The Pasley July 06 Dive Report Thread
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I'll post a Reef Check - related report in the Reef Check Forum later. This post is to report three dives yesterday July 6 and our experience with Ray on the Sundiver II. That little boat is a rocket.
I spent the night before on big Sundiver and met Ray and his wife loading the new little brother boat at 6:30. We had five divers on board - Chris and Greg from Reef Check, Dita and Chris from my Reef Check class and yours truley. We blasted across to the island - 21 knotts in the channel and then up to 31 when we got into the shadow of Catalina. Very smooth - remarkable hull design.
Rendezvoused with a California Fish and Games boat in Rippers and reviewed protocols, collected our abalone calipers and the 2 meter poles we would carry through the thick kelp to define our search windows relative to transect lines.
First dive was a bit tough due to all of the equipment, heavy kelp, and unfamiliarity with the protocol and data sheets. I also used my new 130 on this dive for the first time. Talk about task loading. Dropping down I passed a four pound lobster climbing up a kelp strand - the smart ones knew to get away from us on the bottom and that fish and game would protect them. Fortunately the first dive was pure practice.
The second dive was a test. Fish and Game layed out a transect line and seeded the course with a number of abalone shells including a few barely in or barely out the 2 meter lanes. Also down in crevaces etc. Of course some of the cracks also had morrays in them who did not want to be sized. The test dive went very well, and we were able to revise the protocol to separate out the micro (abalone sizing) and macro (terrain classification) tasks into separate swims.
Third dive was a fun dive down the coast by some caves just above the preserve. Neat thermocline at 26 feet reminded me that its still too early to dive without gloves.
I can't say enough about Ray and the Sundiver II. For a hot trip to the islands with six divers, Sundiver II is your rocket ship.
Jim
I spent the night before on big Sundiver and met Ray and his wife loading the new little brother boat at 6:30. We had five divers on board - Chris and Greg from Reef Check, Dita and Chris from my Reef Check class and yours truley. We blasted across to the island - 21 knotts in the channel and then up to 31 when we got into the shadow of Catalina. Very smooth - remarkable hull design.
Rendezvoused with a California Fish and Games boat in Rippers and reviewed protocols, collected our abalone calipers and the 2 meter poles we would carry through the thick kelp to define our search windows relative to transect lines.
First dive was a bit tough due to all of the equipment, heavy kelp, and unfamiliarity with the protocol and data sheets. I also used my new 130 on this dive for the first time. Talk about task loading. Dropping down I passed a four pound lobster climbing up a kelp strand - the smart ones knew to get away from us on the bottom and that fish and game would protect them. Fortunately the first dive was pure practice.
The second dive was a test. Fish and Game layed out a transect line and seeded the course with a number of abalone shells including a few barely in or barely out the 2 meter lanes. Also down in crevaces etc. Of course some of the cracks also had morrays in them who did not want to be sized. The test dive went very well, and we were able to revise the protocol to separate out the micro (abalone sizing) and macro (terrain classification) tasks into separate swims.
Third dive was a fun dive down the coast by some caves just above the preserve. Neat thermocline at 26 feet reminded me that its still too early to dive without gloves.
I can't say enough about Ray and the Sundiver II. For a hot trip to the islands with six divers, Sundiver II is your rocket ship.
Jim
Date: 7-8-06
Dive Location
eer Creek (Rick's Reef)
Buddy(ies):Robert, Billy & Mike (newbe)
Time: 8:06AM
Bottom Time: 43min
Max Depth: 31fsw
Vis: 5-8 ft
Wave height:1-1.5 ft
Temp at depth: 61D
Surface Temp:66D
Tide information: ?
Gas mix:Air
Comments:We headed out from the stairs about 150 yards in search of the 3rd reef. We descended there & continued South & when I think we found it we headed West. After about 30min we surfaced to see where we were, Billy & Mike surfaced swam back cause Mike was low on air. Robert & I went back down & headed back to the stairs & on the way back we saw our 2nd Octo of the dive. We saw the usual critters.
We had another good dive.
Happy Diving
John
Dive Location
eer Creek (Rick's Reef) Buddy(ies):Robert, Billy & Mike (newbe)
Time: 8:06AM
Bottom Time: 43min
Max Depth: 31fsw
Vis: 5-8 ft
Wave height:1-1.5 ft
Temp at depth: 61D
Surface Temp:66D
Tide information: ?
Gas mix:Air
Comments:We headed out from the stairs about 150 yards in search of the 3rd reef. We descended there & continued South & when I think we found it we headed West. After about 30min we surfaced to see where we were, Billy & Mike surfaced swam back cause Mike was low on air. Robert & I went back down & headed back to the stairs & on the way back we saw our 2nd Octo of the dive. We saw the usual critters.
We had another good dive.
