Date: 11/4/07
Dive Location: Wrecks of the Ace 1 and F.S. Loop
Buddy(ies): Boss Ross and HBOnTheMendChica
Time: 9:40 AM
Bottom Time: 46 minutes on Ace, and 68 minutes on the Loop
Max Depth: 121 on Ace and 71 on the Loop
Vis: Excellent on the Ace and not so much on the Loop
Wave height: whatever - Boat dive
Temp at depth: 53
Surface Temp: whatever - Drysuit
Tide information: whatever - boat dive
Gas mix: 31ish on Ace and 32ish on Loop
Best moment: Jaye on the boat with us!
Things to do differently next time: Stay longer on the Ace and deal
Comments:
Link to the F.S. Loop
Link to the Ace 1
Good stuff.
The plan was to have the four of us - Ross, Claudette, Jaye and I get out on the Orion III for a couple of dives on two of the zillion local wrecks Ross has dialed in.
On Saturday night, Claudette announced she was too sick to dive.
I'll say it once again - Claudette announced on Saturday night that she was too sick to dive, and she was going to pass.
So sure she was of this that she drove the tanks and scooter battery to Ross' place on Saturday evening.
On the way to the dock on Sunday AM, I get a text message that Claudette was feeling better and was going to make this trip. So back to a foursome, we load up and head out. Jaye wanted a day on the boat so she wasn't diving this time out - so there would be 3 of us in the water.
The Ace
I have never dived the Ace - so I was pretty excited. We get there and splash just after 10:00 AM, and we scoot down through clear blue water to the wreck - which of course Ross pinned.
I left the camera on deck for this first dive, as its been so long since I'd "just dived" that I just wanted to zoom the wreck.
The Aces is upside-down, and was loaded (and I mean LOADED) with Ling Cod. Not the cartoonish, sofa sized monsters we saw at Edmonds in Seattle, but they were very big for SoCal Lings. Probably 30 or 40 on the thing. As we'd zoom by, they'd leave the wreck and stage a few feet away on the sand - patiently waiting for us to vacate so they could return.
We saw 11 species of Nudi's on the thing. WOW. Jaye saw the three of us scooting around the wreck on the Finder Screen - that's pretty cool.
It was very clear - I'd say at least 40 feet of viz, maybe more. We did several laps with the scoots and kick dived for another half-a-lap. I saw a Metridium that was AS TALL AS MY SCOOTER IS LONG. A Meddy on a stilt. I was blown away. This was a very nice dive. 121 feet max depth, long slow ascent and back to the Orion III.
F.S. LOOP
I've dived this wreck once before. I remember there bring near zero viz, tons of current, a silt palace with tons of huge Tritonia festiva Nudis. I was fired up to return and hope for better viz.
We got to the Loop, dropped anchor and scooted down. The water was not as clear as the water on the Aces, but it was much better than last time I was here.
I forgot this wreck was so shallow, at just 65 - 70 feet. We took a couple of kicks off of the anchor, Claudette remembered how quickly the viz went to none here on our last dive, so she motioned for my spool. She wisely clipped on to the anchor line and we started on our way.
About 10 seconds into the dive I started seeing Tritonias. I love these Nudis. They hang out on Red Gorgonians - so their Cerata and rhinophores look just like the white polyps that grow on these red corals.
Viz was decreasing fast as the wind was really picking up topside - the surge was increasing and it was getting harder to see. Viz at times dropped to a foot or so. This was only about the 3rd or 4th time I've dived with a spool, and there is this wonderful peace of mind the line delivers. Without the line, Chica and I would have thumbed this and likely come up very, very far from the boat. With the line, it was another day at the office.
This was a 68 minute dive just stuffed with Nudis. We saw probably 8 or 9 species (several species together), lots of Rock fish and more of the wreck than I saw last time.
The anchor was pulling as the Orion was getting battered by the wind and rising swells - Claudette and I looked at each other and pointed to the line that it was time to go. We spun in the line and did a slow ascent up the anchor line.
Two excellent dives. Thanks Ross for the perfect navigation and most excellent company. Thanks Chica for pushing through. Thanks JJ for running surface support!
Some images from the F.S. Loop below.
---
Ken
Stretchy Nudi - a Tritonia looking for more munchables
Peaceable Kingdom! One of manu multi-species Nudi shots I was able to grab from the loop. Claudette spotted this one.
A couple of more Nudi Buddies!
Phatty Tritonia looking for dessert!
Near the end of the dive, with Viz going quickly Claudette pointed out to me these two negotiating Nudis. I grabbed about half-a-dozen images. Here are the last four, in sequence.
Camouflage is important down there. Here are three shots with some UW Cammo going on. You Blend!
Kelp Fishie hiding in the Anemones
This Trilineata (often very red) has dialed it back a bit to match in very well with these coral / orangeish colored Anemones
Tritonia on the Gorgonian. His Cerata and Rhinophores doing their best white polyp impersonation!
