Ken and Dette in MoCal - Pics and stuff (what a great trip!)

[Mo2vation]

Here are some shots from our 4 dives in MoCal.

On Saturday we did two dives at Lobos. It got a little late for a night dive, so a bunch of us went to dinner on Sat (those silly pics will be up soon!)

On Sunday we dived the Cypress Seas with Capt Phil and the crew. Warren and Doc Wong were also on that trip. Two spectacular dives. We returned back to port a little late (after 2:40 PM) so we again blew off a night dive at the flat, but funky-looking Breakwall.

Monday I had two appointments in town, so no diving.

Great stuff. Here are some shots.

The full gallery can be seen here: MoCal 12_26 Weekend


Huge thanks to the MoCal crew - and even to the visiting dignitaries (James, Janet, Nils, Ben, etc.) I love every moment of diving up there.

Enjoy.


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Ken



SATURDAY - LOBOS

We did two dives - here are the shots from Lobos. Dive one I think I fired off maybe 3 shots. Dive two I took the rest of the Macros. Mostly from the Third and most beautiful sister.

Lots of Clown Nudis, a single Tritonia, many lemons, a pair of Yellow Lined Cadlina's mating, and tons of shrimp. One crack in the rocks had 4 or 5 shrimp in it. Another crack had a shrimp sharing his horizontal home with a large brittle star. Very surgey on dive two, but very lovely dives.

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Life on the HCoral - each one is its own community




This is classic Monterey - cracks in rocks loaded with life




Tritonia leaving a trail back home




Cadlina Luv




Shrimpy and Brittle Star (check out the huge image here: Shrimpzilla)

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[Mo2vation]

SUNDAY - CYPRESS SEAS

Dive one was on Que Paso (?) Pinnacle - about 6.5 miles south of Pt Lobos. What an excellent dive. Warren, Doc, Dette and I descended on the scoots to brilliant pinnacleness. Warren got off some shots that can be seen here: Link

I did a team photo at about 110 feet, then some Wacros (Macros with a Wide Angle Lens) of Dette. We scooted and played, and about 45 minutes into the dive the current came up strong.

On dive two the current was "ripping", as Capt Phil said. I was the first in for dive two. When I scooted back to the gate to pick up the camera, I looked down and saw a large sea nettle. I was going to drop and shoot, but figured Dette would never find me. She was #2 in and we drifted about a quarter mile or more (about 15 minutes) just shooting in a field of thousands of them. We scooted over to the pinnacle (the original drop point) and had a great dive shooting and scooting in the structure. HCoral galore, nudi's o'plenty and one naughty Tubesnout.

What a weekend. I must get up here more than once a year.

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Dive one team photo




Wacro - Check the HCoral, the Dirty Dorid and the huge DD Eggs eggs! In the surge, this was a very tough shot. Huge ups to Claudette. (Monster version here: Monstah!)




Coral Reflections - I LOVE this shot. She'll tell you all about it. Again, more huge surge. I can't believe she was able to fight through and hold still long enough for me to set this one up.




Naughty Tubesnout. He was robbing eggs from this flapping nest.




Dette and the Anemone




NETTLES!!!!!!!!!

Acres of Nettles




Nettles in the sun - There are over 50 in this shot alone. Scooting through this maze was challenging.




Dettles? Chica and the Nettles. In the current we were moving much faster than the nettles. This was challenging. We were both chuffing. She did an outstanding job getting into and then holding position. Each shot the current was blowing her someplace else - I've never been more impressed with the watermanship of my buddy.













Monstah shot of below here: Nettlezilla






Monstah shot of below here: More NettleZilla

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[sarita75]

Beautiful - as always! thanks for sharing them - especially the nettles photos. Stunning.

Did you do a calendar this year? I was lamenting end of the year because my calendar from last year is done.

 

[DocWong]

Awesome, awesome photos! Thanks for sharing them, they look even better than when you were showing them to me at lunch!

 

[mikeguerrero]

Wow,

I can make a movie from this dive; attack of the body snatchers or should I say attack of the sea nettles....

Great pics... I really like how you get the diver in the shots for scale.... Just awesome....

MG

 

[D_B]

As always, it's wonderful to look at your photos, Ken
The "wacroes" are awesome

 

[Mo2vation]

Beautiful - as always! thanks for sharing them - especially the nettles photos. Stunning.

Did you do a calendar this year? I was lamenting end of the year because my calendar from last year is done.

Hi

I made three versions this year. In my sig is a link to the previews.

Lemmie know - still have them in stock, and its early!

You'll love em.


---
Ken

 

[micboucher]

Hi

I made three versions this year. In my sig is a link to the previews.

Lemmie know - still have them in stock, and its early!

You'll love em.


---
Ken

I just ordered mine last week. They're all beautiful...it was hard to choose which one I wanted but ended up getting the Nudis. All your shots are amazing Ken! I'm glad you and Claudette had a good time up here.

Happy New Year!

 

[drbill]

Happy New Year to you, Jaye and Claudette from the mountain country outside Atlanta GA. Next time you see me I should have a new wetsuit!

 

[ryssyr]

You have to stop posting these pictures of you guys with the scooters! I just about got them out of my mind after meeting you guys last weekend, and there you go putting up some awesome shots to remind me.....

I really like Dive one team photo. You guys look like you are having a great time.