Orans
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Pelagicsal
Dedicated Dive Bum
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Villa Blanca Wall, Cozumel, Mexico. Got in the first dive this morning and surfaced to a closed port. Glad we hit it early! Took lionfish #6. Anemone gobbled him up as if it'd been waiting to be served breakfast.
Lobsters were out, and we saw several donut-sized yellow-tailed stingrays.
Looked for seahorses, but no luck.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Lobsters were out, and we saw several donut-sized yellow-tailed stingrays.
Looked for seahorses, but no luck.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
- Messages
- 93,124
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- On the Fun Side of Trump's Wall
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- 2500 - 4999
Did a pair of dives in the San Juan Islands yesterday, with four friends. The first dive was a pinnacle called Davidson Rock, and the second was a wall on the north side of James Island.
Davidson was about as good as I've ever experienced it ... very little current, 20-30 feet of vis, and LOTS of color. We dropped in on the top of the pinnacle and quickly made our way down to 100 fsw ... then did a slow switchback up, experiencing a wall just covered in metridiums, strawberry anemones, brilliant red creeping pedal sea cukes, yellow sponges, and an amazing array of other sea life. After about 20 minutes between 80 and 100 feet, Pez signaled it was time to begin our ascent ... we switchbacked up to about 50 feet and stayed between 50 and 40 for about another 20 minutes, finding a variety of nudibranchs and other cool stuff to look at ... then made our way shallower into the kelp. It was so bright with shafts of sunlight peeking down through the kelp that our lights were about useless ... so we put them away. Finally surfaced after about a 62 minute dive to an almost glassy calm sea. The boat was on the other side of the pinnacle, picking up the other three divers, who'd been out on scooters. It was almost with regret that we finally got out of the water ... but the boat crew had a big pot of ravioli and a hearty soup for our surface interval, which we took while motoring over to James Island for dive #2.
James Island was, frankly, one of the nicest dives I've done in the San Juans in years ... it was, in many respects, every bit as colorful, easier, and more enjoyable than the dives I did last week in the Channel Islands. And if anyone's been wondering where all the nudibranchs are this year ... they're at James ... thousands of them. We saw at least a dozen different species, literally covering just about every ledge, rock, and wall surface down there. This dive was a very gentle drift along the wall ... just enough current to keep you moving along slowly, but really easy to stop and take pictures ... with a reasonable 25-30 feet of vis it was a diver's delight of non-stop cool stuff to see. After 67 minutes underwater, we finally ... regretfully ... surfaced.
Got back to the dock around 7 PM, and was home by 9. Overall one of the most enjoyable, relaxing days of diving I've had in a long time. And since no dive report is complete without pictures ... here's a few of my favorites.
A dendronotus diversicolor amid a sea of creeping pedal cukes on Davidson ...
Dendronotus dalli at James ...
Ever wonder why they call 'em "diamondback"?
Waving ...
Cute little baby PSKC ...
Two for the price of one in the candy department ...
A couple of amorous clown dorids ...
S . t .. r ... e .... t ..... c ...... h ...
Pez finds a new tubby toy ...
... and once I got home, the show wasn't yet over ... as I was unpacking my gear, a new neighbor dropped by to say hello ...
Great way to end a holiday week-end ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Davidson was about as good as I've ever experienced it ... very little current, 20-30 feet of vis, and LOTS of color. We dropped in on the top of the pinnacle and quickly made our way down to 100 fsw ... then did a slow switchback up, experiencing a wall just covered in metridiums, strawberry anemones, brilliant red creeping pedal sea cukes, yellow sponges, and an amazing array of other sea life. After about 20 minutes between 80 and 100 feet, Pez signaled it was time to begin our ascent ... we switchbacked up to about 50 feet and stayed between 50 and 40 for about another 20 minutes, finding a variety of nudibranchs and other cool stuff to look at ... then made our way shallower into the kelp. It was so bright with shafts of sunlight peeking down through the kelp that our lights were about useless ... so we put them away. Finally surfaced after about a 62 minute dive to an almost glassy calm sea. The boat was on the other side of the pinnacle, picking up the other three divers, who'd been out on scooters. It was almost with regret that we finally got out of the water ... but the boat crew had a big pot of ravioli and a hearty soup for our surface interval, which we took while motoring over to James Island for dive #2.
James Island was, frankly, one of the nicest dives I've done in the San Juans in years ... it was, in many respects, every bit as colorful, easier, and more enjoyable than the dives I did last week in the Channel Islands. And if anyone's been wondering where all the nudibranchs are this year ... they're at James ... thousands of them. We saw at least a dozen different species, literally covering just about every ledge, rock, and wall surface down there. This dive was a very gentle drift along the wall ... just enough current to keep you moving along slowly, but really easy to stop and take pictures ... with a reasonable 25-30 feet of vis it was a diver's delight of non-stop cool stuff to see. After 67 minutes underwater, we finally ... regretfully ... surfaced.
