The Return of Diver Merry

[MaxBottomtime]

After 89 horrible days of illness, poor dive conditions and tax preparation Merry finally got back in the water this afternoon. We had planned to make a quick dive on the Avalon wreck but the water in the south bay is a chocolately goodness. Red tide has spread nearshore all along the west side of Palos Verdes. We headed around to the south side, but the wind and swells made a day of diving look like a distant memory. We ducked around Long Point and the swells diminished. The water was a dirty green so we moved over to the Marineland Platform. It's been a couple of years since we dived here so we decided to go for it.

Water temperature was a brisk 53F and visibility was only six to eight feet, but any dive is good after three months.

We found a nice assortment of nudibranchs, sheep crabs, rockfish and a nice California Scorpionfish that Merry got a good photo of. I got a lot of backscatter-filled images today, thanks to the dirty water. Swell models are promising a better day on Sunday, so maybe we won't wait three months for Merry's next dive.

 

[JMdiver]

Nice pictures.

 

[Teamcasa]

It's been a few weeks for me and my lovely bride as well. Hopefully we will be back is the pond real soon. Very nice photos.

 

[fnfalman]

I am always and constantly amazed by the selection of nudibranches around the Marineland/PV area.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I'm up to 56 so far, 50 of which I've seen at Marineland.
Wreckreational Diving - 56 Nudis,6 Flatworms And Counting

 

[FrankPro1]

Nice Report! What's the yellow/black nudi species? The long term forecast is finally looking promising, the Aleutians seem to be quieting down so by the 14th we should have a nice period of low swell. Lets hope the predictions become reality and we all can start getting wet on a regular basis.

Also how much rode "chain & rope" do you put out when anchoring in relation to your depth? I've read from 3 to 1, all the way up to 7 to 1. I can't see fitting 560ft of anchor line on my small RIB for a 7 to 1 ratio in 80ft of water.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Polycera tricolor. It's only the second one I've found at Marineland.
When diving from a boat I tend to use less than 2 to 1 scope. If the wind or current warrant more I probably shouldn't be diving that day. From an inflatable you can get away with less, unless you're diving the breakwall. The silty bottom doesn't hold anchors well. (personal experience)

 

[FrankPro1]

When diving from a boat I tend to use less than 2 to 1 scope. If the wind or current warrant more I probably shouldn't be diving that day. From an inflatable you can get away with less, unless you're diving the breakwall. The silty bottom doesn't hold anchors well. (personal experience)

That's what I like to hear! Its been nagging me that I wouldn't be able to anchor in deeper depths without bringing an enormous amount of line with me. What type of anchor do you recommend for PV? I was thinking of getting a Danforth, but have read that they are better suited in sandy/mud bottoms.

Also, what depth is the Marineland Platform in?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I like plow type anchors (Bruce), but if you use one in your inflatable you need to keep it in a milk crate. Anything that can puncture a pontoon will. Mushroom anchors work great for inflatables, but tend to drag if there is current, waves or wind.
The platform is in 76 feet at N33 44.140 W118 23.442
There used to be a teak deck on it with kelp growing from it. It's now just the pipes, so not many fish remain, but the pipes are covered with bugula, one of the best nudibranch food sources. There is a huge variety of nudis on the pipes. In the sand are tiny holes. If you wait long enough you will see the juvenile mantis shrimp pop up for a look.
I've placed floats on the platform a few times but they get removed by boaters soon afterward. I even had a line from the platform all the way into the cove twice. Ahh, the good old days. The search for the platform involved several divers, dozens of dives and a lot of line.
The platform was dragged from the location we found it in 55 feet about a quarter mile to it's current location. There is still some net on one corner of it and 2" tow line in the sand.

 

[FrankPro1]

I even had a line from the platform all the way into the cove twice. Ahh, the good old days.

Thanks for the info. I'll probably first purchase a plow type and later a mushroom for those perfectly flat days. Seeing as I will be leaving the RIB unattended while Charlie and I are diving, I need something that will absolutely keep the boat where I anchored it. I remember those lines coming in to the cove. I always wondered what those yellow nylon lines with bottles attached led too. At that time Charlie and I were just free-divers, so we never explored it.