Lake Pleasant conditions

[revrikki]

Well, lake pleasant is my "normal" dive site, but I just got back yesterday from Rocky Point. We did two shore dives from our condo, and one boat dive at bird Island with the sea lions. (pictures to follow in my next post) Water temp was 75 deg, with about 25-30 ft of vis. This was my first "tropical" experience as well as diving with large animals. The sea lions did something with us that the Dive Master had never seen before. They bit us! No hard, but like a playful bite, just hard enough for me to check my wet suit to see if they tore it. Kind of scarry. It happened to all 8 of us on the dive. I got bit/tasted 3 times. If they really wanted to bite us, we would have left some body parts behind I'm sure. So I guess they were just playing, but I don't play that way!
Anyone diving pleasant soon? What have the conditions been like lately?
Eric

 

[AzAtty]

I got bit/tasted 3 times. If they really wanted to bite us, we would have left some body parts behind I'm sure. So I guess they were just playing, but I don't play that way!

Yeah, it's like that sometimes

 

[azcaddman]

I think of it more like puppies... they're checking to see if you're 'food' or 'fun'

 

[shark.byte.usa]

I got bit/tasted 3 times. If they really wanted to bite us, we would have left some body parts behind I'm sure. So I guess they were just playing, but I don't play that way!

Got bit/nibbled several times when I dove with them in Santa Barbara Island a month or so ago. Was friggin annoying by the 3rd dive, generally on the elbow when I was framing a shot (not of them) with my camera, seemed they only did it when I stuck it out.

 

[scubajcf]

Did some deep boat diving yesterday out at Pleasant. We were about 150 yards northwest of Vista Point (in the river bed).

Water Temperature: 72 degrees at the surface; 54 Degrees at depth.
Thermoclines at about 35, 60 and 96 feet.

Visibility coming down the line was about 8 feet. Light was good to about 80 feet. Good meaning you could read gauges without a light. Bottom visibility was dark, very dark, by remarkably good. Probably 10 feet or more.

There was some current in the riverbed. Lots of trees on the bottom. Looked very surreal. About 6 inches of silt on the bottom which made for nice puffy white clouds when they were kicked up. Very comfortable in a 7MM and Hood.

jcf


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[scubajcf]

Dove Desert Tortoise Road today.

Lake is down considerably over the last month.
The Island that was off to the right and about 100 Yards from the end of the road is now part of the shoreline. I would say water levels are about 10' down from early May.

We dove in a cove off to the right before the end of the road. The end of Desert Tortoise Road was filled with Campers, Jet Skis and Boats. Plus, they had trashed it pretty good. Nothing but bugs and flies. Time to find a new spot.

Visibility was less than 5', down to about 30' deep, and then it was almost impossible to make out your buddy. Tons of fishing line, burrs and other nasty trash.

Water temperature was warm at around 76 degrees. Slight thermocline at 22 feet dropped a few degrees. Nothing to be concerned about.

jcf


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[Dive-aholic]

I've been away for a couple of weeks. I'm guessing that Scorpion Bay is officially closed now.

 

[AzAtty]

Scorpion Bay is still open, as is Dirty Shirt. There were lots of folks along the shore this morning.

 

[shark.byte.usa]

Scorpion Bay, viz sucked today (2-<10), about 65F down to about 35-40, then a few degrees colder. At least I got to shuck my core warmer and hood though. Lake level is down about 10' in the last month.

 

[AzAtty]

Scorpion Bay, viz sucked today (2-<10), about 65F down to about 35-40, then a few degrees colder. At least I got to shuck my core warmer and hood though. Lake level is down about 10' in the last month.

...which sounds like bad news. If it's down 10 feet in the last month, it sounds like the Scorpion entry will by high and dry by the end of June.