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.
.
.
.
.
Dive Location: Wrecks of the Ace 1 and F.S. Loop
Buddy(ies): Boss Ross and HBOnTheMendChica
Time: 9:40 AM
Bottom Time: 46 minutes on Ace, and 68 minutes on the Loop
Max Depth: 121 on Ace and 71 on the Loop
Vis: Excellent on the Ace and not so much on the Loop
Wave height: whatever - Boat dive
Temp at depth: 53
Surface Temp: whatever - Drysuit
Tide information: whatever - boat dive
Gas mix: 31ish on Ace and 32ish on Loop
Best moment: Jaye on the boat with us!
Things to do differently next time: Stay longer on the Ace and deal
Comments:
Link to the F.S. Loop
Link to the Ace 1
Good stuff.
The plan was to have the four of us - Ross, Claudette, Jaye and I get out on the Orion III for a couple of dives on two of the zillion local wrecks Ross has dialed in.
On Saturday night, Claudette announced she was too sick to dive.
I'll say it once again - Claudette announced on Saturday night that she was too sick to dive, and she was going to pass.
So sure she was of this that she drove the tanks and scooter battery to Ross' place on Saturday evening.
On the way to the dock on Sunday AM, I get a text message that Claudette was feeling better and was going to make this trip. So back to a foursome, we load up and head out. Jaye wanted a day on the boat so she wasn't diving this time out - so there would be 3 of us in the water.
The Ace
I have never dived the Ace - so I was pretty excited. We get there and splash just after 10:00 AM, and we scoot down through clear blue water to the wreck - which of course Ross pinned.
I left the camera on deck for this first dive, as its been so long since I'd "just dived" that I just wanted to zoom the wreck.
The Aces is upside-down, and was loaded (and I mean LOADED) with Ling Cod. Not the cartoonish, sofa sized monsters we saw at Edmonds in Seattle, but they were very big for SoCal Lings. Probably 30 or 40 on the thing. As we'd zoom by, they'd leave the wreck and stage a few feet away on the sand - patiently waiting for us to vacate so they could return.
We saw 11 species of Nudi's on the thing. WOW. Jaye saw the three of us scooting around the wreck on the Finder Screen - that's pretty cool.
It was very clear - I'd say at least 40 feet of viz, maybe more. We did several laps with the scoots and kick dived for another half-a-lap. I saw a Metridium that was AS TALL AS MY SCOOTER IS LONG. A Meddy on a stilt. I was blown away. This was a very nice dive. 121 feet max depth, long slow ascent and back to the Orion III.
F.S. LOOP
I've dived this wreck once before. I remember there bring near zero viz, tons of current, a silt palace with tons of huge Tritonia festiva Nudis. I was fired up to return and hope for better viz.
We got to the Loop, dropped anchor and scooted down. The water was not as clear as the water on the Aces, but it was much better than last time I was here.
I forgot this wreck was so shallow, at just 65 - 70 feet. We took a couple of kicks off of the anchor, Claudette remembered how quickly the viz went to none here on our last dive, so she motioned for my spool. She wisely clipped on to the anchor line and we started on our way.
About 10 seconds into the dive I started seeing Tritonias. I love these Nudis. They hang out on Red Gorgonians - so their Cerata and rhinophores look just like the white polyps that grow on these red corals.
Viz was decreasing fast as the wind was really picking up topside - the surge was increasing and it was getting harder to see. Viz at times dropped to a foot or so. This was only about the 3rd or 4th time I've dived with a spool, and there is this wonderful peace of mind the line delivers. Without the line, Chica and I would have thumbed this and likely come up very, very far from the boat. With the line, it was another day at the office.
This was a 68 minute dive just stuffed with Nudis. We saw probably 8 or 9 species (several species together), lots of Rock fish and more of the wreck than I saw last time.
The anchor was pulling as the Orion was getting battered by the wind and rising swells - Claudette and I looked at each other and pointed to the line that it was time to go. We spun in the line and did a slow ascent up the anchor line.
Two excellent dives. Thanks Ross for the perfect navigation and most excellent company. Thanks Chica for pushing through. Thanks JJ for running surface support!
Some images from the F.S. Loop below.
---
Ken
Stretchy Nudi - a Tritonia looking for more munchables
Peaceable Kingdom! One of manu multi-species Nudi shots I was able to grab from the loop. Claudette spotted this one.
A couple of more Nudi Buddies!
Phatty Tritonia looking for dessert!
Near the end of the dive, with Viz going quickly Claudette pointed out to me these two negotiating Nudis. I grabbed about half-a-dozen images. Here are the last four, in sequence.
Camouflage is important down there. Here are three shots with some UW Cammo going on. You Blend!
Kelp Fishie hiding in the Anemones
This Trilineata (often very red) has dialed it back a bit to match in very well with these coral / orangeish colored Anemones
Tritonia on the Gorgonian. His Cerata and Rhinophores doing their best white polyp impersonation!
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