Diving This Weekend, Oct. 16 & 17

[Scot M]

Sounds good, Jim. I'll plan to be there. Please post if the time changes. One tank or two?

Saintsfan, thanks for the invitation but it looks like mornings are going to work out best for me this weekend. Maybe next time.

 

[pasley]

Hey everybody...I am going to go diving on Saturday with some people from the board. We are going to go to the Santa Monica break water. Anybody who wants to join us is more than welcome to. I want to try to avoid the long dirve out to other sites so I am staying local this weekend.

I have seen a lot of people from the board recently ask about diving on this side of the hill. So here is the opportunity to try it out. It will be a few dive perhaps....an afternoon dive, night dive and possibly another night dive.

Details posted tonight

Ana

Due to weather Wrinkles and I have consulted and agreed the forecast does not look good enouth to bother with. Dive is CANCELED :frown:

Saturday. Low clouds and fog in the morning. Otherwise partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s.

Saturday night. Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of light rain in the evening then rain likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms overnight. Lows in the mid 50s to lower 60s. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Sunday. Mostly cloudy with rain likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Mainly in the morning. Highs in the upper 60s. Southeast winds around 15 mph in the morning. Chance of rain 70 percent.

DIVE CALLED DUE TO 70% Chance of RAIN and Thunder Storms and winds of 15 Knotts.

Here is what we WERE planing: Santa Monica Pier BREAKWATER. http://web.whittier.edu/fairchild/santa_monica.html
This site has a photo of the breakwater as it originally appeared. Most of it does not break the surface. Please note, this we are NOT diving the pier but the breakwater that runs parallel to shore about 100 yards off the end of the pier and it does not touch dry land. I have eyeballed it and it appears to be about Deadman's Reef or a bit more in distance (300 yards), but could be as long as Pont Dume Pinnacles (548 yards). Wrinkles, did I mention this is a long swim? :11: This is a site that is really not well known and not really covered in the local dive site books. So come ready for an adventure diving a relatively un-dove site. I have exchanged messages with two people (Photo TJ and Don S) who have actually dove it. IF visibility is good (often not here) then it is an excellent dive. Lots of life on the reef I am told.

How to get there: TGNO: 671E3
From anywhere except Malibu take 10 Freeway west. When you go through the tunnel make a u-turn and go into the last parking lot before going back into the 10fwy tunnel.

This will put you closer to the water on the North side of the pier.

Or exit onto 5th street, go north to Colorado Street to Ocean and follow signs for beach parking which will be a RIGHT turn. Use the parking lot on the sand to the NORTH (right as you face the ocean) of the Pier. I have not actually parked on the beach lot as when I did the recon we used the pier parking. BRING MONEY FOR PARKING.

From Malibu take PCH South and just exit to the Santa Monica Beach Parking just before you go through the McClure Tunnel.

Time: CANCELLED.

Will try again on Friday 22 October.

 

[mccabejc]

Headhunter and I will be at Shaw's Cove tomorrow, Saturday, 10/16, at around 8:30 or 9:00 am. I'm bringing two tanks. Anyone who wants to join us is welcome. We dove there this afternoon and conditions were good.

 

[pasley]

Uh, gang, I hate to rain on anyones parade but....
Saturday. Low clouds and fog in the morning. Otherwise partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s.

Saturday night. Mostly cloudy. A slight chance of light rain in the evening then rain likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms overnight. Lows in the mid 50s to lower 60s. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Sunday. Mostly cloudy with rain likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms. Mainly in the morning. Highs in the upper 60s. Southeast winds around 15 mph in the morning. Chance of rain 70 percent.

 

[mccabejc]

Sounds like perfect dive weather. Nobody at the beach because it's cloudy means more parking for the rest of us.

And as long as the rain is no wetter than under water, then we don't have to worry about getting TOO wet.

And since the wetsuit is neoprene (kinda rubber) you're insulated from any lightning strikes. (learned that in engineering school)

But with all of that, I'm convinced that there is a weather force field around Southern California, and 90% of the time when they predict rain it ends up skirting around the area and never happens. We'll see...

 

[headhunter]

I'll be there at 8:30 - 9:00 am.

If it looks like this afternoon then it'll be great. After the dive with Jim, I did a little recon on the neighboring sites by Shaws and Fishermans looks good too.

Now I'd better get to sleep or I'll be a mess! :11:

Christian

 

[pasley]

Jim
This afternoon may be ok, but itis iffy. The wind was the biggest factor with 15 mph blowing across the water on a long swim. I have also observed that the visibility underwater will decline 24 hours before the storm hits. I was diving the Los Angeles beakwater one day and watched the storm come in underwater a day ahead of the rain. It was kind of neat. 30 foot visibility and then there is this wall of white stuff comming at us in a kind of strait line. Then the visibility was 5 feet.

That and we were planing afternoon and evening dives when rain is forecast at 70% chance. I agree the rain should not make much difference, but I do like to stay dry when I am changing clothes after the dive and before.

Just be sure to stay away from any storm drains. The normal recomendatioin is 3 days of DO NOT DIVE anywhere near a storm drain after a storm due to high bacteria counts and polution. Unfortunatly, that takes care of most dive spots.

 

[saintsfan]

hey jim if you see this, post conditions when you get home please,oh yeah don't test that wetsuit insulating theory

 

[Frank O]

I have also observed that the visibility underwater will decline 24 hours before the storm hits. I was diving the Los Angeles beakwater one day and watched the storm come in underwater a day ahead of the rain. It was kind of neat. 30 foot visibility and then there is this wall of white stuff comming at us in a kind of strait line. Then the visibility was 5 feet.

Hi Melvin, this was an interesting comment and a new one on me. Did you see a corresponding rise in surface swell when the wall of white rolled in? Otherwise, I can't think of what the transport mechanism involved would be.

 

[Scot M]

hey jim if you see this, post conditions when you get home please

I'm not Jim, but I was with him. Conditions were great this morning. See the dive report thread.