Catalina- July 6 & 7

[AZTinman]

Did some dives with Scuba Luv on Friday & Saturday. On Friday, the surge reduced visibility at the dive park to about 10 feet. Visibility got worse the deeper we went.

Saturday, I spent the day on the King Neptune. The captain and dive master figured visibility would less affected by the southern surge up around Two Harbors. Visibility on Harbor Reef was probably 20-25 feet. Things improved at the Rock Quarry; we got 30-35 feet. Visibility dropped to 15-20 feet at Twin Rocks.

Despite poor visibility at Twin Rocks, everyone managed to see some Giant Black Sea Bass. We also had an encounter with a big California Bat Ray just outside the edge of the kelp bed.

Not a bad trip for my first Catalina outing. It'll be fun to go back when the visibility improves. Fun stuff!

-AZTinman

 

[drbill]

Nice to meet you and your wife at the park. Conditions there improved by yesterday when vis was 30-40 ft at the beginning of my four dives, although declined a bit by the end.

 

[muzikbiz22]

40 to 50 foot vis at Deadmans & Starlight on Saturday. Water VERY BLUE

 

[fnfalman]

20-something feet viz is pretty normal for SoCal diving.

BTW, I spent about a year and a half in Casa Grande back in 2001 to 2002.

Did some dives with Scuba Luv on Friday & Saturday. On Friday, the surge reduced visibility at the dive park to about 10 feet. Visibility got worse the deeper we went.

Saturday, I spent the day on the King Neptune. The captain and dive master figured visibility would less affected by the southern surge up around Two Harbors. Visibility on Harbor Reef was probably 20-25 feet. Things improved at the Rock Quarry; we got 30-35 feet. Visibility dropped to 15-20 feet at Twin Rocks.

Despite poor visibility at Twin Rocks, everyone managed to see some Giant Black Sea Bass. We also had an encounter with a big California Bat Ray just outside the edge of the kelp bed.

Not a bad trip for my first Catalina outing. It'll be fun to go back when the visibility improves. Fun stuff!

-AZTinman

 

[drbill]

20-something is more normal for the mainland coast.

 

[merxlin]

.......................Despite poor visibility at Twin Rocks, everyone managed to see some Giant Black Sea Bass. We also had an encounter with a big California Bat Ray just outside the edge of the kelp bed.

Not a bad trip for my first Catalina outing. It'll be fun to go back when the visibility improves. Fun stuff!

-AZTinman

You have no idea how much jealousy you created by seeing Giant Sea Bass on your first Catalina trip. Some people have never seen them despite their many trips to the island. Good for you!

 

[muddiver]

SunDiver Express seems to know where the Black Sea Bass are. I spotted to at Goat Harbor a couple of weeks ago. Have photographic proof, see my gallery. Pretty good size but not the largest out there.

 

[fnfalman]

It's weird but most of my sightings of giant black seabass were at Catalina. I had two other sightings at Anacapa. However, the most in one place for me was at Catalina backside close to the sea lion rookery. I saw four cruising in 30-ft of water in group of 3 and one solo.

 

[ScubaNoey]

Last time I dove at the Island a Giant Black Sea Bass swam right by me and I missed the whole thing - I was sad watching it go by in the video...

 

[davidbaraff]

I was there June 24th or so --- had an amazingly close encounter with 2 GSB at Blue Car Wreck. We spotted them, swam slowly, and they circled back. One was within about 2-3 feet of me, hanging out. Another one circled, charged me, slid aside at the last second, and kept mosying around. We dove Blue Car wreck the next day and they were there again. We also saw them at Twin Rocks, but the sighting were much better at Blue Car Wreck. In fact, there might have been more than 2.

I have yet to see them in the park though.