SoCal Dive Reports - Let us know about your dive!

[Scuba Lawyer]

...but we did come across several of the older “wrecks” in the park.

Speaking of relatively old wrecks, @Sam Miller III and I were in Avalon on November 14, 1980 when the ferrocement hull Su Jaq slipped its mooring just outside the dive park, hit the breakwater and sank bow down on a 45 degree list during a heavy Santa Ana Wind. The park boundaries were subsequently extended to include the wreck. Not to miss out, Sam and I came back to dive the wreck either the next weekend or the following one. Not a lot left of that wreck these days. Lots of good dive stories there. Mark

 

[azstinger11]

@azstinger11

You apparently have it together - Very impressive procedures for analyzing possible dive locations .

So encouraging that you don't only dive Shaw's or Divers cove and have branched out north and south. ​

So many great aquatic programs in SoCal that create divers rather than the current norm of people who dive - A huge difference !

In the original LA Co ADP I presented a slide show on OC dive locations; Dr. Otto Gasser presented LA Co and the late great charter boat skipper Roy Hauser presented the channel islands.

Dale's book was patterned after "Diving West" which was the first California dive guide published in the early 1970s. My dive partner the late Ron Merker (@Dr bills basic instructor) and I authored the OC section. You can still locate copies in SoCal used book market but I assume are becoming increasing rare - but a good comparison of then & now

For 15 years I taught a extremely intensive ADP at Orange Coast College. One of the rainy day -big surf - experiences was a tour of OC dive locations I also presented it to interested divers as a public service for several years after OCC, my last was about 25 plus years ago. That tour was photographed by John Rice who was employed by S/C until it closed its doors- I often question what ever happened to John's movie ?

One summer my son. who is now a ER/Hyperbaric Doc, wanted to dive every dive location in OC- we began with the Newport train and ended up at the barge at San Clemente. I some how suspect he is the only one of his generation to have dove ALL of OC!

Good luck to you and your diving

Sam Miller, 111

@Sam Miller III

I am trying to track down a copy of the book you referenced above. The closest I could find I is this:

Diving West Service Publication Southern by Fulton John - AbeBooks

But I have some concerns as the author's name doesn't match and it's a 1980's printing. If that isn't the correct book, by any chance would you have access to the ISBN of the actual book? Or any other details in locating a copy would be greatly appreciated it!

 

[Sam Miller III]

That is the second edition -- essentially the same but with different articles by people who did not contribute the first edition.

My then popular article Keepen Kreepers was not included-- It was how to preserve marine critters using common household items.

The book has a place as a significant historical document as the very first dive guide to California diving. I was honored to have been part of it. The OC section was written by the late Ron Merker (@drbills basic Instructor ) and yours truly

I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and it is informative for you and your diving adventures


Sam

 

[azstinger11]

That is the second edition -- essentially the same but with different articles by people who did not contribute the first edition.

My then popular article Keepen Kreepers was not included-- It was how to preserve marine critters using common household items.

The book has a place as a significant historical document as the very first dive guide to California diving. I was honored to have been part of it. The OC section was written by the late Ron Merker (@drbills basic Instructor ) and yours truly

I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and it is informative for you and your diving adventures


Sam

Sam,

Thank as always for the information! The wife and I made a great day of tracking through the used book stores of San Clemente, Dana Point, Laguna, and Newport Beach. We sadly couldn't locate any copies of your book but we picked up a small treasure trove other worthwhile diving/marine identification/oceanography/and ocean weather related books. Plus we checked out numerous dive sites along the way! I ordered the second edition copy I linked above and was able to find a 1st edition copy from a small camera book store in Oregon of all places!

Chris

 

[Sam Miller III]

@azstinger11

Welcome to a horrible hobby-- a diving bibliophile !
When I travel south I also make a point to visit the used book stores

It would be a better diving world if there were more who relied the written published word rather than "I think, I believe, I suppose, some one told me" or the big one " If it isn't on google it didn't (or did) happen !"

My interest in the UW world began when I was a teenager and after all these good and great years has never wained. Like you I began my dive library as soon as I was separated from the USAF.

Rather than publish a listing of my dive library I will send you a PM

Enjoy, and welcome to the diving bibliophile world

Sam

 

[tdmp]

Sharks!

