August '05 Dive Reports

[MaxBottomtime]

Date:August 7
Dive Location:Heisler Park, Laguna Beach
Time: 2:16
Bottom Time: 1:40
Max Depth:28'
Vis:10-15'
Wave height: 1-2
Temp at depth: 63
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: I made an afternoon dive with MissyP at Picnic Beach. The conditions were better than I expected. We found a patch of red tide but forthe most part the vis was 15 feet. While on the surface swim out a Black Sea Nettle floated between us. Once on the reef we were treated to the most octopus I've seen on a single dive. They seemed to be in every hole. There were a few lobsters returning to the shallows and a few nudibranchs including a long Spanish Shawl, a Facelina stearnsi, several Laila cockerellis and a Prostheceraeus bellostriatus dorid. A small Sheepcrab scooted by really fast just for our entertainment. I left my camera at home, which is probably why we saw so many cool things.

 

[scottfiji]

Site: Crystal Cove State Park: Reef Point
Dive#1
Date: 08/06/2005

More info: I met up with Scott and headed up to Reef Point Saturday morning. We had 2 nice dives
and really enjoyed Reef Point!

thanks for posting the report sean, those were 2 awesome dives! great vis. Never saw so many big scorpionfish before.

I saw 4 "firsts" on that dive (first-time sightings) - a Terebellid worm, dwarf teardrop crab, Tylodina fungina sea snail, and a Flabellina trilineata Nudibranch

I got decent photos of all 4, plus others

here are my photos:
http://gallery.scubapost.net/v/scottfiji/Crystal20050806

We'll have to dive there again soon!

Scott

 

[miket]

Date:August 7
Dive Location:Wood's Cove, Laguna Beach
Time: 1:00pm
Bottom Time: 1:05
Max Depth:32'
Vis:8-12' (Some patches of 15')
Wave height: 1-2
Temp at depth: 58
Gas mix: Air
Comments: Nice day at Wood's cove. Vis was not as nice as last week, but was very good for a shore dive. There was one patch of red tide about halfway out to the rocks that break the surface. It was gross to swim over. We decended just past the rocks and headed southwest following the reef. Saw at least 4 octopus, a baby moray eel, lots and lots of male Garibaldi guarding nests. Found three Hopkins Rose Nudibranchs, a couple of spanish shawls, lots of Scallops. But the best part was a smaller Giant Black Sea bass (around 40-50lbs) that joined our group for a second, checked us out, then took off again. There was barely any surge at all, and the red tide was completely gone when we surfaced. Exit was easy. Took a bunch of pictures but I had a fogged lens about half way into the dive. I dove Wood's cove about 3 or 4 times last year and I didn't remember so many fish, and so many varieties of fish, it was like diving in a preserve (but it isn't). I even saw 3 or 4 large female (not quite male yet - but legal) Sheephead over the reef, less Urchins from what I remember from last year too (maybe because of the larger Sheephead fish).

A great day diving, we almost didn't go because of the red-tide reports all week long. Glad we tried it.

- MikeT
http://www.socaldivevideos.com

 

[SoCalAngel]

Date: August 10
Dive Location: Deadman's Reef, Crescent Bay, Laguna Beach
Time: 10:30ish
Bottom Time: 58 min + 4 minute ascent and safety stop
Max Depth: 66 feet
Vis: At the reef - 20-25 feet; in shallows varied 10 - 20 feet
Wave height: Um, the kind you happily wave
Temp at depth: a toasty 61F at surface; 57F at depth
Surface Temp: ummm....see above
Tide information: low going to high
Gas mix: 37%
Comments:

What an amazing dive! Saw so much stuff...A couple of REALLY yellow D. sandiegensis, thought for sure I saw a new (to me species) until I read in the Gotshall book they can be yellow....

After swimming through clear shallows, ugly (ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly) red tide for 1/4 mile, we came upon sort of clear water, where Rob dropped us down on the backside of the reef. I can't remember the last time I was on that side. We saw a place he calls "the shrine" which was a bunch of broken up lobster traps and other junk running to deeper water. Hanging around "the shrine" was a HUMOUNGOUS sheepshead. It had to be about 4 foot long and 2 feet tall. At least as big as the one I used to see at the shores.

A few moments later, Rob spotted a good sized Black Sea Bass. He estimated it to be about 150-170#. Very cool. Who needs to dive the island anymore to see these gentle (yet skittish) giants?

At our pre-determined turn around pressure, we started heading back in over the reef. I spotted a highly decorated crab. It was very white with some orange sulp[hur sponge on it. The only reason I saw it was because in recovering some spent fishing line, the darn thing was holding part of the line! One of the most bizarre things I have seen. Took a couple of shots then continued along...

