I sure missed you guys! Here's my dive report from La Paz. I hope it's okay to post it here??
Date: 1-Oct.
Dive Location: La Paz, MX
Time: 7:00 AM
Bottom Time: 0
Wave height: Hurricane Otis = muy grande waves!
Comments: Lost day #1 of diving due to Hurricane Otis, a category 1. Lots of wind, big waves and the port was closed. Our dive boat couldn't get out. So we went snorkling in the afternoon near Las Conchas hotel. A small group of us made our way across the warm sandy beach, when a nasty bee decided to land on my arm and proceed to sting me! Big jerk. Anyhow, that wasn't gonna stop me from snorkling - the salt water actually helped the sting. Unfortunately, there were very tiny stinging hydroids of some sort. Felt like an acidic burning sensation although not super intense. Loads of fish! My goodness the colors!
Date: 2-Oct, 2005, Dive #1
Dive Location: Suwanne Reef
Time: 9:52 AM
Bottom Time: 53 minutes
Max Depth: 31 feet
Vis: 35 feet
Wave height: (Swell height) - just huge, 8 foot where we would lose site of the boat when in the bottom of the swell.
Temp at depth: 81
Surface Temp: 85
Tide information: no idea
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: So, luckily today they open the port at 7:30 AM and a group of joyous divers get underway. We anchor about an hour later and the boat is just rocking. Serious rockin'. Like hang onto everything! The site had a small reef structure, surrounded by sandy bottom. No noticable current or surge when at depth. But unfortunately, those nasty "stinging things". Ouch and ouch - I got stung on the upper lip and was feeling it until the next day!
Lots activity - felt like being in an aquarium. I think half the fun was just watching the fish interact with eachother (territorial battles, egg snatching fish get their lunch, schooling fish nibbling at the sandy bottom, etc.) My buddy and I surface to big swells. She get's seriously sea sick and we are a ways from the boat. We start kicking and the wind has other plans for us. Kicking harder yields us no closer to the boat. She and I inflate our sausages and get a pick up from the boat. Interesting to say the least.....
Date: 2-Oct, 2005
Dive Location: San Rafaelito, Dive #2
Time: 12:35 PM
Bottom Time: 51 minutes
Max Depth: 41 feet
Vis: 12 - 15 feet (felt like a Laguna dive)
Wave height: (Swell) was running 3-4
Temp at depth: 82
Surface Temp: 89
Tide information: no idea
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: A few less stinging things this dive. The viz was similar to Laguna and the rocky slope structure reminded me of Italian Gardens. Loads of green moray eels, teenie-tiny fry, more beautiful fish and crevices to peek into.
Date: 3-Oct, 2005
Dive Location: Los Islotes (Sea Lion Rookery), Dive #3
Time: 10:37 AM
Bottom Time: 57 minutes
Max Depth: 108 feet
Vis: 80-100
Wave height: 1-2
Temp at depth: 79
Surface Temp: 89
Tide information: no idea
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: A beautiful day of diving and no stingy things! We decided to make our first dive a deep dive. After hitting about 108 feet, we made our way back up the sandy/rocky slope. The entertainment arrived - 3 young female sea lions who decided our fins and snorkles were bitable. It was a riot getting my fins nibbled on. Everytime I'd try and swim away, she'd grab my calf between her flippers. Such beautiful creatures!
Date: 3-Oct, 2005
Dive Location: Los Islotes (Sea Lion Rookery), Dive #4
Time: 1:57PM
Bottom Time: 59 minutes
Max Depth: 64 feet
Vis: 80-100
Wave height: 1-2
Temp at depth: 81
Surface Temp: 89
Tide information: no idea
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: We decided to venture through the bridge between the two small island structures. The walls were absolutely teaming with life - corals, sponges, fish, eels, tiny shrimp, etc. The current was ripping pretty good through the bridge. After finining pretty hard, we were treated with drift diving around the island (toward our boat). This was my first experience with drift diving... what a blast! Almost as fun as shooting through the Crevice at shaw's but warmer. Again, the sea lion entertainment commitee was in full force.
Date: 3-Oct, 2005
Dive Location: Fang Meng (Natural Reef - shipwreck) Dive #5
Time: 3:48 PM
Bottom Time: 48 minutes
Max Depth: 66 feet
Vis: 40-50
Wave height: 1-2
Temp at depth: 83
Surface Temp: 91
Tide information: no idea
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: The Fang Meng sits upright on a sandy bottom, which we absolutely had a blast exporing. My buddy and I cruised through the wheel house and down along the second deck. The Fang Meng has been fully diver preped, with lots of cut outs, sharp objects removed, etc. and sunlight streaming through the hull. This was my first experience with wreck penetration - what a treat! We even found the very rare juvie Cortez Angelfish hanging out at the bow.
Date: 4-Oct, 2005
Dive Location: La Reyna Dive #6 & #7
Time: 11:02 AM, 1:19 PM
Bottom Time: 61minutes, 58 minutes
Max Depth: 44 feet, 33 feet
Vis: 60-80
Wave height: 1
Temp at depth: 82
Surface Temp: 91
Tide information: no idea
Gas mix: Air (21%)
Comments: Our last dives were at La Reyna - an absolutely amazing dive site. The area consists of sandy bottom sloping up to a rocky walled island, where a small lighthouse sits. A few sea lions hit the water with us but weren't interested in our fins this time. The highlight of these dives were the schooling fish - herring, skipjacks... So many fish that the water would get dark as they swirled around. I can't begin to describe the sheer number of fish in the school. My dive buddies and I were surprised at finding several eel skeletons. One of my buddies had reported seeing a bunch of fish picking on an eel. All in all, a great dive site and a nice way to end a vacation.
