May 05 Dive Reports

[Diver_Jan]

Hmmm...forgot to mention that viz last night at Woods was 15-20' at night with my Light Cannon.

Nice report Divelog. I loved Coz when I was there in March. Went with Scubaboard folks and had a great time. 20 dives in 6 days! Whew!!!

 

[mainmanpaul]

Date: 5/4/05
Dive Location: Shaw's Cove
Time: 3:00
Bottom Time: about fiddy
Max Depth: 40 fsw
Vis: a good 15 feet
Wave height: 2'
Temp at depth: not too bad!
Surface Temp:
Tide information:
Comments:

Finaly had a chance to dive thru that scary dark hole that divers seem to enter but never return from. I now know why they don't come back. It is way cool in there. It is a definite low surge dive kiddies so don't try this at home. Saw lots of cracks, crevices, caves, crannies, and few Cabezon and Crowries (sp) too. Sea hare, Sarcastic fringehead (at least I am pretty sure that is what it was) Spanish shawl, some blue banded itty bitties and a Very large bass. A Garabadli tried to make me a baldi and bit me in the head. Now that I think of it I was being harrased by the Big Orange Meenies all dive long. Now for the best part!!! swimming along the bottom and a shadow comes over me. I think it is a rock overhang. I look up and a seal goes flying by does a loop so he can take a look at me (as to say" should I mess with this guy or not) And then splits. The big shaddow was a HUGE bait ball. I mean big... Like REAL big. After the dive I'm telling my story to the guy at Laguna SD and as soon as I said shadow he goes" you saw a seal didn't you?" He kinda spoild my story. Oh well GREAT DIVE

__________________

 

[headhunter]

Dive #1
Date: 5/4/05
Dive Location: Catalina Island - Italian Gardens
Buddy: dazedone
Time: 10:09
Bottom Time: 56 min
Max Depth: 63 ft
Vis: 40 ft
Wave height: 0 ft
Temp at depth: 62°
Surface Temp: 62°
Tide information:
Comments:
Great vis and nice structure. Nice patches of kelp to swim through. Lots of life.


Dive #2
Date: 5/4/05
Dive Location: Catalina Island - White Rock
Buddy: dazedone
Time: ??? Maybe David can tell us what time his new D9 recorded. Nice bling!
Bottom Time: 43 min.
Max Depth: 97 ft.
Vis: 35 ft.
Wave height: 0 ft.
Temp at depth: 59°
Surface Temp: 62°
Tide information:
Comments:
Vis ws not quite as good as Italian Gardens, but still great. There is supposed to be a cavern near here, but we didn't really look for it. We dropped down to about 100 feet,then came back up to 70 feet and went slowly back and forth up the steep slope like we were on switch backs going up the side of a mountain. We would traverse the slope at the same depth in one direction pop up 10 feet and then traverse the slope at that depth in the other direction. This made for a very nice dive and a very nice profile.


We were out on the Sundiver for Chamber Day. Capt. Ray and his two deck mates Kaya and Jess were absolutely great! DMs Steve and Tony from Ocean Adventures were also very helpful. And everyone on the boat that day was very nice. I look forward to going back out with them sometime.

 

[Stryker]

Date: 5/5/05
Dive Location: La Jolla Cove
Buddy: MissyP
Time: 2:43PM
Bottom Time: 47 min
Max Depth: 25 ft (talk about shallow!!)
Vis: 25+ ft
Wave height: 0 ft at beginning 1ft at the end
Temp at depth: 64°
Surface Temp: 64°

Comments: To anyone who "considered" diving la jolla today but thought better of it, YOU MISSED OUT!!! Was the most calm and warm day I have seen yet. This was my first time diving in La Jolla, and I have been told that the cove is a hard place to get a "good" dive in, but we did....
The water was warm, but unfortunately there werent any "exotic" creatures (eels, octos, sharks, ect), but tons of bugs all over the place... a few calicos decided to try and look tough by "eye-ing" me, but I won the staring contest... All in all an "average" dive as far as sea life, but the conditions were EXCELLENT... if you want to get an idea of the conditions check out my gallery and look at the picture named "perspective"....

 

[MissyP]

Date: 5/5/05
Dive Location: La Jolla Cove
Buddy: MissyP

unfortunately there werent any "exotic" creatures (eels, octos, sharks, ect)..if you want to get an idea of the conditions check out my gallery and look at the picture named "perspective"....

Hey that plastic spoon we found was pretty "exotic"... :froze: Overall, it was a great dive... the warm water felt sooo good!

 

[California Diver]

sounds like you shoulda went to the shores instead.

 

[MissyP]

Date: 5/6/05
Dive Location: La Jolla Shores
Time: 3:18pm
Bottom Time: 28 mins.
Max Depth: 117 ft.
Vis: 20-25 ft
Wave height: ankle biters (< 1 ft)
Surge: none
Temp at depth: 53F (cold as ice!!)

