SoCal Dive Reports - Let us know about your dive!

[James S]

Dive Site: Bombora, LA County Line
Date: 7/5/11
Conditions: surf 1-2.5
Water Temp:61 @38 fsw
Visibility:10-13 feet
Dive Buddys: Leopard Sharks, Bat Rays, my bubbles

Another great day in the north county. Started out with a long swim to the Bombora, swung to the west and hit the outer kelp and then enjoyed the 45 minute swim back in over the barren sand. The inside was pretty surgy but out in the kelp it was quite calm. All the usual suspects were present in the kelp with tons of bait fish. Overall it was a pretty good dive considering the conditions of late. If you have a couple of hours to kill (bring doubles) it is a great spot. I'm going to hit the kelp at Zeros on Friday.

 

[surfinusa555]

Site: Leo Carrillo State Beach, Malibu - far north reef
Date: 07/08/2011 12:20 pm (4:16 pm high tide @ 5.4ft)
Conditions: 2-3 ft surf, 4-6 ft sets - medium surge
Water temp: 55f
Vis: 5-10 ft
5 foot vis in close but out past the reef in the rocky urchin barren there was about 10 ft vis and much less surge.

 

[fxholt]

Bat Ray at Casino Point

Site: Casino Point
Date: 7/9/11
Conditions: slight surge
temp: 64 degrees
vis: 25-30 feet
buddy: co-worker
Had 2 great, hour-long dives in the park yesterday- max depth 45 feet, avg around 25. On the second dive we went to the right- southeast - and accidentally went out of the park there. Must say that that end of the park has fantastic giant kelp, very majestic, and this is where a large bat ray swam up to us out of the blue. Must have been around 5 feet wingspan, I had never seen one before. I just barely managed to catch it on video before it turned around and zoomed away. On looking this up online, and studying the video it now appears that it was a pair of bat rays in the act of mating. We also did find one little octo, and a few sheepheads, the usual suspects. I was shooting with a GoPro HD camera with the Eye Of Mine modified housing and extracted these still images from the video. Great day!

 

[JMdiver]

Dove White Point yesterday, the entry was nice & the exit was great. We had around 8 ft of vis. It is so full of Southern Sea Palm & Pterygophra. There was a lot of life also, I saw about 8 Lobsters all shorts thou. Temp was around 61 deg. that was awesome. The deepest we got was 30fsw. Thanks to Robert for a good dive & early dinner partner.

John

 

[James S]

Dive Site: Windansea, La Jolla
Date: 7/26/2011
Conditions: sunny, surf 1-3, lots of surge
Water Temp: surface 69, 35fsw 66
Visibility: 8 to 15
Dive Buddys: my bubbles, some big sheephead and lots of surge

Made the swim out to the kelp from Windansea this morning after work. The vis in the outside was not to bad but on the swim out it was around 8 foot'ish till I hit about 20fsw. Lots of kelp bass, garibaldi, senoritas and assorted crabs. At about the hour and a half mark I started to feel the effects of the surge (got a little woozie for a minute!). Overall a nice sunny day with tons of cuties on the beach. To get 45 minutes or so in the kelp bring at least 160 cu. ft. of air, its a long swim.

 

[geoff w]

Dive Site: Dume Cove (Big Dume)
Date: Aug 4, 2011
Conditions: sunny, a little breeze, small waves, but mostly protected by the point. Tide going out
Water Temp: Surface 62 degrees, at 33 feet (bottom) 58 degrees
Visibility: 8 to 16 ft
Dive Buddys: Nick
Comments: I stopped by my LDS mid-afternoon on my way home from a meeting in El Segundo, asked the 16 year old son of one of the people working there "when are we going diving?", to which he replied he had his gear in his car, so I said "let's go diving". I hadn't dived Big Dume for a few years, and warned him about the hike back up the stairs. Small waves when we started, so easy to get out. Some pretty decent size black bass, big sheephead, and various senorita fish, kelp bass, starfish and urchins around the various little reefs. I didn't see the moray that followed me away from one of the little reefs. We worked our way out to about 33 feet deep, then headed back when he was getting low on air. Waves had picked up by then, but we managed to avoid the surfers on our way in. Greatly exceeded my expectations, and the waves kept getting bigger for the next few days. An easy and enjoyable dive (except the climb back up the stairs), definitely on my "to do again" list. Buddies welcome to join me next time late afternoon when conditions look OK.

It was way too late and conditions were way too rough to head out toward the pinnacles

 

[surfinusa555]

Site: Vet's Park - South by wall
Date: 08/16/2011 8:45 pm
Conditions: 1-2 ft surf, no surge
Water temp: 52f @ 81ft
Vis: 20+ ft
Dive buddy: jbakin
Lots of octopuses. Vis was fantastic. I could see as far as my light could shine!

 

[=C=]

Dive Site: goldfish bowl / scorpion anacapa
Date:8.20.11
Conditions: ripping current and 3 to 5 w/big swells
Water Temp:67
Visibility:18 to 30
Dive Buddys: Hector
Comments: diving in the marine park, Sea lions, rays, sheep fish, big kelp bass, lobster

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Dive Site: Laguna - Shaws cove
Date: 8.28.11
Conditions: Current was ripping. Surge like a hurricane. Swells at 3-5'
Water Temp:63
Visibility:10-15 (Silt Bowel)
Dive Buddys: the little lady
Comments: Bat Ray & Schools of Fish near the rocks - Even though the water was rough and silty still beats the best day of work.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Dive Site: La Jolla Shores - East Wall
Date: 9.6.11
Conditions: Surge was pretty agressive. Swells at 3-5'
Water Temp:63
Visibility:10' (Silt Bowel)
Dive Buddys: the little lady
Comments: Cold and Rainy but we did have a pod of dolphins swim within 30' of us!