beachcitiesdiver
Registered
We pulled up yesterday at 8 a.m. The weatherman had called for warm temperatures and they couldn't have been more correct in their assessment. It was 70 degrees outside at 8 a.m. and the water was like glass. Every few minutes you'd see a small swell slide under the boat; but other than that, it was smooth as glass.
I gathered up our team and went through our briefing. We had some work to do on this second dive. Our mooring lines needed attention and we decided that we should set up an Advanced Line for instructors visiting the wreck. As we decended into the depths, it was apparent that this second dive would be better than the first. At 82 feet, I could see the wreck clearly. She sits in 115 feet of water and rises to about 90 feet. But, here I was looking at the entire wreck!
I descended and cut the first line and started setting up the Advanced Line while Bobby worked on disconnected the clevis from the original mooring line. The team swung over and enjoyed looking at the riggings and the beautiful metridiums that are decorated all over the A.C.E.
When I looked over at the wreck, there were thousands of fish scared off the wreck and chilling out in the sand. Above the wreck were two divers and they were checking out three ocean sunfish (mola mola) that were circling the wreck. I smiled inside because this was the last image I would have of California Scuba Diving before my move on Wednesday to the east coast. It was picture perfect.
On the seafloor, Chob sat on the bottom on his knees and snapping picture after picture. I couldn't wait to see those pictures! I knew that they would be good with the 30+ feet of visibility today.
Scott Marshutz was on my team and after we were done lowering the mooring rig (a feat that took about three minutes), we wandered over to the wheelhouse of the A.C.E. You see, Scott has been investigating the A.C.E. since her discovery. He has contacted numerous crew members and has probably forgotten more about this wreck than I've ever known. Our mission on this dive was to find a personal article to take back to the Captain.
I dropped to the sand with Scott and had to shoo away the hundreds of scorpionfish off the sandy floor. If you told me that there were a thousand fish on the front of the boat and that 400 of them were scorpionfish, I wouldn't be surprised! I dropped to the sand and started looking at the most likely place for stuff from the wheelhouse to fall. I saw the velcro wrist of what looked like a jacket. I reached down and started pulling on the jacket to pull it out of the muck. A few radios dangled over top of me coming out of the windows of the wreck. Seeing that the wreck sunk 'as is' makes this dive all the better. It's not like the Yukon. This was an actual accident.
Once Scott realized what I was pulling on, he started to help. We slowly pulled the jacket and started our ascent back to the surface. I could feel hard stuff in the pockets, so I hoped that it was a wallet or something that we could return to the rightful owner.
As we ascended, it was clear as could be. I couldn't have asked for a better final dive day in California. After ten years of diving here, this was easily in the top 3 dives I've done.
When we reached the surface, we searched the jacket to find nothing. But, now Scott has something to return to the Captain of the A.C.E. We made a deal that we would bring one thing from the wreck and that was it. Now, we have left everything on board and this wreck is sitting on the seafloor with everything she had on her when she sank.
It's a perfect dive for all walks of divers and today was simply beautiful. I hope that everyone gets the chance to enjoy the diving like I got to today. I have included some of the pictures that Chob took yesterday and they were simply amazing.
Come down and see this wreck guys. You will be impressed.
Thanks to Chris T., Giovanni, Bobby K., Derek E., Chob V., Marty M., Steve A. and everyone that was on the boat along with everyone that has ever dived in Southern California with me! I will miss you guys!!!!
D.J. Mansfield
I gathered up our team and went through our briefing. We had some work to do on this second dive. Our mooring lines needed attention and we decided that we should set up an Advanced Line for instructors visiting the wreck. As we decended into the depths, it was apparent that this second dive would be better than the first. At 82 feet, I could see the wreck clearly. She sits in 115 feet of water and rises to about 90 feet. But, here I was looking at the entire wreck!
I descended and cut the first line and started setting up the Advanced Line while Bobby worked on disconnected the clevis from the original mooring line. The team swung over and enjoyed looking at the riggings and the beautiful metridiums that are decorated all over the A.C.E.
When I looked over at the wreck, there were thousands of fish scared off the wreck and chilling out in the sand. Above the wreck were two divers and they were checking out three ocean sunfish (mola mola) that were circling the wreck. I smiled inside because this was the last image I would have of California Scuba Diving before my move on Wednesday to the east coast. It was picture perfect.
On the seafloor, Chob sat on the bottom on his knees and snapping picture after picture. I couldn't wait to see those pictures! I knew that they would be good with the 30+ feet of visibility today.
Scott Marshutz was on my team and after we were done lowering the mooring rig (a feat that took about three minutes), we wandered over to the wheelhouse of the A.C.E. You see, Scott has been investigating the A.C.E. since her discovery. He has contacted numerous crew members and has probably forgotten more about this wreck than I've ever known. Our mission on this dive was to find a personal article to take back to the Captain.
I dropped to the sand with Scott and had to shoo away the hundreds of scorpionfish off the sandy floor. If you told me that there were a thousand fish on the front of the boat and that 400 of them were scorpionfish, I wouldn't be surprised! I dropped to the sand and started looking at the most likely place for stuff from the wheelhouse to fall. I saw the velcro wrist of what looked like a jacket. I reached down and started pulling on the jacket to pull it out of the muck. A few radios dangled over top of me coming out of the windows of the wreck. Seeing that the wreck sunk 'as is' makes this dive all the better. It's not like the Yukon. This was an actual accident.
Once Scott realized what I was pulling on, he started to help. We slowly pulled the jacket and started our ascent back to the surface. I could feel hard stuff in the pockets, so I hoped that it was a wallet or something that we could return to the rightful owner.
As we ascended, it was clear as could be. I couldn't have asked for a better final dive day in California. After ten years of diving here, this was easily in the top 3 dives I've done.
When we reached the surface, we searched the jacket to find nothing. But, now Scott has something to return to the Captain of the A.C.E. We made a deal that we would bring one thing from the wreck and that was it. Now, we have left everything on board and this wreck is sitting on the seafloor with everything she had on her when she sank.
It's a perfect dive for all walks of divers and today was simply beautiful. I hope that everyone gets the chance to enjoy the diving like I got to today. I have included some of the pictures that Chob took yesterday and they were simply amazing.
Come down and see this wreck guys. You will be impressed.
Thanks to Chris T., Giovanni, Bobby K., Derek E., Chob V., Marty M., Steve A. and everyone that was on the boat along with everyone that has ever dived in Southern California with me! I will miss you guys!!!!
D.J. Mansfield
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