Happy Diving
John
Date: 7-8-06
Dive Location: Shaw's Cove East/ Fisherman's West
Buddy: gf
Time: 10:33
Bottom Time: 55min
Max Depth: 33fsw
Vis: 8-12, 12-15 ft
Wave height:1-2 ft
Temp at depth: 61
Comments:
Absolutely amazing day in OCal. Beautiful topside conditions and pretty decent ones below. Viz wasn't great, but was a somewhat messy 12-15, and a pretty clean 8-12 or so. The reef just to the east of Shaw's is quickly becoming one of my favorites. There is always tons of life out, and today was the most I've seen there yet. When we first headed over we saw a large school of maybe 100 silvery fish (not sure on the ID), followed by a HUGE school of some other large variety. I would bet that there were several hundred fish in a tight, gigantic ball.
Lots of other large fish out, many acting as tour guides for a while and escorting us or following us around. Garibaldi were out in droves, with lots of cute juveniles starting to venture out from their nurseries. Saw many, many dead or molted lobsters; looks like there's gonna be some big ones to catch in a few months!
On the way back into Shaw's, we were fortunate to come across a 2-3 foot bat ray snacking on something in the sand. He let us watch him from pretty close for a few minutes before flying off in the direction of the main west reef.
Fun dive. Probably going to head back tomorrow and try again. Definitely gonna get there early though; parking was no fun today!
Dive Location: Shaw's Cove East/ Fisherman's West
Buddy: gf
Time: 10:33
Bottom Time: 55min
Max Depth: 33fsw
Vis: 8-12, 12-15 ft
Wave height:1-2 ft
Temp at depth: 61
Comments:
Absolutely amazing day in OCal. Beautiful topside conditions and pretty decent ones below. Viz wasn't great, but was a somewhat messy 12-15, and a pretty clean 8-12 or so. The reef just to the east of Shaw's is quickly becoming one of my favorites. There is always tons of life out, and today was the most I've seen there yet. When we first headed over we saw a large school of maybe 100 silvery fish (not sure on the ID), followed by a HUGE school of some other large variety. I would bet that there were several hundred fish in a tight, gigantic ball.
Lots of other large fish out, many acting as tour guides for a while and escorting us or following us around. Garibaldi were out in droves, with lots of cute juveniles starting to venture out from their nurseries. Saw many, many dead or molted lobsters; looks like there's gonna be some big ones to catch in a few months!
On the way back into Shaw's, we were fortunate to come across a 2-3 foot bat ray snacking on something in the sand. He let us watch him from pretty close for a few minutes before flying off in the direction of the main west reef.
Fun dive. Probably going to head back tomorrow and try again. Definitely gonna get there early though; parking was no fun today!
Date: July 8, 2006
Dive Location: Marineland
Buddy(ies): Merry
Time: 12:00
Bottom Time: 56 minutes
Max Depth: 50'
Vis: 12'
Wave height: 1'
Temp at depth: 59F
Comments: After spending about three hours in the Rocks, Rips and Reefs class this morning we decided to ditch school and actually get in the water. Conditions had worsened since Thursday but it was still very easy to walk in. We made the long surface swim to the point and began our descent. Merry had trouble clearing so we swam over to the shallow part of the reef and dropped down again. We began finding critters right away. I picked up a lobster molt and it had a Limacea cockerelli on it.
There were Christmas Tree Worms on every rock in various colors.
Among the nudibranchs we found today were Mexichromis porterae and Okenia rosacea, formerly known as Hopkin's Rose.
While we were looking down a VERY large creature swam over us and blocked out the Sun. We were too shallow for it to be a sailboat and it lasted too long to be a sea lion. It was likely a whale, but neither of us looked up soon enough. After 56 minutes Merry didn't feel well so we decided to exit at the Point rather than swim back to the cove. Exiting at the Point scares me when I'm in a drysuit for good reason. I just finished patching three new holes in it. I'll test it out tomorrow and hopefully get some good images as well.
Dive Location: Marineland
Buddy(ies): Merry
Time: 12:00
Bottom Time: 56 minutes
Max Depth: 50'
Vis: 12'
Wave height: 1'
Temp at depth: 59F
Comments: After spending about three hours in the Rocks, Rips and Reefs class this morning we decided to ditch school and actually get in the water. Conditions had worsened since Thursday but it was still very easy to walk in. We made the long surface swim to the point and began our descent. Merry had trouble clearing so we swam over to the shallow part of the reef and dropped down again. We began finding critters right away. I picked up a lobster molt and it had a Limacea cockerelli on it.
There were Christmas Tree Worms on every rock in various colors.
Among the nudibranchs we found today were Mexichromis porterae and Okenia rosacea, formerly known as Hopkin's Rose.