Got lucky enough to park on Vallecitos St, so the walk to the water was a snap The "waves" were less than 1 ft, so entry was effortless but there was a lot of surface chop during the surface swim. Descended in 20 ft and made our way to the main wall of the canyon. No surge whatsoever and vis was great! Temperature stayed around 63F until we hit 50 ft, the first thermocline.. And then the 2nd thermocline hit us around 90 ft- it was miserably cold! Ascended to a point in the wall (65 ft) and nosed around the wall for a while.. There were several large female sheephead, the usual blue banded & black eyed gobys, some type of rockfish, sea stars of all types, spanish shawl, and a gorgeous 'Porter's chromodorid' nudibranch (of course I had decided to leave the camera at home today... still kicking myself for that). Easy exit.

dive #2
Date: 5/6/05
Dive Location: La Jolla Shores
Time: 5:14pm
Bottom Time: 54 mins.
Max Depth: 35 ft.
Vis: 20-25 ft
Wave height: same ankle biters (< 1 ft)
Surge: 1-3 ft
Temp at depth: 63F

Decided to stay shallow and see what kinds of critters were hanging out in 35 ft. Bumped into the red buoy's anchor line, which surprised us.. (we didnt think we were near it). My buddy and I stayed as low to the ground as possible without stirring up any sand to check out the little things we would usually miss on a 'normal' dive.. There were tiny anemones, the size of a quarter and almost translucent... Also, strange little black/white "arms" (like a tentacle) reaching out of holes (1-2 inches max length)...if you'd touch them, they'd pull back into their hole. Any idea what these are?
Several types of crabs scurrying around.. Must've been a recent breeding season for halibut because we saw at least 100 baby halibuts scooting around Had an interesting encounter with some juvenile sheepcrabs- there were 4 of them in a small group staying very close together... As we were watching them, my buddy grabs me and points- Big Mama sheepcrab was heading toward us at warp speed and looking VERY angry!! I don't know if the adult sheepcrabs are protective of the juveniles, but that extremely large & obviously upset one was determined to get us away from the little ones..and she(he?) succeeded.. :scared:
Vis was super again, water temp was very comfortable- 2 very good dives!

 

[alaity47]

Also, strange little black/white "arms" (like a tentacle) reaching out of holes (1-2 inches max length)...if you'd touch them, they'd pull back into their hole. Any idea what these are?

There's a sea cucumber that looks like that - sort of peppery tentacles, and if you brush against it they get sucked back in. Here's a so-so picture of one color variation; usually they look browner/blacker to me underwater:

 

[scottfiji]

Date: 5/6/05
Dive Location: La Jolla Shores
Also, strange little black/white "arms" (like a tentacle) reaching out of holes (1-2 inches max length)...if you'd touch them, they'd pull back into their hole. Any idea what these are?

Hi Missy

The "arms" are most likely arms of a brittle star, there are many of them in the sand in la jolla, and you only see their arms sticking up. Glad you got to enjoy the shores!

The sea cucumbers that alaity47 referred to are not found in the sand, only in rocky reefs with enough current to bring them food.

Scott

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Date:5/7/05
Dive #1 of 2
Dive Location:Marineland, Long Point
Time: 0830
Run time: 64 minutes
Max Depth:47fsw
Vis: 15 - 20 feet at depth, 10 above thermocline
Wave height:2-3
Temp at depth:51F Aeris, 49F Oceanic
Surface Temp:58F
Tide information:1 hour before high
Comments: Carlos and I zoomed into the parking lot...and were stunned by the echoing silence. Just needed a rolling tumbleweed to the complete the picture of desolation and abandonment. Where were all the divers?? Glassy water, dolphin and sea lions close in to shore, kelp up, sun shining through the luminous mist shrouding the receding shoreline. We're in!!! Wave action at the point kept me pretty focused, but we quickly dropped down to those perfect pinnacles at 40-50fsw...and into the Nudibranch Zone! Hermissenda and their eggs everywhere, Spanish shawls and some eggs, Hopkins rose, sea lemons, and a lovely pair of white nudis (Acanthodoris rhodoceras) with two brown horns and brown frills. The varied vertical walls and crevices were great to see in the excellent 15-20 visibility...missed that perspective during the murky winter months. We both wandered happily about, finding octopus (rubber and otherwise), rockfish, sculpin, and a brand new boat anchor/chain/line, and every rocky surface covered in colorful invertebrates. This IS a gorgeous dive when the viz is over 15! 51F water was a great reason to enjoy a long sunny surface interval, surrounded by ocean light and birdsongs on the quiet clifftop.

Dive #2 of 2
Dive Location:Marineland, Cobble Beach
Time:1110
Run Time:54 minutes
Max Depth:44 fsw
Vis: 10-15 feet
Wave height:2 at entry, 2-3 foot whompers at exit
Temp at depth:52F
Surface Temp:59F
Tide information:90 minutes past high
Comments: Sun-warmed and still bouncingly-eager to dive, we slipped into the glassy-green, warm-looking water of the cove...dolphin nearby again. We found the rocky reef that continues out from the stony fishing jetty. Midwater viz was snow-stormy with particulates, but the viz on the reef was fine! Lots of tube anemones, all kinds of sea cucumbers, many garibaldi and a few red-algae nests, a very pregnant treefish, painted greenlings and Catalina gobies everywhere. Turned around at the end of the reef and checked out all the great ledges and overhangs on the way back. Noticed a medium-sized octopus in a small cave against the sandy bottom. Then noticed 6 inch-long white strands of tiny grape-like clusters hanging from the cave ceiling...about 15-20 strands vibrating in the strong current...then noticed the octopus weave a couple of armtips into the egg masses...then wrap "her" arms very protectively around the eggs, firmly interceding between my light and her eggs...OMG, an octopus nest!!!! I've looked for this all my diving life...everytime I found an octopus I'd wonder if maybe someday I'd get to see this! The eggs had the same glowing super-whiteness of squid eggs, but small and delicate, hanging down like wisteria blooms in a garden. I will never forget this, realizing I may never see it again. Carlos and I watched in amazement for as long as my air supply allowed before reluctantly heading into shallows and shore.
We wandered in under thick kelp beds, surfacing to a couple of whomping wave sets rollling the cobbles like a percussion section gone wild. Timing...timing...and go like you mean it! It was a glorious and beautiful day for diving. Thank you, Carlos, for always making it fun, and finding great critters, and loving to dive!