Dive Site: Malaga Cove, LA County

Date: September 2, 2019, 8am

Conditions: Low tide but rising. Normally not a good place to dive in low tide conditions due to the slippery rocky entry / exit but the small swell (1-2) made up for it.

Water Temp: 67 on the surface, 59 @ 20ft.

Visibility: Average, 5-6ft in the shallows, 12-15ft on the deeper sections of the reef.


Comments: Malaga is not known for its visibility or easy entry. Visibility is good only a few times a year so most dives will be "average" visibility. This means the first 200 yards of surface swim through the brown murk and then it starting to clear up once you descend to 12-15 ft of depth. No surface kelp right now, so we submerged and took a West heading, loosely following the exposed rock and reef layers. 30 mins out then 30 mins back. Besides numerous lobsters hiding in the nooks, we saw a fairly good sized octopus hiding from us. However the highlight of the trip was on the way back. We were swimming in 18-20ft, the reef on our right shoulder, the sloping sand on our left shoulder. I looked left and saw a large shark swimming mid water past us, probably 7-8ft in length, white on the bottom and grey on the top. My first though was Great White! but then I saw the tail. It was a long, whip-like tail and I immediately recognized it as a thresher shark. I turned to get my buddies attention but alas, it had swam away in the murk.

As we came back into the shallows, we did see a Horned shark on the bottom, probably 3-4ft in length. So we did see sharks (plural) but seeing a thresher shark up close was incredible!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

There have been several sevengill sharks spotted in the area of Malaga Cove recently. H


Here is a thresher from the area.

 

[tdmp]

Well now that you’ve posted those videos I’m not sure. Maybe it was the seven gill shark? It was a quick glimpse so I can’t be sure. I guess I’ll have to go back with a camera now.....either way it was a neat sight!

 

[Ready4Launch]

I was out on the Peace this past Sunday, 27Oct2019. We were supposed to make it to the Spirit of America near Scorpion Rock, but the captain didn't like the conditions. So, we were on Gunsight (north side), Goldfish Bowl, and Flame Reef. The first two were anchored further offshore than is the typical Anacapa visit. We descended Gunsight to 100' and 70' for Goldfish. Viz was 40-50' or better at times on all three sites. Temps were low 60s with deeper depths seeing mid-upper 50s. Not much current. Wind was picking up as the day went along, and we all wished the sun would have erupted through the clouds sooner than our exit from the water on the 3rd dive!!

I've been doing so much beach diving of late that this trip and one to SBI last month that anything better than 15' viz is like ... unbelievable! Great dives. Lots of nudis. Sea lions, lobsters, fish, 1 juvenile GSB, bat rays, yellow fin barracuda, and more. One of the more enjoyable boat dives too, since there was a large proportion of advanced divers, and on the whole, everyone seemed to be well connected through dive buddies to people/groups they didn't know. Great day of diving!

 

[Trailboss123]

I was out on the Peace this past Sunday, 27Oct2019. We were supposed to make it to the Spirit of America near Scorpion Rock, but the captain didn't like the conditions. So, we were on Gunsight (north side), Goldfish Bowl, and Flame Reef. The first two were anchored further offshore than is the typical Anacapa visit. We descended Gunsight to 100' and 70' for Goldfish. Viz was 40-50' or better at times on all three sites. Temps were low 60s with deeper depths seeing mid-upper 50s. Not much current. Wind was picking up as the day went along, and we all wished the sun would have erupted through the clouds sooner than our exit from the water on the 3rd dive!!

I've been doing so much beach diving of late that this trip and one to SBI last month that anything better than 15' viz is like ... unbelievable! Great dives. Lots of nudis. Sea lions, lobsters, fish, 1 juvenile GSB, bat rays, yellow fin barracuda, and more. One of the more enjoyable boat dives too, since there was a large proportion of advanced divers, and on the whole, everyone seemed to be well connected through dive buddies to people/groups they didn't know. Great day of diving!

Nice report and very encouraging! Bummer the sun didn't pop out earlier. So often seems to be the case that it does just as you are pulling up anchor to head back to the mainland. 70ft is pretty deep for Goldfish Bowl. Sounds like a great day!