Got back to the dock around 7 PM, and was home by 9. Overall one of the most enjoyable, relaxing days of diving I've had in a long time. And since no dive report is complete without pictures ... here's a few of my favorites.
A dendronotus diversicolor amid a sea of creeping pedal cukes on Davidson ...
Dendronotus dalli at James ...
Ever wonder why they call 'em "diamondback"?
Waving ...
Cute little baby PSKC ...
Two for the price of one in the candy department ...
A couple of amorous clown dorids ...
S . t .. r ... e .... t ..... c ...... h ...
Pez finds a new tubby toy ...
... and once I got home, the show wasn't yet over ... as I was unpacking my gear, a new neighbor dropped by to say hello ...
Great way to end a holiday week-end ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
stakanak
Guest
I dove Malaga Cove, Palos Verde today. The vis was around 5 feet, there was a solid five foot swell running, the surge was crazy (even the fish were hiding in the crevasses), there was a red tide, my air 2 started bleeding on our descent, I was over weighted as I wore a new summer wetsuit, the swim in took 20 minutes against a serious riptide...and you know what-I had a great time!
Good Diving!
Good Diving!
RDRINK25
Contributor
Went to the Sherman of SC coast today. Dove with Coastal Scuba vis was 25-30ft. Got to hang with a pair of 8ft Sand Tigers WAS AMAZING our first Ocean dive! Coastal Scuba was top notch!
awakefie
Contributor
Montrose Harbor, Chicago IL
Hypno-toad
Registered
I went to Old Garden Beach in Rockport. Conditions were not good. The waves and surge were pretty gnarly getting out and we kicked out pretty far to make sure we were through the worst of the waves. My buddy and I dropped down about 3 feet before we thumbed it. I couldn't see my bright yellow fin tips just below me and it freaked us out. We decided it was not worth it and headed back to shore. We fought the waves back in as well and it was not fun. I stayed on my feet but my buddy got knocked over. We geared down and actually wound up helping several other divers out of the surf. Several were getting rolled, nearly hitting the rocks. This beach, usually packed with divers, was empty and I think that was pretty telling.
Things settled down within the next two hours so I went out with the other part of the group. Again, the getting in sucked. We kicked out about 150 yards and dropped down. The surge was still pretty strong but the viz cleared up to about 15 feet. Saw some amazing schools of fish. Not many lobsters, only wound up with one keeper. We were under for 45 minutes and hit 51 feet. We had a looooong kick back in (probably half a mile) and my face got pretty decently sunburned because of it. Fought the surf going back in, but again, managed to stay on my feet.
It was a good challenge for this newbie diver. I was glad for the experience. I not only had my first thumbed dive, but I also had my most challenging conditions so far. It was great.
Things settled down within the next two hours so I went out with the other part of the group. Again, the getting in sucked. We kicked out about 150 yards and dropped down. The surge was still pretty strong but the viz cleared up to about 15 feet. Saw some amazing schools of fish. Not many lobsters, only wound up with one keeper. We were under for 45 minutes and hit 51 feet. We had a looooong kick back in (probably half a mile) and my face got pretty decently sunburned because of it. Fought the surf going back in, but again, managed to stay on my feet.
It was a good challenge for this newbie diver. I was glad for the experience. I not only had my first thumbed dive, but I also had my most challenging conditions so far. It was great.
BLUESEASONBALI
Contributor
Today i was blown away by 3 of the largest MOla Mola that i have ever seen here in Bali. It was our second dive at Crystal Bay and the conditions were perfect (thermoclines), down at 32m or 6 thermoclines if you prefer to talk temperature, the first two appeared out of the Blue. They stayed a fair distance away from us, however we were currently the only dive group in this particular area there was nothing obstructing our views they seemed much closer than they really were! Amazed and running out of deco time we turned the dive, sorry to say goodbye headed back to the boat. just as we were approaching the top of the reef wall again at only about 14 meters suddenly another rattle on the tank!!! MOLA MOLA MOLA! This time however it was being cleaned so we approached nice and closely from the front as not to startle it. Out came the cameras, snap snap snap, which were all compared back on the boat alng with a nice warm cup of tea!!
www.blueseasonbali.com
www.blueseasonbali.com
We dove Arifjan Reef here in the Gulf, Played on the wreck there, vis only about 4 ft, but I am good with that. But I found a snorkel and brought it up to find an octopus had made it a home. We plaed save the octo trying to catch it on the boat safely, and then I took it back down and found a new hidey hole for it.
Tomorrow, I go the Qaru Island, Day after, to Um Al Miradim, and Friday and Saturday to Kubbar Island. Cool beans.
Tomorrow, I go the Qaru Island, Day after, to Um Al Miradim, and Friday and Saturday to Kubbar Island. Cool beans.
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