While we were looking down a VERY large creature swam over us and blocked out the Sun. We were too shallow for it to be a sailboat and it lasted too long to be a sea lion. It was likely a whale, but neither of us looked up soon enough. After 56 minutes Merry didn't feel well so we decided to exit at the Point rather than swim back to the cove. Exiting at the Point scares me when I'm in a drysuit for good reason. I just finished patching three new holes in it. I'll test it out tomorrow and hopefully get some good images as well.
undrwater
Contributor
Date: July 7, 2006
Dive Location: Vet's Park Redondo
Buddy(ies): Tevis
Time: 21:30
Bottom Time: 73 minutes
Max Depth: 89'
Vis: 3-8'
Wave height: 1' entry 5' exit
Temp at depth: 55F
Comments:
Tevis met me for an evening dive at Vet's, which became a late night at Vets because Murphy was playing havoc with our gear. The surface pre-dive promised some decent visibility, so we were excited to get in.
Tevis hooked up his doubles so he could stay down with me and not turn the dive early. Once we waded out and put on our fins, the ocean got mad and started throwing some big waves at us, but we just laughed! Haha!
At the drop point, we took a heading of 290 towards the bouy (no monument this time) to check out a location that Tevis had been before with Claudette. We dropped and hit the first thermocline at about 30fsw, and the second at about 60fsw.
Mucho flatfish, fringehead (? blenny?), and shrimp fooling about. And speaking of fooling around, we became voyeurs to a shrimp coupling. Still lots of squid eggs hanging about, and many crab defending their mud castles. Tevis righted a moss crab that had tumbled down the steep canyon wall, but got no thanks. I found a couple of octo; one in a bottle, one hiding under the mud just after turn-around.
After ascent, the waves had not died down (the ocean was still mad at us). I applied my freshly learned high-surf exit skills and did not have to crawl out!
After we exited, there was a large family waiting for us on the beach requesting photos. We obliged and a good time was had by all. Upon reaching the parking lot, we were asked for forgiveness by two maidens who had run from the beach thinking we were terrorists (orange alert?).
All in all an interesting night and a great dive.
Thanks Tevis!
Dive Location: Vet's Park Redondo
Buddy(ies): Tevis
Time: 21:30
Bottom Time: 73 minutes
Max Depth: 89'
Vis: 3-8'
Wave height: 1' entry 5' exit
Temp at depth: 55F
Comments:
Tevis met me for an evening dive at Vet's, which became a late night at Vets because Murphy was playing havoc with our gear. The surface pre-dive promised some decent visibility, so we were excited to get in.
Tevis hooked up his doubles so he could stay down with me and not turn the dive early. Once we waded out and put on our fins, the ocean got mad and started throwing some big waves at us, but we just laughed! Haha!
At the drop point, we took a heading of 290 towards the bouy (no monument this time) to check out a location that Tevis had been before with Claudette. We dropped and hit the first thermocline at about 30fsw, and the second at about 60fsw.
Mucho flatfish, fringehead (? blenny?), and shrimp fooling about. And speaking of fooling around, we became voyeurs to a shrimp coupling. Still lots of squid eggs hanging about, and many crab defending their mud castles. Tevis righted a moss crab that had tumbled down the steep canyon wall, but got no thanks. I found a couple of octo; one in a bottle, one hiding under the mud just after turn-around.
After ascent, the waves had not died down (the ocean was still mad at us). I applied my freshly learned high-surf exit skills and did not have to crawl out!
After we exited, there was a large family waiting for us on the beach requesting photos. We obliged and a good time was had by all. Upon reaching the parking lot, we were asked for forgiveness by two maidens who had run from the beach thinking we were terrorists (orange alert?).
All in all an interesting night and a great dive.
Thanks Tevis!
scottfiji
Contributor
undrwater:
so is Tevis still the one that turned the dive? Lol - Scott
btw, those were sarcastic fringeheads, not blennies, although they are quite blennyesque.
undrwater
Contributor
scottfiji:
Thanks for the ID.
I turned the dive at the bottom due to my tushie being frozen, but it turns out that we were butting up to our no-deco limits as well.
Hmm...if I had been diving dry as well do you think he should have been diving triples?
:lol:
Date: 7/8/2006
Dive: Casino Point UW Park, Catalina
Buddy(ies): Brandon
Time: 12:06 pm, 2:46 pm
Bottom Time: 70 min, 46 min
Max Depth: 69 fsw, 61 fsw
Vis: 30 ft, 40 ft
Wave height: 0 ft
Temp at depth: 57 F, 61 F
Surface Temp: N/A
Tide information: N/A
Gas mix: 21%
Comments: Don't even get me started on Catalina Express service from Dana Point. Anyway, Brandon and I caught the Catalina Flyer from Balboa this morning to meet the ScubaBoard folks for the monthly Wrinkles dive event scheduled at Casino Point. It was gorgeous morning with bright clear skies. Some small scale southern-hemi ground swell made for nice easy crossing.
