FYI all you who live in the hinterlands the video is of a "Santana" or "Santa Ana winds"
"Santana" or "Santa Ana' winds like the Mistrals of north Africa they are very warm desert wind which develop in the desert areas and that blow from the desert towards the ocean. The route of the winds are via the Santa Ana Canyon to the out let at the Pacific ocean. Therefore the name "Santa Ana Winds' or 'Santanas'
Generally the winds blow off shore towards the California island chains creating huge surf conditions as seen in Mark's video and can abd does do damage to the unprepared and unprotected Islands, such as Catalina.
I was doing overnight trip with my OCC (Orange Coast College ) ADP when a Santana struck the island, Saturday was an absolutely lovey day- Since this was prior to the Dive Park, we dove the wreck of the Valiant (don't here much about it any more?) and chartered a bus to take us to Abalone point.
The next morning we arose to the local trash cans being pushed up the streets by a vey strong Santana. We walked to Casino point ( the dive park is now located ) for a view of the harbor and what a disaster it was ! Small boats washed up on shore, the harbor patrol assisting larges boats to get underway all while a very strong wind was still blowing.
Some one said "Well at least that big 3 masted boat had pulled anchor and was safe.". Little did we know the boat called the Sue Jac had slipped anchor crashed on the rocks and has sunk a short distance away -- destined to be an attraction at he Catalina dive park
The date in my log indicates it was November 1980--37 years ago. I have a number of slides of the Sue Jac at anchor and of the waves breaking at Casino Park. I made copies of the slides and gave to the late great Pat Smith the author of Ship Wrecks of the southern California coast - If you live in SoCal YOU should have that book!
About the same month in 1958, 59 years ago--( good gosh !) the second dive charted boat in the world , (The first was the Moray -- Ron Merker, my life long dive buddy and dr bills basic instructor was the first dive boat deck hand) the SCUBA was at anchor at Catalina when an unexpected Santana blew up. All the divers were in the water and underwater and the SCUBA and the industry had no effective recall ....They could not start their engines for fear of injury to the diver so the only option was to set at anchor.
The anchors did not hold and the boat crashed on to the rocks with all the diver still in the water ---Needles to say an interesting experience for those involved.
For about a year or so bits and pieces of the SCUBA could be seen on shore but soon the ocean claimed it a and all traces disappeared
FYI The following is as I recall from my very dusty memory bank -- not for quoting as fact
The name SCUBA was the sole property of Dick Klein so he must have had some thing to do with the boat ,,but as I RECALL it was owned by Gus Dela Valle of future SCUBA Pro fame , the deck hand was either Pat O Malley or Bobbie Frazier (no relation to Dottie,the worlds first female instructor)
And ends those two sagas of Santana winds and diving and dive boats
Now on to the Valiant, the Reposada, the Holiday, the Veleron and other recollection's from the past
t Those were tha dazzz or our dives
SAM MILLER, III
