Saturday AM at MarineLand - have you dropped everything to go dive it this weekend?

[Mo2vation]

Date: Friday 12/20/08
Dive Location: MarineLand
Buddy(ies): Who else? HBletsdothisagainGurl
Time: 8:47 AM
Bottom Time: 88 minutes
Max Depth: 54 FSW
Vis: 25 - 30 (Clearer than yesterday!)
Wave height: Seattle entry. With SoCal rock hopping.
Temp at depth: 56-friggen-degrees....
Surface Temp: FIDDY. FIVE-OH.
Tide information: 11:02 AM low (+1.3) pushing to +3.2 at 4:42 PM. Second December WOTAD
Gas mix: 33%
Best moment: Finding the last Nudi at 11 feet! (10 species in all)
Things to do differently next time: DRY SUIT!!!!!!!!
Comments: Friday was nice, lets do it twice!

WOW. What a dive. What conditions. Have you dropped everything to run to MarineLand? If not, you need to shake yourself.

This morning was cold - actually colder than yesterday, but with no breeze, not even a puff, and with a DRY wetsuit, it was a much better morning for me.




I'm still wetsuit diving. And in all honesty, I'd do this dive again in a wetsuit. Diving low tide at MarineLand off the point is really a wetsuit dive. The rock climbing on the way OUT, after the dive is pretty bumpy - you're scrambling.

Once again, we get in at the point, and we go right (west, sort of.) At Minute ONE we see our first Nudi - a Limbaughs. At minute TWO I find my first big vacant cowrey. At minute three Dette finds the first of about a dozen Octos.

Then is got really fun. 10 Species of Nudi today, including some new ones we didn't see yesterday:

* Fed Ex (many)
* Limbaughs (zillions)
* MacFarlands (a couple)
* Sea Lemon (surprisingly not many...)
* Sandy (two!)
* Hopkins Rose (OMG - so many. Especially in <20 feet)
* Yellow-Lined Cadlina (a mating pair, then a single)
* Tata's
* Cockerell's dorid (one - at 11 feet!)
* Clown nudi (one)

It was a Nudi fest. Again. Well, and an Octo Fest. Again.

We resolved on the walk down that we would suck it up, be cold, but we would get in about 75 or 80 minutes of diving today. We would dive until our toes cracked off, our hands turned to stone and we couldn't stand the shiver any more.

We lasted about 88 minutes.

We still came out with about 900 PSI.

We dived a lot farther west this time - making it to the edge of Buchanan's reef. Man - that place is great. We are SO diving there when we get the scooters back.

I found a fresh anchor. That was cool. My first. Of course I had nothing to bring it up with - so its still there.

We are so going back tomorrow (Sunday) to complete the trifecta. My housing is back!!! SO this time I'll have lots of pics of the wacky Nudis and Octos and hopefully we'll spot some more of the little fringehead whack-a-mole blennys.


Dette - you rule. I didn't think it was possible to top Friday's dive. Your resolve to be cold and uncomfortable, to sacrifice a warm bed to get up early to come and dive with me when conditions are perfect - it inspires me and I am grateful.

If you're a SoCal, you need to get out here and dive ML. Who knows how long these conditions will last.

Don't miss it!


Ken

 

[Beachlover]

Date: Friday 12/20/08
Dive Location: MarineLand
Buddy(ies): Who else? HBletsdothisagainGurl
Time: 8:47 AM
Bottom Time: 88 minutes
Max Depth: 54 FSW
Vis: 25 - 30 (Clearer than yesterday!)
Wave height: Seattle entry. With SoCal rock hopping.
Temp at depth: 56-friggen-degrees....
Surface Temp: FIDDY. FIVE-OH.
Tide information: 11:02 AM low (+1.3) pushing to +3.2 at 4:42 PM. Second December WOTAD
Gas mix: 33%
Best moment: Finding the last Nudi at 11 feet! (10 species in all)
Things to do differently next time: DRY SUIT!!!!!!!!
Comments: Friday was nice, lets do it twice!

WOW. What a dive. What conditions. Have you dropped everything to run to MarineLand? If not, you need to shake yourself.

This morning was cold - actually colder than yesterday, but with no breeze, not even a puff, and with a DRY wetsuit, it was a much better morning for me.




I'm still wetsuit diving. And in all honesty, I'd do this dive again in a wetsuit. Diving low tide at MarineLand off the point is really a wetsuit dive. The rock climbing on the way OUT, after the dive is pretty bumpy - you're scrambling.

Once again, we get in at the point, and we go right (west, sort of.) At Minute ONE we see our first Nudi - a Limbaughs. At minute TWO I find my first big vacant cowrey. At minute three Dette finds the first of about a dozen Octos.

