Avalon Harbor is Clean!

[Jim Ernst]

I did find a yellow fin, but about 10 minutes later I found the owner swimming around with his metal detector and the other fin.

I think he was very happy to see me!

Thats funny

 

[Papa_Bear]

Well we had an interesting weekend! I think I heard something about 115 divers for the clean up? It was interesting because the night before they had 2-1/2" of rain and the run off was silting the Harbor! The viz was pretty close to Zero in some places! We had the Green Pier and and hit the water at 9:30am with the sun out and shining for the moment! The Harbor had bands of silt and water that had a bout 12 to 15' of viz. My buddy Doug and I dropped in and headed out at about 15* heading for the 50' depth limit! Once we got to about 32' the viz got better and you could see the bottom. I got a few odd things in my bag and my buddy collected a couple more, including a child's folding chair, in the 55* degree water. We headed in a big U shape and came up near the steps at the main plaza for a 40 minute dive! (I brought back 1300psi)

They had $37000.00 worth of raffle prizes that filled the time slot from 1:00pm until after 3:30pm. Giving away a lot of nice stuff and awarding prizes for a number of categories of trash collected.

By a little after 4:00pm I was entering the water at Casino Point for a quick look around with the wind coming up and the sun gone the viz was down to about 20ft. The forecast for Sunday was rain and wind with 12ft to 15ft swells! So we decided to take the 10:30 fairy back just in case! It was a good time like always when divers get together. I donated a number of Reed's Rods and my Tiger Shark DVD, I hope the winners enjoy both! I saw a lot of old friends and met some new ones! All in all it was worth the trip!

And it was worse viz this morning as we walked to the Fairy! Wow like diving the Mississippi! We walked some friends over to the fairy and also got the wig show! Those folks were trying to have some fun and they didn't care who knew it! I got drunk just standing down wind!

I can testify that DrBill was there, we chatted and he was concerned about giving away his flue!

The out board story was the best, but you can't beat a cute little girl, I don't care who you are!

My training with the SO team came in handy, it was just like Lake Perris only more surge! And you didn't have to worry about finding something in your night mares! Zero viz? No problem!

One of our friends did find a brand new fin? Another lost his cleanup bag when it got snagged on a passing divers fin! (White bag) To be found next year!

I think we will be doing this as an annual event!

 

[MissyP]

The out board story was the best, but you can't beat a cute little girl, I don't care who you are!

One of our friends did find a brand new fin? Another lost his cleanup bag when it got snagged on a passing divers fin! (White bag) To be found next year!

Aha! You were the source of those buddy beating sticks I agree-- Blair's story was much better than the little girls..... He's a pretty funny guy..

LOL lost his bag on a passing fin? Doesn't surprise me in the least.. For a while (before I gave up and held buddy's bcd), I thought I was next to my buddy because I felt a solid object against my side-- then the surge rammed me into it and I realized it was a rock.. LOL

 

[Blackwood]

So it was you with the pigeon feet!? As my pet bird would say, "Nasty!"

Indeed it was. The viz was so bad that, when I picked it up, I thought it was a couple of bones tied together with 1/8 inch rope. My buddy Orange_Diver somehow saw the feet as I was attempting to put it into our giant black trashbag (not quite knowing where the opening was).

I was quite surprised when we got on shore and I saw what it was.

Ken Kurtis took interest in it and called up the phone number on one of the bands. They told us it was a racing pigeon, and we let them know which bird (they're serialized) they shouldn't expect home any time soon.

It isn't exactly trash (it's organic, minus the plastic bands), but it was certainly a big hit while I was carrying it around.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Aha! You were the source of those buddy beating sticks

Reed's Rod, once you get your hands on Reed's Rod you never want to let go!
It works well for days like we had, I used mine to pull myself along the bottom keeping contact with it in zero viz! They work well for stabilizing your self as a mono pod for your camera, keeping yourself off the reef, teasing Eels out of holes, banging your tank, poking where you don't want your hand, and leading that underwater band!

Beating your buddy with Reed's Rod will be added as a new use! Now 1000 and 1!

 

[drbill]

Ken Kurtis took interest in it and called up the phone number on one of the bands. They told us it was a racing pigeon, and we let them know which bird (they're serialized) they shouldn't expect home any time soon.

I wonder if one of our local raptors took this pigeon??

 

[Papa_Bear]

Timing is everything! It could have been a victim of the smoke from the fires or some other natural cause? The idea that it wasn't ripped up into little pieces, but pretty much in one piece would suggest a less violent death!???

 

[Blackwood]

I wonder if one of our local raptors took this pigeon??

That was my guess.

The idea that it wasn't ripped up into little pieces, but pretty much in one piece would suggest a less violent death!???

What was left of it was in one piece.

What I've outlined in red is literally all there was. It was all bone and tendon + intact feet which (A) I don't suppose make for good eating and (B) suggest that it wasn't in the water all that long.

 

[Papa_Bear]

I was thinking that it may have washed down with the rain? It would be cool to find out the missing date was? Usually a predator will not leave much in tact! Just an observation and I saw it in the bowel and the parts that were there were in tact. Just a thought!

 

[Blackwood]

I was thinking that it may have washed down with the rain?

That is true.