DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #772: DIVING FARNIE

[drbill]

DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #772: DIVING FARNIE

There's been a bit of talk about my favorite Catalina dive site on ScubaBoard and Facebook lately. I'm referring to Farnsworth Bank, a seamount rising up from the depths about 1.5 miles off Ben Weston Point on Catalina's windward coast. The Bank was named after legendary Avalon fishing boat captain George Farnsworth. It is not quite high enough to reach the surface and the shallowest pinnacle is about 62 fsw. As sea level rises in this century, it will get even deeper... but only by inches or a few feet!

Due to the depth and the frequent appearance of strong currents (not to mention the occasional great white shark!), the site is considered an advanced dive. The depth also makes it a good location for technical divers to practice their skills. Technically I'm not a technical, but I've done numerous dives that would qualify (and I survived them all!).

As a biologist, the appeal of this site for me is not just the interesting submarine topography, but the presence of a number of interesting critters. The purple hydrocoral (Stylaster californicus) is the species that usually attracts the most attention for divers. However, there are also walls of the orange zoanthid Epizoanthus giveni named after Dr. Bob Given, former director of the Wrigley-USC marine lab at Two Harbors and someone who helped me learn the local critters when I first arrived on Catalina back in the 1960s.

One of my favorites there is the "red spotted starfish," once thought to be Hacelia bozanici but it may be an unidentified species in that genus instead. Although not necessarily rare or unusual, I often encounter many torpedo or electric rays (Torpedo californica). These fish, somewhat resembling the starship Enterprise, teach many divers a primary rule... do not touch! Back in the 1980s one member of our Cousteau team filming their channel islands documentary learned this lesson in shocking detail! I have seen as many as eight on one dive there, although often at depths of 150-180 fsw.

Dr. Sam Miller, a long-time SoCal pioneer diver, was in the first group to dive Farnsworth back in 1960. I recently read his account of that dive. Two things he wrote saddened me. He referred to the many sharks (mostly blues) that frequented the site back then. When I first started diving Catalina in the late 1960s, there were many blues in our waters. Those days are gone. He also mentioned the harvesting of the purple hydrocoral back in those days. Fortunately the species is protected today although the anchors of fishing and dive boats often damage this slow growing species. Sadly despite decades of talk, there are still no mooring buoys on the site.

The depth at the base of the Bank is about 300 fsw. Of course I'm not that deep a fellow and limit my maximum depth to 200 fsw to avoid oxygen toxicity and potential death. I want to live to die... er, dive... another day. This site is challenging enough so no need to add additional potential threats. However I have had two incidents out of my eight dives at Farnsworth that I'll briefly relate to my readers.

One time I had descended to a "modest" depth (about 150 fsw) and stayed at depth for some time before ascending. I had incurred a significant deco time on that dive but between my HP120 SCUBA tank and my pony bottle, I had plenty of gas to complete my deco stop. Unfortunately while hanging on my last stop at 15 fsw, I tried switching to my pony bottle. The mouthpiece on my reg was torn, making breathing off it a chore. Fortunately, instructor Tim Mitchell had a pony bottle he didn't need and let me finish my deco stop with it.

Although visibility at this offshore site is often quite good, on one dive we were enveloped in a cloud of plankton and couldn't see very far. I did a relatively shallow dive (max depth about 100 fsw) and when I started to ascend, I could not see the anchor line... my "life line" to the surface. To top it off, a decent current had kicked up. I was going to have to do a blue water deco stop without a guide line. The poor visibility and current made it difficult to stay aligned with the pinnacle and I had to kick hard. And "out there" away from the line and the other divers, I kept a sharp eye out for the landlord!

Jimi Hendrix once asked "are you experienced." Fortunately as a well experienced diver by this time, neither of these incidents were truly dangerous. However newer divers (and many old geezers like myself) need to dive Farnsworth with a bit of caution. It is a beautiful dive but one must respect its advanced nature! And remember while protecting yourself, that marine life here is fully protected except for the take of pelagic fin fish.


