March '05 Dive Reports

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Don't forget it was at night, and you had to hear me snore for the 1 hour of sleep I got.... BTW did you sign up for the Horizon on May 7? I can't wait to try it 1 more time... 3rd time is a charm!

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Date:3/31/05
Dive Location:Redondo submarine canyon
Time:7:35 PM
Bottom Time: 43 minutes
Max Depth:80 feet
Vis: 20 feet
Wave height: A big 10 inches...
Temp at depth: 50...5-0....one degree more than 49....ffi-ffff-fifffty....
Surface Temp: 60. The thermocline was....abrupt.

Comments: Fairy-tale perfect twilight evening...squid boat lights reflecting off an obsidian sea. The sky was deep midnight blue and the stars were brilliant. Walking down to the water's edge in motionless air, I said to Scott, "Oh, man, I'm really hot. Sure is nice to have summer coming in. It's almost time to reduce the layers a bit."
(Somewhere in the ether, small gods of hubris and balance snickered gleefully...they were about to set the hook and take this foolish mortal for a ride...) The surface swim out to the canyon just turned up the thermostat even more. Down we dropped into the swimming crab romance party...and suddenly the water felt so cold that it felt hot. My computer temperature reading lagged for a moment and then the numbers ran down from 60 to 59-58-57-56....and finally 50, looking like some cheesy movie effect. (I just stared...) I enjoyed the usual cast of individual squid, scorpion fish (including several cute little 3 inch youngsters), cusk eels, baby flatties, tube anemones, sarcastic fringeheads, 6 kinds of crabs, and a Hermissenda nudibranch crawling on a squid egg ("great eyes, Scott! good find") There are still thick mats of squid eggs, but they are more limp and less bright than they were two weeks ago. Seal bombs from the squid boats tested our flinch reflexes a couple of times....mine works just fine. Meanwhile my calves took turns negotiating the Krebs cycle in 50 degree water, and I clenched my teeth to keep the reg from slipping out of my numb lips. The little gods laughed.... (That's the Last time I mention being too warm before diving...).
Thanks, Scott, for a fun to dive after a long day at work, and on such a beautiful evening. How about a dive above the thermocline tomorrow??
Hope every has a great weekend of diving !

 

[ChrisM]

Met Claudette coming out of the water for a report... much better than last night's report. So we headed in, but how can I follow that wonderful report? So I will just say, what she said, only a half hour later (and add a sea lion) And yeah, it was cold, I think my ever-accurate Suunto said it was 52 at depth. But honesltly, I was enjoying it too much and never felt too cold

Chris

 

[SoCalAngel]

I was on Peace boat as well. It was 4 hours free ride with some sunbathing plus lot of ocean spray (however, had to rinse my regulator, BCD & tank).
Will try Sundiver to Catalina on Sunday.

That's a good idea...

Shaw's Cove
night dive
vis - 10 along sand/reef, 15 within crevices and top of reef, 5-8 in the sand
depth - max 38, ave. 20
temp _OMG COLD!!!! sunnto=54, Logic=52, Toes & Nose=frozen!
time 1:27 (hahahaha on a short filled 80!)
Gear found: none, please somebody find my knife....

Went down with three great friends! Went into the crevice, saw the usual hige bugs mocking us now that season is over. No surge, so swam through to crescent bay side. Went into a newer channel. Very cool. No surge here, either. FOund an adorable maybe foot long eel. It was sooooo cute! Lots of little lobster crawling around.

Back to the Shaw's side of the reef, saw a couple of octos, another LARGE eel. One buddy fed it a scallop and got it to completely come out of it's hole (after I smacked a sleeping garibaldi upside the head to get out of the view, er, way.). It was easliy 4 feet long - the eel, not the garibaldi.

After 60 minutes, we went out into the sand. Lots of striped and barred sand bass snoozing (until our loud breathing aroused them). One buddy was able to "pet" an 8 inch turbot. Several Ca round rays gliding about. Saw several of those burrowing sand crabs again, we tried to get one set to mate, but I think they were boy boys....ewwwww...maybe next time. Lots of pretty soft pink sea pens and purple sea pansies.

As we arrived into the shallows of 14fsw, we saw an octo not much bigger than my thumbnail! He was adorable. As he jetted away from us, he kept spitting out ink, enabling us to follow him even longer! Just as we lost him, I stumbled upon that baby bat ray again. I was hoping to see her, but it was unexpected, so I squealed just a bit!

What an amazing way to end the month!

 

[Stryker]

Laurel, you have GOT to tell me your secret for getting 1:20 min from an 80.... I think you are holding out on us..

 

[headhunter]

Laurel, you have GOT to tell me your secret for getting 1:20 min from an 80.... I think you are holding out on us..

Maybe it's not cubic feet, but cubic yards.

Laurel and Melvin - The underwater circus breathers! They stay underwater FOR DAYS with a single tank. :11:

Christian

 

[Stryker]

Sounds like the two of them should write a book on buoyancy and reducing air consumption.... Sounds like a money maker eh? Then you could call the book "Converting feet to yards -- How to increase bottom time to 48 hours on an aluminum 80 (decompression? whats that?)"

 

[SoCalAngel]

Laurel, you have GOT to tell me your secret for getting 1:20 min from an 80.... I think you are holding out on us..

It's called relaxed diving (and a lot of them!). Don't go fast. Breathe slowly.

Also, I hide a stage bottle at the end of the reef that I switch to when no one's lookin' :frlol:

Seriously, the more you dive, the more bottomtime you'll get.

L