Got Wet in the Northern Channel Islands
I had a great opportunity last week to enjoy the diving off Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz Islands off the coast of California. I got onto the Conception Truth Aquatics - About Us
Thursday night and the energy was already starting to build. I love diving and exploring the underwater world, but this trip was special. I was going to be diving with my someone I have wanted to dive with ever since I moved to Santa Barbara some 36 years ago. Ed Stetson is a Santa Barbara community member who is always involved in scuba events, dive trips, rescue workshops and once again he was bringing the community of divers together. This is what this trip was about, the diving community and the strengthening of the tribe.
Ed Stetson, Karem Kapkin, Bob Evans
At about 1:30 am the boat cast off the lines and we were off to Santa Barbara Island. It was a good thing because it was a signal for everyone to get some sleep; again the energy on the boat was great. Ed’s trip brought together dive professionals form all over California with a strong local representation as well. Photographers, Marine Tech Instructors
Commercial Diving Marine Technology Careers and Training
NOAA scientists,
and Harbor patrol officers were all there to enjoy the camaraderie of being a diver.
When we all awoke the next morning we could see Santa Barbara Island and could smell the breakfast. Again the energy just kept building up! People talking in such a way it was like music that would crescendo always at the right moment to get you pumped up for what is next. We were excited to get into the water and after the captain decided on the best location I geared up with my dive Buddy Ed Stenson. We were diving on a pinnacle that came up to 70 feet and dropped down to 140 plus. We had to enter the water from the bow as there was a slight current and it was the best place to quickly get on the anchor line. Look out below!!!! It had been awhile since I had jumped from that height in full scuba gear. I was wearing the Tan Delta Force Fins with a Bungie heel strap and was looking forward to exploring this dive site. Once we passed through a thermocline and the water was colder the visibility went to about fifty feet and clear. We dove clockwise around
the top descending until we came upon a cavern where we could see light at shining through a small opening. As we swam deeper into the cavern it opened up into an archway that was covered with purple coral. There was no bare rock and the entire cavern ceiling seemed to be covered with the purple coral. It was amazing and back on the boat Ed mentioned to me it was the most beautiful dives he had every done. During the surface intervals that day I meet a very interesting man who was taught to dive at age 12 with his great uncle and none other than Jacques Y. Cousteau in the Mediterranean. It was great meeting Kareem Kipkin a very smart guy with a lot of great stories. We became great friends and I ended up passing on my Tan Delta Force Fins to him at the end of the trip! One story I will never forget was after his first dive at age 12 they had him smoke a cigarette because they said the nicotine and the nitrogen would bind and the nitrogen would leave the
body faster. Anybody hear of such a thing?
Karem Kapkin with the Tan Delta Force Fin
There were three dives that day and the next day the boat was at Santa Cruz Island for three more dives.
I had brought out a bunch of fins to try and these were two of the favorites.
Professional photographer James Forte with SD1 Execellerating Force Fin
Marine Tech Instructor Dan Vasey- Excellerating Force Fin Poly material
excel_force_fin_product
The visibility could have been better, the water warmer, but none of us cared about those things. It is was the chance to be together, talk diving, and strengthen the community, this was most important. I cannot thank Ed Stenson enough for all his foresight in getting these dive trips together and I will cherish the time I spent above and below the water with him and the rest of the group on the boat!
BOB Evans
Ed Stetson and James Forte trying a pair of SD1 Military Force Fin
Force Fin SD1 - Military: Force Fin
I had a great opportunity last week to enjoy the diving off Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz Islands off the coast of California. I got onto the Conception Truth Aquatics - About Us
Thursday night and the energy was already starting to build. I love diving and exploring the underwater world, but this trip was special. I was going to be diving with my someone I have wanted to dive with ever since I moved to Santa Barbara some 36 years ago. Ed Stetson is a Santa Barbara community member who is always involved in scuba events, dive trips, rescue workshops and once again he was bringing the community of divers together. This is what this trip was about, the diving community and the strengthening of the tribe.
Ed Stetson, Karem Kapkin, Bob Evans
At about 1:30 am the boat cast off the lines and we were off to Santa Barbara Island. It was a good thing because it was a signal for everyone to get some sleep; again the energy on the boat was great. Ed’s trip brought together dive professionals form all over California with a strong local representation as well. Photographers, Marine Tech Instructors
Commercial Diving Marine Technology Careers and Training
NOAA scientists,
and Harbor patrol officers were all there to enjoy the camaraderie of being a diver.
When we all awoke the next morning we could see Santa Barbara Island and could smell the breakfast. Again the energy just kept building up! People talking in such a way it was like music that would crescendo always at the right moment to get you pumped up for what is next. We were excited to get into the water and after the captain decided on the best location I geared up with my dive Buddy Ed Stenson. We were diving on a pinnacle that came up to 70 feet and dropped down to 140 plus. We had to enter the water from the bow as there was a slight current and it was the best place to quickly get on the anchor line. Look out below!!!! It had been awhile since I had jumped from that height in full scuba gear. I was wearing the Tan Delta Force Fins with a Bungie heel strap and was looking forward to exploring this dive site. Once we passed through a thermocline and the water was colder the visibility went to about fifty feet and clear. We dove clockwise around
the top descending until we came upon a cavern where we could see light at shining through a small opening. As we swam deeper into the cavern it opened up into an archway that was covered with purple coral. There was no bare rock and the entire cavern ceiling seemed to be covered with the purple coral. It was amazing and back on the boat Ed mentioned to me it was the most beautiful dives he had every done. During the surface intervals that day I meet a very interesting man who was taught to dive at age 12 with his great uncle and none other than Jacques Y. Cousteau in the Mediterranean. It was great meeting Kareem Kipkin a very smart guy with a lot of great stories. We became great friends and I ended up passing on my Tan Delta Force Fins to him at the end of the trip! One story I will never forget was after his first dive at age 12 they had him smoke a cigarette because they said the nicotine and the nitrogen would bind and the nitrogen would leave the
body faster. Anybody hear of such a thing?
Karem Kapkin with the Tan Delta Force Fin
There were three dives that day and the next day the boat was at Santa Cruz Island for three more dives.
I had brought out a bunch of fins to try and these were two of the favorites.
Professional photographer James Forte with SD1 Execellerating Force Fin
Marine Tech Instructor Dan Vasey- Excellerating Force Fin Poly material
excel_force_fin_product
The visibility could have been better, the water warmer, but none of us cared about those things. It is was the chance to be together, talk diving, and strengthen the community, this was most important. I cannot thank Ed Stenson enough for all his foresight in getting these dive trips together and I will cherish the time I spent above and below the water with him and the rest of the group on the boat!
BOB Evans
Ed Stetson and James Forte trying a pair of SD1 Military Force Fin
Force Fin SD1 - Military: Force Fin
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