The Pasley April 06 Dive Report Thread

[ChrisM]

Date: April 26, 2006
Dive Location: Vets
Buddy(ies): Chris
Time: 7:00
Bottom Time: :45
Max Depth: 68'
Vis: 10 to 30 fsw, 20 below that
Wave height: 0-2'
Temp at depth: 59 at surface, 52 at depth
Comments: was supposed to get a run in, since I've been so bad lately, but headed to Redondo instead of the gym, just to see what it was like. Flat, pre rain, and little red tide, so I raced home to get my gear. Too quick so no camera

We dropped into 10 foot viz at 20 feet, headed east into the Canyon. Shortly I see a pipefish, always a good sign, these are one of my favorite species. Like a seahorse, but say we've each taken an end and pulled it straight Overall, saw around 10 of them, the most I've ever seen. My favorites are the ones "hiding" along an old kelp strand or in a clump of grass, swaying gently back and forth as if merely another piece of plant. They are also very curious, and will come right up to your light, or settle lightly on an outstretched glove

Dropping to 68 feet viz opened to 20 or so, or to the end of my light, which is really all I need. Loads of hermissendas laying their eggs up on the top of the sticks and eel grass. Tons of octos too, from a foot or so across to an inch or so across. Skeleton shrimp as far as the eye could see. Funny, thought I had only seen these shallow before, now they're everywhere. Evan found one attached to a pipefish. Some rotten stinking old squid eggs left over from the feast a couple months ago

Dive 716, 68 fsw, 48:00, 52 Suunto degrees below 50 feet, 59 up top, liking rising into a warm bath


Chris

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Date: April 29, 2006
Dive Location: Marineland
Buddy(ies): Lars and Tony for the first portion and Jim Lyle, Scott and Margaret Webb and Chris Menjou for the second part
Time: 7:54, 8:33 and 10:44
Bottom Time: 2:04 total
Max Depth: 66'
Vis: 10-20'
Wave height: 1-2'
Temp at depth: 51F
Comments: I arrived early to find Lars and Tony suiting up. We entered from the point and headed to the spot where we found dozens of the Rainbow nudibranchs, Dendronotus iris last week. We only found one today. Lars and Tony headed over to the pinnacles while I scouted the deeper section of the reef for my little friends. I found a dozen or more near my favorite wall. Just as I was setting a marker I heard the Popeye Maru arriving with Real photographers. I waited at the surface until Jim and Chris joined me, then we headed back down to where the strobes began firing. Scott and Margaret joined us a little later. Hopefully there will be many great shots posted tonight. Jim also found a Tritonia diomedea nudi out in the sand.
I hitched a ride back to the cove and made my way up to the parking lot to change tanks. During my next entry I ripped a hole in my drysuit, flooding it instantly. Since I was already in the water, I continued diving for another hour. This time, I found many more Rainbow nudis in 40-45'. I saw the Popeye Maru farther offshore this time, so I thought they may have lost the marker from the first dive. I towed it back in. Much to my surprise, they followed me, trying to retrieve the float. Divebum Don arrived to carry my fins and weightbelt up the hill while I sloshed around in water-filled boots. I'll make repairs later and try for a couple more dives in the morning.
Chris Menjou, Scott Webb, Margaret Webb and Jim Lyle

 

[ChrisM]

Hey, I really AM behind the waterspot! Thanks for the tour Phil, they were there, right where you said they'd be. Haven't downloaded yet, but your pics are as good as any I got. I actually like the unoconventional lighting you use. I found the same nudi/fan combo as in your pic #5, you get a better pic of it.

Now, if I couls just figure out why my air consumption was so crummy......

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Jim just posted his report. I want to be you guys when I grow up!
http://diver.net/bbs/posts001/63432.shtml

 

[divinman]

Great images Phil!! Thats easily the largest Iris I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing.

Terry

 

[MaxBottomtime]

In the new Howard Hall IMAX 3D film there is one about 12" long. I was there last Sunday with my GF, dive buddy Jeff and his wife Sue. When the scene with the tube anemones came up we just knew we were going to see one. We saw about 30 earlier in the day at Marineland. All the people around us were amazed and I heard a few say they wish they could see something like that. We looked at each other and smiled. I just love being a diver in SoCal!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Date: April 30, 2006
Dive Location: Marineland
Buddy(ies): Solo
Time: 8:53
Bottom Time: 1:08
Max Depth: 65'
Vis: 20'
Wave height: 1-2'
Comments: Lars and I dropped down on the main reef and when I stopped to take a picture, he made a Bee Line for the Popeye Maru anchored offshore. I slowly made my way down to the edge of the reef where I found more Rainbow nudibranchs laying eggs and eating. The current was still pretty strong so I made my way Northeast toward the cove. Along the way I saw a large Lingcod, more Rainbow nudis and Greg & Shanon(Divin' Smurf).
My drysuit patch job worked great. No new water entered the suit despite the outside patch coming loose. I'll try better glue later.

Divin' Smurf, aka MiniMax

Passing the semi on the left

Tiny nudi eggs on a Swell shark egg

Lingcod

Limbaugh's Cadlina

Hudson's Dorid

Another baby on the way.

Nudi porn

Cuthona divae

Simnia snail, Delonovolva aequalis on a red gorgonian

Monterey dorid

Mating and Munching

Mommy, I'm stuck!

How do you like your eggs?