© 2018 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of nearly 775 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page

Image caption: Ross Overstreet's great submarine bathymetry image of Farnsworth, purple hydrocoral, orange zoanthid and red spotted sea star.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@drbill

Bill
Great write up - thanks for the mention,,,

A few additions and corrections
1) The banks and purple coral was first brought to the attention of Bob Rutherford and the local Orange county divers by a number of Abalone divers who shopped at the Aquatic Center in Newport Beach, California which at that time Bob was the founder and owner ( later owned by Ron Merker , your basic instructor)

2) Bob obtained samples and shared with scientist at Kirkhoff Marine lab in Corona del Mar,California

3) Several trips were made to the banks with several Kirkhoff scientist on a private boat called the "Aqua duck." it was noted at that time there was an abundance of sharks to greet us as well as an UW wonderland of purple coral .

4) May 23 1960 Jake Jacobs, at that time the head diver of the Marineland of the pacific released his book Marineland DIVER (Dodd Mead & Co NYC LCCC # 60-9655--176 pages , hard bound with dust cover - illustrated ) I have an a prerelease autographed copy dated May 12, 1960 )
In the book Jake describes diving at Farnsworth Banks and the currents

5) In June 1960 Bob Rutherford published an article in Skin Diver Magazine (SDM) on the discovery of the rare purple coral at a secrets spot off Catalina Island -- The accompanying pictures showed Ben Weston Point in the back ground -- The location was no longer a secret

6) I was elected president of the Sea Sabres dive club for the second time -- As the honcho I made a unilateral decision to take the club to the banks .

There was one big problem-- Not one of the boats in the then dive fleet would charter to the Farnsworth Banks'-- Except Dick Peter, who had the newest and fastest boat in the dive fleet ( It has been long gone-- It was sold and the owner scuttled it in mid channel in 1966 or 1967--insurance ! )

7) The Sea Sabres dive was in December 1960--lots of first on that dive
~~ First recreational dive and first recreational dive by a dive club-- Sea Sabres
~~ The first person make a recreational dive was Ed Mossbrook - 180 feet
~~ The first person to reach the bottom at 240 feet was Harry Vetter
~~ The biggest bug Harry Vetter 13 + pounds
~~ Biggest fish me - No weight - but took two to horse it
~~ Yes there were Sharks every where - I was followed on the surface by a huge Hammerhead

This some history of diving the "banks" as I lived it and witnessed it- I took the time to document it for you & the readers but especially for the many divers in the future who will refer to your column and question the history of diving the banks

Thanks again for the recognition ..of being the first

Samuel Miller,III

And a little history for
@MaxBottomtime
@Ken Kurtis
sdm

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

What a great history from both of you! Sadly won't be able to dive there on my trip. Still a bucket list dive for me, one day . . .

 

[Sam Miller III]

@guyharrisonphoto

Guy,
you have only scratched the surface on California diving---it is a big state with so many exciting places to dive-- Please don't make this your first and last visit--- You are always welcome

I am reposting from a 2012 thread on the very first recreational dive on the banks

What a difference 52 years makes.(Now 58 Years!.)

.....FYI:

"I was the President of the Sea Sabres dive club in 1959-60. The previous President Bob Ruethford, who had founded the Aquatic Center in Newport Beach, had seen hunks of purple coral (allopura California) brought in by commercial abalone divers. Over a few drinks Bob discovered they found it at a place called Farnsworth banks. Selected member of the Sea Sabres and the scientific community at Kirkoff marine institute in Corona Del Mar consequently made a number of trips to the banks on the private boat called the "Aqua Duck."

Bob, a true diving pioneer who is famous for many first in diving (see www.legendsof diving: Sea Sabres signaling system) who relished publicity, published an article in Skin Diver magazine in June 1960 "California divers discover Rare purple coral' which was fine but his topside pictures clearly showed Ben Weston Point in the background. That same month Jake Jacobs the then head diver at Marine Land of the Pacific published "Marine land diver" (--Dodd, Meade & company NYC, LCC 60-9655 --I have an inscribed copy) in which Jake also discusses the purple coral of Farnsworth -- So the secret of Farnsworth was out.

As the president of the then undisputed most active dive club in all of SoCal and possibly the US I made the decision to dive " Farnsworth banks". I contacted the dive boat captains at that time, all refused to charter to Farnsworth as if it was some foreign or strange exotic place. Finally Dick Peters, who owned the newest dive charter boat of the fleet, the 42 foot "Out Rider " agreed to a charter at $7.00 per person but with the stipulation "only in the winter when there are no boats fishing there and the water will be calm" (FYI the Outrider sunk about 1967 when returning from a trip to Catalina)

In early December 1960 we loaded the boat. It had no compressor - as many as three- four or even five tanks per person was stashed all over the boat. The water was like glass and the trip over and back was like riding on silk.

