December '04 Dive Reports

[scottfiji]

Date: 12/23/04
Dive Location: Malibu Road, Malibu
Time: 1:45 PM
Bottom Time: 61 minutes
Max Depth: 25 ft.
Vis: 10-15 ft.
Wave height: small
Temp at depth: 58
Tide information: Low tide (minus 1)

Pasley, Jim McCabe, RonDawg, and myself met up for a Santa Ana dive. Jim's honey was there to provide shore-support. Unfortunately Ron couldn't dive due to equipment issues, so Melvin, Jim and I entered into small waves. Of course I picked the rockiest part of the beach to enter in, instead of the nice sandy area right at the bottom of the stairs. Well, at least no one broke their ankles.

We dropped down into 10 feet of water and quickly spotted two large cabezons side by side, and they weren't in a hurry to go anywhere. The dive took us through various rock structures and thick kelp forests, good thing Jim was behind me untangled the kelp from me or I would have drowned for sure.

3 horn sharks, 2 friendly giant kelpfish, schools of opaleye, black perch, rubberlipped perch and sargo, several large octopus, lobster, 2 navanax, painted greenling, kelp rockfish, black-and-yellow rockfish, black-eyed goby, red ock shrimp, a thornback ray frantically trying to bury itself, a rare sculpin in the open sand with a very tall dorsal fin (perhaps a Lavender sculpin) and plenty of the usual suspects were spotted.

All around a fantastic dive; Melvin, thanks for arranging the dive. Hope to see everyone again soon. Oh, I had promised Jim a leopard shark, but I didn't deliver, I mean, he didn't stay in the water long enough. Next time we dive here we have to search for the pinnacle!

Scott

 

[snakedr]

Date: 12/25/2004
Dive Location: Secret Reef, Puerto Galera. PI
Time: 09:48
Bottom Time: 20 Deco 24 Run Time 54
Max Depth: 171 Feet
Vis: 20 metres
Wave height: 0-1'
Temp at depth: 25 c
Surface Temp: 31 c
Tide information: Slack Tide

Simmon and I went to take alook at Secret Reef. We had about a 5 minute boat ride out Big LaLaguna. We saw a large school of jacks and two large puffer fish. We entered a small swim through and noticed all the fish on the overhead were swiming upside down, or I was suffering from severe narcosis. The reefs here seem to have suffered some damage due to El Nino and some recent storms.

Saw a lot aof baby squid during our decompression.

Merry Christmas !
Dave

 

[Frank O]

Date: 12/30/04
Location: Yukon, San Diego
Time: 10:13 a.m.
Run time: 34 minutes
Max depth: 103 feet
Vis: 8-10 feet
Temp at depth: 59 F
Temp at end: 59 F

After several years on my 'to-do' list, I finally got the opportunity today to get down to San Diego to dive the Yukon. A total of five of us went out on the Dive Bliss six-pack. Despite dodgy weather earlier in the week (worse in L.A. than San Diego), topside it was warm and sunny. As we passed the breakwater, however, hefty swell was rolling in, which nixed a plan to do an initial dive at Scripps Canyon; we instead headed to the Yukon. On the positive side, conditions at depth were calm with no detectable current, and temps were a toasty 59 F from top to bottom. As the sole wetsuit-clad single-tanker onboard, I was quite comfy breaking in a new 7mm one-piece suit from JMJ. On the not so positive side, vis was a lackluster 8-10 feet.

Our team of three dropped and did a general tour of the wreck's formerly top (now west) side, while the other two divers scootered around the ship a half-dozen times. After the first dive the boat returned to the dock for fills. I was feeling a little punk from still shaking off the tail end of a week-long cold, so I decided to bail and head for home, while the others went on to do a couple of additional dives. The locals told me it was a far-from-ideal day on the Yukon, but it was nice to get by nonetheless.

 

[hermosadive]

Date: 12/31/04
Location: Veterans Park, Redondo
Time: 7:15 a.m.
Run time: 21 minutes
Max depth: 98 feet
Vis: 8-10 feet
Temp at depth: 60 F
Tide: High

My buddy and I had to take advantage of this being the last day of 2004 to get a dive in. We braved the rains and the beach warning signs and suited up for one last dip.

We dropped in around 20' and almost immediately we were surrounded by a large pod of sea lions (is pod correct??). We continued into the canyon, but the sea lions never left our sides, or fronts, or below, or above us. I'm not normally uneasy around sea lions, but the pod was about 15-20 and they seemed to be acting aggressive torwards us. I knew my buddy had the same thoughts when he pulled his knife and kept it out as we swam along.

We called the dive short and surfaced earlier and deeper than normal to get out of the seal lion invasion. The lions came up with us and formed a line of bobbing heads in front of us. They kept an evil eye on us as we made our surface swim back to land.

At least the dive will be memorable. 2004 - out! :bang:

 

[headhunter]

That's a trip! Definitely memorable.

Christian