Then is got really fun. 10 Species of Nudi today, including some new ones we didn't see yesterday:

* Fed Ex (many)
* Limbaughs (zillions)
* MacFarlands (a couple)
* Sea Lemon (surprisingly not many...)
* Sandy (two!)
* Hopkins Rose (OMG - so many. Especially in <20 feet)
* Yellow-Lined Cadlina (a mating pair, then a single)
* Tata's
* Cockerell's dorid (one - at 11 feet!)
* Clown nudi (one)

It was a Nudi fest. Again. Well, and an Octo Fest. Again.

We resolved on the walk down that we would suck it up, be cold, but we would get in about 75 or 80 minutes of diving today. We would dive until our toes cracked off, our hands turned to stone and we couldn't stand the shiver any more.

We lasted about 88 minutes.

We still came out with about 900 PSI.

We dived a lot farther west this time - making it to the edge of Buchanan's reef. Man - that place is great. We are SO diving there when we get the scooters back.

I found a fresh anchor. That was cool. My first. Of course I had nothing to bring it up with - so its still there.

We are so going back tomorrow (Sunday) to complete the trifecta. My housing is back!!! SO this time I'll have lots of pics of the wacky Nudis and Octos and hopefully we'll spot some more of the little fringehead whack-a-mole blennys.


Dette - you rule. I didn't think it was possible to top Friday's dive. Your resolve to be cold and uncomfortable, to sacrifice a warm bed to get up early to come and dive with me when conditions are perfect - it inspires me and I am grateful.

If you're a SoCal, you need to get out here and dive ML. Who knows how long these conditions will last.

Don't miss it!


Ken

Ken, thanks for your useful post.I will be there tomorrow morning for the first time in a couple of years. I hope tomorrow offers the awesome conditions that you two had!

 

[FrankPro1]

Just got settled after the dive today, conditions were pretty much the same as last week. Saw my first yellow dorids today! Completely stoaked Here are a few highlight pics of the dive.

Spainsh Shawl


A pair of Shawls


Good sized Dorid


A nice grouping of Strawberry Club Tipped Anenome


My dive buddy; SpKelpDiver

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The recent rain hasn't messed things up at Marineland, at least below water. The lower half of the trail was a bit muddy, making it difficult to pull the Bottomtime Buggy, despite its knobby tires. Tomorrow should be better.
There were no waves to speak of and entry was a breeze over the gravel exposed at low tide. Merry and I fed Abby, then slowly morphed our way along the reef. I found a Cuthona divae. It's the first one I've seen here other than at the point. I later found a Limacia cockerelli, another rare nudi for Cobble Beach.
Merry spotted three cormorants under water, including one that came up to check her out.
Schools of juvenile Blacksmith darted about the rocks while juvenile Senoritas cruised through the thick kelp.
After going back to feed Abby a second time I took one more picture. When I got home I noticed a tiny flatworm, Prostheceraeus bellostriatus. I wish I would have noticed it while I was there with a camera.
I surfaced in three feet right at my exit point. Evil Jeff and Good Sue were on the rocks watching me. As I waved, the gravel slipped out from under me and I fell to my knees. Even in flat conditions, Marineland is dangerous!
Visibility at Cobble Beach was 12-15 feet with 56F water.

 

[FrankPro1]

As I waved, the gravel slipped out from under me and I fell to my knees. Even in flat conditions, Marineland is dangerous!

Awesome pics as usual Max! I know what you mean about entry/exit @ marineland. Last week my buddy and I didn't time the swells right during an extreme low tide.... Lets just say later that day we were both licking our wounds and I spent a good time cleaning my brand new reg that was packed with sand. Still though... diving these last two weeks have been QUITE worth it.

 

[SPKelpDiver]

Thanks for the report Mo2vation. Yea conditions were sweet, Frank and I have been loving Marineland these past two weeks. We were both suprised about how many nudis were out out. We saw 3 dorids, the one in the pic was pretty big. Spanish Shawls? we saw more of those than Garabaldi, yea it was kick ass. I can only imagine how sweet Long Point was. Hey I love the pictures Max, you and Psychosolodiver keep me entertained when I am not diving.
Anybody who wants some of the Marineland action needs to get there tommarow, swell is coming by monday morning, mainly passing us by because of the swell angle, but its powerful enough to make the dive conditions average at best. Good luck and get the hell down to Marineland.

 

[calwolf]

I'm hoping conditions stay as good as they've been... it'll be my first time diving the area this upcoming week... can probably start around the 26th. Thanks for the trip reports and nice photos!

 

[FrankPro1]

I'm hoping conditions stay as good as they've been... it'll be my first time diving the area this upcoming week... can probably start around the 26th.

The incoming swell track for south Los Angeles county for December 25-27th looks pretty bad. Things can change from now till then... But the swell its predicting is pretty intense. If you can't re-arrange dates, your best bet would be to try to go the Casino Point or some other other island spot. Shore diving will most likely be out of the question. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

 

[calwolf]

I'll be around til about Jan 1, and will try to pick the good days (I can dive any day). Thanks for the warning though, I'll be sure to monitor conditions.