Using Ben Weston Point as a reference and relying on the recently developed depth finder Captain Peters made numerous runs in all directions across the banks trying to locate a pinnacle.

Finally a suitable pinnacle was located and the anchor was dropped--right in the middle of a school of hungry welcoming sharks. "The are only blues, lets dive! " some one shouted. With only a nano second of hesitation on that bright sunny day in December 1960, Ed Mossbrooke (who now lives in Fountain Valley) became the first recreational diver to dive the Banks from a charter boat, immediately followed by the rest of the divers.
I was using the then very popular "Orange County twin 44s." Harry was using surplus USN single aluminum 90s, the others were using every thing from a single 70 to twin 72s. All breathed from a variety of double hose regulators, most used the recently introduced wet suits which were home made, although the SPG had been introduced it was considered unreliable and was seldom used, and of course floatation devices were still fifteen years in the future. At that time we were diving with the state of the art equipment but today we would be considered "antique, retro or old school."

It was a different world at that time with no thought for the future or the conservation of the precious natural resources. We came for hunks of the famous purple coral of Farnsworth banks and we harvested hunks of purple coral. In addition most harvested a limit of ten scallops, and the then limit of ten bugs, with Harry Vetter getting the largest at 13+ pounds. I some how in my four dives that day managed also to spear a rather "large fish," which because we were not equipped for large fish took some doing to horse it on the boat.

All too soon it was all over, the divers began returning to the Outrider, storing their equipment, game and hunks of purple coral. All that is but, Norma lee Smith who decided to decompress on the bow line and attracted every curious and hopefully not hungry shark from miles around investigate this morsel. Norma's only defense was to exhale copious amount of rapidly diminishing supply of air. She slowly with great caution made her way to the stern of the boat where she rapidly ascended thrust out her hands and was unceremoniously but also rapidly pulled over the gunnel onto the deck of the Outrider...So ended the first recreational dive trip to Farnsworth.

So many adventures, so many stories...

Dr. Samuel Miller,
NAUI instructor #27

 

[Sam Miller III]

@guyharrisonphoto

Once again a bit of information on that very first recreational dive on Farnsworth--Some what historical

"The first dive revisited
Farnsworth banks is a bank aka reef on the back side of Catalina Island, in the open ocean it is deep, cold and in the 1950s it was full sharks wanting a hand out from the fishing boats that often visted the banks. It was first dove in early 1950s by a hement diver which was aborted, then again in late 1950s which was also aborted due to currents. I went on several "exploratory SCUBA dives" with Sea Sabre Club President Bob Retherford (see Legends of Diving sea Sabre Sigaling System) and several members of the scientic community in 1959 -1960-

On occasion I exchange e mails with those remaining from the 1950 & 1960s dive tribe. Ed Mossbrooke was the very first recreational diver to dive Farnsworth in December 1960. What follows is extracted from an E mail from Mossbrook--the first recreational diver to dive "The Banks" I hope you you enjoy this exchange - an account of the first dive recreational dive on Fransworth banks

Ed's e mail:

"You forgot about my excitement about being the first to dive on the Banks.

As you recall I was the only one who had the newly introduced oil filled navy depth gauge, most of the rest were using capillary or bordan tube or no gauges and I was also the only one diving twin 72s. Therefore I was "volunteered" or was it "selected?" to be the first to dive and check out the diving location called Farnsworth.

I was standing on the swim step of the Outrider I was just about to enter the water when Norma Smith asked if I planned to put on my fins! In my excitement I had failed to put on my ducks. (ed note a fin==Duck Feet) It would have been a total disaster since we were all diving with out flotation and I would have sunk right to the bottom.