Dive #1 - West End: After greeting some of the SB folks and staking out a spot, we finally entered the water around noon. We decided to search for the La Crusado Plaque again. We dropped at the buoys and then made a nice relaxed and gradual decent toward the dive platform. We spent about 15 mins exploring the platform before making the turn and heading toward shore on a South bearing. We never found the stupid plaque (Dr Bill later said a more SE track is required). We eventually picked up the shallow reef line and made a turn toward the East. We poked around the structure before finally picking up the buoys in front of the steps and ascending. We saw several nesting Garibaldi, various flatfish out on the sandy flats, some really big Calico Bass, some cool bright orange Tube Anemone, a bazillion Blue-Banded Gobies, and big schools of blacksmith. We enjoyed a very nice lunch with an SB group which included Ana (wrinkles), Josh (glycerin), Christian (headhunter), Jim (mccabejc), and Adam (neophyte ). Mild panic set in when time check revealed less than 2 hours before our return ferry departure.
Dive #2 - East End: After picking up our tanks at the fill station, we found paramedic trucks on the scene at the top of steps. O2 was being administered to an OW student. We got a quick brief on the incident from Jim (LAJim). Jim had also previously reported the sighting of several Giant Sea Bass at the East end of the park. This was our new goal for the next dive ... find the GSB's (like they would really still be in the same place after an hour ). We suited up in a hurry, used the left steps to bypass a big OW group, dropped then headed East. We stopped briefly to look at the Cousteau plague (we can always find this one ;-), then continued East. We never found the GSB, but did find some other cool stuff. We saw a monster sized lobster, a baby California Moray, more big Calico Bass, some octopi. We cut the dive way short so we could pack up the gear and get to the terminal on time.
We did eventually make it back to the Flyer with just a few minutes to spare. As it turned out the departure was delayed while the LA Co Sheriff searched the boat. Apparently some dumb @$$ decided to steal a golf cart. After 30 mins, the perpetrator was apprehended, cuffed, escorted off the boat, and read his right. Crime never pays.
Dive: Casino Point UW Park, Catalina
Buddy(ies): Brandon
Time: 12:06 pm, 2:46 pm
Bottom Time: 70 min, 46 min
Max Depth: 69 fsw, 61 fsw
Vis: 30 ft, 40 ft
Wave height: 0 ft
Temp at depth: 57 F, 61 F
Surface Temp: N/A
Tide information: N/A
Gas mix: 21%
Comments: Don't even get me started on Catalina Express service from Dana Point. Anyway, Brandon and I caught the Catalina Flyer from Balboa this morning to meet the ScubaBoard folks for the monthly Wrinkles dive event scheduled at Casino Point. It was gorgeous morning with bright clear skies. Some small scale southern-hemi ground swell made for nice easy crossing.
Dive #1 - West End: After greeting some of the SB folks and staking out a spot, we finally entered the water around noon. We decided to search for the La Crusado Plaque again. We dropped at the buoys and then made a nice relaxed and gradual decent toward the dive platform. We spent about 15 mins exploring the platform before making the turn and heading toward shore on a South bearing. We never found the stupid plaque (Dr Bill later said a more SE track is required). We eventually picked up the shallow reef line and made a turn toward the East. We poked around the structure before finally picking up the buoys in front of the steps and ascending. We saw several nesting Garibaldi, various flatfish out on the sandy flats, some really big Calico Bass, some cool bright orange Tube Anemone, a bazillion Blue-Banded Gobies, and big schools of blacksmith. We enjoyed a very nice lunch with an SB group which included Ana (wrinkles), Josh (glycerin), Christian (headhunter), Jim (mccabejc), and Adam (neophyte ). Mild panic set in when time check revealed less than 2 hours before our return ferry departure.
Dive #2 - East End: After picking up our tanks at the fill station, we found paramedic trucks on the scene at the top of steps. O2 was being administered to an OW student. We got a quick brief on the incident from Jim (LAJim). Jim had also previously reported the sighting of several Giant Sea Bass at the East end of the park. This was our new goal for the next dive ... find the GSB's (like they would really still be in the same place after an hour ). We suited up in a hurry, used the left steps to bypass a big OW group, dropped then headed East. We stopped briefly to look at the Cousteau plague (we can always find this one ;-), then continued East. We never found the GSB, but did find some other cool stuff. We saw a monster sized lobster, a baby California Moray, more big Calico Bass, some octopi. We cut the dive way short so we could pack up the gear and get to the terminal on time.
We did eventually make it back to the Flyer with just a few minutes to spare. As it turned out the departure was delayed while the LA Co Sheriff searched the boat. Apparently some dumb @$$ decided to steal a golf cart. After 30 mins, the perpetrator was apprehended, cuffed, escorted off the boat, and read his right. Crime never pays.
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