 

[divinman]

Date: 04/30/2006
Dive Location: La Jolla Shores/ Detritus patch in front of the LGT
Time: 08:27
Bottom Time: 65 minutes
Max Depth: 75ft
Vis: 10-15ish definitely better deeper
Wave height: 1-2
Temp at depth: 55f
Surface Temp: 58f
Gas mix: 21%
Image Gallery: http://www.scubapost.net/forums/Scorpionfish/043006/

After the camera fiasco of yesterday, I decided to try my luck again at photographing nudibranchs in the detritus patch off the main beach. I set up the camera, this time remembering to REMOVE THE LENS CAP. As I was gearing up I tore the neck seal on my drysuit. I have been telling myself to buy a replacement for about a month now....didn’t get around to it. "Luckily" there was a kind soul there that offered to loan me his "repaired" ZipSeal. It looked a bit ghetto but I figured it was going to be that or head back home without a dive today.....Easy decision.

After installing the neck seal and gingerly pulling it over my head, I shrugged on the gear and we headed into the surf. Surf being just a line of water today as there really wasn't any waves to speak of.

Kicked out to about 75 yards past the buoy and dropped into the gloom of red tide. Leveled off just above the bottom at 30ft and headed west. We reached the detritus patch in short order and I went into hunt mode...just as I felt the first icy trickle of water down my spine.

For the next 50 minutes or so I continued to hunt and photograph the myriad of life that thrives in these underwater buffets. I managed to spot ~5 species of nudibranchs today including the ever present H. crassicornis, D. Iris, F. pricie, Papillosa and D. frondosus. <Big Grin Here>

Also spotted today were two new ones for me. Two as yet unidentified gastropods and a large white "worm"? I have sent images to the resident experts for id'ing.

....meanwhile my drysuit continued to seep cold water down my back and chest. At 50 minutes I was shivering more than I felt comfortable with so I clipped of the camera and headed east toward the beach and the sun.

Once back at the truck I found no standing water in the suit but my undergarment was soaked to the point that when I hung it up, water dripped on the ground. BRRRRRRRR.

Quick change of clothes and I was again warm. Janet bought me a coffee and all was good in the world.

Even with the wet and cold, it was still worth it.

Terry:woot:

 

[JMdiver]

Date: 4/29/06
Dive Location: Leo Carillo
Buddy(ies):Robert
Time: 8:40 AM
Bottom Time: 46 min.
Max Depth: 24fsw
Vis: 5 ft
Wave height: 1-2 ft an occasional 3 ft'er
Temp at depth: 52
Tide information: Very low
Gas mix: air
Comments: We entered on the east side of Leo by the rocks. The reefs here were nice we saw some Lobsters a Octo an aqua green nudi that I've never seen before.

Happy Diving
John

 

[Roughwaterjohn]

La Jolla Shores, Saturday 04-29-2006

Info:
Buddies- Terry, Stephanie and Janet
Heavy marine layer, cool, with no wind
-1’ low tide, increasing on a 1.6 knot flood
Sea surface temperature, 58 degrees
Bottom temperature @ max depth 52 degrees
Visibility 5’ on the flatlands, 15’ in the canyon
Minimal wave action and only minor surge in the shallows, none at depth
Maximum depth 104’
Total bottom time 52 minutes

Photos:
Under the don’t ask don’t tell policy, all I can say at this time is that there are no pictures available.

The Report:

Terry, Stephanie, Janet and I split into two buddy groups. Using matching chromosome pairs, we spilt into an X group and a Y group. The tide was very low, giving us a long flat stretch of sand to cross. That, combined with the flat, virtually waveless sea under a grey sunless sky, gave the impression of one large sheet of glass before us, with no border between the two. Waist high water found us putting our fins on, as two of our party, only minutes apart, made it known that two fins had been dropped to the bottom. Terry generously recovered both, while the names of the offenders will remain a secret to conceal the identities of Janet and yours truly. Further disturbing the glassy sea with our fins, we were at the orange buoy in front of the lifeguard tower in minutes.

We dropped down through murky water, seeing the bottom just prior to arrival at 24’. Cruising towards the canyon edge was like driving through daytime fog, with dark shapes ahead disappearing mirage like as we got closer, making the seal that buzzed us at the beginning of our dive all the more exciting. Dropping into the canyon offered up nighttime fog conditions.

Nearing 100’, Terry stopped to take a photograph of some creature as yet unseen by me. He futzed and flashed for awhile, before looking at me and pointing into his cameras large lens. I obliged, not knowing what I was looking for. Yes Terry, I thought to myself, the lens of your camera says Olympus, so what. Taking a closer look I realized, no……actually Terry, the ‘lens cap’ visible through your lens says Olympus, creating a barrier the best digital desires couldn’t get through. His camera days it seemed were over, at least for this dive.

Of all creatures great and small, it was the smaller versions we would see today. Heading south from our max depth, we saw, in no particular order, Triopha Maculatas, Hermissendas by the gross, Dendronotus frondosus, Aeolidia papillosa, California Sea slugs, a baby, almost microscopic Octopus, a Sea Mouse, a very large Moon snail, a larger version of our first Octopus and a Sarcastic Fringhead. As we continued ascending along the wall, we also came across a mating pair of Roughback Sculpins. One other creature of note were the hundreds of Brittle Stars covering the wall, their intertwining limbs creating a wonderful lace-like blanket over the sand.

The return over the sand was a bit uneventful, the only noticeable creatures were Stingrays, and this due only to their complete absence. Seeing little else except surge generated sand storms, we continued under the waves, standing up in the shallows to remove our fins, failing this time to donate any to Neptune. Overall, a great dive with great friends, and you can’t ask for much more than that.

John A.