I entered the water and was well into my first dive and had leveled off at 180 feet when I noticed the strong current was suddenly caring me upwards right and into the peak of the pinnacle around 100 feet. Low and behold had a metal box with small railroad wheels and short cable which had a ball with spikes sticking out of it. Another derelict WW11 mine! But different than the others we had seen at Scotsmans cove and Catalina. ( we saw then on occasion and avoided them with a unbridled passion)

At that moment I did an explosive decompression ascent (all most) and yelled to "Dick There is a mine on the peak of the reef!" Dick Petter replied "Not to worry as the local notice to mariners had a notice about the instrumented mine that was placed there to monitor currents and sea temperatures." The Sea Sabers on board had a hell of a laugh about this. The event would not have been as funny if he told me before I entered the water.

What about your over sized lift bag to bring up a vast amount of purple coral? WW11 surplus of course as most of our equipment was at that time. Recall we filled a big box with coral and you filled the lift bag from your mouth piece with air. It immediately began its journey to the surface to picking up speed as the air filled the body of the lift bag When the box hit the surface it sort of launched like a Polaris missile fired from a sub. I can still remember the raining down of Purple coral to the bottom and I only had enough air left to grab 1 of purple coral and start my assent.

Or Sheila Platt who was diving with Harry Vetter asked Harry before beginning their descent "How deep are we gong? replied Harry replied "To the bottom." And they did reach the bottom. Down the dove. 90, 100, 120 140, Sheila's depth gauge was only rated to 140, but ever deeper they sunk until the sand was reached at an estimated 240 feet. Between dives Sheila displayed her new Borden tube depth gauge, suck at 140 feet and full of water.

Or when you were followed to the boat by a rather substantial hammerhead. You were totally oblivious to it's presence. You just slowly took your time snorkeling back unaware that a large shark was interested in you as lunch. That is until you reached the swim-step and noticed that Dick Petter had his rifle pointed at you all the divers were congregated at the swim step with hands outstretched to yank you into the boat.

It was Sheila who later broke the tension when she said "Sam I was watching you play tag with that shark when I was eating a chicken for lunch --bones and all"

What adventures we had on every dive --


Ed Mosbrook"


***** note;



All the dives were made using "double hose regulators" Duck feet or Churchill fins and very crude often homemade equipment; masks,(Harry Vetter & I were using Sturgil homemade Masks- Legends of diving "The Mask" & Bio of Harry Vetter ) wet suits (introduced a few years previous and were home made,) lift bags (were WW11 Surplus), we dove devoid of modern instrumentation, a few effective depth gauges, no SPGs, no thermometers!

Most of the divers on that first dive on Farnsworth in December 1960 are now diving in the big reef in the sky. Only a few remain and we remain in occasional contact

Sheila Platt, was the Office manager of Skin Diver magazine, always had a way with words. She had the honor of the first woman to dive to the bottom of Farnsworth on air according to Dick Petter 240 feet, but also was the first to reach that big reef in the sky about 2 years later from cancer

Those were -- "The days of our dives..."
sdm)

DD
Sam Miller III, Nov 6, 2012 IP Report

 

[dead dog]

@guyharrisonphoto

Guy,
you have only scratched the surface on California diving---it is a big state with so many exciting places to dive-- Please don't make this your first and last visit--- You are always welcome

I am reposting from a 2012 thread on the very first recreational dive on the banks

What a difference 52 years makes.(Now 58 Years!.)

.....FYI:

"I was the President of the Sea Sabres dive club in 1959-60. The previous President Bob Ruethford, who had founded the Aquatic Center in Newport Beach, had seen hunks of purple coral (allopura California) brought in by commercial abalone divers. Over a few drinks Bob discovered they found it at a place called Farnsworth banks. Selected member of the Sea Sabres and the scientific community at Kirkoff marine institute in Corona Del Mar consequently made a number of trips to the banks on the private boat called the "Aqua Duck."

Bob, a true diving pioneer who is famous for many first in diving (see www.legendsof diving: Sea Sabres signaling system) who relished publicity, published an article in Skin Diver magazine in June 1960 "California divers discover Rare purple coral' which was fine but his topside pictures clearly showed Ben Weston Point in the background. That same month Jake Jacobs the then head diver at Marine Land of the Pacific published "Marine land diver" (--Dodd, Meade & company NYC, LCC 60-9655 --I have an inscribed copy) in which Jake also discusses the purple coral of Farnsworth -- So the secret of Farnsworth was out.

