Tuesday Dive Report: Scooter to the Sisters

[Gombessa]

Don and I both had a free day for a weekday dive, so we headed down to Point Lobos for a noontime dive. Conditions were good for most of the week so we set our sights high. On our way to the park, Monastery was flat. Whaler's Cove was as a calm as a lake, so we planned to scooter out to the 3 Sisters (my first time there), take in the sights and finish the dive back at Middle Reef. Don led masterfully, putting us right on top of one of the sisters. We stowed the scoots and kicked around to each of the three pinnacles, staying between 90-100fsw. We turned on time, and scooted back to the Cove, which greeted us with some more fantastic vis. What's more there was no current or surge at any point of the dive, leaving kelp fronds and particulates suspended completely still in the water.

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Full sized version at: YouTube - Scooter to the Sisters

 

[Jim Ernst]

Wow.. Great Video Ken!

Man the conditions were astronomical looking!

 

[TSandM]

Of all the places I've dived, Lobos is the one where a scooter makes the most sense. I was stunned when Kevin told me that many people who dive there have never seen Beto's Reef or the Sisters, but it's actually easy to understand, when you think about tank size, gas consumption, and the swimming time to get out there.

It's always funny how video lacks the color that my mind supplies when I remember looking at those places . . . Oh, and I love the captioning. It makes the video much more fun, I think!

 

[Gombessa]

Of all the places I've dived, Lobos is the one where a scooter makes the most sense. I was stunned when Kevin told me that many people who dive there have never seen Beto's Reef or the Sisters, but it's actually easy to understand, when you think about tank size, gas consumption, and the swimming time to get out there.

Yep, and I've seen a few folks go through the rigmarole of launching boats and kayaks from the ramp, only to anchor for a shallow dive inside the cove! Beto's and the Sisters seem to be really aggressive recreational profiles - far from shore, bottom can quickly exceed MOD of your gas and a host of other logistical issues make it somewhat impractical/imprudent for people who don't put up with the planning/gear hassles we do, or don't have the years of experience and thousands of dives to be able to do the whole circuit on a single HP80 (like some shopowners in the area ).

It's always funny how video lacks the color that my mind supplies when I remember looking at those places . . . Oh, and I love the captioning. It makes the video much more fun, I think![/QUOTE]

Oh, I know there's a ton of science behind cognitive perception of color and vision, but in this case, it's definitely not just your mind. I was down there at 100ft thinking "Wow, the viz is so good that reds and oranges are popping as if it was 30ft." But when I pull out my camera and watch the same scene live with one eye and through the viewfinder with the other, I can easily see that the sensor dropping almost the entire red channel. I think it's almost time for an upgrade!

 

[Gombessa]

One thing I've consistently noticed however is how much more sensitive the camera can be over my own eyes. A lot of times, I can see something that's just a faint shadow in the distance (a passing sea lion for instance), but if I film it I can see a distinct outline and detail on the video long after it passes out of "visual" range. Has anyone else noticed that?

 

[sarita75]

Lovely!

 

[ae3753]

One thing I've consistently noticed however is how much more sensitive the camera can be over my own eyes. A lot of times, I can see something that's just a faint shadow in the distance (a passing sea lion for instance), but if I film it I can see a distinct outline and detail on the video long after it passes out of "visual" range. Has anyone else noticed that?

That's cause you're narc'd!



...

Actually I've seen the same thing. In lower viz situations, it's really apparent that video captures more than your own eyes.

Really great video - I'm not sure I'm going to post mine. Doesn't even compare.

Thanks again for the dive, really a lot of fun! Especially since we didn't plan on diving until the morning...

 

[Gombessa]

Bah, I had to search through over 10 minutes of footage to find the least shaky-head-cropped-off clips to make a 2 minute montage. And man, at 90-100ft depth, my hands are definitely not very steady (I think that's definitely the narc talking) Post up the vid!

I was REALLY dreading the back-to-work blues when I thought I would have to go in yesterday, but after we confirmed the dive in the morning, it's like the clouds suddenly parted. This was a great dive with great company, and what a way to cap off vacation. Thanks for the dive, especially on such short notice!

 

[kwest]

Thanks for the video Kenn, wish you could join us this Tuesday.

(((kevin)))

 

[Gombessa]

Thanks for the video Kenn, wish you could join us this Tuesday.

(((kevin)))

Me too, but after all the vacation I've taken, work would just kill me.

It looks like you guys are shaping up to have a huge party next week I'll be watching for the dive reports with great anticipation!!