Rob next spotted a pretty big moray hangin' at a cleaning station. IT was covered with at least 50 cleaner shrimps. Very cool!

Strangest thing was I didn't see a single lobster or octopus anywhere. So sad

Just before rock bottom pressure, 6 or 7 sea lions gave us a little buzz. Pesky little gals, they are!

Another awesome dive!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Date:August 11
Dive Location:Redondo Canyon
Time: 6:43
Bottom Time: 1:04
Max Depth: 73'
Vis: 20'+
Wave height:2-3
Temp at depth: 58F
Surface Temp:70F
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: Jeff Shaw and I got back in the water for the first time this month. We set out with two cameras hoping to get some award winning nudibranch images. Naturally, we didn't see any. We did find lots of octopus, flatfish, fringheads, pipefish and trash.

Sole with isopod hitchhiker

Sleeping octopus in a traffic cone

Sarcastic Fringehead

 

[miket]

A few moments later, Rob spotted a good sized Black Sea Bass. He estimated it to be about 150-170#. Very cool. Who needs to dive the island anymore to see these gentle (yet skittish) giants?

So cool, I have been diving at Laguna for 4 years and never saw one there until this last weekend. People have been reporting them at the Casino Point dive park recently too (never heard of that until this year). I remember when I started diving you could only see them at Italian Gardens. I am so glad they are coming back, they are so cool, maybe once they know we aren't going to spear them anymore they will get less skittish.

- MikeT
http://www.socaldivevideos.com

 

[divinman]

Time: 7:29p
Max Depth 98ft
Temp at Depth 53F
Dive time 1:03
Visibility: 5-10 shallow to 15-20 at depth
Surge: None
Waves: None
Baby bat rays: none

Images: http://gallery.scubapost.net/v/terry/album10/081105/

Sean, Simon and I met at the Marine Room and geared up. We kicked northwest until the depth gauge read 35 ft and down we went through the brown soup. Lighter soup than two days ago, but still soup. At 30 ft we broke into the clear and headed north to the canyon edge. Much was found. Sightings for me tonight include more octopus than I could count, poachers, two spot fringeheads, sarcastic fringeheads, Cuthona Divae and Janolus Barbarensis nudibranchs, HUGE shovelnose and banded guitar fish, one shovel-nose smaller than my rock boot in ankle deep water, three of the monster white shrimp, and the list goes on and on.

Great dive with good friends.

Terry S.

 

[sapphire]

Time: 7:29p
Max Depth 98ft
Temp at Depth 53F
Dive time 1:03
Visibility: 5-10 shallow to 15-20 at depth
Surge: None
Waves: None
Baby bat rays: none

Images: http://gallery.scubapost.net/v/terry/album10/081105/

Wow, nice photos, Terry!! I miss my camera :frown: , keep sharing yours!

jennifer

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Date: August 13th Wrinkles Dive
Dive Location:Veteran's Park, Redondo Beach
Time: 7:56 and 10:46
Bottom Time: 1:00 and 1:13
Max Depth: 97' and 58'
Vis: 20'+
Wave height: 1-maybe 1 1/2
Temp at depth: 53 and 57F
Surface Temp: 70F
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: I decided to finally break down my double 120s since I no longer have a boat and they aren't the best tanks for beach diving. Vet's doesn't count, though. On days like today, the conditions were good enough that the weight didn't bother me. I decided to empty them underwater rather than in my garage. It was a cool, overcast morning. Great weather for being in a drysuit. The surface was flat so no fighting our way through the surf and visibility was good enough to keep track of all five of the divers in our group for Dive #2 and four on Dive #1. Octopus abounded today. We found them out in the open, in shoes, bottles and a lost dive mask. Claudette and I brought up a treasure trove of toys, including mask, fin, snorkel, two shovels and a plastic Batman. Geoff managed to get rich. He found three pieces of a dollar. We never found the pier pilings near the Topaz jetty, but we did find lots of crabs, Horn sharks, octopus and a nice jelly. Claudette even had to break off a hypodermic needle before placing it in her pocket. Only one nudibranch was spotted today, a Spotted Triopha, Triopha maculata.

 

[California Diver]

me paul and nate met up for a trip to the famed pinnacles. we dropped down shallow and took heading to this beautiful area. we hit the first walls and continued onward with good visibility. we scoped out the area and ran into our float line. still in place but the line now appears to emerge from the canyon ledge, its been covered with silt. what a great dive, except for my reg failing and my drysuit flooding. :07: