saintsfan
Guest
I know a lot of you love old marineland,I have dove it twice and must be missing something, both times have been fairly low vis.I have frankos map but its not specific. where exactly is the best dive areas??
tips on diving at old marineland?
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If the surface is flat enough, most divers enter from the point on the West side of the property, near the cement post on the rocks. The reef there extends down to 65-70 feet with nice overhangs, mini-pinnacles, kelp, tons of nudibranchs and very few fish. Before you drop down, take a compass heading to the cove on the East side of the shoreline. Unless you can get out without getting smashed into rocks, I recommend swimming underwater and exiting at the cove. The reef parallels the shoreline, so if you are near the edge of the reef, keep it on your left and the sand on your right. That takes you right to the beach. You could also make the dive in reverse order by entering at the cove and heading toward the large reef. I've done that many times, including yesterday. Pay attention to your turnaround pressure if you want to avoid a surface swim.
The reef on the East side of the cove is also interesting, although not as spectacular as the main reef. There are more fish here, but less colorful invertebrate life. There is more kelp if you go into the next cove, although it gets shallow in a hurry. There are many small sea caves there, big enough to hide lobsters or timid fish.
If you don't mind a long swim, the old Marineland pier platform is about 600-700 feet offshore from the middle of the cove.
Yesterday was my 154th Marineland dive. I kinda like that place.
MaxBottomtime:
A really thoughtful person even put a little white buoy out there so people can find the platform (which I finally got to see yesterday!)
Now.... if I could only find the wreck ..... heh...
mccabejc
Contributor
Phil,
Interesting how your topo map actually seems to show the "disturbance in the field" where Headhunter Reef (old Marineland pier) sits. Any idea how that map was generated?
Interesting how your topo map actually seems to show the "disturbance in the field" where Headhunter Reef (old Marineland pier) sits. Any idea how that map was generated?
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/data/647/Old_Marineland_Divers_Map.jpg
Click on the image for a larger view. The UGGS made a survey in 1998-9 of the area around Palos Verdes. Ross Overstreet (my dive buddy) used GIS software to take that data and make maps and GPS coordinates of the many possible targets found. It's amazing how square the platform looks in the enlarged image.
And for MissyP, I replaced the float Saturday that I had set a few weeks ago, mainly so Jim Lyle could go there on his friends boats and get some good pictures. He's a great photographer and I wanted others to see what the platform looks like. He was there yesterday, but said the vis was only five feet. Did you stir it up?
Click on the image for a larger view. The UGGS made a survey in 1998-9 of the area around Palos Verdes. Ross Overstreet (my dive buddy) used GIS software to take that data and make maps and GPS coordinates of the many possible targets found. It's amazing how square the platform looks in the enlarged image.
And for MissyP, I replaced the float Saturday that I had set a few weeks ago, mainly so Jim Lyle could go there on his friends boats and get some good pictures. He's a great photographer and I wanted others to see what the platform looks like. He was there yesterday, but said the vis was only five feet. Did you stir it up?
jlyle
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Many thanks to Phil (Max Bottomtime) for putting a float on the dock.
Despite expectations, over the Fourth of July weekend, I was only able to do two dives. On Saturday, my boat friends had to work. On Sunday, I tore my drysuit's neck seal before the first dive. At last, on Monday, I wore my wife's drysuit (we wear the identical sizes) and was able to escape dryness and get in two dives.
On the first dive, we dove Buchannan's Reef near Old Marineland - reasonable 15 foot vis and very cold water (~50 degree or less). Lots of nudibranchs out crawling around. My buddies even found two new species - I didn't see them and don't have any photos - I guess I'll have to go back and hunt some more - darn!
The second dive was on the newly discovered (thanks to Phil, aka MaxBottomtime) "dock" structure. Here, visibility was very poor - maybe five foot max. It was an interesting dive - the "dock," if that's what it is, is rectangular with large tire bumpers and a badly deteriorating wooden deck. Some old fishing nets give an eerie counterpoint to the site.
Here are a few images from the dives:
Hermissenda crassicornis
Lots of Triopha catalinae on the reef - some of them quite large.
Diaulula sandiegensis
A tiny, unidentified snail
Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
When I looked at my images on the computer, I noticed that this nudibranch has a little hitchhiker on its back. Leslie was kind enough to identify it as a juvenile, type of scale worm, family Polynoidae.
Blown up
The end - yes, I know!
Olympus c5050/PT-015 with dual DS-125 strobes
Despite expectations, over the Fourth of July weekend, I was only able to do two dives. On Saturday, my boat friends had to work. On Sunday, I tore my drysuit's neck seal before the first dive. At last, on Monday, I wore my wife's drysuit (we wear the identical sizes) and was able to escape dryness and get in two dives.
On the first dive, we dove Buchannan's Reef near Old Marineland - reasonable 15 foot vis and very cold water (~50 degree or less). Lots of nudibranchs out crawling around. My buddies even found two new species - I didn't see them and don't have any photos - I guess I'll have to go back and hunt some more - darn!
The second dive was on the newly discovered (thanks to Phil, aka MaxBottomtime) "dock" structure. Here, visibility was very poor - maybe five foot max. It was an interesting dive - the "dock," if that's what it is, is rectangular with large tire bumpers and a badly deteriorating wooden deck. Some old fishing nets give an eerie counterpoint to the site.
Here are a few images from the dives:
Hermissenda crassicornis
Lots of Triopha catalinae on the reef - some of them quite large.
Diaulula sandiegensis
A tiny, unidentified snail
Scorpaenichthys marmoratus
When I looked at my images on the computer, I noticed that this nudibranch has a little hitchhiker on its back. Leslie was kind enough to identify it as a juvenile, type of scale worm, family Polynoidae.
Blown up
The end - yes, I know!
Olympus c5050/PT-015 with dual DS-125 strobes
mccabejc
Contributor
Phil,
The few times I've dove Marineland, we took off from the spot marked X in the attached image. There was also talk of taking off at the spot marked O, but surf was too nasty over there. Assuming conditions allow, do you normally take off at O and head towards the pebble beach/cove to exit?
The few times I've dove Marineland, we took off from the spot marked X in the attached image. There was also talk of taking off at the spot marked O, but surf was too nasty over there. Assuming conditions allow, do you normally take off at O and head towards the pebble beach/cove to exit?
MaxBottomtime:He was there yesterday, but said the vis was only five feet. Did you stir it up?
:e18: ok comedian! When we descended, there was some surge around the platform which was kicking up sand & silt... The vis was 5-8 ft, so we just checked out the platform briefly & followed the line to the warmer shallows...
If conditions allow I always enter at the O next to the post. I had a vacation day a few years ago and spent eight hours with a shovel digging steps down to the X. I was so hot after all that work that I went back up to my van and grabbed mask, fins and snorkel and walked down my new steps into the water. I'd forgotten what it feels like without neoprene hugging my body and quickly learned the error of my decision. I got out of the water in less than one minute. The first big rainstorm washed away my steps. 
Many time I will enter from the cove and swim along the perimeter of the reef until I reach my turnaround pressure, then head back to the cove. Yesterday I was waiting for my buddies, but halfway out to me they changed their minds and decided to go to the East reef. I wanted to get some nudi shots, so I made a surface swim to the O and stayed on the main reef for 1:15 before heading back to the cove.
The first big rainstorm washed away my steps. Many time I will enter from the cove and swim along the perimeter of the reef until I reach my turnaround pressure, then head back to the cove. Yesterday I was waiting for my buddies, but halfway out to me they changed their minds and decided to go to the East reef. I wanted to get some nudi shots, so I made a surface swim to the O and stayed on the main reef for 1:15 before heading back to the cove.
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