miket
Guest
Date: 11/19/06
Dive Location: Laguna Beach, Deadman's Reef
Buddy(ies): James and Eric
Time: 10:45 AM
Bottom Time: 45 min.
Max Depth: 46 fsw
Vis: 12-20ft
Wave height: 2-4 ft
Temp at depth: 60
Surface Temp: ?
Tide information: mid tide going out
Gas mix:air
Comments: had a great dive at Deadman's reef in Laguna today. Beautiful sunny day. Entry was easy between sets, very clear water over the sand on the swim out to the end of the point. Swam past seal rock, decended and did the south by southwest swim underwater to the reef. Saw some sardine schools during the surface swim, and found a small flatfish on the sand on the underwater swim.
Once we found the reef, we saw a couple of nice sized octopus, the largest guitarfish I have ever seen, big schools of what my buddies thought was Sargo, although I think it was something else, they were fairly big fish in a tight school. Seen them before at a different Laguna site. The reef was covered with scallops, gargonians, sea hares and sponges.
There were giant schools of Blacksmith all around the reef, all different sizes. Many Garibaldi of course, as well as lots of different sized sheepshead. We saw some real big scorpionfish and large sand bass too.
I didn't see it, but other buddies saw a yellow goby, maybe a black eye goby, but more yellow.
It's such a fantastic dive site, it's too bad it's so far from shore, the underwater trek eats up lots of air, leaving little time to explore the large deep reef out there.
Exit was also very easy, the showers at this site are a great for a quick rinse.
- MikeT
Dive Location: Laguna Beach, Deadman's Reef
Buddy(ies): James and Eric
Time: 10:45 AM
Bottom Time: 45 min.
Max Depth: 46 fsw
Vis: 12-20ft
Wave height: 2-4 ft
Temp at depth: 60
Surface Temp: ?
Tide information: mid tide going out
Gas mix:air
Comments: had a great dive at Deadman's reef in Laguna today. Beautiful sunny day. Entry was easy between sets, very clear water over the sand on the swim out to the end of the point. Swam past seal rock, decended and did the south by southwest swim underwater to the reef. Saw some sardine schools during the surface swim, and found a small flatfish on the sand on the underwater swim.
Once we found the reef, we saw a couple of nice sized octopus, the largest guitarfish I have ever seen, big schools of what my buddies thought was Sargo, although I think it was something else, they were fairly big fish in a tight school. Seen them before at a different Laguna site. The reef was covered with scallops, gargonians, sea hares and sponges.
There were giant schools of Blacksmith all around the reef, all different sizes. Many Garibaldi of course, as well as lots of different sized sheepshead. We saw some real big scorpionfish and large sand bass too.
I didn't see it, but other buddies saw a yellow goby, maybe a black eye goby, but more yellow.
It's such a fantastic dive site, it's too bad it's so far from shore, the underwater trek eats up lots of air, leaving little time to explore the large deep reef out there.
Exit was also very easy, the showers at this site are a great for a quick rinse.
- MikeT
realizing there is nothing as good as silty water when you want to hide an entire wreck! Hmmmm... let's regroup and talk this over like smart monkeys. We surfaced, finding that we had indeed boxed three equilateral sides of a square from the boat. Thick kelp separated us from the bobbing boat. We took a heading for the boat, descended, kicked forward for about 5 minutes, and ran smack into the wreck at minute 20 of the dive. Apparently Scott really did smack into it pretty hard at one point! The surge was comical... wildly forceful waves swooshed us back and forth next to the prickly and rusted old skeleton of the ship. We wanted to get close to see things, but then had to fend ourselves off the structure using both hands. It's a huge sprawling thing that we circumnavigated in 30 minutes of close examination. I sighed at the ever worsening viz... and then laughed to realize: "HOLY Mackeral.. the sun is setting! No wonder it's feeling like a night dive!" We surfaced to see the sun's red ball vanish behind the distant fog bank. We had left the dock 8 hours earlier and the day had rolled by in laughter, friendship, and the joy of repetitive mechanical acts. 
