Booked on Great Escape, Aug11-12

[robint]

woo Hoo! Okay, we are finally booked and I am soooo psyched. Schedule is for San Clemente and Farnsworth/Catalina which are all new to us so we don't care. Kelp, crazy critters, woo hoo. Let's go diving!

robint

 

[Mantasscareme]

Congrads. I did a Santa Barbara Island trip on that boat in June and loved it. Enjoy your dives.

 

[robint]

any hints you can give us about the boat? I looked at the map on their website - are they still at the Long Beach pier C? How many dives should we expect to get in?

 

[SoCalMike]

They are still at pier C. When you arrive, you can park by the restruant and drop off your gear, but be sure to move your car to the north end of the lot. Otherwise you will be towed.

As far as the boat goes, there realy arent any secrets. If you get onboard early enough, you can get your dive bags staged closer to the stern of the ship as opposed to the bow. That a minor detail though bacuse of the boats size.

All in all, you should have a great day. As far as amount of dives, according to the crew, on the 2-3 day trips, the diving is pretty much unlimmited. Chef Rob told me that divers on those trips have been known to get 6+ dives a day while on board.

Hope you have a good time!

 

[EricJ]

I'm also booked on The Great Escape Trip to San Clemente Island and Farnsworth Bank.

I've been on The Great Escape several times. It's a very large and comfortable boat with an actual camera table. Even with a full load, it feels fairly roomy; and our trip is listed as a "limited load." I've always been surprised that they don't offer more multiple-day trips.

I've never dove San Clemente Island, but I hear its reefs are pristine. I did dive Farnsworth Bank, but only got to do one dive on it because the current was preventing many of the divers from getting back to the boat. I hear The Great Escape will abort the Farnsworth location if the conditions aren't just right, so keep your fingers crossed!

I'll be the guy with the big yellow video housing.

 

[robint]

I'm also booked on The Great Escape Trip to San Clemente Island and Farnsworth Bank.

I've been on The Great Escape several times. It's a very large and comfortable boat with an actual camera table. Even with a full load, it feels fairly roomy; and our trip is listed as a "limited load." I've always been surprised that they don't offer more multiple-day trips.

I've never dove San Clemente Island, but I hear its reefs are pristine. I did dive Farnsworth Bank, but only got to do one dive on it because the current was preventing many of the divers from getting back to the boat. I hear The Great Escape will abort the Farnsworth location if the conditions aren't just right, so keep your fingers crossed!

I'll be the guy with the big yellow video housing.

Cool, I will be shooting video also. Ron will be shooting still, so we'll have lots to chat about.
I don't really care if we do Farnsworth or not as this is our first time to Southern islands so its all new. Bring on the kelp!!

robin

 

[EricJ]

I, too, am looking forward to this trip. I always enjoy diving Catalina. Farnsworth Bank is a really nice reef, but so is Ship Rock, Italian Gardens, etc.

I shoot some OK video, but my dive partner has a really nice set up for underwater stills. He'll never admit it, but his photos are incredible.

I've only just begun shooting video. I put them to music and share them with family and friends. Here are some lower-quality clips without the music that I just posted online: http://www.jenericjarvis.net/scuba/underwater.html

 

[robint]

I, too, am looking forward to this trip. I always enjoy diving Catalina. Farnsworth Bank is a really nice reef, but so is Ship Rock, Italian Gardens, etc.

I shoot some OK video, but my dive partner has a really nice set up for underwater stills. He'll never admit it, but his photos are incredible.

I've only just begun shooting video. I put them to music and share them with family and friends. Here are some lower-quality clips without the music that I just posted online: http://www.jenericjarvis.net/scuba/underwater.html

Eric,
That video was excellent! Last summer was my first trip to Calif shooting video and I wish I had gotten footage that good. I hope this trip, plus the fact it is the southern islands which are supposed to be more lush that northern, will be a great trip for video. I really love the diving out there and wish we lived closer so we could come out more often. See you next week!
here's one of my videos from last year:
http://www.rnrscuba.net/Grace/Grace_2006.wmv
Please right click on link and "save target as" to your computer and play it from there, it is long and has music.

robin & ron

 

[EricJ]

Robin,

Thanks for sharing your great footage of Platform Grace. I've yet to dive an oil platform, and your video gave me a good feel for what it's like.

 

[robint]

The Grace oil platform rates in my Top 5 dives ever along with Cathedral Cove at Anacapa. I heard several people on the boat say they were bored with the Grace after the first 2 dives (we did 3 there that day). Bored??? Good heavens, I could have done a dozen more. Truly great diving and the colors don't show up on my videos. My hubby was shooting still photos and got some nice ones:
http://www.rnrscuba.net/GracePhotos.html

if you can get on the Peace for the Grace or one of the boats that go to Eureka and Ellie, please go. As a photographer/videographer they are a dream!

robin