As the president of the then undisputed most active dive club in all of SoCal and possibly the US I made the decision to dive " Farnsworth banks". I contacted the dive boat captains at that time, all refused to charter to Farnsworth as if it was some foreign or strange exotic place. Finally Dick Peters, who owned the newest dive charter boat of the fleet, the 42 foot "Out Rider " agreed to a charter at $7.00 per person but with the stipulation "only in the winter when there are no boats fishing there and the water will be calm" (FYI the Outrider sunk about 1967 when returning from a trip to Catalina)

In early December 1960 we loaded the boat. It had no compressor - as many as three- four or even five tanks per person was stashed all over the boat. The water was like glass and the trip over and back was like riding on silk.

Using Ben Weston Point as a reference and relying on the recently developed depth finder Captain Peters made numerous runs in all directions across the banks trying to locate a pinnacle.

Finally a suitable pinnacle was located and the anchor was dropped--right in the middle of a school of hungry welcoming sharks. "The are only blues, lets dive! " some one shouted. With only a nano second of hesitation on that bright sunny day in December 1960, Ed Mossbrooke (who now lives in Fountain Valley) became the first recreational diver to dive the Banks from a charter boat, immediately followed by the rest of the divers.
I was using the then very popular "Orange County twin 44s." Harry was using surplus USN single aluminum 90s, the others were using every thing from a single 70 to twin 72s. All breathed from a variety of double hose regulators, most used the recently introduced wet suits which were home made, although the SPG had been introduced it was considered unreliable and was seldom used, and of course floatation devices were still fifteen years in the future. At that time we were diving with the state of the art equipment but today we would be considered "antique, retro or old school."

It was a different world at that time with no thought for the future or the conservation of the precious natural resources. We came for hunks of the famous purple coral of Farnsworth banks and we harvested hunks of purple coral. In addition most harvested a limit of ten scallops, and the then limit of ten bugs, with Harry Vetter getting the largest at 13+ pounds. I some how in my four dives that day managed also to spear a rather "large fish," which because we were not equipped for large fish took some doing to horse it on the boat.

All too soon it was all over, the divers began returning to the Outrider, storing their equipment, game and hunks of purple coral. All that is but, Norma lee Smith who decided to decompress on the bow line and attracted every curious and hopefully not hungry shark from miles around investigate this morsel. Norma's only defense was to exhale copious amount of rapidly diminishing supply of air. She slowly with great caution made her way to the stern of the boat where she rapidly ascended thrust out her hands and was unceremoniously but also rapidly pulled over the gunnel onto the deck of the Outrider...So ended the first recreational dive trip to Farnsworth.

So many adventures, so many stories...

Dr. Samuel Miller,
NAUI instructor #27

Finally Dick Peters, who owned the newest dive charter boat of the fleet, the 42 foot "Out Rider " agreed to a charter at $7.00 per person but with the stipulation "only in the winter when there are no boats fishing there and the water will be calm"

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Wow, Sam, just fantastic. I am sorry I will not get to meet you in person when I visit. I will do my best to honor tradition by diving my own double hose when I am there (a Kraken, not a vintage one), and with the modern safety gear (wing, octo, spg, computer). But reading that post, it was so vivid, I felt like I was there all those years ago . . .

Thanks, so much for posting that for us all to share.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@guyharrisonphoto
Guy,
You are certainly welcome-- So many memories of "The day of our dives...." so very few remaining to share those memories ...Only Ed, Harry and I remain- the rest are no longer with us

I would like to make a suggest for the next time you visit California. Fly into San Francisco, rent a vehicle and drive down lovely picturesque HW #1-- It will be a treat and a thrill for a flatlander from Florida with the Pacific ocean on your right - each turn - each hill -is a Kodak moment

In Monterey visit the Weston Galley-- recall Pepper #13 ? .Then on into Big Sur county and all its charm

Stop over night at Casa Miller in the wine and ranching county on a hill overlooking the blue Pacific ocean for one of Miss Bettys wonderful California meals...

Have the Sam, III & Sam, IV traditional breakfast at our favorite café...Warning ! we speak diving Sam IV is Director of the local ER & Hyperbaric department

Depart for Orange county (The OC) - only 220 miles distant.

So there, 1/4 of your travel itinerary for next years visit is complete

See you then …Via Con Dios
Sam Miller, III

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